Top Ten Comics Of 2010

And here we are, we've gone through another successful year of DC Comics and there have been some incredibly awesome stories that have come around.  I'm sure many of you have certain issues you've read that you'll never forget.  Well for me, I have about ten.  So below is my top ten DC Comics for 2010.  Please, comment your thoughts, opinions, and disagreements.

Top Ten Comics For 2010

10. Superman: Secret origin #6

Geoff Johns took the corny and cheesy origins of Superman and turned it into something a little more tangible and up-to-date.  Instead of having Clark Kent put on this tremendously nerdy and bumbling facade, Johns makes Superman an ACTUAL bumbler, not because he means to be, but because he's an alien from another world who's unfamiliar with the surroundings of big city life.  There's also a nice redeveloping of Superman's relationship with his Earth buddies and the people of Metropolis.  While the the "Secret" of the Superman's origin is never quite revealed here, #6 gave us a Superman with whom we can relate too.

9. The Return of Bruce Wayne #6

I hate Grant Morrison, most of you know this.  And if I were to rank the top five WORST mini series in the history of comics, The Return of Bruce Wayne would make the five.  However, the 6th installment of said series truly did take my breath away.  With all of the confusion, lack of focus, and over zealous story telling, #6 really did a good job at wrapping up the story.  And while I absolutely hate that Morrison brought Bruce Wayne back from the dead, I cannot deny the level of quality portrayed in this final issue.

8. Secret Six #27

I think Simone and Calafiore got together one day and agreed to make this issue the complete and utter visualization of the American dream.  Vigilante men and women turning savage, wearing almost nothing and duking it out to an almost arousing degree.  But this has more to do with the art rather than the dialog, even though there are obvious sexual tensions going on between characters.  J. Calafiore brings in all the stops and more with sexy and savage depiction of jungle war.  Jimmy Palmiotti, watch out, Gail Simone’s sex appeal in this story might rival even yours!

7. Power Girl #12

#12 is one big wrap-up, bringing back some characters to give Power Girl that final frustration of reliving everything she’s gone through within this last year; there’s the meeting a Terra’s parents and being introduced to a new food group, Fisher comes back to say thanks to Power Girl to help fulfill his young, hormonal state of mind, and Vartox is sent home packing.  Thank you Jimmy Palimiotti and Amanda Conner for making such an underused character life and meaning within the DCU!

6. Wonder Woman #600

What can I say? This issue was filled with greatness. I’m usually not a fan of artist toggling, but this worked perfectly since no one story was connected to the other. It is one big homage to a great heroine who’s been an inspiration to human kind for generations. And even though the new era hasn't been the most popular, this issue certainly gave it the much needed fresh start to transcend into a post-Simone life span. Let’s hope the new era can continue that greatness. I am going to put this down in my “most treasured comics of my life time” bin, which means I’ll need to buy a second copy. 

5. Secret Six #20

Sometimes I wonder if Gail Simone simply likes to torture her Secret Six characters.  Have any of you noticed how often Catman is in pain due to his past, or the frequent struggles bane and Scandal have, and the low self-esteem Deadshot continually displays through his constant babble?  #20 leaves you in a state of discontent and angst with the level of tension that flows throughout it.  The ending took me by complete surprise, and with the way Simone writes this book, you'll never know exactly how things will turn out.

4. Green Lantern Corps #47

Blackest Night is over.  Everything is destroyed.  The Corps must now rebuild itself from the bottom up. Gardner, Rayner and a handful of other Lanterns take a stand against the Guardians and their newly established Book of Oa laws.  Vath wakes up with a pair of foreign legs, and Kilowog makes a life altering decision that could have a huge effect on the future of the Corps.  Tomasi brings in all the stops as he bids farewell to a comic book series that has been defined by his unremarkable ability to tell engrossing and angst driven tales.  

