Green Lantern Corps # 18

DC Comics

Written by Peter J. Tomasi

Pencils by Patrick Gleason and Jamal Igle

The ongoing ‘Sinestro Corps War’ storyline will be wrapping up in the upcoming Green Lantern #25, but in this penultimate chapter, war continues to be waged. Superman Prime, the out of place survivor of a now non-existent Earth, is serving his new

Cover art by Andy Kubert with Moose Baumann

masters, Sinestro and the much dreaded Anti-Monitor. In doing so, he must vanquish anything that stands in the way of their destruction of planet Earth. That includes a Green Lantern by the name of Sodam Yat.

Originally introduced in a story by Alan Moore during the mid 1980s, Sodam Yat is a member of the Green Lantern Corps, endowed with two unique attributes. The first, is his involvement with a prophecy that labels him as a potentially superior Lantern with the ability to save the universe. His second unique characteristic can be found in his Daxamite lineage. As a person from the planet Daxam, Yat’s exposure to Earth’s sun offers him similar powers to those of Superman.

In issue #18 of Green Lantern Corps, Yat is deeply embroiled in a blood soaked battle with the evil Superman Prime. Having been gifted by the Guardians with the power of Ion, Sodam Yat is a living source of Green Lantern energy. This, combined with his newly discovered super strength, is not enough to scare off his formidable opponent. Writer Tomasi pens a well written inner monologue for Yat. It fleshes out his character beyond what readers are familiar with, and allows a unique view into the fight. As the fight rages on, the evil Superman drops some witty lines and frustrated exclamations. For a genocidal maniac, he’s a pretty fun character to take in.

In between punches, Tomasi fleshes out Sodam Yat’s background by cutting to flashbacks that demonstrate unique moments that led him down the path towards becoming a fearless fighter for good. It isn’t superfluous; It adds to the character, and allows the book to be more than just a drawn out fight scene.

As the story cuts back and forth between the past and the bloody present, readers may notice a difference in the illustration. It’s an appreciated contrast that divides the two time periods. It is might just be my imagination, but the flashbacks carry a cleaner, deeply inked look that recalls the series’ earlier Dave Gibbons work.

The art allows every punch to be felt. The violence is brutal and well managed. Some creative angles and composition makes the duel between characters more unique than expected. The well rendered cemetery setting adds to a sense of gloom.

This book is a must read for fans of the current DC Universe storylines. For the uninitiated, it is a fun ride, even without an understanding of the story’s context. I’ll be first in line for the next issue.

8 / 10

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Avi Weinryb is an editor and feature writer at the Comic Book Bin. He welcomes your feedback.