Welcome to what I affectionately refer to as Green Week. Parts 7, 8 & 9 of War of the Green Lanterns were all released this week, and they take the top three spots in our Pull-List Review.
Deservedly in Fifth Place:
Green Arrow #12
I liked J.T. Krul's work on the Blacket Night: Titans miniseries. Getting Geoff Johns' approval didn't hurt either so I checked out his Green Arrow series on that merit. It was OK.
The last three issues dragged as Brightest Day wound down. Ultimately having to adhere to the Brightest Day schedule may have hurt how Krul would have wanted this arc to go. Now that its over I expect the next arc to really show me something cool. If not, I may have to drop this book all together.
Green Arrow #12 was nothing but an epilogue to Brightest Day. If you already read Brightest Day's finale, this issue becomes somewhat extraneous.
Here's on to bigger and better things next arc... providing all the Flashpoint mystery doesn't kill off Oliver Queen or his book before then.
I liked J.T. Krul's work on the Blacket Night: Titans miniseries. Getting Geoff Johns' approval didn't hurt either so I checked out his Green Arrow series on that merit. It was OK.
The last three issues dragged as Brightest Day wound down. Ultimately having to adhere to the Brightest Day schedule may have hurt how Krul would have wanted this arc to go. Now that its over I expect the next arc to really show me something cool. If not, I may have to drop this book all together.
Green Arrow #12 was nothing but an epilogue to Brightest Day. If you already read Brightest Day's finale, this issue becomes somewhat extraneous.
Here's on to bigger and better things next arc... providing all the Flashpoint mystery doesn't kill off Oliver Queen or his book before then.
Our Fourth Place Finisher:
Action Comics #901
I've said in this space before that I think Doomsday is dumb. Four Doomsdays are just dumb, four times. So that certainly hasn't been the draw to this issue. What IS is the art of Kenneth Rocafort.
The first time I saw Kenneth Rocafort's art was in Paul Dini's Madame Mirage. And I thought it was amazing. At the time I thought it was some damn fine artwork and that DC needed to get this guy doing some of the world's most famous superheroes. Now I got my wish and I don't seem to like it as much as I remember.
Though I'm not sure that's all Rocafort's fault. I believe its the characters' fault. Doomsday is not an investing character. Just because he killed Superman doesn't mean he's a good character and not just a gimmick.
Paul Cornell's initial run on Action Comics was OK. It wasn't outstanding, but it wasn't terrible either. One issue in to the Reign of the Doomsdays arc looks like we're going to be reading another middle-of-the-road story. But its early, so perhaps I should hold my judgement.
I've said in this space before that I think Doomsday is dumb. Four Doomsdays are just dumb, four times. So that certainly hasn't been the draw to this issue. What IS is the art of Kenneth Rocafort.
The first time I saw Kenneth Rocafort's art was in Paul Dini's Madame Mirage. And I thought it was amazing. At the time I thought it was some damn fine artwork and that DC needed to get this guy doing some of the world's most famous superheroes. Now I got my wish and I don't seem to like it as much as I remember.
Though I'm not sure that's all Rocafort's fault. I believe its the characters' fault. Doomsday is not an investing character. Just because he killed Superman doesn't mean he's a good character and not just a gimmick.
Paul Cornell's initial run on Action Comics was OK. It wasn't outstanding, but it wasn't terrible either. One issue in to the Reign of the Doomsdays arc looks like we're going to be reading another middle-of-the-road story. But its early, so perhaps I should hold my judgement.
An underwhelming Third Place Finish:
Green Lantern Corps #60
I'm beginning to believe that I'm just not going to care about this book like I used to. Tony Bedard and Tyler Kirkham just aren't getting it done for me. Perhaps Kyle Rayner and John Stewart just aren't interesting characters? I'd believe that if I hadn't loved them when they were written elsewhere. There's something in the creation of this book that keeps falling flat.
You'd think with such a big plot point of War of the Green Lanterns happening in this book that it would be a groundbreaking issue. But its not. SPOILER ALERT: John blows up Mogo. Mogo didn't need to be killed. True, they were in some dire straights, but like Kyle Rayner thought, there could have been another way around it. It felt like this was a contrived way to have John Stewart be responsible for destroying another planet. It could have been more interesting if Kyle or another Lantern had to pull the trigger.
As for the art of Tyler Kirkham, I guess its good, but its not my style. Its too 90s. Kirkham's artwork really took a hit this week as it was sandwiched between issues by Doug Mahnke and Fernando Pasarin. Both of whom (along with their respective colorists and inkers) knocked their books out of the park. Directly compared one after the other with the other two GL books released this week and Kirkham has some things to learn about drawing the world of the Green Lanterns.
So, bottom line? This book is missing the heart of the other two titles that Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are so good at capturing.
I'm beginning to believe that I'm just not going to care about this book like I used to. Tony Bedard and Tyler Kirkham just aren't getting it done for me. Perhaps Kyle Rayner and John Stewart just aren't interesting characters? I'd believe that if I hadn't loved them when they were written elsewhere. There's something in the creation of this book that keeps falling flat.
