by Michael DeLaney
This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!
The art of crafting a successful event tie-in issue is using the language of the event and applying it to the protagonist’s philosophy. Robert Venditti and Ethan Van Sciver use some familiar imagery and references to ground a Metal tie-in to the world of Hal Jordan. Continue reading
by Michael DeLaney
This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!
It was nice while it lasted, but the alliance between the Green Lanterns and the Sinestro Corps has come to its inevitable end. With Tomar-Re’s murder of Romat-Ru, Kyle Rayner’s secret keeping and Soranik Natu’s subsequent branding, things have come to a head in the extra-sized Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 25. Continue reading
Today, Mark and Spencer are discussing Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 21, originally released May 24th, 2017. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.
Mark: One area where Robert Venditti has excelled in this team-up Green Lantern book is differentiating each of the four Earth-based Green Lanterns and incorporating their unique perspectives into the larger narrative. Like the never-ending debate between Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans over who was the best host of that show, Joel, Mike, and now even Jonah, everyone has their favorite Green Lantern, and you’ll be hard pressed to convince a John Stewart fan of Hal Jordan’s merits. So while the book’s title prominently features the most recognizable of the Green Lanterns, there’s a lot of fun to be had in Venditti’s team-up, each Lantern bringing their best to the game, adding more fuel to the ever-burning debate. Continue reading
Today, Michael and Patrick are discussing Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 18, originally released February 22nd, 2017. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.
Michael: I think that Robert Venditti’s joining of the Green Lantern Corps with the Sinestro Corps will be a defining moment in the writer’s run on both Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps – and the Green Lantern mythos in general. It takes the “unlikely alliance” angle between a hero and villain and heightens it to the level of two opposing armies joining forces for the first time in their history. With such a wealth of diverse characters from both sides, the Sinestro Corps/Green Lantern Corps union promises to bring plenty of interesting character shakeups. Continue reading
Today, Michael and Patrick are discussing Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 18, originally released March 8th, 2017. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.
Michael: Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps has been surprisingly superb title from the beginning of Rebirth. The one thing that it has working against itself? Its title. Why the need to put Hal Jordan at the center of everything? Sure, Hal has been the focus of some of the issues but overall this is a team book focusing on the Corps. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 16 focuses that spotlight on everyone’s favorite vest-sportin’ loudmouth, Guy Gardner. Continue reading
Today, Michael and Spencer are discussing Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 13, originally released January 25, 2017. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.
Michael: Superhero books from DC and Marvel will always be the closest comic books to my heart because of their long-running, storied continuity. A big theme that DC’s Rebirth keeps coming back to is “legacy” – mainly referring to characters like Wally West who were lost in the cracks of the New 52. Legacy is inherent in all superhero books: the impact they have on the world around them, how they inspire new heroes, and the way they’ve connected to readers for nearly 80 years. Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps 13 focuses on this idea of legacy from a set of characters that are not Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps. Continue reading
Today, Spencer and Patrick are discussing Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 9, originally released November 23rd, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.
Spencer: One of the greatest appeals of the Green Lantern Corps is that there’s a limitless cast of characters to explore. The Green Lanterns are too numerous to count, and that’s not even getting into new recruits or the other Corps. Each of these Lanterns bring something different to the table, and the best writers are able to mine these characters for all they’re worth, figuring out how and when to best deploy their casts’ various abilities and relationships in order to best serve their story. In Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 9, Robert Venditti and Rafa Sandoval put on a clinic in this regard, not only taking full advantage of the mass of characters they’ve trapped together beneath Brainiac’s dome, but pulling out a few big surprise appearances from the franchise’s past as well. Continue reading
Today, Michael and Spencer are discussing Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 5, originally released September 28th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.
Michael: One of my cardinal sins of writing about comics is leaving the artwork by the wayside in favor of a heavier focus on the narrative of a comic book issue. Similarly, I think we tend to primarily associate iconic superheroes with a specific writer instead of an artist. And while he’s worked on many different projects, I will always associate Ethan Van Sciver with Green Lantern. Continue reading
Today, Patrick and Shelby are discussing Sinestro 1, originally released April 16th, 2014.
Patrick: Thaal Sinestro is a complicated character, driven by exactly as many conflicting emotions and values as the Great Hal Jordan. While the yellow ring-slingers bear his name, he was always underserved by that characterization. Sinestro is no monster, but the Sinestro Corps is nothing but. He’s a Green Lantern. He’s a patriot. He’s a hero. Cullen Bunn and Dale Eaglesham take the first issue of their new series to explore the gulf between what Sinestro is and what Sinestro is supposed to be. Continue reading
Today, Drew and Peter are discussing Green Lantern: New Guardians 11, originally released July 25th, 2012.
Drew: One of the things that keeps me coming back to this title is the diversity of its cast. They aren’t necessarily the most deeply drawn characters, but their personalities rub against each other in interesting ways. More importantly, those conflicts were set as the centerpiece of this title, a rarity in the largely mythology-driven Green Lantern group. After the fracturing of its core team, and a series of half-hearted crossovers, this title was in danger of losing that distinct voice, and becoming another cog in the Green Lantern machine (not that it’s a bad machine, but I think this title is strong enough to stand independently of whatever plotting is tying the rest of the GL universe together). I was heartened, then, to see the team back together in this issue, refocusing on their shared goals. Continue reading
Retcon Punch 