The Blog of OA

Green Lantern: New Guardians #9 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:18:00 PDT

The Blue Lanterns have probably been the most highly regarded of the new groups from Geoff Johns' exploration of the emotional spectrum yet they have not been given a lot of page time outside of Saint Walker. With Green Lantern: New Guardians #9 the embodiment of all the Hope in the universe takes center stage as their base of operations comes under attack from the Reach.

The Story -

Before the events of this issue Kyle, Bleez and Glomulus traveled to Earth so that Kyle could recharge his ring. In the pages of Blue Beetle #9 we see the three New Guardians do just that as well as finding out that the Guardians are after Kyle, who nearly falls victim to a bounty hunter they sent to Earth to take him down. This revelation is surprising to see happen in the pages of a non-Green Lantern title, but it effectively puts Kyle on notice that there is something larger at play beyond his recent encounter with Invictus. Before the issue ends Bleez leaves Kyle behind to deal with Atrocitus and Glomulus has disappeared at the hands of the bounty hunter.

As issue nine of New Guardians starts Saint Walker arrives on Odym to a heroes welcome, although Saint Walker seems somewhat perplexed by the reference given to him by his fellow Blue Lanterns. After relaying the current status of Sayd and Ganthet Odym is attacked by the Reach, ancient enemies of the Guardians and the alien race behind the Blue Beetle Scarab, who have somehow managed to find the cloaked planet.

Clearly the Blue Lanterns have been betrayed by someone they held dear

The Reach launch an all out attack on the Blue Lanterns who are ill equipped to fend off the invaders. Meanwhile Fatality is examining the portal Invictus used to enter our universe with a skeptical eye and she comes to conclusion that someone or someones are behind the attacks on all the Corps of the spectrum. Before that notion can be explored further the Star Sapphires learn of the attack on Odym and Fatality defies orders to go and aid her comrade.

Saint Walker demonstrates why he is THE Blue Lantern and despite the limitations of his ring he shows the rest of the Blue Lanterns how to channel the defensive abilities of the their rings to augment their physical strength to strike back at the Reach invaders. With Kyle's ring recharged he reaches out to the rest of the New Guardians to summon them to Saint Walker's aide. With the Blue Lanterns seemingly helpless they seek to protect their central battery from harm, but when the shield starts to give way Saint Walker heroically stands defiant as the issue comes to a close.

Fatality begins to see the big picture...and it ain't pretty

The Writing -

Tony Bedard succeeds admirably at giving Saint Walker some breathing room with this issue and show just how great of a character he is. I've long thought of the Blue Lanterns and intergalactic Shaolin Monks and I felt like that notion was really reinforced with how Bedard portrays the Blue Lantern Corps - peaceful beings who seek a greater understanding of the universe but capable of demonstrating great physical prowess when pacifism is impossible to maintain. The closing of the issue really gives Saint Walker the opportunity to show how inspiring he can be when put in a dire circumstance.

Likewise I really liked the short but sweet appearance of Fatality here and her being the one to see the bigger picture and clue any reader in who hasn't picked up on what's going on behind the scenes. The more I see the plot unravel the more I believe that Sayd is more in control that Larfleeze would believe and despite the appearances of discord with the rest of the Guardians she's a bigger part of their plan than she'd have us believe. And either Sayd or Ganthet (or both) must have been able to broker an arrangement of sorts with the Reach, offering Odym up as a bargaining chip and putting one more of the Corps in turmoil.

Saint Walker embraces the mantle he seemed wary of at the issue's start

The Art -

I love that we get to see Tyler Kirkham unleashed this issue and he's allowed to let his imagination run a little with designing more cool looking alien species for the Blue Lantern Corps. While I enjoyed that I equally found the Reach army suitably menacing and a threat more than equal to the task of dismantling the Blue Lanterns. The sheer look of determination on Saint Walker's face in the closing moments of the book really supported the plot and those few panels completely define who the Blue Lantern is to anyone who might question his resolve.

What Do I Think?

Green Lantern: New Guardians #9 is an action packed issue that shines a big bright blue light directly on Saint Walker and gives the beloved Blue Lantern some great character defining moments. Just under the surface are some moments of intrigue as the plans of the Guardians creep ever closer to seeing fruition. With just a few months left before we hit what's being billed as a cornerstone moment for the Green Lantern universe this issue keeps the tempo building. Four out of five lanterns.

Animated Series Episode 13 Review - "Homecoming"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Mon, 28 May 2012 11:41:00 PDT

For weeks now Green Lantern: The Animated Series has built to a crescendo and this week fans got to experience what we all hoped for - a finale filled with epic moments that illustrate what we love most about the Green Lantern mythology. Like all the episodes before it, not a moment was wasted on screen during the thirteenth episode, "Homecoming", and in fact there was more to the story than the creators could fit in according a tweet by the episode's director, Sam Liu, who said that there were some great moments that had to be eliminated prior to the episode reaching the animation stage. It's hard to imagine this episode being much better because the finished product is near perfect.

Continuing from last week's episode Atrocitus, Zilius Zox, Drusa and Aya head to Oa on the Interceptor while Hal, Kilowog and Razer are left stranded in space as the Red Lantern army approaches. Hal hatches a plan to try to get them all to Oa, but Kilowog opts to stay behind and try to stem the tide against the armada to buy Hal some time. Meanwhile Atrocitus arrives on Oa and begins his assault on the Guardians and Salaak falls before the rage of the Red Lantern in a valiant attempt to protect his masters.

Atrocitus vents his rage

On Earth Hal shows up and appears to ignore the crisis at hand until Carol Ferris talks about Hal's adventures in space over a romantic meal and it's then that she realizes Hal has lost his memory and, rather than accept Hal's undivided affection, helps him get his memory back and we learn how he made the risky journey from Zamoran to Earth using his love of Carol as his guide. His ring recharged and his memory restored Hal leaves for Oa, but not before Carol reminds him that they didn't get their dessert.

Light years away, Kilowog faces the overwhelming odds against the alien armada and before he falls the Bolovaxian finds himself supercharged as he did in "Regime Change", but this time the extra help doesn't come from the Blue Lantern battery, but from Saint Walker who has become the savior he was searching for last week. Mogo has come with the Blue Lantern to stand by Kilowog and the three of them succeed in turning away the forces that plan to lay waste to life in Guardian space.

Carol helps Hal get his GL mojo back

As Atrocitus is about to get his final revenge on the Guardians Salaak opens the dome overhead to reveal Hal Jordan, arms crossed and ready to stand between the Red Lantern and the Guardians. But rather than pick a fight Hal makes the attempt to diffuse the situation by acknowledging the mistakes of the past and offering amends. Atrocitus will have nothing of it and lashes out at Hal, who is seemingly unable to defeat him. But while Hal may not have the strength to defeat Atrocitus, he does have the will to and he heroically rises above the situation to overcome the Red Lantern.

Appa Ali Apsa offers atonement for the Forgotten Zone by working with Zilius Zox as Atrocitus is hauled away and all ends well for our heroes. Apsa actually thanks Hal before he leaves, heading back to Earth to keep a promise and the episode closes on Carol Ferris catches a familiar green light approaching from space.

Everything is wrapped up perfectly for these first thirteen episodes and we are left with a neat little package that stands alone as a great example of how to execute a Green Lantern project the right way. It bears repeating my previous comment that this could easily have been done the wrong way with each episode falling into hokey territory with each episode succumbing to the temptation to be nothing more than a predictable monster of the week show. But the producers of this series clearly see the story telling potential in the Green Lantern mythology and produced a season of well-crafted episodes which build on each other, each standing independently but all a part of a greater whole. It's hard to believe when you look back over the thirteen episodes just how much they were able to include without ever making it feel rushed.

