Sinestro, acting as host to The Entity (the white light of life), gets a crash course on the history of life in the universe and the creation of each of the emotional spectrum’s entities. Ion, Parallax, and the yet unnamed, yet fascinatingly visualized, entities of love, avarice, rage, hope and compassion all derive from Earthly creatures, since as we recently learned (SPOILER ALERT)…that life in the universe began on Earth, and not on the home world of The Guardians. After that he really doesn’t do much…except get nearly killed by Nekron. Meanwhile, the Green Lantern Corps and representatives from the other Corps battle a horde of Black Lanterns and Xanshi, the Black Lantern planet, who are trying to, of course, destroy the Earth and all life.

Mastermind writer Geoff Johns is bringing his Green Lantern epic to a close. At the end of Green Lantern #52 we’re told “To Be Concluded in Blackest Night #8 Next Week!” There’re plenty of loose ends to tie up though. Sinestro, the “Adolf Hitler of Sinestro Corps War” simply cannot be allowed to be possessed of the most powerful entity in the universe, or become (in his own words) “the true Guardian of the Universe.” This experience has to have a life changing effect on him though. Being tied to every living being in the universe…well, it has to be a powerfully eye opening experience.

Mahnke’s pencils deliver as usual. His eye for detail is superb, but occasionally his visuals are a bit overwhelming. This is a good thing overall though. We are dealing with pretty overwhelming space and existence spanning ideas and beings, so every scene is a mini epic in and of itself. The complexity of his panel work enhances the effect of the reading experience rather than detracting from it. It causes the reader to slow down and absorb each panel carefully to get the full effect of the story. It’s time well spent.

White Lantern Sinestro states on the cover “You were expecting someone else?” We probably were. Speculation (at least on the behalf of this reviewer) was that in some way Hal Jordan would become some sort of White Lantern, especially since he’s wielded and been coveted by nearly all the other spectrum corps rings. Blackest Night #8 is still to come, so we might yet see some version of a White Lantern Jordan yet…or at least a resolution to the ultimate role Sinestro is destined to play…