• Green Lantern #58

    by
    Blake Petit
    Published on 10-16-2010 03:01 PM
    6 Comments Comments
    Review By: Blake M. Petit BlakeMPetit@gmail.com
    Quick Rating: Great
    Title: Hope Burns Bright

    The avatar of the Blue Lanterns chooses a host!

    Writer: Geoff Johns
    Pencils: Doug Mahnke
    Inks: Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne & Doug Mahnke
    Colors: Randy Mayor
    Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
    Editor: EddieBerganza
    Cover Art: Doug Mahnke
    Publisher: DC Comics

    Writer: Geoff Johns Pencils: Doug Mahnke Inks: Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne & Doug Mahnke Colors: Randy Mayor Letters: Nick J. Napolitano Editor: EddieBerganza Cover Art: Doug Mahnke Publisher: DC ComicsFor a few months now, a mysterious being has been wandering the universe, trying to snatch up the entities that embody the various colored Lantern Corps. Larfleeze has his safely tucked away, and Carol Ferris seems to have tamed the Star Sapphire’s “Predator,” but this issue is all about hope. Adara, the entity of the Blue Lanterns, chooses a host, and reveals quite a bit in the process.

    This really was a spectacular issue. Both Adara and Larfleeze have very strong, very important moments, with Adara pulling a bit of psychoanalysis on our hero and disclosing some things about Hal Jordan that he probably doesn’t want to admit, even to himself. Larfleeze, left in charge of the young man who briefly played host to the Predator last month, is forced to face some truths about himself as well, and the reader is given a few nuggets of information about our favorite orange alien that make him far more interesting than he already was. I’m curious how much of the Larfleeze stuff was planned from the character’s outset. He’s really become the breakout character of the Blackest Night/Brightest Day cycle, turning out to be far more entertaining to read (and, from all accounts, to write) than anyone anticipated. Whether his history, which we glimpse this issue, was pre-planned or whether Geoff Johns decided to flesh it out once the character caught on isn’t really clear. Either way, though, it’s welcome.

    The Adara host we meet this month also kicks things off as a pretty engaging new character. Of all the various Corps (with the exception of the deliberately ambiguous Indigo Tribe) I’ve felt like the Blues are the ones who haven’t gotten the development they deserve. After a pretty triumphant debut, we haven’t seen too much of them. Part of that, probably, is because the meticulously slow process of selecting a Blue Lantern keeps them from becoming legion like the other Corps, but whatever the reason, I’ve been left wanting more. This issue takes a big step towards giving us that.

    Doug Mahnke does his customary powerful artwork, with some great-looking aliens and a very nice design for Adara’s human host. Randy Mayor is doing good color work as well, not only using the multiple Corps to make the pages look diverse, but even picking up on the emotional cues that go with each color along the way.

    One of the best issues of this title since Brightest Day began.

    Story:
    4.5/5 Stars
    Art:
    4/5 Stars
    Overall:
    4.5/5 Stars
    Comments 6 Comments
    1. Adam Chapman's Avatar
      Adam Chapman - 10-17-2010, 04:26 AM
      Although aspects of this issue were entertaining, I think that in general this title has been flailing as of late, as the story just seems to jump around, and with all of the various Corps just wandering around willy-nilly, I just feel like this series has lost its focus and direction. We get some nice character bits, sure, but there are far too many loose ends for my liking. The pacing is painfully slow as well, and some of the characterization, although enjoyable, takes its sweet ass time getting to its particular point.
    1. Lord Raiden's Avatar
      Lord Raiden - 10-17-2010, 08:15 AM
      My biggest fear is that DC will do COIE on GL and say there's too many Lanterns, too many colour spectrums etc etc and we need to tone it back down and retcon to just Green Lantern again. Outside of that, I didn't mind this issue, at a glance through, and intend to read it properly and thoroughly later tonight, as I decided to purchase it after reading this review, cause I haven't picked up any GL comics, outside of the Guy Gardner one that just came out, mainly due to financial reasons, so this is the first GL comic i've read since BN. I will be backtracking after this.
    1. Terry Verticchio's Avatar
      Terry Verticchio - 10-18-2010, 06:47 PM
      I have to admit the cover alone is enough of an incentive to buy this book. But I've been underwhelmed by Brightest Day, so I'm reluctant to jump back in.
    1. Where Is Tony's Avatar
      Where Is Tony - 10-20-2010, 11:19 AM
      Normally I would say that this is an example of a writer not having a long-term plan. That said, Johns has always seemed to plan to go to just the Green again. I think the runaway BN success has slowed things and he is having to come up with stuff for the characters to do.

      I am betting Sinestro will keep his ring.
    1. Terry Verticchio's Avatar
      Terry Verticchio - 10-20-2010, 01:21 PM
      Yeah, I can see the editors talking to Geoff..."So you think you can string this out for another Event or three, the kids still have some change rattling around in their pockets and we want it."
    1. Terry Verticchio's Avatar
      Terry Verticchio - 10-22-2010, 11:31 AM
      Pickings were slim this week for comics, so I bought this issue.

      It was good. I like the Adara character, but the story feels...busy. Too much is happening and it ruins the flow of the story.

      The art is fantastic. Wow. The line work the colours. Just off the scale.