DCU Comic Book Reviews

GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH #5

Rings

April 2005

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencils by Ethan Van Sciver

Inks by Prentis Rollins

Cover by Ethan Van Sciver

Synopsis

At the JLA watchtower, Sinestro and Hal Jordan face off.  Sinestro gets in the first blow, sending Jordan literally bouncing off the moon.  Hal smiles.  As he battles with Sinestro he recalls how right it feels to be a Green Lantern.  During the battle, Hal recalls the first time he met his current adversary, when Sinestro was a member of the Green Lantern Corp and assigned to train Jordan.  In the present Sinestro boasts he was the one that freed Parallax to infect Jordan.  Sinestro also states that not only will he destroy Sector 2814 but he will also kill Kyle Rayner.  Jordan tells Sinestro he should respect Rayner.  At the moment Rayner arrives and shots Sinestro full of green arrows.  Rayner and Jordan team up to fight Sinestro.  Eventually, Jordan and Sinestro jump at each other and their rings touch.  In the ensuing battle of willpower, Jordan prevails and Sinestro is sent back to whence he came. In the aftermath, Kyle Rayner and Hal Jordan formally introduce themselves to each other and shake hands.  Back at Coast City, Parallax infected Ganthet continues to wreck havoc.  Just then Kyle and Hal return.  Hal brings together the other Green Lanterns (Kilowog, Guy Gardner, and John Stewart) for a combined assault on Parallax.  Before they can move, however, Batman lassos Jordan’s arm and tells him “you’re not doing anything.”

Review

Hal Jordan is back.  Took them long enough.  Actually I am a little surprised it happened this early.  I was expecting it to occur at the end of this issue, not the end of the previous issue.  The battle between Hal and Sinestro was good but I am wondering why Kyle needed to get involved.  This, to me, suggest that Hal is not strong enough to do it on his own, although he has been dead, so maybe I can forgive it this once.  Especially since it led to Kyle and Hal shaking hands.  I think some were afraid Kyl would be forgotten or worse dead, but I get the feeling that Kyle will remain in the background, much like John Stewart and Guy Gardner had been over the years.  Maybe Kyle can been I nthe JLA whil Hal gets his own title.  Yeah, that would work. 

I love the visual of Hal bouncing along the moon surface.  Is it just me or does Sinestro’s head seem a little big in the middle panel on page 11.  I am really enjoying Ethan Van Sciver’s art but that one drawing just seems off.  By the way, I really hope Ethan gets a chance to do more work for DC. -- MRB