Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities GREEN LANTERN

Anyone pick up the Darkest Night Corps book? I found it a mixed bag. I liked (in a pained sort of way) the Saint Walker story, and wasn't so fond of the Mongul story and was perplexed, but intrigued by the Indigo Tribe story.

I'm not sure I like the inference that compassion is primitive.

I picked it up ML and thought it was only 'OK'.

While all three of the artists did a very good job I found the writing in all three stories to be somewhat disappointing.

None of them were 'bad' as such but none of them felt particularly original (except maybe the Indigo one) or interesting either, and for the price of this issue they were all way too light-weight as well! I actually felt kinda ripped off when I got to the end.

I'm in for the next two issues though so I hope things improve.

Well, I caught up on GL and GLC and its a little hard to really put into words how awesome and incredibly I think they've been. Both titles are firing on all cylinders.

I'm loving the entire War of Light storyline, and I love the usage of all four Earth Lanterns plus all the others; Carol Ferris; Sinestro and so many others.

Agent Orange is really just an awesome addition to the mythos.

Drake is correct in the real star of John's run is the GL mythos itself. And I find that very appealing! He's done simply an amazing job.

The series is too close to perfect for additional comments.

I just read Tales of the Corps #1-3 in one sitting and wasn't sure if I should post here or in the Blackest Night thread, but decided here as really only one story is more BN than GL.

My overall impression? This was a pretty damn excellent collection of short stories, and I highly recommend it to anyone. Non-GL fans will love it too I think but GL fans are in for a serious treat.

The artwork was spectacular all the way through, and each short story really takes advantage of being in a short story format. To the point, a sense of poignancy at the close, and enough there to really drive home the characterization of the lead.

The highlights:

(1) The Kilowog story by Tomasi was the best of the bunch. An absolutely terrific story and potentially my favorite Kilowog story of all time. Tomasi also shows Kilowog and Tomar Re joining the Corps together and Sinestro's famous status established by that time--I love this sort of thing.

(2) Arisia, one of my favorite females in comics, also has an excellent story that just really gets across her personality well. It reaffirmed that my crush on her is still there . The enthusiasm she has for one day being a GL is perfect, and they continue to make her personality as attractive as her distinct look.

(3) The Blackest Night commentary with Geoff and the edtitors is actually pretty cool too. They give some really good insight!

By the way the three I just listed are all in #3.

Other good things:

(4) Carol Ferris has a story that doesn't really show much new things happening but reaffirms that she has big things happening.

(5) The Indigo tribe seems to be intriguing.

(6) The Bleez Red Lantern story was tragic; I hope maybe more could be done with her character now and maybe she can one day find a life post-Red Lantern. They gave her more persoanlity in 8 pages than some character have gotten in 30 years.

(7) The Orange Lantern story with art by Tom Mandrake was suberb, and another big highlight. It was actually really excellent--I think so much so that its a worthy successor to the Atomic Age 1950's DC sci-fi series.

(8) Ethan Van Scrier gives a cool commentary on the designs for the various color emblems.

The only two stories I didn't really dig were the Mongul story because I'm sick of him and the Saint Walker story which felt a little boring. Go figure, those are the first two, which is probably why it took me this long to reading them. So don't let those two stories scare you. If anything buy #2 and #3, which contain some excellent stuff.

with the revelation in Blackest Night : Titans #1 - hmmm maybe Dove will be a White Lantern??

Heh. There have been the "white lantern" threads all over the GL boards at DC.

Right now, its a great storyline, but it isn't so much a Hal storyline. So while I am enjoying it, I am also looking forward to returning to some Hal focused stuff.

And of all the mini's to spin out of it, I have the GLC mini and of course BN. I wasn't going to buy any others, and told my LCS not to get them for me.

However...

Titans BN: I was looking through it and....DOVE! Dawn Granger. I've loved this character since she debuted and have actually been calling for her return. And there she was in all her platinum haired, blue-butted glory. She's like the ultimate girl next door little sisters cute friend that grows up into a stunner and knocks your socks off after having not seen her in 5 years. Smart, funny, quick witted and capable while being attractive. Love the entire package. So yeah, I'm getting this one too.

Well, most people are probably posting their thoughts on GL's latest issues in the Blackest Night thread, but that's a little unfair because while the main Blackest Night's quality may be debatable, I think no one can argue that the latest issues of Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps of bee nothing short of excellent. The huge cast of both titles have had chances to shine across the board; the action has been non-stop and every issue has several character bits throughout.