Saint Walker makes his Blue Lantern debut in heroic fashion

There are so many great moments in this episode that it's very difficult to do them justice without spoiling them for people who haven't seen the episode yet. Suffice it to say that each member of the main cast has their moment in the limelight and many others made an appearance to make this a rousing conclusion. From the continued progression of Razer's self discovery to Aya's evolution to Hal's heroic ascendancy this episode really does have it all. Perhaps the only critical comment I could make would be the desire to have seen both Iolande and Ganthet at some point since both have played major roles in the development of the show. But there's just so much to love about the show that I can overlook that and hopefully we'll see more of them in the next thirteen episodes.

The animation has gotten to be better and better as the show has progressed and everything was visually stunning this time around. There was one continuity glitch that I saw with Carol Ferris, whose eyes have somehow changed from brown to blue. But other than that the show is just beautiful to watch in high definition. It's really a disappointment to see that the show is only getting a DVD release and hopefully Warner Brothers will see that it deserves to be offered in blu-ray where it would really shine.

Aptly titled, "Homecoming" brings Green Lantern: The Animated Series full circle and leaves the cast in a position to go anywhere for next thirteen episodes and I know I'm not alone in the anticipation for what's to come. With the enormous wealth of material available to Bruce Timm and company there's a lot of places for them to take the series and I know that my will will be greatly tested as the weeks crawl by until we are graced with more episodes. "Homecoming" gets a not too surprising five out of five lanterns.

Clips for Animated Series Episode "Homecoming"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:26:00 PDT

The Cartoon Network has provided clips from the May 26th episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series, "Homecoming". This is the final episode for this first "mini-season" of thirteen and features the debut of a blue wearing Saint Walker.

Here's the synopsis of the episode:

Atrocitus wreaks vengeance on Oa, as the Red Lantern armada crosses into Green Lantern space – with only Kilowog to stop them. It’s up to Hal to take the shortcut back to Earth by teleporting across the universe from the Star Sapphires’ homeworld of Zamora and stop Atrocitus and Zilius Zox from killing the Guardians.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series airs on the Cartoon Network Saturday mornings at 10am and is available for digital download from Amazon on Demand, iTunes, PSN and the Zune Marketplace on the Xbox 360.

Green Lantern Corps #9 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:56:00 PDT

It was only a matter of time before John Stewart's decision making was going to get him in trouble, and right or wrong he has ended up on the wrong end of the Alpha Lanterns. Green Lantern Corps #9 forces John to acknowledge what really happened to Kirrt back in issue 6. With his actions now in question as well as his character, things are looking too good for John Stewart.

The Story -

The issue picks up right where it left off in last month's issue, with the Alpha Lanterns arriving at Warriors to take John custody just as a massive bar brawl has broken out. Guy Gardner throws the weight of his new position around and draws a line in the sand between the Alphas and the rest of the Corps who firmly stand behind John, but the Alphas make short work of everyone and before long the entire Corps sees the ring recording of John snapping Kirrt's neck.

Guy's attempt to fend off the Alpha Lanterns ends quickly

John takes ownership of his coverup and Kirrt's failing become common knowledge amongst the rest of the Green Lanterns, some of whom go to the crypts and attempt to destroy Kirrt's image deeming him unworthy of being honored there. Guy appeals to the Guardians who claim that the Alpha Lanterns operate as an independent entity and informs him that he will have to abide by the results of the upcoming trial and take the opportunity to guide him towards a path of obedience. Once Guy has left the Guardians their conversation confirms that they are finding ways to eliminate those members of the Corps who will pose the most resistance when the time comes to dismantle the Green Lantern Corps in favor of the Third Army.

At the trial John waives counsel but makes the very valid argument that the footage shown is out of context and the incomplete nature only shows John's action and not the hours of torture which preceded it. His questioning of how the footage could even exist when their rings were drained goes unanswered and once Guy speaks on John's behalf it's only a matter of time before the verdict is rendered. John and Guy share a few moments contemplating the choices each have made and then the issue closes with the announcement of the verdict we'd expect to hear, guilty with a death sentence.

The Guardians have become the masters of manipulation

The Writing -

Will anyone pick up on John's point?

Peter Tomasi does a great job with how John comes to terms with having to reveal the truth about the death of Kirrt as well as reinforcing the camaraderie between John and Guy. The scene between Guy and the Guardians plays out well and we see how the Guardians are trying to herd Guy towards his own downfall and them finally admitting their manipulations to get rid of the four Earth Lanterns was well played. There's little doubt that the Guardians are pulling the strings behind John's fall from grace and one has to wonder if John's questioning about the existence of the footage will lead to some hard thinking by other members of the Corps and Guy in particular.

Speaking of Guy, it's interesting to watch him wrestle with his allegiance to the Guardians and John and the upcoming solicitations make no assumptions that he will be put in a position to have to decide one way or the other very soon. It's a no-win situation for him though since siding with John will make him a renegade and provide the Guardians with the justification to put him down while siding with them will put him at odds with the rest of the Corps when the time comes and once again he'll fall victim to the situation and end up off the field of play. The creative team had done a great job of creating situations in each book in the Green Lantern family that position the four Earth men right where they need to be in the bigger picture without compromising the stories they are telling in their own books.

The Art -

Fernando Pasarin does a great job capturing the emotion on Johns face and this issue in particular has created a wonderful opportunity for him to show that he can do a lot more than do action sequences. Although I thought the pencils looked really good I think the coloring may be a little overdone as I found myself distracted at just how overpowering the amount of green seemed to be.

What Do I Think?
It's no surprise that John Stewart is found guilty but despite the lack of shock value one the last panel Green Lantern Corps #9 plays out like a taut legal drama complete with manipulations of the judicial system and evidence tampering. Well balanced with that is the human drama of seeing a man who many rally behind having their choices used to compromise them all for the sake of a larger agenda by those who have the power to control the outcome. Despite an overpowering coloring job this is a great issue. Four out of five lanterns.

Animated Series Episode 12 Review "Invasion"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:34:00 PDT

"Invasion" leaves us with just one more episode left in the first "mini-season" of Green Lantern: The Animated Series and like any great show it's all been building up to a crescendo that will be unleashed on fan next week. The latest episode continues to move the Red Lanterns and Green Lanterns to the point of no return and as the title implies the invasion by Atrocitus' forces has begun.

Continuing from last week's episode the Red Lanterns have captured Byth Rok and squeeze the password to the Lighthouse out of him while the Interceptor crew debates whether to destroy the Lighthouse and prevent the invasion or wait a couple of hours until their ultra warp drive is functional again and jump to meet the rest of the Green Lanterns on their way to meet the inevitable incursion. Choosing the path that would save the most lives proves troublesome when the Red Lanterns have arrived first and gained control of the security protocols.

Meanwhile Atrocitus recruits a new ally on Mogo and Saint Walker comes face to face with his destiny. Just when Hal and his team have gained the upper hand on the Lighthouse Atrocitus arrives and the race is on to escape the collapsing asteroid field when the Lighthouse is destroyed. As the episode comes to a close Hal, Kilowog and Razer are left to fend for themselves when Atrocitus' plans leave them alone in space as the invasion is set to begin while he steals the Interceptor and Aya and sets course for Oa.

This episode is filled with some awesome moments and I keep finding myself geeking out so much about this episode that I don't know where to begin. Looking back over the twelve episodes one can clearly see the growth of the characters and to see Aya in particular evolve to this point is very rewarding. And as a Green Lantern fan it's hard not to be excited by not only getting to see Mogo in action once again, but to in the same episode see Saint Walker receive the Blue Lantern ring, not to mention a throw-in reference to Blackest Night, and I'm in pure bliss.

