Green Lantern #8, by Marc Alan Fishman – Snarky Synopsis | @MDWorld
April 15, 2012 Marc Fishman 0 Comments
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke, Mark Irwin, Keith Champagne, and Christian Alamy
I realized that within my snarky synopsis column, (since my amazing return), I’d discussed Green Lantern: New Guardians and Green Lantern Corps, but had neglected the core Green Lantern title itself. The Green Lantern series lost no step between the Flashpoint ret-con… so while the issue number is technically #8, I largely consider it to be smack dab in the mid 60’s. The book was relaunched after the Green Lantern: Rebirth event, and has since spawned the Sinestro Corps War, Blackest Night, Brightest Day, and the Green Lantern Wars maxi-series. As Dan DiDio put it, the book has been on ‘the 5 year plan’ so-to-speak; Geoff Johns has added nuance, balance, and a metric ton of backstory to the Green Lantern universe within the DCnU. Taking his time to do so, has built a solid foundation to explore every inch of 3600 sectors of space. Issue 8 is yet-another chapter in the epic space drama, and I must solidly report it’s pretty damned awesome.
The basic gist of things: After Kronus (the exiled former Guardian) unleashed the avatar powers of the emotional spectrum, it was up to Hal Jordan to make the killing blow. As a reward for saving the galaxy in what could only be called the most amazing Photoshopped effects panel of 2011, Jordan was stripped of his ring and title. Seems the Guardians didn’t take kindly to seeing an Earth-man lay waste to one of their own. At the universal relaunch, the book continued it’s narrative (without really acknowledging that the universe reset… thank Rao!) with Jordan out, and in his place? Sinestro, as a newly instated Green Lantern. The newly relaunched GL title has since been the ‘Life and times of Sinestro: Green Lantern Again’, and boy howdy is it a hoot. After personally inscribing Hal into his service (by way of replicating his ring to make a sub-ring for Jordan to use in small doses), Sinestro cleaned up Thanagar, and his sector to a degree. After that? Sinestro was ready to bring Jordan in to help take down the Guardians… Who he knows are planning some bad things, that no one is privy to. Before that can happen though, Sinestro and Hal are attacked. By this issue’s start, he and Hal have been captured by the elusive Indigo tribe. What follows are a few dramatic beats within the unknown planet of said tribe.
Geoff Johns was brilliant to not start this book from scratch. While it basically spits in the face of Superman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League, and any other book that had a shift back to square one… the book does what the rest of the DCnU can’t; It builds on the already lush continuity to build a dramatic arc. The indigo tribe has been a mystery since they debuted in Blackest Night. Seemingly helpful at times, with a shroud of “something don’t feel right”. It’s been hinted at several junctures the tribe may be reformed criminals, or maybe even brainwashed slaves. They speak in an odd tongue (exclaiming simple words like ‘Nok’ a heck of a lot), and carry the ability to channel the entire emotional spectrum. In this arc, Johns takes a step forward with their plot, as they plan to absorb the captured Sinestro into their fold. Elsewhere on the planet, Hal Jordan and Black Hand share an intimate moment before our resident Earth GL finds a way to escape his prison cell (a recurring theme to this book if ever there was one).
The book reads like a solid action movie. Everything is menace, drama, fights, and terse dialogue. The first scene in the issue, a real doosy, continues to build the depth of Sinestro. Unlike so many other villains who seem to act based solely on ‘evil for evil’s sake’, Geoff Johns has long crafted this fallen angel of the GL Corps pitch-perfect. He is a man who long ago decided that the ends always justify the means. Order is better than chaos. And whatever is needed to get that order, is justified. It caused him to create his own corps to dethrone the Guardians… who he knows to not be trusted. The evil acts he commits all stem from a personal code that has been well crafted and presented. And throughout the last 8 issues, Johns is smart to show the true scope of a GL ring in the hands of a master. Hal is all bluster, and cocksureness. To him, the ring is a blunt tool. Sinestro is menace, power, and control. To him the ring is unbridled potential. But I digress. During a chase sequence, Johns drops a serious story beat that I won’t spoil here, but know that it shows us how this ‘5 year plan’ isn’t a bluff. While the issue itself covers very little ground in terms of development from point A to B… the bomb laid at the feet of Jordan by the books’ end is nothing short of exhilarating. It’s not a surprise that the rest of the GL book line suffers by comparison. Simply put? The other books don’t explore characters as much as they explore plot devices and fight scenes.
The art duties are once again brilliantly creepy, powerful, and presented beautifully. Penciled by series stalwart Dough Mahnke… the book continues to be one of the best drawn books on the shelf these days. Manke is working right in his wheelhouse here. His aliens are all varied. His Hal, the quintessential lantern-jawed knight. The entire issue takes place on the unknown Indigo tribe planet, and the art never spares a detail to create a spooky, cavernous, sparse city-planet that truly makes the reader feel uneasy for its heroes. Mahnke—more than most—is an expert in body language, expression, and mood. When a punch or construct is thrown on a page, we can feel the heft behind it. Kudos to his 3 man inking team, and colorist for elevating his work.
Ultimately, Green Lantern’s core series stands out as the reason why GL himself should be third in line at the pantheon of important DC creations. Geoff Johns has taken his time to build this mini-universe within the DCnU, and with each passing tale has added another significant layer of depth to each of the characters housed within the book. Issue 8 is the second part of this Indigo Tribe arc, and I can’t wait for the next installment to shed some emerald light on the revelations dropped within the pages. Do yourself a favor… if you’re picking up any other GL book, and not this one? Make the switch. In brightest day, and blackest night, Green Lantern is one of the best books being put out today.