In the main GL title, John Stewart recently had his own solo issue dealing with the undead citizens of Xanshi and Katma Tui. On one hand I’m so tired of reading about Xanshi and John, but on the other hand, it was a pretty solid story. The basic theme was “moving on” and I hope that’s the case. Geoff Johns really seems to have a good hold on John Stewart’s character and I think he writes him as a great compliment to Hal, who is effectively his partner. Neither takes away from the other’s sense of courage or strength yet each is quite different.

Over in GLC, each issue continues to be a treat. Kyle Rayner, who was obviously not going to stay dead, is quickly brought back after letting Kyle fans online have a good month to go crazy. The way it happened was a little “eh, whatever” but it did continue to build on the romance between Soranik and Kyle, which I like. Soranik Natu has just become such a great character in the GL mythos. Meanwhile, Guy Garnder naturally falls prey to a red power ring and becomes a Red Lantern—another not so surprising turn of events yet dynamic and fun to watch nonetheless. I like how Guy and Kyle’s friendship is so strong here and they’ve formed a bond as equal to or stronger than Hal and John. Of course, Kilowog and the rest are awesome to watch and that’s what makes GLC so damn good these days: so many diverse characters being showcased every issue.

I can’t recommend either title enough. The GL franchise is probably the best ‘franchise’ in comics these last few years and only getting stronger. They are definitely DC-Central's best #1 and #2 comic books.

I wish Guy's run as a Red Lantern ran longer than Kyle's death. Knowing Guy, this isn't that far fetched a development. And he's spent so much time ranting against the Guardians in the past, you'd think Atrocitus was stealing his lines. I'd like to see the rainbow of rings-slingers stick around and see how the GLC handles them.

You know, if DC started a new title post-BN starring Guy called "Red Lantern", I'd be on board. I'm surprised they haven't thought about that (or maybe they did?). I'd dislike the disruption of the current GLC series, which really benefits from Guy's interaction with the rest of the GL's, but the premise of an ongoing Red Lantern Guy could be cool (particularly if Tomasi did that one and GLC at the same time).

I also hope to see the rainbow of ring-slingers stick around post-BN. Particularly Larfleeze and Atrocitus, who are great new villains in GL lore.

I enjoyed Green Lantern 43 a lot. As I've said elsewhere here, BN works best when it's fun! Even with all the heavy goings-on here, it was a fun issue to read. Guy as a Red Lantern wasjust off the chain! Most guy fans like myself would itch to see Guy really cut loose, and this was one of those rare opportunities. It was quite comical in a way but really cool.

It was also fun seeing Soranik and the others rally around Kyle and do their best to a) keep Kyle from being claimed by a Black Lantern ring (which I thought would happen) and b) revive him. It was pretty unexpected for a Star Sapphire to intervene and save the day, so unexpected that it was all the more fun!

Epic adventures like Blackest Night should always have an element of fun at their core. The tie-ins that get it right, like this one, always keep that element in mind.

I should also mention that I really enjoy Pat Gleason's art. His art is reminiscent of Mike Mignola and Kevin Nowlan, but still retains its own distinct flair. Pat's perfect for this title, and I hope he doesn't end his tenure any time soon!

Yeah, I also am really enjoying Pat Gleason's art here, and shame on me for not saying so in my above posts.

He definitely has a distinct flair that keeps GLC very exciting. I hope he stays for the long haul.

Oh, uh, did you guys see what Guy made with his ring?

http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/01/14/dcu-in-2010-tomasi-extends-exclusive-with-dc/

That's sweet.

Yeah, but I'm pretty sure it's AFTER Blackest Night. That ring ain't coming off anytime soon.

It looks like it's from the next issue of "GLC" so I'm inclined to think Guy's going to ditch the Red Ring by story's end. (although it'd be kinda cool for him to keep it)

Re "Green Lantern #50" -- I liked this a lot! We see how the "New Guardians" cope with the new rings, (there's a lot more Scarecrow action that I would've expected) Hal goes toe to jaw with the Spectre and of course ... Parallax! Since we know Hal isn't going to be Parallax for long, I'm interested to see what happens next issue rather than running screaming into the night. After months of just kinda tagging aloing and simply watching things unfold around himm, Hal takes the lead and dives in like the hero we know!

And I disagree with the Spectre's assessment that Hal simply doesn't consider consequences. I think it's that he understands the consequences of *inaction.*

CAtching up on this book. Picked up #43 - #51. Wow. This helps with Blackest Night a lot. Great art and supporting story.

The Black Hand centered issue was great.

The last Pete Tomasi issue came out and served as both a Blackest Night epilogue and a great reminder at all Pete has accomplished on this series, and how when he took over from Gibbons he actually took it to the next level, where it truly competes with GL in quality every month.

We get great scenes for Guy, Kyle, Kilowog, Salaak, Arisia, Vath & Isamot, Soranik and Princess Iolande. All of them have become favorites. I even got to see one of my personal favorites, Stel, have a great scene. (Does this mean no more Alpha-Lanterns? He looked different).