Saint Walker faces his destiny

While "Flight Club" was clearly a humor driven story, drama and action are purely at the center of the stage for "Invasion". The musical score is suitably supports each moment, elevating it to even greater proportions and once again I find myself longing for a soundtrack CD to add to the collection of scores I listen to when I read my comics. Josh Keaton delivers a great performance as Hal Jordan and his sense of doubt in the closing moments really drives home the nearly hopeless situation he finds himself in, pun intended. But the star of the episode for me is Phil Morris and his portrayal of Saint Walker as we see the depth of the character behind the double lidded eyes and why he is destined to be the first of the Blue Lanterns.

What Green Lantern: The Animated Series has done so right in this first season is keep the cast of characters fairly contained and worked within this cast to build up the show without getting too distracted by the wealth of Green Lantern history to pull from. It would have been far too easy to turn this series into a "space monster of the week" show and it would be a shadow of what we have been given. Instead the intentional focus on a over-arcing story with a relatively trimmed down cast has allowed the creators to establish some basic elements of the Green Lantern universe and them use them to build toward something which I truly believe is going to be epic. I'm very grateful to the makers of this show for making the right choices and delivering to fans the Green Lantern series that the mythology, and the fans, deserve.

From a visual standpoint there has also been a great deal of evolution from the initial pilot. This show begs to be seen in high definition and shame on Warner Brothers if they don't offer this series in the blu-ray format. The lighting in particular stood out for me in this episode and I think the creators continue to find unique ways to provide camera direction that uses the advantages of CG animation to create dynamic visuals that I think would be extremely difficult if not impossible to recreate in hand drawn animation.

Atrocitus chews the scenery and leaves the Green Lanterns in a dire situation

If there are any criticisms to be handed out about Green Lantern: The Animated Series it would be in the level of support that the show is receiving from Warner Brothers. Outside of the McDonald's Happy Meal promotion and what attention comes from comic book print ads and Cartoon Network spots, there's no support for the show and I am concerned at how that might be affecting the ratings. A toy line is clearly in order and a video game would be a great addition as well.

"Invasion" is an amazing episode full of all the drama one would expect from the penultimate episode in a long form television show while not forgetting that there needs to be some levity to keep the tone from being too heavy. On the eve of reaching a climactic end of the first season "Invasion" is another emerald gem. Five out of five lanterns.

Green Lantern #9 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:50:00 PDT

We know that there's a lot of things in store for the Green Lantern universe based on the August solicitations and the reveal on Free Comic Book Day that there's a new member of the Corps on Earth that was originally drawn to be Hal Jordan but changed. I've speculated that the new Green Lantern might be Black Hand and recently on our podcast indicated that I have a hunch that Carol Ferris is going to meet an unfortunate end. While I'm loving all the things we have to speculate about I'm geeking out more about the overall quality of the Green Lantern books. With issue nine in the post-relaunch Green Lantern series we have some history that's been played at since Blackest Night finally realized in what it the penultimate chapter in "The Secret of the Indigo Tribe".

The Story -

Issue nine starts out with a flashback of Indigo-1 putting Sinestro through the process of joining the Indigo Tribe and we see the turning point when Sinestro lost his ability to feel compassion for his fellow beings. Through glimpses of the past we see Sinestro fall in love with Arin Sur, Abin Sur's sister, and ultimately lose her when the people of Korugar revolt against Sinestro's rule in a rather dark turn of events.Returning to present day we see Sinestro subduing Hal and the Indigo Tribe attempt to send Hal back to Earth. However Hal's not leaving without Sinestro and so he makes a daring escape into the jungles of Nok.

Sinestro's heartbreak sets him on a path of no return

Meanwhile the Guardians have found Starstorm from issue six in their quest to claim the Book of the Black. With the once fearsome warrior unable to provide them with anything useful the Guardians dispose of Starstorm determined to find Sinestro.

Hal has made his way through the jungle and found a mysterious alien structure complete with a mysterious alien inhabitant who calls himself Natromo. From a distance Natromo confuses Hal Jordan with his old friend, Abin Sur. Unaware of Abin's fate, Natromo reveals the origins of the Indigo Tribe and how they discovered the unique properties of the energy of the world to impose remorse on those they felt needed retribution. Abin Sur used the Indigo energy to convert his longtime enemy, Iroque, into Indigo-1 after she murdered Abin's daughter.

Natromo also reveals that Nok is not only the name of the planet, but loosely translated means "compassion be with you". But most importantly Natromo explains that Abin Sur not only knew of the prophecy of Blackest Night but of the downfall of the Corps at the hands of the Guardians. Abin's plan was to change the Guardians and stop their "impending madness", but upon learning of Abin's death Natromo destroys the central power battery as Sinestro and the Indigo Tribe arrive, ending the issue with Hal surrounded by the Indigo Tribe no longer under the influence of the Indigo light.

The origins of the Indigo Tribe are revealed....and then some.

The Writing -

There's a lot of revelations in this issue to be sure and while some of it stuff that I'd speculated upon, the information about Abin's plan to defeat the Guardians and the confirmation that they are going mad were eye opening moments for me. I fully expected Indigo-1's origins to be tied to Abin Sur, but their history is one that I'm really interested in reading about and how it might connect back to Ysmault and "Tygers". All of this adds more richness to the mythology as a whole and makes the loss of Abin Sur all the more tragic knowing what he knew when he died.

I almost feel like Geoff Johns was watching The Empire Strikes Back when he was writing this issue because the initial meeting of Hal and Natromo seemed to echo Luke Skywalker meeting Yoda for the first time. Not that that's a bad thing, but it definitely stroke a chord with me as I was reading it. I felt that the narrative might have been a little forced, but it was necessary to reward the reader with this long promised information and the narrative had this epic feel to it that made the whole scene very powerful.

As usual the issue ends on a high note

I do wonder, however, why Natromo so quickly decided that there was no hope and destroyed the battery before trying to help Hal step in and move Abin's plan forward. This issue was one that really could have used some extra pages and I'd have been happy to pay a dollar more for more content particularly if the final moments could have been fleshed out and not seemed so rushed and contrived.

I like how Johns has had Hal return to his assured self since leaving Earth. It seems in his attempt to make things work with Carol he lost a bit of his edge and I feel like it's returned as the current story and gone one. I think it's intentional especially if what I suspect is true and Carol will meet her end to force Hal to fully embrace his first, best destiny.

The Art -

Doug Mahnke really shines in this issue between the creativity in Hal's constructs to the great alien architecture to the visual storytelling in this issue. I found this issue's cover, a stunning one by Mahnke, to be very misleading and think it would have been better for an issue of the upcoming "Revenge of the Black Hand" story. The cover practically screams that Black Hand plays a major role in the issue yet he's relegated to a background character in one panel. It doesn't change how great the issue itself is, but I think at this stage of the game the cover image choices need to at least represent thematically what's on the pages inside.

What Do I Think?

Green Lantern's ninth issue is another superb entry in Geoff Johns' run and while the ending seems rushed and the way we learn of the origins of the Indigo Tribe seemed a bit contrived, it's still a great read full of speculation fodder and shocking revelations of a galactic scale worthy of being part of a crossover event. The Green Lantern books are heading for a crossroads and in this issue lies some key pieces of the puzzle that the creators have been building for some time. Four out of five lanterns.

Red Lanterns #9 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Sat, 19 May 2012 10:28:00 PDT

Since the very beginning of the Red Lanterns series there has been a slow, and some would say too slow, buildup towards a confrontation between Atrocitus and Bleez for control of the Red Lantern Corps. Issue nine brings us a head to head confrontation between the two, but whether or not it is a satisfying confrontation or not depends on what the reader is hoping to see happen.

The Story -

Away from Ysmault Bleez and her band of renegade Red Lanterns have finished dishing out their rage fueled form of retribution knowing that Atrocitus will hear of their actions and take the bait to finally confront Bleez and unite the Red Lanterns under one leader. But on the Red Lantern homeworld Atrocitus has his hands full with the poisoning of the central power battery by Abysmus in issue 8. Jack Moore continues to come to grips with what he's become while continuing to be repulse by his new brethren.