3. Supergirl #54

Bizzarogirl and Supergirl going at each other tooth and nail...ultimately figuring out that they are more alike than originally thought.  Sterling Gates has given Supergirl the right treatment, making her much more respectable and hard-hitting than ever before, and #54 takes it to endless bounds.

2. Superman: The Last Family of Krypton #3

As this miniseries will never be considered part of the “true” Superman mythos, I believe this has officially become the best Superman story to ever be told!  It’s only rival would be the wonderfully clever Superman: For Tomorrow.  If you haven’t picked up this series, go to your local comic book store and get it!  It’s just three issues that are PACKED with story.  This is not a series where you’ll feel jipped by the $5 per issue price mark.  Bates’ put everything he had into this story and I look forward to the day when he comes back to comics more consistently.  (Please Cary!)

1. Secret Six #22

Secret Six is an amazing title and I would recommend it to anyone.  If you are conflicted with paying more money to you’re already long list of monthly titles you pick up, please consider dropping a title or two, this is well worth your money.  There isn’t one issue since this title began that hasn’t been worth the $2.99 price mark and I fully expect anyone whose reads this will come away happy.  Simone doesn’t approach the Six like every other comic book in the industry; it’s new, innovative, and fun.

The story gives us the finalization of Catman’s past as a young boy growing up with a physically and verbally abusive father whose mind-twisting jargon caused the young Catman to embrace a new way of life, one filled with murder and a stoic, uncaring demeanor.  However, this life changing event doesn’t keep our feline hero from loving those closest to him.  The question raised here is what are you willing to do for loved ones?  What is the best for them?  MacQuarrie brings to light that Catman’s son is very much alive, and adopted by a new family.  Like MacQuarrie said, no one can hurt Catman through his son ever again.  Catman had to make a choice, let his son live a happy life and cause his mother the utmost pain, or go get his son back and wait for the next dubious villain to snatch him away for ransom yet again. Just like Watchmen, Gail Simone makes you ponder on what you must do when faced with two options, both of which will cause someone a great deal of suffering.  Catman letting go of his son and lying to Cheshire about it could very well be one of the most tragic endings in a comic book I’ve ever read.

The stories stems even further with the Catman’s teammates, mostly dealing with the issue of family.  Black Alice comes to center stage with her amazing bit of oratory, expressing her guilt of theoretically giving her father cancer.  This sense of loss brings Scandal savage closer to the young villain, and even more so with Ragdoll whose defense of Black Alice was an amazing addition to an already depressing story.  (Deadshot really can be an ass huh?  That’s why we like him!) 

This arc was a true Mind Fuck!  but this issue in particular went above and beyond the call of duty and transformed the idea of "bad guy" comics into something better than ever.  

Top 10 Comic Titles Of 2010

I know it's only August, but I think at this point, if a comic book title hasn't popped out as significantly different from all the rest, it's probably not going to happen now.  And even with only four months to go, having four really GREAT issues of the entire year really doesn't make the title itself one of the best.


The criteria I use to determine the top ten overall titles is mainly writing and artistic qualities.  other aspects can come into play as well, but what sticks out for me the most when choosing what to pick up and read is the story and art.


Keep in mind that this list does not include miniseries, only on going titles that have consistently been publishing every month of the year.  This list, while does not include anything dealing with Marvel Comics, is not excluding anything outside the DC realm.  However, since I mostly read DC, you won't find much anything else besides DC books on this list.  So, without further delay, here is my top ten best comic book titles of 2010....

10. Green Lantern Corps
Amazingly, the Corps constantly brought amazing stories to the table.  Peter J. Tomasi has an incredible talent for keeping a compact and busy comic book alive and interesting.

9. Green Hornet
I've enjoyed every issue of the Green Hornet thus far.  It's only downfall is it's predictability.  I love Kevin Smith and how he's trying to bring this title back, but the story is following a typical Hollywoodish style where nothing is surprising and everything is formulaic.  However, despite it's predictability, it's still a fun adventure story of a son discovering his father's secret past and how it's affecting him in the long him.  And the art might very well be the best this year.  (I still have to think about that though.

