Review Shooter: Green Lantern Corps 1
As we noted during our Red Lanterns and Green Lantern reviews last week, the Lantern books are one of the few books not really being touched with the relaunch. That doesn’t mean the stories can’t offer a new beginning. Green Lantern Corps does a good job of remaining true to what has come before it, but never relies on a person’s knowledge outside of this issue.
Green Lantern Corps starts off with… does the Green Lanterns have an equivalent term for red shirts on Star Trek (we should invent one), characters who serve no other purpose but to be killed off or injured to establish the threat of the new villain!
Then we are cut to perhaps the weirdest segment of the comic to me, John and Guy looking for Earth-based work. Guy Gardener is looking to get into football coaching, apparently it is what he did before he became a Lantern. While he is qualified, the fact that he is a well-known superhero stands in the way. And the reasons laid out were fairly true, and not something you think about in terms of superheroes and their careers. Also another reason why secret identities may be important, something that both John and Guy question later in the issue.
John Stewart on the other hand is trying to re-enter the construction business, but finds that even the powers a Green Lantern wields can not fight corrupt greed. He uses it to scare some sense into them, but at the end of the day he ultimately fails.
After a moon-side discussion, they both decide to return to Oa, for something. This is where the element from the beginning (and a random few pages in the middle) crosses over. Guy and John recruit their own team of Lanterns and head off to the planet. The issue ends with a most interesting cliffhanger, which leaves you just waiting to know a little more without being too forced. Works well.
The art in the book is good, but not outstanding. It seems like the artist has really nailed the style for the Lanterns, but being that there was a lack of construct really limits the creativity that is usually on display in these books.
Survival Rating: LIVE Much like Green Lantern, I think John and Guy are just too popular to be done away with so this book will survive much like it has for the last few years. And of course be used for some Green Lantern event down the road.
Recommendation: Borrow It– Not the most action-pack or thrilling comic, but it gets the job done. Its a fine read, and looks nice.
