Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Green Lantern Corps #31
DC Comics
Tomasi, Gleason & Buchman

The Guardians enact the third law to ban relationships among Lanterns, but it is a little too late when dealing with a pregnant Lantern that’s being hunted by a monster. This issue helps to build up the Sinestro Corps villain, Kryb, and puts the Corps in quite a bad spot. It’s a good issue with plenty of action and excellent artwork.

Kryb, steals babies after killing the families. She’s on the ropes by Lantern Kyle and his crew. However, a very pregnant Lantern is pursing her as well. Kyle and the others lose their battle with Kryb and they become her “children” or basically slaves. Kryb then decides to turn them on the pregnant Lantern to extract the unborn baby. It’s a gruesome concept, but the villain is extremely menacing.

The issue also checks in with the Sapphires and Mongul, but for the most part the issue deals with the battle with Kryb.

Some of the elements of this issue that stand out include the usage of the cast. Kyle begins the issue as the leader and is battling Kryb while instructing the others. By the end of the issue Kyle is a non-player and almost an afterthought. Meanwhile, the pregnant Lantern becomes the focus of the ending of the issue and the cliffhanger surrounds solely around her. This, again, is a good example of how well this series juggles a huge cast.

I also liked the level of creepiness in this issue. This goes hand in hand with the artwork, as well as the story and art direction. Not only does Kryb look freaky, but the idea of having a Lantern construct of a baby doing battle is both imaginative and insane. Finally, the abyss that Kyle and company are plunged into help make the issue dire and down right gross.

The art is tremendous. The usage of color is perhaps the most obvious highlight. What’s interesting is that Kryb is so blue you almost have to remind yourself that she (it?) is in the yellow Sinestro Corps. The panel layouts have a multitude of wide screen views which helps move the story along in a fast paced fashion. It also helps to make the story feel cinematic. And to watch infant construct getting whipped around by the umbilical cord is fairly memorable.

The issue does have a little trouble establishing (or reintroducing) the key characters. For example, I don’t think the pregnant Lantern’s name is ever used which is kind of problem as she becomes the key character of the story.

In all, this is another solid issue in this series. The issue sets up a very realistic cliffhanger. I could see the baby, the Lantern, Kryb or someone else dying as a result of this arc. I definitely recommend picking this up.

4 out of 5 geek goggles