8. Superman
James Robinson ruined Superman like no other, but watching the character endure such a bad 12 months last year and James Robinson finally delivering better stories towards the end of his time writing, I can't help but put this title in the number 8 slot.  And now with JMS calling the shots, the potential the comic has to grow back from it's awful state is astronomical.

7. Justice Society of America
Bill Willingham did a fantastic job with his Fatherland story arc, but overall this series has been an absolute joy to read.  DC has taken full advantage of this classic team and the interesting stories it's culminates.

6. Green Lantern
This is without a doubt Geoff Johns baby.  Having been writing the title since issue #1, Johns has put so much sweat and hard work into making this title one of DC's best of all time.  This year, with the events of Blackest Night, Green Lantern has put out some of the most climactic stories within comics in the last ten years.

5. Supergirl
Sterling Gates took a character that was heavily unfavored by fans and boost her up into DC Comics stardom.  As with all the titles in my top five, Supergirl is one of my more anticipated titles.  Supergirl has grown in maturity so very steadily as a reader, I've been privileged to seen this growth and how Gates has appropriately given her the proper treatment needed to be successful.

4. Wonder Woman
If there is a superhero that is underestimated in how great she truly is, it's Wonder Woman.  With a corny name and outfit, it's hard for the uneducated to become excited about the Amazon Princess.  But thanks to Gail Simone, Wonder Woman continually impressed readers and become much more respected within the genre, so much that fans demanded a re-establishing of the old issue numbering for her 600th issue.  With artist extraordinarily Aaron Lopresti, he and Simone took Wonder Woman to place worthy of noting in the archives of DC Comics.

3. Action Comics
I was never a huge fan of Actions Comics until about two years ago when it was decided that Superman DIDN'T have to be the central focus of the book.  Currently Lex Luthor has taken center stage, but recently it has given room for the newest super duo Flamebird and Nightwing.  It was a nice refreshing change and gave other characters a chance to shine in what was consider a Superman book.

2. Power Girl 
Words can't describe how incredibly awesome Power Girl has been been.  The excitement for this series to begin from fans was not overpowered by the series continual excellence all the way up to #14.  Judd Winick will serve the title well, but nothing will ever top what Palimotti, Grey, and Conner brought to this title.

Best Comic Title Of 2010

The Secret Six

Secret Six has been nothing but perfection in my opinion.  I have not read an issue yet since #1 that has not excited me beyond my expectations.  Every month I pick up Secret Six, and every month I'm blown away with only one issue that I can remember that only partially impressed me.  Gail Simone has put her heart and soul into this title and it has paid off exceptionally well.  The idea of making a band of villains the focus of an on going series is one that must be handled carefully.  Simone has given this band twisted metas a unique sense of morality while still being immoral.  It's clever, funny, intelligent, wonderfully drawn and perfect in every way.

Comic Book Review: Green Lantern Corps #48

Book Information

Written by Tony Bedard

Penciled by Ardian Syaf

Colored by Randy Mayor, Gabe Eltaeb, Carrie Strachan

Inked by Vicente Cifuentes

Lettered by Steve Wands

Cover by Rodolfo Migliari

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

With an entirely new creative team behind the Corps, opinions have been running amuck all throughout the internet and other social networking sites if the Tomasi and Gleeson replacements will live up to the standard set by the said writer and artist team.  I fell into this category numerous times as I constantly found myself worried if Bedard and Syaf could actually pull off an equally good continuation of the Corps post Blackest Night.  And without a shadow of a doubt, they do.

This book follows a typical pattern any comic book does when recovering from a major event.  However it works quite well with the Corps since this title, month after month, focuses on three to four plotlines that don’t always correlate with one another.  Bedard uses this unique aspect of the Green Lantern Corps as a way of easily transitioning into Brightest Day, except this time each plot seems to connect to the darker, more mysterious plot. 