Bleez arrives on Ysmault to force the confrontation and wrest control of their Corps from Atrocitus and a brief skirmish breaks out before Rankorr breaks up the fight between the two leaders to focus their attention on the larger problem that's developing around them as the central battery's destruction wreaks havoc on the planet and the rest of the Corps. Hoping this distraction will provide him with a way to return to Earth Rankorr tries to remove the ring and deny his new destiny, learning in the process that the red ring is a part of him that he cannot live without.

Jack Moore's journey continues to be the best part of the series

Momentarily the scene shifts to the ice world of Hummb where Abysmus has a monologue moment, sharing more of his backstory as a flawed creation of Atrocitus and drops some information regarding his actions serving new masters who have offered him a great prize as a reward for sabotaging the central battery. Returning to Ysmault Atrocitus makes the decision to abandon his planet and start anew while Bleez points the finger of treachery at the Star Sapphires, accusing them of unearthing Abysmus and setting forth the plot to destroy the Red Lantern Corps. With Bleez potentially going after the Sapphires Atrocitus pledges to take on Abysmus one on one and the issue comes to a conclusion with Atrocitus declaring war on the universe promising to rain destruction on anyone who stops them from uncovering the masters behind the plot to destroy the Red Lanterns.

Have the Guardians used Abysmus to gain the upper hand against Atrocitus?

The Writing -

Bleez's logic is confounding

It's taken nine issues to get there, but finally we've got the Red Lanterns promising to live up to the expectations that many readers had that this book would focus on what Red Lanterns do best - wreak havoc on everyone. It's really a shame that it took this long to get here and it seems that we could have gotten here some much earlier if the series was perhaps more focused in the storytelling department. That being said this issue had some good points in it as well as one that I'm still scratching my head about.

I continue to find Jack Moore's inner dialog to be the best and most compelling part of the book and we get more of a good thing in this issue. I am really enjoying his perspective as the Red Lantern universe unfolds around him and we gain insight into the tragic nature of being trapped in a body that one cannot control. While I feel that Jack Moore's story of why he was chosen to wear the red was powerful enough, the story of his new life has me hooked.

The other thing that I enjoyed was the mystery of who Abysmus' new masters are. I found Bleez's rationale of the Star Sapphires being the ones behind it all the head scratching moment of the issue for me and I'm still trying to understand her logic. To me the most logical choice would be the Guardians themselves, knowing their role in Atrocitus' past I would think that would be Atrocitus' first choice, and our understanding of what's going on in the rest of the Green Lantern universe makes them the only ones I point my finger at. Unhinging the Red Lanterns is one more step in getting rid of the rest of the emotional spectrum and making it all the easier for the Third Army to rise.

If I can put behind me the wandering nature of the series and dismiss all the unresolved subplots this issue was pretty good. However I have to say that timing the confrontation between Bleez and Atrocitus to take place at this juncture was ill conceived. Rather than play out as this epic battle for supremacy that has been built up for months it plays over a few pages as a distraction rather than the main event it should have been.

The Art -

First of all I have to commend the cover art by Miguel Sepulveda and Rain Beredo. Sepulveda will be the regular artist on Red Lanterns starting with issue ten and if this cover is any indication of what we can expect then this book is going to really be a visual treat. This issue features interiors by fill-in artist Tomas Giorello and he does a pretty good job overall. I have to say I like his depiction of Atrocitus better than most of what we saw from Ed Benes during his tenure.

What Do I Think?

Red Lanterns number nine to me is the last page of the first chapter in the story of the Red Lanterns story. With this issue we can put behind or outright dismiss many of the unresolved subplots from the past and simply move forward with the strengths of the Red Lantern concept. I'm ready to put these past nine issues behind me and start anew with the series and I find myself looking forward to what I hope is a more focused direction for a book that I've had a hard time rallying behind. That said, issue nine is an average book with some interesting developments counterbalanced by a downplayed moment that should have been a high point that the series was building towards. Three out of five lanterns.

More on the Mysterious New Lantern

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:36:00 PDT

Some new information about the mysterious new Green Lantern shown in the "New 52" Free Comic Book Day giveaway has come to light thanks to both MTV Geek and Bleeding Cool. MTV Geek recently posted several videos of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee talking about the book in which Johns mentions that readers will see the new character in the Green Lantern books "very soon".

What makes this all the more interesting is that the new Green Lantern was not originally a part of Jim Lee's drawings, Hal Jordan was. British comics website The Bleeding Cool revealed that the original drawings were altered to change the appearance of the Green Lantern fighting Batman. The images below, taken from the original story, show the original Jim Lee pencils, the alterations put over the original images and the final versions of the printed pages.

Original Artwork

The fix

The Finished Product

Original Artwork

The Fix

The Finished Product

Sources: MTV Geek, The Bleeding Cool

Podcast of Oa Episode 22

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:48:00 PDT

In this episode of the Podcast of Oa hosts Bill Giancoli and Myron Rumsey discuss Red Lanterns #9 and how the events of this series might connect to the rest of the Green Lantern books. “The Secret of the Indigo Tribe” was revealed in Green Lantern #9 which prompts our newest contest. Post your own Green Lantern themed “Nok Nok” joke on our Facebook group before the end of May and you could win a digital copy of Green Lantern #9.

Plus we talk about the latest episodes of Green Lantern: The Animated Series, “Regime Change” and “Flight Club” and Myron makes a prediction about what he thinks might be one of the major changes promised in the August solicitations for the Green Lantern books.

The Podcast of Oa is the official podcast of the Blog of Oa and a proud member of the Comics Podcast Network. Share your comments and questions by calling the show’s voicemail line at 406-PODOFOA (406-763-6362) while Skype users can leave a voicemail on the show's account, blogofoa. Send your emails to greenlantern@stny.rr.com. You can also find the Blog and Podcast of Oa on Facebook and Google+.

Show Notes

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:32 Red Lanterns #9

00:15:34 Green Lantern #9

00:38:21 Nok Nok Joke Contest

00:40:09 Green Lantern News

00:49:29 Green Lantern Animated “Regime Change” and “Flight Club”

01:10:45 Voicemails

01:20:45 Closing

Clips for Green Lantern Animated Series Episode "Invasion"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:16:00 PDT

The Cartoon Network has provided clips from the May 19th episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series, "Invasion". This is the next to the last episode for this first "mini-season" of thirteen and features the return of Saint Walker and Mogo. Here's the synopsis of the episode:

Hal and the Green Lanterns travel to one of the Ancient Wonders of the Galaxy – the Lighthouse – so they can seal off any path through The Maelstrom and prevent the Red Lantern armada from getting through. Atrocitus, the Red Lantern leader, sets a trap for Hal and manages to steal the ship so that he may finally have his vengeance on the Guardians.

August 2012 Green Lantern Solicitations..Updated

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:15:00 PDT

The August 2012 solictations from DC Comics for the Green Lantern family of books has been released which includes a shock ending to this month's Justice League issue and the final issue of Justice League International which features Guy Gardner. There's a lot to look forward to this month with so many plotlines wrapping up, and that's probably no coincidence with the Green Lantern Annual promising to change a lot of things in the Green Lantern universe.

Red Lanterns #12
Written by Peter Milligan
Art and cover by Miguel Sepulveda
On sale AUGUST 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
• Bleez is a captive of the Star Sapphires!
• Rankorr is poisoned, dying and lost in space!
• Atrocitus' final, blood-spattered battle with Abymus!

Justice League International #12
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Aaron Lopresti Matt Ryan
Cover by David Finch and Richard Friend
On sale AUGUST 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T • FINAL ISSUE
• It’s the funeral for Rocket Red.
• Several members resign from the team – who will be left?

