Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Green Lantern #7Green Lantern #7
DC Comics
Johns, Mahnke, Alamy & Champagne

There is a fine line between telling an entertaining and fun, decompressed story and putting forth an effort that seems to go nowhere while being mindless. To be blunt, I found this comic book to be boring and too familiar. Yes, Johns writes the characters well and Mahnke delivers some stunning visuals but that's just not enough. The seventh issue feels like we are watching scenes we witnessed in the second or third issue with dialogue cut directly from those issues. I can't just chalk it up to stretching things out. This issue is just not that good effort as a single issue.

Sinestro shows up on Earth and confronts Hal about needing his help. They argue and then they fight. This goes on for about eight pages, nearly half the book. Finally, the Indigo tribe shows up and whisks Hal and Sinestro away. While in a cell we get a good little nugget left over from the Blackest Night story from a couple of years ago. That's basically it.

Johns has a nice way of having Hal, Carol and Sinestro express themselves in a fun, but believable way. Some of the dialogue doesn't make any sense, such as Hal threatening to kill Sinestro when we all know that it isn't possible because he is wearing an extension of Sinestro's ring. But for the most, the dialogue is very good among these core characters.

The story is cryptic when it comes to the Indigo tribe and the Guardians. I like that this part of the story is simmering and is a nice slow build. It's the parts around it that are dull and tired. Is it a gag that Sinestro shows up outside of Hal's window asking for help every few issues? The other frustrating thing is that the Indigo tribe drags Hal with them after they specifically tell him to keep out of it. Why did they bring him or are we to believe Hal just tagged along?

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsMahnke is a terrific artists and he plays up the fighting and the grand entrances to perfection. Visually, the book is very entertaining and has a great depiction of Carol. It's got some images in there that are poster worthy.

Green Lantern can, and has been, an awesome title. Johns builds up one story while entertaining with a smaller one in the short term. This issue feels way to familiar and its get in the way of telling the longer story arc. It's hard to believe a first issue to an arc feels like a stall issue, but that is what it feels like to me here. I don't recommend this issue. I hope the arc proves I am wrong.

2 out of 5 Geek Goggles