Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Green Lantern #34
DC Comics
Johns, Reis & Albert

Part six of the retelling of Hal Jordan’s origin is probably my favorite to date. I have been looking for explanations in the oddities of his origin versus others and while I don’t get that this issue I do get what I have been looking for in terms of character development. I had wanted some new interaction for Jordan with some character and this issue gives an excellent take on how Sinestro feels about Jordan. It’s perfect. Sure, the issue ties up some ends with William Hand, Atrocitus and even with Carol to some extent, but the real strength in the story is how it handles Sinestro and Jordan.

The issue opens with Hal and Sinestro battling Atrocitus. This turns out to be very secondary as the real story is how Sinestro unravels the onion that is Hal Jordan. Sinestro finally makes Jordan realize he is just an angry guy annoying the wrong people about his problems. Sinestro also shows us some insight into his ego. He refuses to believe Jordan bypassed the yellow impurity. Mostly, because he has tried himself for so long and failed. In the process of all this William Hand gets away.

Jordan confronts Carol Ferris per Sinestro’s problem solving psychiatry. Here we find out that Jordan has been mad at someone whom he should have been helping. Carol’s father isn’t the bad guy Jordan thought he was. In the process, Jordan appears to be a bigger jerk than normal. The end of this gives a sense that Hal and Carol are more just friends than a couple or even on the verge of becoming a couple.

Jordan finds Sinestro and we finally get treated to how and why Sinestro seems to like Hal. It’s an interesting, but easy connection to make between them. It isn’t the size of their egos that attracts them together, but their regrets, losses and fears. It’s a really great exchange.

The issue delivers on some many more levels than the previous issues in this arc. Sure it’s meant to plant seeds for Blackest Night but this issue finally gives something meaningful and new with regards just to the basic characters in the Green Lantern archives.

The artwork was a little weird in the beginning. The shots from a zoom out perspective seemed fuzzy and rushed, but the back end of the issue delivers so much clarity that it’s hard to believe the level of emotions that jumps off the pages. It’s just awesome art when Sinestro is up in Jordan’s face and Jordan realizes just how much of a fool he’s been.

If for some reason you are reading this issue of Green Lantern and it’s your first one, well good, because it should be the first one you read being new. This is the heart of Green Lantern. Teacher sees himself in student. Student rebels and eventually learns from Teacher. Teacher begins to take the dark path while Student begins to surpass Teacher. Or something like that. This is as good of an issue of Green Lantern as you will find. Sure, it’s light on the action after the first few pages, but you get to know two of the central character in the history of this title. I highly recommend this issue.

5 out of 5 geek goggles