The friendship between Kyle & Guy has really grown over the course of this series and I'm a big fan of it. I hope that stays that way for a long time. I also love Soranik as Kyle's love interest. I hope no one gets the silly, stupid idea of having Kyle go back to Jade; lets leave the past in the past there, as Soranik really adds a lot to Kyle, IMO and shows how the character has matured.

Vath & Isamot are two faves of mine and I liked that they had a solid scene. Loved the scolding Iolande gave them.

Arisia punching a Guardian--love it.

On the one hand, I'm sad to see Pete leaving but he's not going far, having a third GL title and taking Guy and Kilowog with him. I hope he keeps any GL's from here that aren't used by Bedard front and center. I'm hopeful Tony Bedard can add his own touch here and keep the quality level high. Most of all, I hope Bedard builds on what Pete Tomasi has done (who built on Gibbons stories) and keep things moving forward for these characters.

Cannot wait for Guys book. Him, Kill (my fave GL), and Arisia.

Be sure to tell me about it.

I didn't realize Arisia was going to be in it too. She's in my top 10 greatest comic book crushes, and I still have a big soft spot for her. I think Pete has totally gotten her exactly right on his run so I'm glad he'll keep writing her.

GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD WARRIORS #1
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by FERNANDO PASARIN
Cover by RODOLFO MIGLIARI
1:25 variant cover by LEE BERMEJO
BRIGHTEST DAY! A whole new chapter in the epic GREEN LANTERN saga gets under way as Guy Gardner begins his secret mission for Atrocitus, bringing him into conflict with Hal Jordan with massive repercussions for the Green Lantern Corps!
Guy takes fellow Emerald Warriors Kilowog and Arisia along as he explores the Unknown Sectors — but what happens when they discover his mission and what’s waiting for them in the unpatrolled darkness?
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale AUGUST 11 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Tony Bedard steps into GLC and the transition feels totally seemless just like when Tomasi took over from Gibbons. Everything keeps moving right along and the quality is as strong as ever.

Ganthet becoming a more active member of the cast is very welcome and I'm looking forward to his interactions with Kyle, John and the rest. John Stewart having a more high profile role is also something I'm glad to see. Same goes for Stel, a personal favorite of mine.

It also appears the Alpha-Lanterns as a story concept may be on the verge of being wrapped up and I wouldn't mind if that happened. I thought it was interesting for a bit but seeing that plotline end could be equally as interesting.

Meanwhile in the main GL comic, things continue along nicely. My one complaint I want to get out of the way is I wouldn't mind seeing Hal be Hal for awhile now. I feel like he's been in costume for an entire year now (real world time). Same goes for Carol--it wouldn't seem right if she was Star Sapphire permanently. One exception to this complaint is that I love the Sinestro/Hal interaction and that makes up for any other feelings I'm having.

The problem with no non-costume time is it feels like there aren't many subplots and that everything is all happening during the course of one day. I'm not a fan of that approach.

Doug Mahnke is now the permanent GL artist and his pencils are just explosive! They are very grandiose and have an energy that is not that common these days but without the overly proportioned bodies of the 90's. The same goes for Ardian Syaf on GLC. The GL comics have become a bigtime flagship property for DC and they are now kind of creating a 'house style' for epic sci-fi superhero comics. I'm enjoying that a bit and it enhances my GL reading experience.

Preview for Guy's new book. Looking forward to this one.

http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=37032

In this month's issue of GL... tell me you guys saw the leg lamp from A Christmas Story.

The Lobo vs. Atrocitus issue of GL was the action-packed slugfest I expected it to be, and a nice change of pace for an issue. Even though it was firmly within the ‘non-stop cosmic craziness’ mode the title has been in for some time, a slugfest in Manhattan felt in a weird way like it was slowing things down, which I thought was needed. Geoff also reminded me that Lobo can be a fun addition to stories when he’s used very sparingly. Here, he was kind of like Heath Ledger’s Joker in the Dark Knight in that he ripped through the issue and then was gone without much resolution.

And I feel at this point, I must point out in the most intellectual way possible that Carol as Star Sapphire may be the single hottest female in all of comic books. But I suspect the depictions of Hal and others men here are equally appealing for others.

The 4 page Dex-Star back-up was possibly the single best back-up story I’ve seen in ages. I found it equally moving and enraging and now see what all the buzz was about. Dex-Star may be the most awesome character since Groot. As someone who grew up with cats and now has a dog, I found it horrifyingly sad to see his origin and then cheered when I saw the skulls of his prey. Like the most juvenile reader, I delight in seeing bastards get their comeuppance at times.