DCU Comic Book Reviews

GREEN LANTERN #53

The New Guardians, Chapter One

June 2010

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Doug Mahnke

Inks by Doug Mahnke

Covers by Doug Mahnke and Greg Horn

Synopsis

In Louisiana, Hector Hammond is contact by an entity from the Lost Sector who claims that it protected the Universe under the watchful eyes of the Guardians and it will do so again.  In Coast City, Hal Jordan (aka Green Lantern) and Carol Ferris (aka Star Sapphire) share a drink together before deciding to fly their planes.  They are interrupted by Sinestro (aka Yellow Lantern).  In Metropolis, Lex Luthor is examining the remains of a Black Lantern when he is interrupted by Larfleeze (aka Orange Lantern), who wants to learn more about Earth and what people want.  Lex tells him that Earthlings want power.  And land.  Elsewhere, Sain Walker (aka Blue Lantern) helps to give the dead desecrated by the Black Lanterns a little peace.  On Ysmault, Atrocitus (aka Red Lantern) declares he won’t go back to Earth.  But Ganthet and Guy Gardner convince him to join their cause as they fight against the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps.     

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Haven’t we been here before?  This issue has the feel of Johns repeating himself, creating a new story based on old ones, just with different villains.  Instead of Black Hand, we have Hector Hammond.  Instead of the black power battery, we have the Stonehenge blocks.  Instead of the mysterious villain, we have a different mysterious villain. Instead of dead characters coming back, we have the avatars of the power rings.  It may not have the same slow burning build that bleed into Blackest Night, but it does feel like we are getting the same story again.  Having said that, I still liked this issue and I like what Johns has set up so far.  This is not a new story so much as a continuation of Blackest Night, which itself was a continuation of the Sinestro War, which was built on previous stories.  I like the fact that Johns continues to build and build and build and what he does in this issue has me intrigued to see where it leads. 

Beyond the uber-plot, I am fascinated by the fabric of different characters that Johns presents and how they are connected by the rings but are separate in their actions.  Everything that occurs in this issue is due to the fallout of Blackest Night, but they are not really connected to each other moving forward.  Each of new Guardians (except for Indigo-1) appear in this issue and each are given their own story, some of which will be followed in this title and others to appear elsewhere.  Much like Brightest Day #0, this issue serves more as the foundation for the next several months’ worth of stories. 

The core of the issue is the conversation between Hal and Carol.  I just wish they weren’t interrupted; it was just getting good when Sinestro popped in to visit.  I like the chemistry between the two.  Under Johns’ pen, they have got an interesting dynamic and chemistry of two people who love each other, but can’t quite get to the point of actually being with each other.  This is evident by the conversation in this issue, where they dance around that very point.  Neither can actually admit it to the other.  Hal may not want a dozen kids, but I do think he wants to be with Carol.  Hopefully, their relationship will be explored even more.

The fight scene, as it were, was totally unnecessary.  I actually thought the Johns was a better writer than this, to add a scene in which a fight occurs for no reason.  To make it worse, it is the supposed hero of the story, Jordan, who makes the first move, first to play chicken with Sinestro, then to attack after the plane is destroyed.

I am not sure what to make of Lex Luthor, who looks pudgier here than he does elsewhere, most notably in the Superman titles.  On the one hand, I kinda like the way he looks; I always felt that Lex should be somewhat overweight.  On the other hand, it doesn’t look right based on his other appearances.  I keep thinking this is a different character, perhaps a shapeshifter or something like that.

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