While Kyle Rayner and John Stewart, along with the assistance of a few newbie Lanterns, attempt to rebuild the Oan City, (in a more traditional look) The Alpha Lanterns are seemingly taking many Lanterns one by one and turning them into Alpha Lanterns.  With this going on, I find it highly suspicious that Alpha Lantern Boodikka requests John Stewart’s assistance with some unknown event.  Also in the background, right at the beginning in fact, is the strange alliance that Guy Gardner and Ganthet seem to have with Atrocitus.  It was just enough of a teaser to keep us intrigued about the future, but did not linger and dull over the main plot.  Bedard is building his story up a tad slow, but it keeps the momentum going and never lags.

Artistically, I have very little complaints.  I did, however, find it a bit odd in the beginning when Atrocitus’ jaw seemed disconnected from his head due to the vast amounts of blood splattering from his mouth.  Other than that, Syaf delivers the quality work that I’m sure we’ve all come to expect from him. 

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion

Overall, this issue is fun and satisfying.  I’m not sure it’s AS good as the literary precedent Tomasi has set, but Bedard is definitely showing potential.

Ratings

Writing: 10

Themes: 9

Art: 8

Overall: 9 out of 10

Top Ten Comics For April

I wonder if I will get a lot of criticism for this list?  hmmmmm.....

10. Justice League of America #44 (8.67)

Written by James Robinson

Art by Mark Bagely

Typical James Robinson, split the team up right when it's getting started. However, this issue was a lot of fun and well worth the price of admission.

9. Superman: Secret Origin #5 (9)

Written by Geoff Johns

Art by Gary Frank

Can't wait for the conclusion!  Gary Frank you are amazing!

8. Batman #698 (9)

Written by Tony Daniel

Art by Guillem March

Why, why, WHY must Tony Daniel leave as writer for Batman only to allow Morrison to take over?  Do you hate us Daniel?  You are so much more capable of a writer than Morrison, please, come back to us!

7. Green Lantern #53 (9)

Written by Geoff Johns

Art By Doug Mahnke

A lot of fun and innovative.

6. Action Comics #888 (9)

Written by Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann

Art by Pere Perez

DC Mythology at its best.  For those who don't like this arc, shut your face and get over yourself!  It's awesome!

5. Brightest Day #0 (9.67)

Written by Geoff Johns & Peter J Tomasi

Art by Fernando Pasarin

Surprisingly well done for a #0.  At least it wasn't a Free Comic Book Day book.

4. Justice Society of America #38 (10)

Written by Bill Willingham

Art by Jesse Merion

This is without a doubt the best story arc I've read in a while, only rivaled by Superman: For Tomorrow.

3. Power Girl #11 (10)

Written by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti

Art by Amanda Conner

I'm going to miss This trio creative team once #12 hits stores.

2. Green Lantern Corps #47 (10)

Written By Peter Tomasi

Art by Doug Mahnke

Tomasi delivered one of the most "human" stories to ever grace the pages of the GL Corps.

1. Secret Six #20 (10)

Written by Gail Simone

Art by J. Calafiore

Yeah, quite literally the best of April, and very likely of the year.  Dark, violent, unhappy, angst driven and edge of your seat suspense.  #20 is a work of art!

Comic Book Review: Green Lantern Corps #47

Book Information

Written by Peter J. Tomasi

Art by Patrick Gleeson

Inked by Rebecca Buchman

Colored by Randy Mayor

Lettered by Steve Wands

My All-Inspiring Opinion

Blackest Night is over.  Everything is destroyed.  The Corps must now rebuild itself from the bottom up.  Gardner, Rayner and a handful of other Lanterns take a stand against the Guardians and their newly established Book of Oa laws.  Vath wakes up with a pair of foreign legs, and Kilowog makes a life altering decision that could have a huge effect on the future of the Corps.   Tomasi brings in all the stops as he bids farewell to a comic book series that has been defined by his unremarkable ability to tell engrossing and angst driven tales.