You'd think with such a big plot point of War of the Green Lanterns happening in this book that it would be a groundbreaking issue. But its not. SPOILER ALERT: John blows up Mogo. Mogo didn't need to be killed. True, they were in some dire straights, but like Kyle Rayner thought, there could have been another way around it. It felt like this was a contrived way to have John Stewart be responsible for destroying another planet. It could have been more interesting if Kyle or another Lantern had to pull the trigger.
As for the art of Tyler Kirkham, I guess its good, but its not my style. Its too 90s. Kirkham's artwork really took a hit this week as it was sandwiched between issues by Doug Mahnke and Fernando Pasarin. Both of whom (along with their respective colorists and inkers) knocked their books out of the park. Directly compared one after the other with the other two GL books released this week and Kirkham has some things to learn about drawing the world of the Green Lanterns.
So, bottom line? This book is missing the heart of the other two titles that Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are so good at capturing.
An intriguing Second Place Finish:
Green Lantern #66
This week Geoff Johns takes a backseat to his partner in crime Pete Tomasi. But we'll get to that next.
As far as Green Lantern #66 is concerned, it doesn't advance the plot very far, but it does give some clues to other things happening in the GLU. For instance, Sinestro really misses being a Green Lantern. There is much more than meets the eye concerning the Indigo Tribe and Abin Sur, and the other New Guardians are alive and kicking the Book of the Black. No sexy Lyssa Drak appearance this issue though.
Doug Mahnke and the art team really give Fernando Pasarin and his team a run for their money. The Panel of the Week decision is going to be a tough one. What's missing from Mahnke's art this week are backgrounds. Most of the action takes place in a darkened corner of Oa with a lot of close fight scenes, so there isn't a huge need for one. But like Kirkham's art in the previous review, Pasarin's art was so good this week, it even made the stellar Mahnke's work take a step back.
This week Geoff Johns takes a backseat to his partner in crime Pete Tomasi. But we'll get to that next.
As far as Green Lantern #66 is concerned, it doesn't advance the plot very far, but it does give some clues to other things happening in the GLU. For instance, Sinestro really misses being a Green Lantern. There is much more than meets the eye concerning the Indigo Tribe and Abin Sur, and the other New Guardians are alive and kicking the Book of the Black. No sexy Lyssa Drak appearance this issue though.
Doug Mahnke and the art team really give Fernando Pasarin and his team a run for their money. The Panel of the Week decision is going to be a tough one. What's missing from Mahnke's art this week are backgrounds. Most of the action takes place in a darkened corner of Oa with a lot of close fight scenes, so there isn't a huge need for one. But like Kirkham's art in the previous review, Pasarin's art was so good this week, it even made the stellar Mahnke's work take a step back.
Hands-Down in First Place:
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #10
I want to relate this issue to the way the Original Star Wars Trilogy makes me and most of my generation feel. There's a certain heart and warmth to it. Its hard to explain, but the Star Wars prequels never had it. There's an intangibility the original movies have that makes you feel good. Those movies are "just right." The prequel lovers will tell you, "you just feel that way because of the sentimentality of your youth connected to those movies." Well, Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #10 wasn't around when I was growing up and it made me feel the same way the Original Trilogy does: good. I can't explain it any better than being able to sit back when its over, completely satisfied, and say, "that was good." The Original Trilogy and this issue of Emerald Warriors has it. The Prequels never will, but that's for another blog.
Lets start with Fernando Pasarin and the entire art team that drew the living fuck out of this book. Every page, panel, ink and color is spot on. And believe me I was looking. This issue is a perfect example of what a comic book should look like.
Peter Tomasi knows these characters. He and Geoff Johns seemingly share a brain when it comes to working in the Green Lantern Universe. Not only does he understand the characters, but he understands the tone. He knows when things should get serious and how serious. He also knows when we need a little comedy and brevity. War of the Green Lanterns is a damn fine Green Lantern story. Its shaping up to be Sinestro War caliber.
I want to relate this issue to the way the Original Star Wars Trilogy makes me and most of my generation feel. There's a certain heart and warmth to it. Its hard to explain, but the Star Wars prequels never had it. There's an intangibility the original movies have that makes you feel good. Those movies are "just right." The prequel lovers will tell you, "you just feel that way because of the sentimentality of your youth connected to those movies." Well, Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #10 wasn't around when I was growing up and it made me feel the same way the Original Trilogy does: good. I can't explain it any better than being able to sit back when its over, completely satisfied, and say, "that was good." The Original Trilogy and this issue of Emerald Warriors has it. The Prequels never will, but that's for another blog.
Lets start with Fernando Pasarin and the entire art team that drew the living fuck out of this book. Every page, panel, ink and color is spot on. And believe me I was looking. This issue is a perfect example of what a comic book should look like.
Peter Tomasi knows these characters. He and Geoff Johns seemingly share a brain when it comes to working in the Green Lantern Universe. Not only does he understand the characters, but he understands the tone. He knows when things should get serious and how serious. He also knows when we need a little comedy and brevity. War of the Green Lanterns is a damn fine Green Lantern story. Its shaping up to be Sinestro War caliber.
Panel of the Week
This spread is a perfect example of how to draw a Green Lantern book. The scope, the cityscape, the background detail, the individual Green Lantern detail... damn. Tyler Kirkham, take notice.
-Gint
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