Green Lantern Corps #28

Green Lantern Corps #28
Writers: Van Jensen
Pencils: Bernard Chang

The continued war against the Green Lanterns continues, but know we have a rag tag bunch of bounty hunters, Green Lanterns, and Fatality along for the ride.  This issue, finds our group tracking down a past lantern who is a Durlan ( a deadly shape changing alien race).  On a planet that closely resembles Tattooine, they track down the rebel and take him in, or so we think.  This is a lot tougher than what the directions told them.  Not only are the Lanterns fighting this battle on this side, they are also being hunted down on Mogo, the sentient planet Green Lantern.  Salaak, the brainy Lantern I like to call him, is beaten badly as another is taken hostage by a shadowy group.  It is not until the last page do we find out who is behind this abduction, and I can tell you, it put a smile on my face, evil - but still a smile.

Once again,there  is a war going on.  I have not read this title for a while, but the last time I was reading it, guess what, there was a war going on.  The storyline of tracking the rebel Lantern is quite cool and wish that they were covering that one more instead of running around in three different directions.  Not every story has to be an enormous event.  Take a break and tell smaller stories.  I still am not taken up with the storyline,bu t my love of Green Lanterns is pushing me to continue reading.  Another thing with this issue is the art.  It is very grainy and stiff in places, but it really works with the hunt storyline.  Another thing that they employed in this issue was a stark red, white, and black coloring of certain important panels in the story.  I like this, but they have not been using it throughout the story.t  his would be a great technique to use during the storyline, but it feels like they are just trying all sorts of things to grab readers that they are not crafting a cohesive story.

Like I said, if you are a hard core Lantern fan, pick it up.  I am interested in seeing where it goes, but were I not a fan, this would definitely pass my radar.

Recommendation:  Borrow / Pass

-Great Scott

Green Lantern Corps Annual #2

Green Lantern Annual #2:   Enemies Closer
Writer: Van Jensen / Robert Venditti
Art: Neil Edwards / Tom Derenick

What do you do when everyone in the galaxy wants you dead and your power taken from you?  You make alliances with people that you never thought you would.  With their Sector Houses being destroyed, the Green Lanterns have no haven from the storm of enemies that are confronting them on all sides.  The Khund, the Claan, and the Durlan are working together to strike at the corps while they are disorganized.  I personally am not familiar with the Durlan, a race of tentacles (for lack of a better description) that are able to shape change to any race they wish, their description I find to be not only creepy, but also very disturbing.  Building upon events that occurred in Green Lantern Corps #27, this issue picks up right after and gives a great description not of the heroes, but of the villains, and how they got to where they are now.  One personal bright spot for me is a character named Evil Star (coming from the same universe as an old Image character, Wild Star, which I found to be a great character which I hope to talk about later), and the tragic way that he gained his power.

I like that this issue takes place immediately after the last issue, where a lot of times, the Annuals are stand alone and disrupt the flow that they are building upon in the regular issues.  The art works; very kinetic and works not only as a storytelling device but really shows action well.  I am pleased with where they are going with this as the last issue really had me wanting more.  *****SPOILER WARNING*****  The only thing that did disappoint me is the fact that all of this p@@p is hitting the fan, there just happened to be a double agent planted in with the Durlans.  Really??  Apart from this little Deus Ex Machina, it was an entertaining issue.

Review: Borrow It (Unless hard core Lantern fan)