Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Green Lantern #12
DC Comics
Johns, Guedes & Calafiore
Green Lantern is a comic book that rarely allows a newer reader to get in on a random issue. For the most part, Johns connects issue to issue and without any sort of recap box you typically have to wait several pages before you even get introduced by name to the characters on the panel. This issue is actually different. This is a fairly self-contained story, despite being part two of an arc and the comic actually provides an entertaining and satisfactory read in of itself. The art is the only component that drags the comic book down a notch.
Basically, Hal Jordan and Sinestro take on Black Hand. The issue starts out with the pair appearing at the feet of Black Hand and the issue takes off from there. No, the comic isn't wall to wall action, but it does have a few panels of it. The prize of the book is how Sinestro and Hal bicker about how to handle the situation. While this is going on, the reader is given context through a meeting of the Guardians.
There are a couple of pages where the Guardians reveal some of their sinister plan to destroy all of the ring corps, not just the Green, and they map out what they plan to do to each of the Earth Green Lanterns. This provides a good back story that ties into the Black Hand and events that occur in this issue. It also reads like a nice preview for the upcoming crossover. Why DC chose to bury this in the middle of an issue like this is beyond me but it did synch up nicely with this comic. Still, those few pages should be in a preview issue and given out for free but what do I know.
There are some strange bits in here that a reader that is new to the table isn't going to understand and, frankly, I'm not sure I understand and I have read all of Johns' work. For example, why Black Hand is pouring over the Black Book is unexplained and beyond me. The other strange thing about this issue is who Nekron is or was and how he relates to anything going on in this issue besides being the former owner of that strange book. It's tough to a read a book that tosses out random bits with no explanation at all like this.
The art is a mess. It ranges from detailed to grainy. DC doesn't provide any inker credits so I am to assume that everything is either self-inked or it took an army to ink the comic book which has been the case in many previous issues. Sinestro and Hal show little facial expression and Black Hand looks like Batman in too many panels. Still, the double page spread of all the zombies is really a beauty to look at. I would have liked this issue to have a little more artistic expression in this issue than it provides.
Green Lantern can be such a fantastic read. However, Johns slows down arcs too much and assumes the reader has read all of his books and retains it all. This issue is different because Johns introduces a threat to the heroes and deals with it in a satisfactory way in this comic book. I found this to be a good read.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
