War of the Comic Reviews!

COMIC REVIEWS!!!!

Green Lantern #65 and Green Lantern Corps #59

This week we'll be looking at the latest installments of the ongoing "War of the Green Lanterns" story arc that has been running through Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, and Emerald Warriors. Where we last left the Corps, the fallen guardian Krona has taken control of the central power battery by re-inserting the creature Parallax, allowing him to control all of the Green Lantern members. The only members unaffected by this are Kilowog, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Ganthet, and of course, Hal Jordan. The reason for their immunity is due to the fact that they were all once possessed by Parallax. When we last left these members, Kilowog was captured, John and Kyle removed their rings so they couldn't be tracked, and Hal and Guy had it out on the planet known as "The Green House".

The fourth part of the story focuses more on Hal and Guy (fitting since this is Hal's book), on the "Green House" planet, which looks more like Hoth and less like a Wal Mart outdoor nursery. As always, Geof Johns has a great handle on the dialogue, especially when he lets slip some Empire Strikes Back jokes about the planet. The plot moves pretty briskly, setting up the status of Kilowog's fate, as well giving us a glimpse into the whereabouts of Ganthet(hint, it's not good for the little guy). Guy and Hal quickly find the jet that Hal built for these kinds of emergencies, and find their way to John and Kyle, where Hal presents them with a choice that will certainly shock readers (if they didn't pay attention to either of the issue's covers).

Green Lantern Corps picks right up from the end of Green Lantern, and finds our "former" Green Lanterns defending Ganthet from an assault from the brainwashed GL's, while at the same time trying to control (and understand) their new powers. Tony Bedard's script, while not as good as Johns', still keeps the action going, albeit while focusing on member John Stewart. The "new lanterns" ably try to defend their true guardian, but things get a little trying when Mogo, the effing PLANET Green Lantern, shows up, and guess what? He's also under Kronos' control.

The art is handled by Doug Mahnke in Green Lantern, and Tyler Kirkham in Corps. I've always been a big fan of Mahnke's style, and there is no difference here at all. Kirkham's art however, has a more cartoony look thank Mahnke's, and it makes the transition a little jarring. However, I do commend DC for letting the different creative teams of the books handle the individual chapters instead of just having Johns and Mahnke take over Corps and Emerald Warriors for the story arc. While "War of the Green Lanterns" is no "Sinestro Corps War", it's definitely the shot in the arm the series needed after the rather lackluster "Brightest Day" tie-in storyline, and one of the finest storylines going in comics right now. If you are looking for action, these should be the first things you pick up.