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Review: Green Lantern Corps #21

By | June 14th, 2013
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

The road to this new era of “Green Lantern Corps” has been long and troubled, from the abrupt departure of writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and the rumors of John Stewart’s imminent demise. Thankfully, the book has arrives no worse for wear, signaling a bright new future for the Corps.

Written by Van Jensen and Robert Venditti
Illustrated by Bernard Chang

It’s nonstop action as the Green Lantern Corps faces attacks on Oa and Earth…and Guy Gardner is presented with a choice that could change the balance of power between the different Lantern Corps forever!

Note:Let’s just collectively acknowledge that the above solicit should be completely ignored, and have a moment of silence for what might have been.

“Green Lantern Corps” #21 arrives hot on the heels of Robert Venditti’s debut on “Green Lantern” #21. Whether it is the result of the characters involved, or the contributions of co-writer Van Jensen, this second jump into the new lantern landscape is far more interesting and refreshing.

One of the prominent complaints lodged against “Green Lantern” #21 was the relative “sameness” to Johns’ run. The tone and characterization was par for the course, or in some cases, like Hal and Carol’s relationship, a considerable step backwards. As this issue opens, it seems that Venditti and Jensen are set to fall into the same trap once more, with a John Stewart/Fatality scene that is uncomfortably similar to the aforementioned Hal/Carol number. However, thanks to some of the strongest (read: least derivative) characterization John has seen in years, the story begins to move in a different direction.

As with “Green Lantern,” we get a few segments devoted to establishing the new status quo of the Green Lantern mythology. We previously learned that Kilowog would be taking over Salaak’s position in the Corps, and this issue gives the rationale behind this restructuring. Salaak is an extremely interesting character that languished somewhat under Johns as the Guardians lackey. Thankfully, it seems that the character is set for redemption under this new management. Venditti and Jensen make a terrific connection between Salaak and fellow lantern Soranik Natu, who realize they share a common bond in the aftermath of the Guardians’ fall, one that will hopefully develop and grow over future issues.

Venditti and Jensen spend much time reflecting on the affects of the Guardians’ recent tenure, from the Corps’ marred reputation to the decline in the general well-being of galactic civilization. The latter, portrayed through a series of half page vignettes, sets up an obvious but delightful payoff later in the issue.

While the scenes on Oa are easily the strongest of the issue, the John/Fatality plot presents the central conflict for this opening arc. While it wont be spoiled here, Venditti and Jensen bring in a longstanding cosmic threat for the Corps to deal with. More than just establishing the antagonist, the writers finally begin to develop John and Fatality’s relationship past the destruction of Xanshi, a holding pattern present throughout the past ten years of lantern stories. While the progress made here is incremental at best, it bears hope of fruit to come.

Unsurprisingly, artist Bernard Chang’s contribution to the lantern world is nothing short of delightful. His pencils here aren’t quite as clean and his anatomy not quite as tight as his recent work in “Demon Knights,” but it actually works in his favor for the alien characters and vistas of a cosmic book. Chang packs in an astounding amount of detail, with densely packed backgrounds and intricately crafted characters. Colorist Marcelo Maiolo drenches Chang’s pencils and inks in an array of bright, neon colors. While some pages come off as a little gaudy and over-saturated, it’s mostly fitting for a character defined by light. The scenes on Oa are a particular treat, as Maiolo does a wonderful job of balancing out the green-heavy scenery, a problem previous “Green Lantern Corps” artists have struggled with.

Now that “Green Lantern Corps” is out of the immense shadow of Johns’ “Green Lantern,” it appears to finally have room to grow. In fact, it surpasses the quality of Venditti’s “Green Lantern.” Perhaps this is a sign that, for the first time in ages, all Green Lantern titles will stand on equal ground. With a strong cast, engaging conflict, and fantastic art, “Green Lantern Corps” is the current Lantern book to beat.

Final Verdict: 8.2 – Buy. Some of the best the Corps has to offer.


Zach Wilkerson

Zach Wilkerson, part of the DC3 trinity, still writes about comics sometimes. He would probably rather be reading manga or thinking about Kingdom Hearts. For more on those things, follow him on Twitter @TheWilkofZ

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