Green Lantern Sinestro Corps #1 Review

The Revolution is extremely excited about the upcoming war between the Sinestro Corps and the Green Lantern Corps. This has the makings of an absolutely classic story arc. Green Lantern Sinestro Corps Special #1 should provide a tasty read that will wet the reader’s appetite for the upcoming story arc over in Green Lantern. Let’s hit this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ethan Van Sciver

Art Rating: 10 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 10 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 10 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with Sinestro re-telling his origin. We then cut to the JLA trying to apprehend the Reverse Flash. Hal Jordan temporarily binds Reverse Flash and asks him where Sinestro is currently located. Reverse Flash doesn’t answer and manages to break free from Hal’s grasp. Reverse Flash then manages to get away from the JLA. Hal then tells his teammates that this is not an Earth matter and thanks them for their help. Hal says that this is a Green Lantern Corps matter and leaves the scene.

We cut to two Green Lanterns in space trying to catch a Sinestro Corps yellow ring that is looking for a proper bearer. Suddenly, Ion appears on the scene and captures the yellow ring. Ion and the two Green Lanterns then look across the universe and see numerous yellow rings streaking all across the universe looking for their individual bearers.

We shift to the Guardians discussing the fact that Cyborg Superman has knowledge of the 52. That Cyborg Superman knows about the Multiverse. That Cyborg Superman’s disdain for all life has made his susceptible to the yellow impurity. The Guardians say how if their Earth gets destroyed then the rest of the multiple universes will be destroyed in a chain reaction leaving the anti-matter universe as the only existence left.

Ganthet and another Guardian argue that they cannot keep ignoring emotions like hope, compassion and love. Ganthet says that the prophecy of “The Blackest Night” states that a face of metal and flesh shall speak of the secrets of the 52. Fear will rise. Willpower will gather. And a war of light will unleash the truth behind the power of the ring.”

The other Guardians do accept responsibility of the 52, but they reject and deny the prophecy of the Blackest Night. The Guardians say they will keep Cyborg Superman locked away forever and with him the secret of the 52.

We cut to Guy Garner, Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner all meeting at the Green Lantern Corps mess hall on Oa. Kyle is melancholy because he is missing the reading of his mother’s will today. Gardner ribs Kyle for being the “great” Ion and being the precious torchbearer.

Suddenly, the yellow power ring breaks free from Kyle’s grasp and starts streaking around the mess hall. The yellow power ring detects Ion’s presence and slips onto his ring and transports Ion to the anti-matter universe.

Kyle appears on Qward and sees hundreds of slaughtered Qwardians. Kyle then stumbles across the Sinestro Corps all gathered together.

We hop back to Oa where suddenly, a yellow beam starts killing Green Lanterns. Guy tells everyone to get back inside the mess hall. That they have a sniper. Suddenly, a bunch of Sinestro Corps members appear on Oa and we have a big old brawl.

We cut back to Sinestro and his followers attacking Kyle. Sinestro manages to take down Kyle by himself.

We zip back to Oa where John Stewart tracks down the sniper and blasts him. The other Green Lanterns continue to battle the Sinestro Corps members. We see many Green Lantern rings filling the air as their bearers have been killed and the rings fly off to search for new bearers.

Suddenly, there is a huge boom. Guy, Hal and John all fly over to the sciencells where the Guardians have Superboy Prime and Cyborg Superman imprisoned. When they arrive at the cells, they see that Superboy Prime has escaped.

We cut back to Qward where Sinestro has Kyle captured. Sinestro says that Kyle is not Ion. That his is simply the host for Ion just like Hal was the host for Parallax. Sinestro reaches into Kyle’s chest and pulls out the creature Ion and cages it in a yellow energy case.

Sinestro then tells Kyle that it was Sinestro Corps member Despotellis, the living virus, who killed Kyle’s mother and not just some random disease. Sinestro asks Kyle if he is frightened yet. If Kyle is frightened about which of his family members will die next. That they will die because of Kyle’s dedication to a group of Guardians who don’t even know what love means. Sinestro then asks again if Kyle is afraid. Kyle slumps over crying.

Sinestro comments that Kyle is ready. Kyle is placed inside the yellow power battery. Inside of it is Parallax. Parallax takes over Kyle. Sinestro then welcomes Kyle to his Sinestro Corps. Out of the battery steps Kyle as Parallax.

We cut to Ganthet and the other Guardian commenting on the cold wave moving across the emotional spectrum which their fellow Guardians are sure to ignore. That with the rebirth of the Multiverse comes the return of something else.

We shift to Sinestro and Parallax entering a large room and bowing to the ground. Sinestro says that his Corps is ready. We then see Cyborg Superman in a Sinestro Corps outfit. We also see Superboy Prime in a Sinestro Corps outfit and none other than the Anti-Monitor in a Sinestro Corps outfit. End of story.