Green Lantern #12
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke and Mark Irwin
1:25 B&W Variant cover by Doug Mahnke
On sale AUGUST 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $3.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
• Black Hand has been freed from the Indigo Tribe, and now he’s more powerful than ever!
• What horrible plan does he have in mind, and to what lengths will Hal Jordan and Sinestro go to stop it?
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

Green Lantern Corps #12
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art and cover by Fernando Pasain and Scott Hanna
On sale AUGUST 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
• The epilogue to “Alpha War.”
• The dust settles on the Corps’ war with the Alpha Lanterns. John Stewart’s final fate is revealed.
• Guy Gardner learns the consequences of his defiance of the Guardians.

Justice League #12
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Jim Lee, Scott Williams and others
Cover by Jim Lee, Scott Williams
Variant cover by Jim Lee, Scott Williams
1:100 B&W Variant cover by Jim Lee
On sale AUGUST 15 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
• ”THE VILLAIN’S JOURNEY” part four!
• The team struggles to stay together as they try to combat their newest foe.
• A shocking last page that will have the world talking about this special, extra-sized issue!

Green Lantern:The Animated Series #5
Written by Art Baltazar and Franco
Art and cover by Dario Brizuela
On sale AUGUST 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E
• Hal Jordan and company fight in the Monster Arena
• Can Malvir become a Red Lantern by capturing Hal Jordan?
• Aya and Hal cook up a plan to end Malvir’s tyranny!

Green Lantern: New Guardians #12
Written by Tony Bedard
Art and cover by Tyler Kirkham and Batt
1:25 B&W Variant cover by Tyler Kirkham
On sale AUGUST 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.
• The RING THIEF – unmasked!
• The New Guardians vs. Larfleeze!
• The final judgment of Invictus!

Justice League International Annual #1
Written by Geoff Johns and Dan Didio
Art and cover by Jason Fabok
On sale AUGUST 29 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
• Will this issue be the final adventure ever for Justice League International?
• The true nature of O.M.A.C. revealed!
• Ties in to the shocking events of Justice League #12!
• Guest-starring Blue Beetle!

Green Lantern Annual #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ethan Van Sciver
Design cover
On sale AUGUST 29 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
• The conclusion of “The Revenge of Black Hand”!
• Everything changes here! EVERYTHING!

Animated Series Episode 11 Review "Flight Club"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:16:00 PDT

The first season of Green Lantern: The Animated Series continues to build upon the foundation built by earlier episodes as it pushes ever closer to the end of the first "mini-season" and the inevitable explosive conflict between the Red and Green Lanterns. "Flight Club" calls back to the prison planet run by Myglom and the Spider Guild in the series third episode, "Razer's Edge". While "Flight Club" maintains a lighter tone throughout there's a sense of the dark days that are on the horizon for the crew of the Interceptor.

When Bleez, Veon and Skallox discover that the code they need to access the Lighthouse and open the gateway between Guardian space and the Forgotten Zone. Using the Lighthouse would allow the forces of Atrocitus to launch their attack on the Guardians months earlier, information that Appa Ali Apsa provides the Interceptor's crew. The key to the Lighthouse code lies with a prisoner held on the previously visited asteroid and the race is on between the Green Lanterns and Red Lanterns to see who can get the information first and gain the upper hand.

Hal and Kilowog inspect the body of a fallen Green Lantern

"Flight Club" succeeds in keeping us entertained with the characterization of the Thanagarian Byth Rok, a roguish thief who will stop at nothing to exploit a situation for personal gain. As a foil for Hal Byth is the perfect mirror image of Jordan and some of the episodes best moments spin out of how their similarities and differences play off of each other. Goggan returns as the prison's reluctant warden and lends his own inky comedy relief which keeps the tone light when the stakes get higher. The defeat of the Thanagarian Bumpy at the hands of Hal also managed to end the action with a bit of humor as the big brute fell to the ground whimpering like a school girl. As a part of the final three episodes "Flight Club" serves as a perfect bridge between everything that's come before and the impending conflict on the horizon.

Bumpy gets the better of Kilowog

While it might be easy to overlook the non-humorous parts of the episode, I liked the fact that the writer used Myglom and his mental torture as the means of procuring the access code, alluding to the Spider Guild aligning themselves against the Guardians. Also well done were the twists and turns of not knowing how things would unfold with Byth's constant deceit and it was a great use of yet another piece of comics history with Byth Rok being one of Hawkman's rogue gallery. In the end Hal's manipulation of Rok and seeing him a victim of his own nature was very satisfying and it will be interesting to see if he shows up again.

"Flight Club" is tremendously entertaining and is another great addition to the growing library of Green Lantern: The Animated Series episodes. The lighter tone makes this one a lot of fun and hopefully you can enjoy it without inking yourself! Five out of five lanterns.

Animated Series Episode 10 Review "Regime Change"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Sat, 12 May 2012 13:52:00 PDT

When Warner Brothers was promoting the Green Lantern movie last year there were a lot of comparisons being made to Star Wars. While the film didn't match that comparison in the minds of many I think anyone watching Green Lantern: The Animated Series would have a hard time not seeing the magnitude of the universe being explored by the show's producers. As we prepare to enter the end of the first "mini season" of thirteen episodes the overarching narrative reaches a major turning point with the tenth episode, "Regime Change."

Skallox and Bleez lead the assault

In this episode we return to Betrassus and see how things have developed for Queen Iolande and her brother Ragnar since his quest to rule his people led him to commit murder of their Green Lantern during the fifth episode, "Heir Apparent". Ragnar's rage leads to the inevitable recruitment by Atrocitus and he overthrows his sister. Meanwhile Hal and Kilowog learn of the truth behind the rage of the Red Lanterns and Ganthet faces a crossroads with his fellow Guardians who have sent all the Green Lanterns on a year long mission to confront the approaching Red Lantern invasion.

There's so much to love about this episode from the dramatic over the top rise of Ragnar to the all out action between the crew of the Interceptor and the Red Lanterns who set up shop on Betrassus. As we've come to expect from the series the writing continues to be witty when it needs to without going overboard and all the right beats are there when the story of the Manhunters unfolds. The voice cast brings the words to life with just the right performances, buoyed by the majestic soundtrack which frankly deserves to released for fans to enjoy.

No man escaped the Manhunters!

Besides the reveal of the failure of the Manhunters, the story of Appa Ali Apsa's rise to leadership of the Guardian Council and the banishment of Ganthet is a high point for the series. Ganthet's departure from Oa and the dialogue he shares with Sayd is all the more poignant given the passing of Ian Abercrombie. Fittingly the show pays homage to him with a special dedication before the closing credits roll. While I know we'll see Ganthet again, somehow it just won't be the same without Mr. Abercrombie so adeptly portraying him. The fate of Ganthet lies elsewhere beyond the Green Lantern Corps and all the elements are in place for his inevitable reunion with the blue power battery and Saint Walker.

Once again paying respect to comics history I was fanboy happy to see Appa be the one to emerge as a bit of an antagonist knowing his past of being the Guardian to join Hal and Green Arrow during the "Hard Travelling Heroes" days and eventually going mad as the sole Guardian on Oa until being killed during his conflict with the three Green Lanterns of Earth. It's only fitting in my mind that he be the one to rise and it will be very interesting to see how his increased stature will play out in the coming episodes. I also found that while the obvious meaning to the episode's title applied to the situation on Betrassus it just as easily fits the story of what's happening with the Guardians on Oa, another example of the great work by the show's creators to make this show as smart as it is fun to watch.

Appa Ali Apsa leaves Hal out to dry

I think that "Regime Change" further shows the evolution of Razer, particularly in his reaction to the presence of a Liberator on Betrassus. He's come a long ways since not caring for anyone and it certainly appears likely that his path will cross again with Saint Walker, who's own fate might hold the power to Razer's redemption if Razer can overcome his rage. I think that his story is building to a climax where he will have to make a choice and there's a great deal of dramatic potential in how that particular story unfolds.

