DCU Comic Book Reviews

GREEN LANTERN #34

Green Lantern Secret Origin, Part 6

October 2008

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Ivan Reis

Inks by Oclair Albert

Cover by Ivan Reis

Synopsis

In the fight against Atrocitus, Hal Jordan and Sinestro lost the power to their rings thanks to a device created by Atrocitus.  However, Sinestro is able to retrieve his power battery and once the two lanterns are recharged, they fight back and defeat Atrocitus.  In the fight, Atrocitus drops the device, which is recovered by William Hand, who runs away with it.  Afterwards, Jordan says he was able to overcome the yellow impurity.  Sinestro doesn’t believe it.  Jordan gets angry with him.  Sinestro tells Jordan he needs to get control of his anger and deal with it.  Jordan decides to do just that.  He goes to visit Carl Ferris, who he blames for his father’s death.  However, he learns Carl Ferris has been sick and wracked with guilt ever since that day.  Jordan realizes he was angry at someone who didn’t deserve it.  Later, Jordan talks to Sinestro when the Guardians order them both back for immediate discipline. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Unlike last issue, this issue is more concerned with the secret origin of Hal Jordan and less with the set up for the upcoming Blackest Night story.  As a result, I think the issue is a little scattershot.  The scenes with Sinestro, especially when he is mentoring Hal and teaching him how to be a better green lantern, work a lot better than the scene with Carol Ferris.  I think a lot of that comes from the fact that the romance with Carol has been played out over the years and there is not much more Johns can add to their story.  In contrast, the relationship with Sinestro is fresh and new and knowing how things change and what happens with Sinestro, it gives everything between the two a different spin.  Combine that with the fact that Sinestro is helping Jordan to grow and evolve as a lantern and their relationship is more powerful and complex than Hal and Carol. 

It took me a little it to figure out what the “yellow” was that Jordan was able to overcome when he piledrove the plane into Atrocitus.  It was the yellow digger Atrocitus was holding and about to pummel on top of Sinestro.  Of the six panels on page 9, the digger can be seen in only two and the second panel it is barely visible.  Combine that with the fact that the yellow thing was ridiculous to begin with (and technically doesn’t exist in current stories) and I wasn’t quite sure what was happening.  More importantly, this retconned moment seems a little odd because you would think that something as big as overcoming yellow would be recalled by Jordan.  I don’t think something like would be forgotten or never spoken about. 

I laughed when I read the panel in which Jordan says, “#$%& you,” which is placed on the page that way to keep the comics code approval stamp on the cover, followed by the power ring saying, “unable to translate.”

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