The Lite Brite Brigade teams up to bash on the Black Lantern Spectre. All of the recently deputized Lanterns, more or less working together, can’t seem to bring the big guy down, but Jordan remembers that when he was battling The Spectre and Parallax during Green Lantern Rebirth, The Spectre was afraid of Parallax. So, if the only thing The Spectre is afraid of is Parallax and Jordan won’t let Sinestro be possessed of the fear entity, well you can figure it out from here…

The landmark 50th issue of Green Lantern, which was re-launched shortly after Green Lantern Rebirth wrapped up really ends up not being much of a landmark issue. Basically, the whole issue builds up to Jordan being Parallax again, and that’s really it. Nothing of significance really happens beyond Jordan’s transformation. Did we need to cover this ground again? Yeah, The Spectre is supposed to be one tough cookie and all, except for when every time he appears he’s either nearly killed or possessed by something, so if he’s only afraid of Parallax then it must be needed, but we’ve been there and done that.

Speaking of The Spectre, what is up with this character’s treatment at the hands of DC Comics’ writers? Even the great Geoff Johns, whose proven he can write a quality story about any character, turns The Spectre into the biggest wimp in the universe. The Spectre is God’s Spirit of Vengeance. Again, The Spectre is GOD’S SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE! He’s supposed to be the most powerful being in existence. Admittedly, an omnipotent character can prove to be a little tough to create conflict for (remember the Silver Age Superman?), but it is really getting old witnessing the big guy getting beat down and possessed, or wallowing in self pity nearly every time we see him. Final Crisis: Revelations (which was pretty much the best thing about the whole Final Crisis event) was a pretty solid treatment of the character and his human host, even though he was beat down most of the time in that series too. Revelations cleared up The Spectre’s human host Crispus Allen’s personal issues and demons, and introduced an interesting counter balancing character in The Radiant: The Spirit of Mercy, who we’ve sadly seen none of since. It’s time to get The Spectre out of the supporting role of plot foil and re-launch him and his supporting cast. There needs to be a new Spectre series and I for one want to see it over at Vertigo. But, I digress…

Doug Mahnke continues to handle the penciling duties on Green Lantern superbly. He’s really the defining Green Lantern mythos artist now. He (along with Patrick Gleason over at Green Lantern Corps) is taking the reigns from Van Sciver who helmed Rebirth and large portions of Sinestro Corps War. Mahnke’s full two page spread of the freed Parallax entity is simply awesome. His Black Lantern Spectre is creepy, and he still draws the absolute best insane looks on characters faces and in their eyes.

For a landmark 50th issue, Green Lantern #50 is a bit of a disappointment. Blackest Night has been great artistically with all its DC Zombies, I mean, Black Lanterns running around, but it has paled in comparison storytelling wise to the previous Green Lantern events. It’ll be wrapping up soon and that’s a good thing. It’s been fun but it’s getting old.