Producer Giancarlo Volpe tweeted that the final three episodes make up an epic conclusion and I think his choice of words is very appropriate. If I had to describe the show, epic is the first word that comes to mind. Grand in scale and executed eloquently, Green Lantern: The Animated Series is a shining example of what Green Lantern fans have loved about the mythology for years. "Regime Change" is another brilliant episode fully warranting five out of five lanterns.

Clips for Green Lantern Animated Series Episode "Flight Club"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:04:00 PDT

The Cartoon Network has provided clips from the May 12th episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Flight Club" which features the appearance of Thanagarians. Here's the description for the new episode and a preview clip:

The Green Lanterns travel to a prison asteroid to find a legendary code that holds the key to crossing an impenetrable asteroid barrier called “The Maelstrom” before Atrocitus and his Red Lantern armada can do so. Unfortunately, a Thanagarian prisoner named Byth Rok is the only one that knows the code.

Green Lantern Animated Series to Get DVD Release in August

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:36:00 PDT

Warner Home Video has released initial information for a new two-disc DVD collection of the first thirteen Green Lantern: The Animated Series episodes. The new release, titled "Green Lantern: The Animated Series - Season One, Part One: Rise of the Red Lanterns" is scheduled to be released on August 28th, 2012. The collection will retail with an SRP of $19.97 Warner Brothers also released a trade ad in support of the home video release, shown at right (click on the image to zoom in). There is no information available about a high definition blu-ray release however Warners Home Video seems to have adopted a DVD only strategy to keep the price point lower so it would be surprising to see anything beyond a DVD collection.

Episode List

Beware My Power…Green Lantern's Light (Part One)

Beware My Power…Green Lantern's Light (Part Two)

Razer's Edge

Ghost in the Machine

Heir Apparent

Lost Planet

Reckoning

Nothing to Fear

…In Love and War

Regime Change

Flight Club

Invasion

Homecoming

To promote all of their upcoming animated series DVD releases Warner Brothers has also produced at promotional trailer.

The Podcast of Oa Episode 21

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:30:00 PDT

In this episode of the Podcast of Oa hosts Bill Giancoli and Myron Rumsey talk about DC's Free Comic Book Day offering and what it might mean for Green Lantern. Issue 8 of both Green Lantern Corps and Green Lantern: New Guardians continue to impress with the first chapter in the "Alpha War" begins and the New Guardians go their separate ways.

Plus we talk about the "Fear Itself" and "...In Love and War" episodes of Green Lantern: The Animated Series and how the show continues to mine the rich history of the Green Lantern universe with the most recent episodes playing up other parts of the emotional spectrum.

Green Lantern and other related characters are the copyrighted property of DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission. The Blog of Oa and the Podcast of Oa are fan productions and do not claim any ownership over the Green Lantern or any other copyrighted properties.

Show Notes
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:45 DC's Free Comic Book Day offering
00:13:01 Green Lantern Corps #8
00:26:02 Green Lantern: New Guardians #8
00:39:05 Green Lantern Animated “Fear Itself”
00:49:28 Green Lantern Animated “...In Love and War”
01:05:50 Closing

Who's the "New Guy" in the New 52 FCBD issue?

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:12:00 PDT

The DC New 52 book for Free Comic Book Day featured a tantalizing glimpse at some upcoming events with the main focus the big reveal of a big event for 2013 entitled "Trinity War". DC released the gatefold center spread early, intentionally leaking the end of the book and an interesting image of a future event, but for Green Lantern fans there is an additional bit of information to be gleaned from that image (shown below). Don't read past the image if you don't want an advance spoiler prior to reading the issue for yourself.

The page prior to this big reveal we see a page which indicates the near future where Batman, carrying a mysterious skull around his neck which you'll learn more about when you read the story. But he's fighting against this particular Green Lantern and, like Hal in the early issues of the new Justice League, the ring slinger chastises Batman for being "just a man". The panels to the right are what transpires right before the gatefold ending to the story and this is all we see of the mystery man.

So what does this tell us? For one, Hal's not the Green Lantern when this takes place, and there's someone completely new wearing a ring. My mind immediately jumps back to Sinestro's vision in Green Lantern #6 when he grabbed and tore a page from the Book of the Black, specifically the image where we see a dead Sinestro and the ring saying that the Green Lantern of 2814 was deceased and is was scanning for a replacement. That and the image of Hal lying motionless on the ground next to a restored Black Hand.

Sinestro's vision from GL #6

After the "Secret of the Indigo Tribe" arc we know that the next story is "Revenge of the Black Hand" which will most likely segue right into the Third Army story. The Green Lantern in the Free Comic Book Day issue looks to be African American but there is a part of me that's thinking something different, something very different.

First of all we know that this is not Alan Scott from Earth 2, his design was revealed recently and this isn't him. But in looking closely at the character design the face mask looks awfully similar to Black Hand's mask and Black Hand is also fond of sleeves that end on the bicep.

So my theory is that by the end of the current story arc Black Hand will no longer be under the control of the Indigo Tribe which will allow him to be a threat again in the succeeding story arc. My speculation is that during that arc and the Third Army story we are going to see some major changes to the status quo of the Green Lantern universe for a period of time and when they reach their conclusion William Hand will have been chosen for the ring and become a Green Lantern.

Preposterous? Maybe. But if there's one thing I am certain of, the next year is going to be one roller coaster of a ride!

Clips for Green Lantern Animated Series Episode "Regime Change"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:29:00 PDT

The Cartoon Network has provided clips from the May 5th episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series, "Regime Change" and it appears that the Red Lanterns are on the move! Here's the description for the new episode:

Hal and the crew of the Interceptor must return to the planet Betrassus to help Queen Iolande defend her world. Her brother Ragnar has received a red power ring and eagerly accepts it. Now, Hal, Kilowog and the rest of the crew must save Queen Iolande and Betrassus before Ragnar takes over the planet... or destroys it altogether.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series airs on the Cartoon Network Saturday mornings at 10am and is available for digital download from Amazon on Demand, iTunes, PSN and the Zune Marketplace on the Xbox 360.

Animated Series Episode 9 Review "...In Love and War"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:03:00 PDT

It seems that each week we see a little morality play unfold during the newest episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series and this week continues the trend by delving into the nature of love and how it can consume us if we're not careful. The latest entry in the series, "...In Love and War" follows up on plot threads that begun both in the two part debut and last week's episode, "Fear Itself" while introducing the Star Sapphires to the Green Lantern animated universe.

"...In Love and War" begins with Kilowog pining for Galia, the alien woman he fell for in last week's episode, and while Hal tries to get the Bolovaxian's mind off of her the Interceptor is attacked by a large creature. The crew's efforts fall short and fortunately Queen Aga'po shows up to save the day and invites the crew to Zamaron where Hal and Kilowog are targets of a plan to imprison them at the hands of the two latest recruits, Galia herself and Carol Ferris. However Aga'po's plans are foiled when Carol Ferris shows Aga'po's niece Ghiata the real meaning of love.

Another color of the emotional spectrum is added to the mix

Once again the show pays homage to the rich history of the Green Lantern mythology by making sure that the connection between the Zamorans and the Maltusians is mentioned and I thank them for their continued success at taking all that complex history and not only embracing it, but making it easily palatable for anyone for whom this is all new. I really enjoyed seeing the moment that Carol gets the ring brought to life and was then surprised to see how see ultimately responded to being a Star Sapphire. Her decisions and the message behind her decision was a powerful one that I think resonates with the audience no matter how old you are.

Seeing Hal and Carol reunited was great fun and Hal cannot help but be fueled by Carol's support in all of this. However it's Kilowog who gets the short end of the stick as Galia remains a love just out of reach. It was also very satisfying to see an acknowledgement of Aya's choice in physical manifestation being tied so closely to Razer's own tragic loss and I am interested in seeing how their relationship will be moving forward. Aya showed her true abilities and she is a force to be reckoned with given her power level and ability to quickly analyze and deal with multiple threats.

