Broken Frontier

1-2-3-4 Sinestro’s declared a Corps War! The fallout from the Sinestro Corps Special comes to the fore here as big changes loom on the horizon for everyone!

Writer Geoff Johns takes the next step in Green Lantern evolution and many long-time fans should be pleased to discover that a plot idea that dates back at least to the Bronze Age finally looks like it will be fulfilled. More to the point, story elements that were put on the table all the way back in Green Lantern: Rebirth are also finally put in motion and the whole, wild plot is only just getting wound up!

On Oa the Lanterns are left licking their wounds and taking care of the injured and the dead. Meanwhile, the Sinestro Corps is not resting on their laurels as their agents spread across the known 3600 space sectors killing Lanterns, following the rings to new candidates, and then killing the rookies before they even have a chance to fight back. With calculated efficiency Sinestro has set up the ultimate destruction of the Corps! Meanwhile, the Guardians are determined to ignore the warnings and once again bury their fears. Only two are willing to stand against them and those two have chosen an agent in Hal Jordan. With all of his guilt, the remaining fears he will not voice, and the Lanterns who will not forgive nor forget his actions as Parallax, Hal is unwilling to take on this role… and perhaps unable. At least until he meets up with Parallax’s new host…..

One of the trademarks to Geoff Johns’ writing is that he often enjoys taking old, obscure plots that have been largely forgotten by fans and weave them into new stories. Many long-time GL fans will certainly recognize the prophecy of the "blackest night" here – an old story about the fall and destruction of the Green Lantern Corps. Johns of course manages to update the tale and weave in new elements to give it a fresh spin, as well as bringing an old, open ended tale his own conclusion. In addition to the elements for Rebirth, Johns also manages to add plot points from Infinite Crisis as well – making this story perhaps his most complex and far-reaching yet… and it is still in its early stages!

Aside from the plot, Johns pays special attention to the characters here, giving several their moments to shine and delving into the psychological makeup of not just Hal Jordan but the Guardians and the members of the Sinestro Corps as well. Bolstering all of it are just the right notes of action and dramatic reveal.

Regular penciler Ivan Reis returns to duty this issue and a welcome return it is. While the fill-in artists have done a tremendous job on this title Reis and Ethan Van Sciver are among the few artists I honestly feel were born to draw the Green Lantern Corps. Reis manages to never lose the emphasis on faces and expressions, even in the heat of battle or the middle of big explosions… and Reis knows explosions. There is a definite kinetic energy to his work and everything simply leaps off the page.

While this issue is not exactly a terrific point for new readers to take up ring slinging, lapsed fans should consider coming back to the fold and current readers should be nothing but happy. There is a lot to see and much to ponder and with all the twists and turns that have come already it is exciting to think of how many more will certainly be in store. For high action, drama, and stuff blowing up real big Green Lantern is the place.