Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Green Lantern Corps #18
DC Comics
Tomasi, Gleason, Igle, Rollins & Ordway

Sinestro Corps War Part 10. This issue is all about the battle between Ion and Superman/Superboy-Prime. The issue is essentially one battle with some of Ion’s origin sprinkled in the mix. The issue was very entertaining and I liked it, but I couldn’t get past one nagging problem. This story feels like it’s in the wrong title.

Ion, now Sodam Yat, faces off with Superman/boy-Prime with everyone from the Guardians to the Anti-Monitor watching on. The fight shows the evolution of Ion as he obtains his extra powers from the yellow sun. Just like Superman, Ion has those special dense molecules that enhance him. It’s like a sun-steroid.

Of course, Superboy-Prime has the same powers and he is used to using them whereas Ion is not. Superboy-Prime also knows the weaknesses a whole lot better than Ion. He pulls out all the tricks, like some hot lead polls to stick into Ion like skewers through taters.

Amidst the fighting we learn about Sodam’s past. His home life as a child was filled with fear of the unknown of space. Sodam yearned for the vastness of the stars. Luck came his way when an alien crashed on the planet. Sodam became friends with the alien. Eventually, he learned his father found the alien and killed him, while trying to manipulate Sodam into thinking the alien was on his planet for an invasion.

Sodam rebelled and began to craft a spaceship from the spare parts of his alien buddy’s ship. Before he could complete the ship, a ring found his finger and he went to the stars as a Green Lantern.

In the fight, though, Ion continues to get a beating. Sure he fights hard and gives it his all, but Superboy-Prime just kicks his butt. In the end, Superboy-Prime holds up the knocked out Sodam asking “Who’s next?”

Generally, a great issue. I loved the art and I loved how Superboy-Prime was a snob, but in a reserved way. His carving up of the tombstones, one for Ion and one for Earth were clever.

However, I just don’t understand why Green Lantern Corps is carrying this story. Ion has a one shot, Superboy-Prime has a one shot with his origin re-told. Yet, Sodam’s origin is jammed in this issue, basically dedicated to him and Superboy-Prime. The origin doesn’t even explore where his ring came from, which would have been a great way to help build this character up some more.

On the flip side, the Green Lantern Corps dealt with an array of characters throughout this arc only to have them totally abandoned at the conclusion of the war. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to have this story sit outside of this title and in it’s own? That way the characters that have made up this title’s role in the arc have an ending? Or maybe group the Superboy-Prime and Ion one shots to contain this fight? This entire issue I was asking myself, “Why is this fight in this title?” I couldn’t get past it.

What I also couldn’t get past was the fact that Sodam is a Green Lantern, with the power of Ion, with Superman-like powers and he couldn’t defeat Superboy-Prime. What’s up with that? How useless is this Ion thing anyway? By the way, Dave Gibbons gets pulled in the middle of an arc like this? That stinks.

To recap, I liked the fighting, I liked the art, I liked the background on Sodam, but I hated the placement of this story. If one character is going to carry this title I would think it would be Gardner, Stewart or Kilowog and that’s pushing it in a major arc like this.

3.5 out of 5 geek goggles.