Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Green Lantern #25
DC Comics
Johns, Reis, Van Sciver & Albert

The finale of the Sinestro Corps delivers on all levels. Is it a mindless all-out slugfest? Not really. Does have a battle in it? Oh, yes. Does it involve all the main villains? Oh yeah. And the four Earth lanterns? Yes, they are in it all over the place. Do we get a good resolution to this seven month saga? Yes! Did I like it? You bet your butt I did.

The first five pages are just beautiful artwork to launch this issue. We have the green and yellow fighting it out from a space level. Then we have back to back splash pages. The first one is the Green Lantern Corps angry as hell and beating the crap out of the Sinestro Corps. The second has much of the “other” Earth heroes fighting along with the Green Lanterns against Superboy-Prime, the Anti-Monitor and the rest. It’s an excellent way to start off a comic.

Then we launch into a much needed explanation (courtesy of Ganthet). He and his girlfriend, Sayd, got kicked out of the Guardians (I’m not sure how that works because they still wear the same clothes and are still related to the other Guardians) and are now acting as informants to the Earth Green Lanterns. Hal, Kyle, Guy and John listen to the tale that Ganthet tells about the seven (yes, seven) types of rings that are out there. Each color means a different emotion and each one a different type of corps. Ganthet explains how this seven-way war is to play out eventually. At this point we get another splash page of this war and it is awesome. (this splash page features many of the regulars which might be important…)

At this point, Ganthet and Sayd leave Earth, Guy and John depart to help on the New York City front, while Kyle and Hal stay in Coast City to defend it from Sinestro himself. This is where the action starts up. Hal sends out the signal for Coast City to evacuate, which he couldn’t do the first time Coast City was wasted way back when Superman came back from the dead. But, to his surprise, the city doesn’t evacuate. No, they have the courage that Hal has had all these years. Nice trick. But we know Kyle and Hal cant defeat both of Sinestro and his goons. So the Lost Lanterns show up to help. Another nice little trick there. Hal and Kyle get another splash page as they fly off to war.

Over the next bunch of pages we toggle between the two war fronts. The Guardians enter to help defeat the Anti-Monitor. While Sinestro de-powers Kyle and Hal’s rings. While Guy gets sick and cant fight anymore. Things go back and forth. John Stewart and Guy devise a plan to take out the Anti-Monitor. It also wipes out Cyborg Superman. Before the Anti-Monitor can waste away Superboy-Prime turns on him. Only to have a Guardian waste the Superboy-Prime punk.

Hal and Kyle de-power Sinestro’s ring and fight with their regular old fists. It’s revealed that Guy has the Despotellis biovirus, but a tiny Green Lantern named Leezle Pon takes out Despotellis. Guy seems to be ok.

A lot more happens in the end, but eventually the good guys win. Some of the villains dead. The main ones may or may not be “dead”. Sinestro is nude and locked up again (why cant he wear a towel?). Ganthet and Sayd become the Blue ring bearers. What’s blue mean? I’m not telling.

All this and a teaser for the Black Lantern story coming Summer of 2009. Come again? That’s right the war of the seven rings is on its way in 18 months. Don’t hold your breath, but do say a prayer that this happens because this crossover was magnificent. Another one, only with more sides to the war can only kick that much more ass.

This issue has awesome writing, excellent character development and interaction. It has great action, total plot resolution and some bad guys getting away, only thought to be dead. This issue delivers on every single front. If you don’t follow this book at all, look at this issue. You may just become a fan. These are the kinds of issues that make wandering into a comic book store oh-so-worthwhile.

I cant recommend this issue enough.

5 out of 5 geek goggles.


Green Lantern The Sinestro Corps War HC Vol. 1

Green Lantern Series 3 Sinestro Action Figure