Poor Kilowog just can't catch a break

I'll admit that when I first saw the promotional images for this episode I assumed that Miri would be making an appearance but that character turned out to be Ghiata, Aga'po's niece. Series producer Giancarlo Volpe tweeted that the character is only half Maltusian which really piques my curiosity about her background and I'm really hoping that we see more about her history. Ghiata proves to be a pivotal character in the episode by the lessons she learns from Carol. In fact if there was to be any criticism leveled at this episode at all it would be how abruptly it ends with Ghiata's proclamation that she has much to teach the Star Sapphires. Here's hoping that the producers already plan on elaborating more on this plot thread in episodes to come.

Visually the creators did a good job at translating the Star Sapphire look to one that would be okay on a Saturday morning cartoon although I could see some criticism about them showing as much skin as they did. Everyone will have their own opinion about that subject, but I personally found no problem with it and thought it was very tastefully handled. I also feel the need to point out that the quality of the camera work continues to get better with each episode. I don't know if that's Bruce Timm getting more experience with the tools or something else, but I think that each episode has those visual moments that illustrates the benefit of CGI animation.

"...In Love and War" is another winner - five out of five lanterns.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #8 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Tue, 01 May 2012 09:14:00 PDT

Kyle Rayner and the New Guardians survived their first run in with Invictus and now, free from the Orrery but burdened with the task of taking down Larfleeze, the group of unlikely allies literally need to recharge before going after Agent Orange. Of course things don't go as planned since quite a bit has changed in the universe since the New Guardians had contact with the outside universe and how each member reacts drives the events in issue eight.

The Story -
This issue opens with the return of the Weaponer of Qward who we last saw in issue 57 of the pre-relaunch Green Lantern Corps series. We find the Weaponer on Korugar in a stockade and on trial for his role in the formation of the Sinestro Corps, but before justice can be handed down Arkillo arrives and busts him free, demanding to know what's happened since he left.

Jumping back an hour we see the New Guardians emerge from the Orrery and Arkillo discovers that the Sinestro Corps has gone offline as a result of Sinestro's efforts to bring down his former Corps for their actions on Korugar. Discovering that nearly all of his Corps are dead sends Arkillo off the deep end and after going after Kyle he leaves the New Guardians behind to head off to Korugar.

Arkillo doesn't accept the bad news about the Sinestro Corps too well

The remaining New Guardians realize that they need to recharge their rings and Bleeze questions how Kyle even has a functioning ring at this point, but before the conversation gets much further Munk receives a transmission from Indigo-1 which summons him away to deal with the events unfolding over in the main Green Lantern title. The remaining members of the New Guardians go their separate ways in order to power up their respective rings with Bleez choosing to accompany Kyle to Earth. Back on Korugar Arkillo and the Weaponer fight their way to freedom as the Sinestro power ring runs out of power just after they head underground and evade their pursuers.

Switching to Zamoran Fatality has arrived and recharges her ring with her fellow Star Sapphires. Reporting on her failed attempt to recover the stolen ring Fatality mentions the Orrery and we learn that the leaders of the Star Sapphires not only know of Invictus but bring forth the notion that someone on this side of the portal had to have worked to help Invictus return to the galaxy. They charge Fatality with discovering who helped the last Angel of Vega bring the Orrery through the portal.

One of several questions I hope we see answered soon

Desparate times call for desparate deals

On Korugar the Weaponer recounts Sinestro and Hal Jordan's assault on the Sinestro Corps and how he removed his ring to escape detection and went into hiding and Arkillo explains where he was that kept him unaware. The visage of the Orrery makes the Weaponer's mouth water at the possibility to turn it into a weapon as Arkillo's ring finally dies. The Weaponer unveils a new yellow power batter and ring which functions outside of Sinestro's control and he offers it to Arkillo in exchange for his help in acquiring the Orrery. The issue comes to an end when Arkillo, brandishing his new ring, bursts forth on the encroaching Korugarian forces.

The Writing -
Tony Bedard does a great job of moving the pieces around and getting characters to where they need to be in the larger Green Lantern universe without making it appear forced. Likewise something had to happen for Arkillo to continue to function as one of the New Guardians and with Sinestro no longer a part of his own Corps their clearly needs to be a new status quo set up for that part of the emotional spectrum. The notion of Arkillo creating his own army is a chilling notion and I can't help but think of the time when he encounters Sinestro again.

I do however wonder how the current events unfolding in the Red Lanterns title ties into this knowing that the series starts after Bleez bathed in the Blood Ocean in the third issue of that title. But knowing what's going on over their now makes me wonder if these events take place before the creation of Rankorr in issue five. It's a little confusing seeing Bleez in both books and trying to rectify the continuity but it's not too big of a problem.

I like Bedard has the characters ask some questions that readers may be thinking but doesn't provide any answers! Geoff Johns must be coaching him! Many of us are wondering why Kyle's ring works and who's behind the stolen rings - and now there's the new mystery of someone helping Invictus. My hunch is that this is Sayd's doing but it's just a gut feeling I have and only time will hopefully provide us with the answers.

I think the feeling that all of the Green Lantern books are individual yet have events which do connect togehter is what I really like about the GL universe. Not that this is something new to the Green Lantern books but for some reason I just have this feeling that there's a larger story lurking out there and what's going on in each title is a part of that whole experience. I'm really enjoying stepping back and trying to look at the bigger picture and wonder at some of the possibilities of what might be lurking on the horizon in terms of story potential.

The Art -
Tyler Kirkham is really providing readers with great imagery and I've been loving some of the creative page layouts that we've been seeing. I also think he's giving us very consistent quality work and it's added a great deal to my enjoyment of the series. With next issue jumping over to Odym and the crisis that befalls Saint Walker and the Blue Lanterns I'm interested in seeing Kirkham's design work on any new characters that show up.

What Do I Think?
Green Lantern: New Guardians has been a consistently good book and while I was content to think of it as the third best Green Lantern title it continues to exceed my expectations. Issue eight is another winner with great artwork and a well balanced narrative. Four out of five lanterns.

May Episode Schedule for Green Lantern: The Animated Series

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:23:00 PDT

The Cartoon Network has released the following schedule of episodes for May for Green Lantern: The Animated Series:

May 5th, 2012 #10 - "Regime Change"
Hal and company go back to Betrassus, where Queen Iolande needs help from her evil brother, Prince Ragnor, who is now a Red Lantern!

May 12th, 2012 #11 - "Fight Club"
The Red Lanterns are on the move!

May 19th, 2012 #12 - "Invasion"
Hal and the crew are trying to stop the Red Lanterns from reaching Guardian Space.

May 26th, 2012 #13 - "Homecoming"
Atrocitus and the Red Lanterns breach Oa, can Hal get there in time?

Clips for Green Lantern Animated Series Episode "In Love and War"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:31:00 PDT

The Cartoon Network has provided clips from the April 28th episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series, "...In Love and War" and it looks like it's going to be another awesome episode! Here's the description for the new episode, although the clips look as though the official description isn't completely accurate:

The Green Lanterns save a different type of Lantern from an invading space monster. Grateful for their rescue, the Star Sapphires, whose power comes from love, invite everyone to their homeworld. It turns out, however, that the whole thing was a set-up to drain the Lanterns’ power rings by encasing them in crystals.

First Look of Green Lantern From Upcoming Lego Video Game

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:28:00 PDT

Warner Brothers Interactive have been slowly releasing more and more details about the upcoming Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes game and today they released a nice rendering of Hal Jordan as he looks all Lego-ized. While Superman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor have also been announced to join Batman, Robin and the Joker in the game, there's no word if Sinestro will join the blocky fray.

