Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #13
Writer: Robert Venditti
Pencils: V Ken Marion
Inks: Paul Neary, Dexter Vines
Colors: Alex Sollazzo
Publisher: DC Comics
One of the things Rebirth has going for it is the absence of the reliance on the six issue story arc. The past 8 months or so we’ve still gotten the large arcs, but we’ve also gotten several smaller arcs, even one-shot stories. Some of these have been very successful (see: Tom King’s Batman two-parter “Rooftops”) whereas others have been less so. This, sadly, is one of those instances. Let’s get into why.
“Heroes” is nestled snuggly between the ending of the “Bottled Light” arc and the beginning of the upcoming “Quest for the Blue Lantern.” This seems like the perfect time for a breather, a chance to slow down after the action of the previous story while gearing up for what’s to come. The problem, however, is that the close of “Bottled Light” was extremely important to the overall mythology of this series. The four core characters of the Lantern Corps, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and White Lantern Kyle Rayner are finally reunited after what seems like ages (but in reality is just 12 bi-weekly issues). After finally achieving that point in the story to take a sudden break seems like a disservice to the story. I felt a dramatic drop in the momentum of the story when I picked up this book, and not in a good way.
That being said, the story in and of itself is not to blame. Venditti gives us a nice, small story set in the not so distant future where an old woman reminisces about the time the Green Lanterns saved her planet, Xudar, from Starro. This planet was featured heavily in “Bottled Light” and is the homeworld of current Lantern Tomar-Tu and his deceased father Tomar-Re. The writing is solid and really does a lot to show how important the Green Lantern Corps is to the galaxy, and the great effects it can have on the citizens. The awe and wonder are captured very faithfully, and we can feel her respect in the pages as she tells her story. We get a few hints as to what is to come for the Corps in the immediate future, including what appears to be a number of new power rings being sent out, but no concrete information is given. The end reveals that after her experiences as a child, the woman eventually became a Green Lantern in her own right. Which is fine, I guess. It did nothing for me, and I’d have felt no differently if the story had ended without the reveal.
The art was a pleasant surprise. Marion made his big DC debut with last fall’s Bloodlines miniseries. While it didn’t receive the greatest reception, it’s nice to see Marion is still in the DC family. While he is still a new talent, his work is impressive. I’d like to see a little more detail beyond what is front and center in the shot, and I’d like to see some more of his action scenes. The very brief moments he got to show the fighting were promising. You never know what you’re going to get with a fill-in artist, and I’m happy to say this was a win.
Overall, this was a fine book. It was a momentum killer, unfortunately, so I can’t recommend it. This story would have made more sense having been edited down and put as a backup story in an annual. It would have worked perfectly in that situation. As a breather between major stories, it didn’t have enough behind it to be fulfilling.
Pencils: V Ken Marion
Inks: Paul Neary, Dexter Vines
Colors: Alex Sollazzo
Publisher: DC Comics
One of the things Rebirth has going for it is the absence of the reliance on the six issue story arc. The past 8 months or so we’ve still gotten the large arcs, but we’ve also gotten several smaller arcs, even one-shot stories. Some of these have been very successful (see: Tom King’s Batman two-parter “Rooftops”) whereas others have been less so. This, sadly, is one of those instances. Let’s get into why.
“Heroes” is nestled snuggly between the ending of the “Bottled Light” arc and the beginning of the upcoming “Quest for the Blue Lantern.” This seems like the perfect time for a breather, a chance to slow down after the action of the previous story while gearing up for what’s to come. The problem, however, is that the close of “Bottled Light” was extremely important to the overall mythology of this series. The four core characters of the Lantern Corps, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and White Lantern Kyle Rayner are finally reunited after what seems like ages (but in reality is just 12 bi-weekly issues). After finally achieving that point in the story to take a sudden break seems like a disservice to the story. I felt a dramatic drop in the momentum of the story when I picked up this book, and not in a good way.
That being said, the story in and of itself is not to blame. Venditti gives us a nice, small story set in the not so distant future where an old woman reminisces about the time the Green Lanterns saved her planet, Xudar, from Starro. This planet was featured heavily in “Bottled Light” and is the homeworld of current Lantern Tomar-Tu and his deceased father Tomar-Re. The writing is solid and really does a lot to show how important the Green Lantern Corps is to the galaxy, and the great effects it can have on the citizens. The awe and wonder are captured very faithfully, and we can feel her respect in the pages as she tells her story. We get a few hints as to what is to come for the Corps in the immediate future, including what appears to be a number of new power rings being sent out, but no concrete information is given. The end reveals that after her experiences as a child, the woman eventually became a Green Lantern in her own right. Which is fine, I guess. It did nothing for me, and I’d have felt no differently if the story had ended without the reveal.
The art was a pleasant surprise. Marion made his big DC debut with last fall’s Bloodlines miniseries. While it didn’t receive the greatest reception, it’s nice to see Marion is still in the DC family. While he is still a new talent, his work is impressive. I’d like to see a little more detail beyond what is front and center in the shot, and I’d like to see some more of his action scenes. The very brief moments he got to show the fighting were promising. You never know what you’re going to get with a fill-in artist, and I’m happy to say this was a win.
Overall, this was a fine book. It was a momentum killer, unfortunately, so I can’t recommend it. This story would have made more sense having been edited down and put as a backup story in an annual. It would have worked perfectly in that situation. As a breather between major stories, it didn’t have enough behind it to be fulfilling.
A Look Inside