In the past few months, this title has been quite focused on the one plot and not contaminated with a plethora of multi-purpose stories.  That has been my only major criticism about Tomasi’s work on the GL Corps as my brain always bounced around in the 22 paged comic from one plot to the next on a monthly basis.  This always took me for a loop and I was constantly going back rereading certain parts of each monthly installment due to my lost and confused state of mind.  With #47, Tomasi reverts back to that multi-plot style, but aligns each story as one cohesive unit.

This is an issue all about rebuilding relationships, renewing one’s faith, and making choices to help better your life as a whole.  Every character finds themselves in situations where they must come to terms with their inner demons, forcing them to make choices which they may or may not like.  Vath is hit hardest with this concept as he wakes up to a set of new legs which once belonged to his friend, Isamot.  After a brutal debate session between the two, they come to terms with each other and recognize that they can only work through everything that has happen to them as a team.  The sacrifice Isamot makes for Vath is a symbol of the reconstruction all the Lanterns must endure in order to survive the coming years.

Likewise, many of the title’s character are taking stances against the guardians that have not been taken before.  However, this wasn’t just some honorable attempt by Rayner and Gardner to give them license to date fellow coworkers; it was a lecture, teaching the Guardians that the Corps they have been in charge of for so long will be changing with or without Guardian approval.  Rayner’s bit of public oratory was a testament to the heart and soul of the galactic police force and that denying a Lantern the ability to love will ultimately ruin the Corps forever.  His inspiring speech branched out into the stubborn heart of Salaak, who gave the Guardians the ultimate third degree.  Nothing could have declared what the future of the Corps will be like more than that moment.  The Guardians are going to have to make a lot of changes, or they can kiss their jobs goodbye.

Pat Gleeson has a knack for instilling emotionally driven visuals, always keeping each character in line with their personalities and character traits.  Gardner always has that “tougher than shit” look while Rayner has that assertive yet humble demeanor, always hoping people will listen to reason.  The detail in this issue is amazingly well done and truly hit right on the mark.

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion

This could not have been a better way of biding Tomasi farewell from the Green Lantern Corps title.  Much like when Geoff Johns left the Justice Society of America, and certainly what it will feel like when Gail Simone is finally done with Wonder Woman, we can only hope that the new writer can make the title just as exciting.

Ratings

Writing: 10

Themes: 10

Art: 10

Incentive Point: 3

Overall: 10 out of 10

Top Ten DC Comics For February 2010

10. Batman #696

Written By Tony Daniel

Art By Tony Daniel and Sandra Florea

I think Tony Daniel is rocking Batman.  He is one of the few individuals with  whom I'd trust to write and draw a successful comic book series.  I can only imagine how much time that must be taking him to do though.  Applause to you Mr. Daniel.

9. Wonder Woman 41

Written By Gail Simone

Art By Chris Batista & Dagino

Not one of Simone's better Wonder Woman stories, but still worth reading about.

8. Green Lantern Corps #45

Written By Peter Tomasi

Art By Patrick Gleeson and Tandy Mayor

Not bad at all, Red Lantern Guy Gardner was pretty damn epic.  With the work Tomasi did on #46, this title could very well be one of the better ones being published by DC.

7. Secret Six #18

Written By Gail Simone & John Ostrander

Art By Jim Calafiore

I can't describe the incredibly awesome story telling that Simone brings to this series.  Clearly this is one of the most underrated comic books being published by DC, I certainly hope it will be made available through the subscription service soon.

6. Justice League of America #42

Written By James Robinson

Art By Mark Bagley

Robinson finally delivered a Justice League story that felt like a Justice League story.  Granted he isn't near as bad as Dwayne McDuffie, but he certainly hasn't boosted the JLA rep until now.