According to the game's developer, TT Games, Green Lantern can fly and create constructs made of pure energy, generating anything including massive green fists and has the ability to construct unique Green Lego objects.

Source: Comics Alliance

Animated Series Episode 8 Review "Fear Itself"

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:11:00 PDT

One of the things I've personally enjoyed about Green Lantern: The Animated Series is the way that the show's creators build in some nods to things like Star Trek or Lord of the Rings and so on. This week's episode, "Fear Itself" feels like a classic Star Trek episode where the crew encounters two races at odds with each other and it's not clear who is right and who's wrong. As the story unfolds we discover that everything isn't what it seems to be and in the end the two races are more alike than they thought.

"Fear Itself" starts out with Hal and Kilowog lamenting the quality of the food stocked by the Interceptor and the differences in the their cultures leads to some humor about each Lantern's idea of what's appetizing. Aya, still recovering from her dismemberment at the hands of Atrocitus, points the two to a nearby planet where the two set out in search of food. The two Lanerns goe their separate ways and each encounters an alien race which has come into a misunderstanding with the other. Ultimately we learn that one side is harvesting the food supply of the other, a food supply which just happens to be the mysterious yellow crystals we saw in the prison during the "Razer's Edge" episode. After a battle between Hal and Kilowog the two Lanterns help both races find a peaceful solution to their dilemna. Razer meanwhile wrestles with charging his ring in light of his feelings about the Red Lanterns and Aya tries to help only to have her lack of understanding of organic life stick out like a sore thumb.

mmmmm......tasty!

While "Fear Itself" seems like a very loose nod to the classic "Devil in the Dark" episode of Star Trek the tribute to the show is thematic in nature only and there are a number of great moments that continue to flesh out the show and provide hints about what is to come for the crew of the Interceptor. We see via a dream sequence the tragic nature of Kilowog's past and the desruction of his homeworld, Bolovax Vik which does a nice job of adding some layers to the character. The moments between Aya and Razer continue to be high points of the show, and the care that Aya takes to craft a replacement oath is matched by Razer's willingness to let her think she helped him while he resigns himself to take the true oath and recharge his ring in solitude.

Vanessa Marshall

Kilowog gets the romantic interest in this episode in the alien female Galia, voiced by Vanessa Marshall. Marshall also provides the voice of Black Canary in Young Justice and has done previous DC Comics projects like Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Poison Ivy), Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (Wonder Woman) and Lego Batman: The Videogame (Catwoman/Poison Ivy). Galia provides Kilowog with a connection to his past and by the end of the episode he is clearly taken with her and, like Captain Kirk in any classic Trek episode, leaves her behind on an alien planet while he once again takes to the stars.

The foreshadowing of the emotional spectrum plays out once again in this episode as we see the effects of the mysterious yellow crystal which nullifies the Green Lantern power rings as well as instills fear at close proximity. This time we see the long term effects of the crystals with Galia's people using it in so many things in their daily lives that they live in a natural fear of the Nadara, the jellyfish-like creatures for whom the crystals serve as a main source of food. Kilowog ingests so much of the substance that he launches into an attack on Hal when he see him in the company of the Nadara, a sequence which stands and the main action of the episode in a neat battle between the two friends.

My enemy, my ally

Green Lantern: The Animated Series is something I look forward to each week and while "Fear Itself" is a lot of fun and is a bit lighter of an episode, it points out the inherent problem of assuming that those who seem to oppose you are wrong - a good lesson for everyone when we see so many examples of people rushing to judgement rather than trying to learn from our differences. Four out of five lanterns.

Green Lantern Corps #8 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Myron Rumsey) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:04:00 PDT

After last month's pause in the action and the emotional story of Kirrt's family in issue seven, the eighth issue of Green Lantern Corps launches into the "Alpha War" as John Stewart begins to face the consequences of his actions during the Keeper battle. Writer Peter Tomasi takes this first issue of his next arc to lay the foundation for a story that is likely to be filled with all the drama and action we've come to expect from him.

The Story -

Boodikka and the some of the Alpha Lanterns are called to their chamber on Oa to review the data logged by the power rings of the Keeper captive during the events of the sixth issue when John snapped Kirrt's neck to prevent him from divulging vital information about the security around Oa. Knowing that going after a well respected officer will not sit well with the rest of the Corps the Alpha Lanterns briefly consider the ramifications of pursuing the human, but in the end their duty outweighs all other factors.

The Alphas briefly consider the fallout of going after John, but who tipped them off?

Elsewhere on Oa John and Guy Gardner are working on putting Sinestro's central power battery under ground, but Guy sees issues with having both the main battery and captured members of the Sinestro Corps so close together. As the team of Lanterns prepare the main battery for lowering underground Gardner decides that his sensibilites overrule the Guardians and he causes the giant yellow battery to land on its side, creating more work for the rest of the Corps to right it.

Salaak and John confront Guy and the outspoken member of the Corps reinforces his position that they shouldn't be trusting Sinestro and that the Guardians are wrong despite Salaak's reassurance that they have a plan, which we know they do, just one that bodes will for the Green Lanterns. Guy is summoned to the citadel presumably to get reprimanded, but instead the Guardians catch Gardner by surprise and not only agree with Guy's actions but want to appoint him to a new position that elevates him above Salaak and answering soley to the Guardians.

Guy questions the actions being taken with the Sinestro Corps.

You know this isn't going to end well

The hitch to the offer being a challenge to Guy to demonstrate a better sense of constraint and Guy, seeing this as his chance to be officially recognized for his contributions, jumps at the offer and heads to Warriors to celebrate with John, new attitude intact. But when Gardner can't reason with the unruly patrons a brawl breaks out and the fists start flying. The issue ends when the Alpha Lanterns burst onto the scene and pronounce their intentions to arrest John Stewart for murder.

The Writing -

Tomasi does a wonderful job of not only setting up this new story but also in perhaps laying some groundwork for the larger story unfolding in the Green Lantern universe. While on the surface it appears like the Alpha Lanterns are just doing their job, one has to wonder who uncovered John's actions and the conspiracy theorist in me wants to think that this is the Guardians' way of getting Stewart out of the way for the coming of the Third Army.

Likewise the turn of events for Guy and the way in which the Guardians play into Gardner's personality allow them to separate him "from the herd" and gain a way to manipulate him when the time is right. Guy will likely not go against the Guardians when the nature of John's actions come to light and the fact that doing so would undermine his new position will likely be the motivation that tips the scales for him. In a way one could feel sorry for Guy because despite his character he has always been willing to go to great lengths to do the right thing even when it's not the popular thing to do and discovering that this is not a sincere recognition of his accomplishments might well make him more bitter when all of this is said and done.

The Guardians move another pawn on their galactic chess board

In my mind this plays towards the Guardians' greater plans of getting the four most dangerous members of the Corps off stage when they make their next major move. The creative teams have found ways to accomplish this that seem very natural and fit into the stories playing out in each of the three Green titles and I applaud them for all the behind the scenes collaborating that must be going on.

If I had to pick anything to criticize it might be the statment that the Alpha Corps make about being chosen since some of them were in fact forcibly transformed by Cyborg Superman but in the grand scheme of things that's picking nits and in fact those events might very well have been one of the minor elements of continuity changes by the DC relaunch.

The Art -

I remember at one time being critical of Fernando Pasarin's work but he's only gotten better in my mind as time has passed. I think some of this is due to him getting more familiarity with the characters and he's doing a great job of telling us a lot about the story from the emotions on the characters' faces from the blank emotionless Alpha Lanterns to the Guy's stubborness to the troubled look on John's face that closes out the issue.

What Do I Think?

Green Lantern Corps #8 does a great job of setting up the next major chapter in the lives of John and Guy plus it deftly puts the series neatly alongside New Guardians and Green Lantern as well crafted pieces of a much larger puzzle. Four out of five lanterns.

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