Green Lanterns begins to shakily soar as we enter all-out war.
The Green Lanterns are being attacked on several fronts. A group known as the Ravagers have appeared to cause widespread destruction to Lanterns’ home planets. Their first target is the aquatic world of Penelo where their Green Lantern, Penelops, is murdered by the Ravagers’ commander, Eon. The Lanterns come to assist, but even they have problems hindering them. Their headquarters, the planet Mogo, has been ravaged by mysterious storms, causing the death of one of the Guardians. There has also been a mysterious force that has been tampering with the rings of the Green Lanterns, going so far as to flat out refuse orders. Will our Lanterns catch a break as their legendary member, Hal Jordan, joins the fray?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
As Simon Baz is being ordered back to Earth, the other Lanterns of sector 2814 lead the charge against the Ravagers. Kyle Rayner teams up with Kilowog to try and contain the blasts hitting Penelo. Hal Jordan and Jessica Cruz work together on the Command Ship to take down the leader, as well as demoralize the rest of the Fleet. Guy Gardner, however, works alone fighting against Eon, but is able to keep him at bay. While the battle goes on, the one who ordered Baz’s return prepares for his next move.
While the past few issues have been shaky in feeling like a Green Lanterns book, this one finally nails it. This issue is about 95% space action, and while it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m glad to see it. The Lanterns books can have mystery or other genres of story, but at its core, it is a space epic. We had big fleets, invasions of planets, but not much in terms of action. With the Earth Lanterns leading the charge against the Ravagers, it feels like the space epic once again.
The cause of the rings turning on the Green Lanterns might confuse a few people when revealed. Those who know the history of the character, however, might get a smile on their face, as I did. The story does have its flaws, as the story does lack answers on why the Ravagers and Eon are attacking, but I had fun with it.
Art:
Marco Santucci continues to illustrate the story and does a decent job. He’s able to capture the scale of the space battles and makes the action feel much more epic. The only problem is that, despite these grand space battles, some hiccups slip through the cracks. When we first see Hal and Jessica battling the Ravagers, Jess’ face looks crooked. While it doesn’t ruin the issue, it is a little off putting in missing such little details. Hi-Fi impresses with his colors and helps each page pop, as hoped for this story.
Conclusion:
Overall, while it’s not quite there, the arc is finally beginning to shape up. While we don’t learn about Eon and the Ravagers, we get some sweet action and the reveal of the compromised rings. Despite a few hiccups, the art is pretty decent and has enough color to pop off the page. At this point, it’s clear the only way this story is going is up.
