Green Lantern #26

DC COMICS
WRITER: Geoff Johns
PENCILS: Mike McKone

INKS: Andy Lanning, Marlo Alquiza & Cam Smith

After the explosive conclusion to the Sinestro Corps War saga in the previous issue of Green Lantern, the action is dialed down and the long march to the ominous ‘Blackest Night’ storyline begins. A little short on story, but very heavy on exposition, issue #26 introduces the Alpha Lanterns, a superior subset of Corps members. They remain a mystery, but along with the other drastic changes implemented by the Guardians of the Universe, it appears the Corps will never be the same.

After the revision of the Book of Oa, the Lanterns gained the ability to kill. This opens up the possibility of executing prisoners for their crimes, which Johns explores in this issue. In a bid to learn more about the Book’s revisions, Tomar-Tu and Graf Toren discover that a portion of the Book has been excised. They are reprimanded by Salaak for snooping. Meanwhile, John Stewart continues to brood about the lost planet Xanshi, and Hal enjoys a very revealing conversation with Oa’s newest prisoner – Sinestro.

Off in Sector 786, some of the Lost Lanterns locate Amon Sur, the Sinestro Corps officer and war deserter. Laira mourns the loss of her love, Ke’haan, while on Earth, Hal is reunited with his main squeeze, Cowgirl. For a standard sized comic, this issue really packs in a lot of material.

The writing is fairly standard – Johns carefully introduces new elements into the Green Lantern mythology, setting the stage for future story arcs. Careful readers know to read every line with a watchful eye. One never knows when a turn of phrase will return as a pivotal revelation.

The only outstanding portion of this issue can be found in the detention cells on Oa. Hal Jordan and Sinestro have a fantastic conversation that acknowledges their past, putting their complex relationship on display. Readers are left pondering whether Sinestro is offering a bluff, or whether he truly knows more than he is letting on.

Artist Mike McKone does a more than decent job with the pencil duties, but Ivan Reis is sorely missed. If he does indeed return for issue #29, as planned, I will be a happy camper. Layouts and composition are great – the framing of the Sinestro scene is well done, and helps crank up the tension. McKone draws a great Sinestro, but I felt some of the other character were a little lacking. John Stewart appears to have walked off the screen from the JLA cartoon show, which would be kind of cool if it were not so disconcerting.

Anyone following the current Green Lantern storyline will want to continue picking this title up. For those unaware of the current state of affairs in Green Lantern, hit up Wikipedia, and then decide for yourself. It’s a solid start to what will be one of the defining comic events of the near future.

8 / 10