Comic Book Review: Green Lantern #53

Book Information

Written by Geoff Johns

Art by Doug Mahnke

Inked by Christian Alamy

Colors by Randy Mayor

Cover by Mahnke and Mayor

Plot

We now step into a much brighter side of the Green Lantern mythos as Brightest Day begins, cementing into our minds that brighter and happier days are ahead…or is it?  With new issues revolving around the different corps, and Jordan discovering a new threat to the world, Brightest Day could be pretty dim.

My Thoughts

Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps have been so engulfed in the Blackest Night arc that very little time was spent on Hal Jordan.  The bulk of the last year has been spent establishing the different corps’ and what their role would be in the future of the DC universe.  Sadly, this means Hal Jordan had to be taken out of the spot light to allow more time in delving into the history and mythology of each corps.  While it was fun and exciting the whole way through, I am glad to see Johns giving the Green Lantern title back to Jordan.

Writing

Johns has written some of the most fluid stories I’ve ever read in comics.  This issue gives off a wonderfully tense vibe as it transitions from lover’s quarrel to dark and sinister battle scenes.  The opening pages present some wonderful foreshadowing of the events to come.  If anything were to keep me reading this title, that opening would definitely do it! 

I was a derailed a little on how Sinestro decided to get Jordan’s attention.  If the truce still stands between the corps, why would Sinestro ram right through the jet Jordan was in?  This was never explained and seemed to be out of place since the so-called truce was so new and recently agreed upon. 

Towards the end I did feel as if I was reading an issue of the Green Lantern Corps with the toggle from Green Lantern, to Orange Lantern, to Red Lantern story lines.  I’m sure Johns was taking advantage of advertising for the upcoming Emerald Warriors mini and the upcoming conflict that Jordan and Gardner will undoubtedly have, but I felt as if this should have been saved for The Green Lantern Corps title.

Rating: 8.5

Themes

Jordan is arguably DC’s best Green Lantern soldier.  Being the original, it’s hard to see him has anything less than the fan favorite.  But now, John’s is attempting a new turn in the life of Jordan by way of bringing Carol Ferris back into the mix.  The connection these two share has always been quite distant while still being intimate.  They both have strong feelings for each other, but feel conflicted about acting on those feelings.  The most interesting part of the whole book was their inability to converse while face to face. They had to be in separate jets, in the sky, talking to each other through radio devices.  Jordan has always been a little hesitant when it comes to commitment and lacks in his people skills.  It’s a testament to the American mindset; we do our best communication when we can’t see the other person, completely separated, confined, or untouchable by the other party.  I enjoyed this little interaction via military jet, but the emotional disconnect definitely stuck out, causing a slight distraction.

Both Larfleeze and Atrocitus are interesting characters.  The dislike for the two of them is quite strong, yet I feel no pity for Larfleeze at all.  Larfleeze wants every bit of power the ring has to offer; no doubt he willing takes part in the dominating power the ring grants him.  Atrocitus on the other hand seems to be trapped in a suit of red rage, unable to calm his pain and put his mind at peace.  I couldn’t help but feel and incredible amount of pity for the alien and wonder if Atrocitus will be released from his red ring and be free down the road.

Rating: 8.5

Art

If Alfred Hitchcock has taught us anything, it’s that the most terrifying scenes in a story are the ones we can’t see.  I can only assume to know who the hooded creature is, but it terrifies me to see his short body, shackled with green chains.  It was interesting to see yellow word balloons coming from the creature’s mouth while he was floating around with green shackles on his ankles, clearly displaying his relationship with the yellow power and conflict with the green. The entire display was so dark and gothic that it went beyond what Mahnke did with the zombie lanterns, creating an unknown world that seems to be centered around the emotional spectrum.

The rest of the book was quite good, artistically.  I can only imagine how difficult it must be to create scenes with no visible humans, and still make it emotionally tense and compliment the dialogue. 

Rating: 10

Overall

A great read, one of the best for April. 

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming May 26

BRIGHTEST DAY shines its light on the "New Guardians" who have been forced to make Earth their new home! Why? You'll have to read it to believe it. While Hal is forced to deal with Larfleeze and his newfound appreciation for Earth culture, Sinestro uncovers the mystery behind Parallax's disappearance.