DCU Comic Book Reviews

GREEN LANTERN #12

Revenge Of The Green Lanterns, Part 3

July 2005

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Ivan Reis

Inks by Oclair Albert

Cover by Simone Bianchi

Synopsis

Hal Jordan is on the Manhunter home planet, captured courtesy of Hank Henshaw (aka Cyborg Superman), who has taken control of all of the Manhunters.  Henshaw’s goal is to change the mission of the Manhunters from eradicate life to control it.  Henshaw places nanites into Jordan, attempting to use his mistakes to make a better Manhunter.  On Earth, White King Alan Scott of Checkmate listens to the mission statement from the Global Guardians before he makes a call to Oliver Queen.  Below England, a bounty hunter is given the job of hunting down Jordan.  Meanwhile, Jordan battles the nanite invasion and frees himself.  He then frees the Green Lanterns that he had once defeated as Parallax.  Once free, the Lanterns fight the Manhutners, but the moment they see Jordan, they attack him, thinking only a moment has passed during their years of captivity.  Their battle with Jordan takes them into a dark cave, where they stumble upon hundreds of presumed dead Lanterns, hanging in some kind of suspended animation.  Just as the Lanterns believe their fight is not with Jordan, one of them is killed.  Suspicious of Jordan, they think it is a trap.  Then they see a massive Manhunter, with Guy Gardner strapped inside, giving it power.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This was a very good issue.  The role call of Lanterns that Jordan had “killed” was a good idea and instantly established a lot for these characters.  It looks as if they will be around for at least an issue more and presumably in battle with the Manhunters, so this set the stage real well.  The continued mining of Jordan’s guilt of his past continues, first literally by Henshaw and then by the Lanterns coming back to life.  I have said it before that is good to see Jordan’s actions being investigated and his actions having consequences even years after it had happened.  The fact that Jordan does not fight back at all and is willing to accept whatever the Lanterns do to him is a credit to Johns.  With the advent of Parallax being a separate entity, it would seem to be a good “out” to absolve Jordan of any wrongdoing.  Yet, Johns makes sure that Jordan feels the guilt and is willing to do anything within his own power to remove it.  The scene with the Lanterns attacking Jordan was fantastic stuff because of that. 

I am curious to see if the suspicion of Jordan by the Lanterns will continue past this issue or if the sight of Gardner inside that Manhunter thing will alleviate that.  Personally, I hop it continues for some time, perhaps to a lesser degree, but still there.  It should not be easy to forgive and forget so quickly, especially for those who still think it is fresh in their minds. 

I am a little unclear as to what Henshaw wanted to do with Jordan.  He said he wanted to use Jordan’s mistakes because organics lack the programming to keep them from doing the wrong thing.  So, if I understand it, Henshaw wants to program the Manhunters so they can make mistakes?  Is this a way to get them closer to human, or I guess living?

Did you notice Boba Fett in the bounty hunters lounge?

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