DCU Comic Book Reviews

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #48

Revolt Of The Alpha Lanterns, Part 1

July 2010

Written by Tony Bedard

Pencils by Ardian Syaf

Inks by Vicente Cifuentes

Covers by  Rodolfo Migliari  and Patrick Gleason

Synopsis

On Ysmault, Guy Gardner and Ganthet seek out Red Lantern Atrocitus.  Ganthet convinces Atrocitus they need to work together to avoid the next disaster.  On Oa, Ganthet resigns as a Guardian and becomes a Green Lantern of Sector 0.  Elsewhere, the Alpha Lanterns recruit Hraalkar.  Later, John Stewart is helping to rebuild Oa when the Guardians request his presence.  Alpha Lantern Boodikka asks for his help to find Drill Sergeant Stel, who disappeared when he went back home to investigate a disturbance on his homeworld in Sector 3009.  Meanwhile, Glibberquip is searching for his missing partner, Hraalkar, when he is also recruited by the Alpha Lanterns.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I always knew the Alpha Lanterns were revolting.

Ahem.

This issue is pretty much all set-up, as Bedard takes over the writing chores.  He not only sets up his own story (the Alpha Lanterns), but also continues to add to the Brightest Day meta-story with Guy and Ganthet and Atrocitus.  There is nothing particularly bad about this issue; it does what it needs to do, which is to put the characters into place and sets up the main conflict.  There is also nothing that really stands out.  Bedard doesn’t do anything outlandish or stylish, but in that regard I think it was the right choice.  He continues to focus on the characters, providing some nice moments with John Stewart, Hraalkar, and the forging scene with Ganthet.  This story feels right at home with Tomasi’s run and that is definitely a good thing.  This may be a set-up to what is coming down the line, but it also feels like it belongs with what has happened in the past.  So far, so good. 

Using the Alpha Lanterns is going to be tricky.  It is one of the Grant Morrison concepts that hasn’t quite caught on with the fans (as far as I can tell), which means Bedard could easily turn off people who don’t like the justice enforcers.  On the other hand, if Bedard is steering the story into a way to remove the Alpha Lanterns, then he might very well make people happy.  So, right now he is walking a tightrope.  So far it is working, but again, it is all set-up.  Until we get into the meat of the story, who knows what will happen. 

I don’t quite understand how Ganthet could resign from being a Guardian.  First, I always thought that being a Guardian was a natural part of their race and who they are.  It is not a job so much as a part of their being.  Even if I am wrong (and I probably am) there is still the second problem.  The other Guardians fired his ass just near the beginning of the Black Lantern mess.  He and Sayd (the female Guardian) left Oa and went to a planet who name I forgot and became the Guardians for the Blue Lanterns.  Granted, Ganthet is wearing the Blue Lantern symbol on his chest and he does say he is renouncing “guardian status in any corps”, but I am not sure why he would need to tell the Guardians of the Green Lanterns he is quitting.  Shouldn’t he tell the Blue Lanterns, who are now without a Guardian?  And then the third question:  why would the remaining Guardians even allow him to become a Green Lantern.  After all, didn’t they fire him because of his emotions?  Doesn’t that still hold true?  The fired him because he was a bad boss but hired him because he does good work?

Comic Connection

Appa Ali Asa is a former Guardian of the Universe who was the first to give himself a name (and is pictured far left on the bottom of page 6).  Appa traveled across Earth with Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen to experience life, after which he renounced his position as a Guardian.  After Sinestro kills the Guardians, Appa return to Oa to become the last Guardian.  He went insane from the isdolation and was eventually killed.