5. Action Comics #886

Written By Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann

Art By Pere Perez

Mythology at its best!  This issue was an outstanding piece of work that Rucka should be proud to call his!

4. Justice Society of America Annual #2

Written By Keith Giffen & Matthew Sturges

Art By Tom Derenick & Rodney Ramos

Typically the annuals are reserved for the new and upcoming writers and artists.  This book however was given to some heavy hitters, and it paid off.  Very well written and drawn, I can't picture a better comic than this one with exception of the next three.

3. Blackest Night #7

Written By Geoff Johns

Art By Ivan Reis

Geoff Johns certainly delivered a stellar issue.  The ending wasn't what I expected and it was met with much criticism, but in the end this comic certainly deserves the number three spot.

2. Justice Society of America #36

Written By Bill Willingham

Art By Jesus Merino

I loved the old school feel to this book.  Bill Willingham took the old, campy comic book story and gave it a fresh new look.  I've been tempted to drop this title, but if Willingham continues to deliver top notch story lines, I might just stick with it.

1. Power Girl 39

Written By Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray

Art By Amanda Conner

WOW! This comic was quite possibly the best thing to come my way in a long time.  Amanda Conner gives so much depth and character to the people in this book, especially to Power Girl.  It's so sad that she, along with her writing counter parts, will be leaving by issue #12.

Gray and Palmiotti want to torture Power Girl, I'm sure of it.  They throw every bad thing at her, from some stalker kid taking photos of her from afar to her running out completely nude right into the line of sight of an old man.  Nothing good happens to Power Girl here...and it's so much fun to see!

Comic Book Review: Green Lantern Corps #46

Book Information

Written by Peter J. Tomasi

Art by Patrick Gleeson

Plot

All hell breaks loose in this final Blackest Night Chapter in the world of the Green Lantern Corps.  Will they succeed in subduing the Black Lanterns?  Will they be able to put an end to Nekron and destroy the very thing keeping his Power Battery running?  Brace yourselves for some major twists and turns!

My Thoughts

With this final Blackest Night tie-in for the Green Lantern Corps, Peter Tomasi holds nothing back by throwing everything but the kitchen sink out at his readers.  (but he does seemed to throw in a refrigerator…)  This installment is so chaotic, it’s almost unbearable…but not quite.  Combined with Guy Gardner being reunited with the zombie girlfriend and Vath’s legs being singed in half from the knee down, this book gives new meaning to the phrase “Death and Destruction.”

The story starts off with a pretty creative approach on Gardner’s part.  Each Corps form a large perimeter where they create a web construct to keep the Black Lanterns at bay while destroying them at the same time.  Gleeson and Buchman did a fantastic job with the view of this image

It was a valiant effort on the Lantern’s part, even if it failed to destroy the horde of Black Lanterns.  Along with that failure came the inevitable lover’s quarrel as both Gardner and Rayner are approached by their old zombie girlfriends.  These plot tactics on Tomasi’s part was a nice touch, but this whole “visitation from the past” deal has been played out just a tad too much.  Thank God it’s the last tie-in before Blackest Night comes to a close.  However, having Rayner’s girlfriend show up in the refrigerator that Major Force stored her broken and twisted body in was creatively dark, which is my favorite aspect of Tomasi’s writing.

After that good chunk of storyline, we then revert to the question everyone has been wondering about…how does the Anti-Monitor play into Blackest Night?  I was damn happy with the answer!  It’s a fitting plot device, since Nekron is a maniacal and twisted evil villain, to imprison the Anti-Monitor in the Black Lantern power battery as an energy cell.  Gleeson made me pee myself with the explosively destructive art showing the Anti-Monitor struggling to free himself.  Now while the Corps attempts to free the Anti-Monitor from his battery prison to take the charge away, the battery continually forces the giant energy being back into its shell.  With this dangerous endeavor on the Corps’ part, Vath looses his legs and the Anti-Monitor is successfully pulled back into the power battery. 

