DCU Comic Book Reviews

GREEN LANTERN #49

Semper Fi!

February 2010

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Ed Benes and Marco Marz

Inks by Ed Benes and Lucian del Negro

Covers by Ed Benes and Rodolfi Migliari

Synopsis

On Xanshi, John Stewart encounters a green lantern battery that once belonged to Driq, the green lantern of Space Sector 667 who was killed by Sinestro.  He then encounters Black Lantern Driq as well Black Lanterns of the entire planet of Xanshi.  Stewart then destroys the battery, which destroys all of the Black Lanterns.  However, they soon regenerate.  They come after him.  He is rescued by Black Lantern Katma Tui, his former wife.  She tells him that he is the only man she truly loved.  They told each their fears.  John tells her he is not afraid of anything.  But now he understands what he must do.  He must put the past behind him.  He flies away from his past, away from Xanshi.  When he reaches orbit he finds himself near Earth.  He warns Earth, they have incoming.     

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Over the past few months, Johns has been teasing the Xanshi storyline giving us little bits and pieces.  Now, we get the story and this is what we get?  Not that there was anything wrong it with it, but it did not feel satisfying.  I don’t know, maybe my expectations were beyond Johns’ scope.  I really expected a bigger story, something with more of an epic feel to it.  Don’t get me wrong, I liked the story and I liked the way Johns characterized Stewart.  I also liked the way he used the story as a way to reveal the inner turmoil of Stewart and how he overcomes them.  But it lacked the zing of other stories; it falls flat.  Maybe it’s the way the story was paced.  It races to the end in quick fashion.  Stewart reaches the conclusion he needs to put the past behind him fairly quickly.  It seems to fast, especially for someone who could not overcome what he had done to Xanshi.  How long has Stewart been conflicted about Xanshi?  He stands on the planet he destroyed, with his wife, and now he can let it go?  I am not saying he can’t; all I am saying is that it happens pretty quickly. 

In other Blackest Night stories, the Black Lanterns play upon the emotions of the living, something that Kat doesn’t do (or does poorly if her remembrances were supposed to get that emotional response).  It seems odd that Johns wouldn’t try to have Kat play upon Stewart’s emotions.  I am not even sure we got one of those color-coded views.  It seems weird that Johns wouldn’t capitalize and try to wear down Stewart some more before reaching the ending. 

THE BIRTH OF NEKRON

Written by Geoff Johns

Art by Jerry Ordway

SYNOPSIS

Black Lantern Jean Loring has taken Ray Palmer (aka the Atom) and Queen Mera of Atlantis inside a black power ring.  Jean explains the universe knew nothing but death and peace.  Then light came and the War of Light was born.  The Guardians were not protecting the universe, but protecting the light.  The universe eventually created its own Guardian:  Nekron, who saved those who “died” so they could be used later as Black Lanterns.  No one will stop Nekron from achieving his goal:  death and peace.  Nearby, Deadman observes and realizes that he must be “no one.”

REVIEW

I am not quite sure what to make of this story.  There is not much here that I have not learned from other stories, but it is nice to have it explained in one sitting.  In Blackest Night #5, Jean pulled the Atom and Mera into the ring, so it is a continuation of that story.  But since it is in this title, is it important to the overall Blackest Night story or simply a slight diversion and a good way to provide exposition and explain the origin of Nekron and the War of Light?  The ending is intriguing and makes me wonder.  Does Deadman play an important role in Blackest Night or is the ending just a set-up for another tie-in story?

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