Things don’t look good for the recent alliance between the Green Lanterns and the Sinestro Corps. A green has murdered a yellow. Hal Jordan and John Stewart find it unbelievable, and have differing opinions on how the situation should be handled.

Meanwhile, what Earth’s other Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner? He and Soranik have issues to resolve before they can rekindle their romance. But will the personal friction between them spill over into their roles as peacekeepers of the universe? Let’s just say that the color red may be better suited for one of them.

All of this promises greater fractures in an alliance the once held such promise. It certainly will provide fodder for several issues to come, and perhaps lay the groundwork for years of stories. I’m beginning to appreciate what Robert Venditti has built over the past year, and would say he done as much – if not more – for the Green Lantern franchise than Geoff Johns. Sure, Johns brought Hal Jordan back from the dead, but Venditti resurrected Green Lantern.

Unfortunately, I foresee Ethan Van Sciver stepping off in the near future, his best GL years behind him. The art in this particular issue is extremely dark. His inks are heavy, his line work bold, perhaps too bold. Some might argue that it merely reflects the overall darkness of the story, but I see that as a convenient rationalization. There’s a great deal of texture in play, which seems superfluous to me, as if he were somehow using it as a substitute for somewhat lazy drawing. Pages 6 and 14 use a cheap ploy of (almost) repeating panels, which I regard as an artist’s cheat.

Perhaps it’s time to, as the rings say, “scan for a replacement.”

Rating: 7/10