Green Lantern #38

By Patrick Bérubé
February 27, 2009 - 09:45

This is the fourth and last part of the Rage of the Red Lanterns story arc and is part of the Origins and Omens DC comics themed month. In this issue Hal Jordan's emotion will decide which ring's color he will bear. With Sinistro's life at his mercy, will he be seduced by rage and succumb to the Red Lantern's call? And if he does so, can he be saved and be brought back on the good side of the color spectrum by either the Blue or Green Lantern? Or Both? I don't want to reveal too much but let just say that if this skirmish is just an introduction to the upcoming war, things could get very messy for each factions. Also, on earth the Star Sapphire start recruiting for their army as one of Jordan's ex-girlfriend might still be longing for him. As a rather uninteresting backup feature, we also get a glimpse of things to come for our emerald crusaders.

And don't know if this issue can be considered good storytelling or not but it's definitely entertaining and rich in plot twist. Geoff Johns has again revealed stuff about the different spectrums of light and their various lantern's bearer. Not only this story arc, but the last year or two worth of Green Lantern's comic books are intensifying up and It feels like the peak of this crescendo is not even close yet. If I'm right, this title deserve the ''I really can't wait until next month'' award. People often wonder how to keep the monthly format from disappearing. I think Mr. Johns does the right thing instinctively here. If there is one comic book I could not wait four months to read, it's definitely this one even if you promise me a less expensive hardcover loaded with extra.

As for the art, the team of Ivan Reis at the pencil, Oclair Albert on the ink and Nel Ruffino on the colors are forming a very effective trio. If I were a hockey coach they would definitely be on the power play (sorry for the analogy to non-canadian readers...). The dynamic layouts and some cleverly used close-up panels convey very well the different emotions lived by the characters. You don't just see Hal Jordan being seduced by rage, you can feel it.

If you love superhero and are not following this comic book yet, pick up a few trades and get on board. I think you will appreciate the ride. It is (so far...)one the few well-done superhero storyline at DC Comics in recent years.

I rate it 8.5 out of 10

Last Updated: November 29, 2025 - 16:51

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