This only touches on the chaos and destructive nature of this book.  I can’t really describe my joy in how well Tomasi and Gleeson worked on this book.  The Black Lanterns are still winning, and despite the persistent effort by each Corps, the good guys are loosing badly.  The chapter of a story where everything goes to hell in a hand basket is always the best chapter of a story.

Overall

One of the best for the month this far; A great installment for Blackest Night and worthy of noting down as one of the best Blackest Night tie-ins for the Green Lantern world.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming April 28, 2010

A BRIGHTEST DAY tie-in! As BRIGHTEST DAY begins, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner, along with the rest of the Green Lantern Corps, attempt to pick up the pieces from the horrific events of BLACKEST NIGHT and take a long hard look at how the Corps is run now that major revelations have come to light. Who survived (and what the Alpha Lanterns have in store for them) is only one of the many new questions that the Green Lanterns will have to answer on the difficult and dangerous road ahead.

Ice As A Black Lantern? Oh My Gosh!

This is the cover of Green Lantern Corps #46....This should be interesting!

Comic Book Review: Green Lantern Corps #45

Book Information

Written by Peter J. Tomasi

Art by Patrick Gleeson and Randy Mayor

Plot

The pivotal turning point in the War of Light is at it’s highest as the battle to protect the Oa power Battery comes to an end.  Now all the Corps faces is a very angry Red Lantern Guy Gardner. 

My Thoughts

Peter J. Tomasi has always been up and down with me as far as his writing is concerned.  These past few months for the GL Corps however have been extraordinary.  With the literally ground breaking ending to last month’s issue, I was worried that Tomasi might not be able to keep up that pace.  But as I’m noticing more often than not (especially recently) my prediction proves faulty.

The story brings us into the path of a conflicted Guy Gardner who, in addition to fighting his fellow corpsmen, seems to be in a battle with his rage.  It’s as if two people are contained within the same body, which makes for an interesting read.  It’s obvious that Guy recognizes his friends and wishes them no harm, while still being compelled by the red ring to kill them all with no real grasp on why.  This situation makes me wonder a few things about how a ring chooses a candidate.  We’ve seen twice already that not every individual chosen to wear a ring is in complete compliance with the emotion tagged along with the ring.  In Blackest Night: Wonder Woman, Diana’s inner monologue showed she was fighting against the power of the black ring.  Likewise, Guy Gardner seemingly had no desire to show this amount of rage, especially against his friends.  So the question in my mind is, how much of a ring’s power controls the actions of the one wearing it vs. how much of an individuals choices are their own?

Gleeson, while not my favorite, is an impressive artist.  But what’s most impressive is the color schemes done by Randy Mayor.  With Guy’s rage fighting against his will, and the brilliant and appropriate usage of light, I sat there in awe of the clever way mayor used the green and red constructs.  I know it’s not the most difficult thing in the world to place certain constructs with the appropriate light, but it was still fun to see the plan made by Gleeson and Mayor.  Ice as a green construct and Guy’s father as a red was pretty climatic way of ending Guy’s Red Lantern faze.  This issue is also quite chaotic in its storyline, and the layout fits that chaotic feeling very well.

Even though Tomasi will never be one of my favorite writers, I will miss his unique and chaotic storytelling on this title.  It’s never been slow or half-assed with Tomasi.  It’s always some over the top, Charlton Heston end of the world type of story.  Despite the fact that Tomasi isn’t consistent enough for me to ever consider as one of comics best writers, he definitely took full advantage of this book, giving it everything he had.  Tomasi will be missed by me.

Overall

A great book!  A lot of action and emotional drama from one of comic’s moodiest characters. 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming March 10, 2010

Blackest Night comes to its epic and stunning conclusion in this over-sized issue as the Green Lantern Corps descends on Earth to make their final stand against Nekron and the Black Lanterns!