We get a back-up story about the first time that Hal Jordan met Sinestro back when they were both in the Green Lantern Corps. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Green Lantern Sinestro Corps #1 was absolutely brilliant. This was simply classic. This was a well paced issue. Johns gives us the perfect blend of dialogue heavy scenes with nice character work and knock down drag out fight scenes. The issue slows down at certain points in order to create some mystery surrounding the upcoming war and to create the appropriate level of tension in the reader. Then the issue speeds up with a wild fight scene that all culminates to an ending that absolutely blows the reader away.

Johns also gives us a well plotted issue. Johns has incredible long-term vision and knows how to construct a detailed and complex story that builds off of various pre-existing plotlines. I like that Johns takes the events of Infinite Crisis, 52 and Countdown and ties them into this upcoming war with the Sinestro Corps.

Of course, Johns crafts some fine dialogue that gives each character their own personal external voice. Johns has a great feel for each of the Green Lanterns and that shows as Johns is able to create some good chemistry between the various characters. The scene in the mess hall was a nice example of how John, Guy, Kyle and Hal all get along and interact with each other.

Johns certainly delivers plenty of kick-ass action. Watching the Sinestro Corps brawl with the Green Lantern Corps was pretty wicked. The scene with all the rings from the dead Green Lanterns streaking through the air was sick. It really drove home to the reader that this isn’t just some super hero versus super villain battle. This is a full out war.

It was great to see the various Green Lanterns in action. John Stewart rocks. I like how he calmly took out the Sinestro Corps sniper. And of course, Guy Gardner is always entertaining. It is like that overly boisterous fraternity brother that you just can’t help to like.

Of course, Johns isn’t just about the action. Johns also fleshes out several very interesting plotlines. I totally dig the prophecy of The Blackest Night. That is very cool. There is no doubt that the Guardians are going to pay for ignoring that prophecy.

We also learn that if New Earth gets destroyed then the rest of the Multiverse will be unable to exist and will also collapse. All that will be left is the Anti-matter universe. That is a neat twist. Johns is clearly outlining what much of this upcoming war will be about.

And an issue is only as good as its villain. And Johns definitely gives us awesome villain for this issue. Johns has an incredible feel for Sinestro’s character and gives us a wonderfully textured and complex version of Sinestro. Johns has taken what I have always thought as a rather one-dimensional villain and made him a much more deep character. Sinestro is certainly a villain that the reader can sympathize with. The back-up story in this issue also helps to flesh out Sinestro’s character a bit more.

I have never really liked Sinestro. However, after what Johns as done with his character, I am now a huge Sinestro fan. I also dig that Sinestro is sporting the permanent scar of a Green Lantern symbol on his back from when he fought Kyle.

Of course, what made this issue so over the top good was the absolutely insane ending to this issue. We find out that during the battle between the Sinestro Corps members and the Green Lanterns that Cyborg Superman and Superboy Prime have both escaped from their cells on Oa. Talk about your “holy shit” moments. These are two huge villains, with Superboy Prime being one of the biggest monster villains in all of the DCU.

But, wait, there is more. Just when you think Johns was done surprising the reader; we then learn that Kyle is not Ion. That he is just the host for Ion like Hal was the host for Parallax. We then get to see Sinestro pull Ion from Kyle and then begin the process of stripping Kyle’s psyche. Sinestro continues to break apart Kyle’s willpower until he finds what Kyle is afraid of. And that is losing his family.

The revelation that Kyle’s mother didn’t die from a disease, but that she was actually killed by Despotellis was pure genius. It created enough guilt inside of Kyle and brought his fear of him being the reason that his mother was killed. Sinestro completely breaks Kyle mentally. With Kyle weak and his fear of losing his family fully realized, Sinestro then serves him up to a hungry Parallax. And out of the yellow power battery steps Kyle as Parallax.

That was an incredible scene. And I can see how this would be a rather sweet moment for some Hal Jordan fans. Hal’s character was completely perverted and twisted when DC turned him into Parallax in order to kill Hal’s character off and then replace him with Kyle Rayner. The move sullied Hal’s heroic name and legacy and gave us a new Green Lantern that I resented more because of how Hal was replaced than because of Kyle’s actual character.

Now we see Kyle’s character perverted as he is now transformed into one of DC’s greatest villains. Now Kyle will be used as a tool for death and destruction as he sides with some of the most powerful villains in the DCU. And this time it will be a heroic Hal Jordan who has to ride to the rescue. What comes around goes around.

Now, we have Cyborg Superman and Superboy Prime on the loose plus the re-birth of Kyle as Parallax. You would think that Johns would be done and simply couldn’t top that. Nope. Johns then reveals that Cyborg Superman and his Manhunters along with Superboy Prime are actually working with Sinestro and Parallax.

And guess who’s back! None other than the Anti-Monitor! Yet another “holy shit” moment! Just incredible. It makes sense that with the return of the Multiverse that you would get the good with the bad. And the bad would be the re-birth of the Anti-Monitor. This is just awesome.

This is one insane collection of villains. My jaw was on the ground by the end of this issue. Johns broke out all of his big guns for this issue and totally blew away the reader. Green Lantern Sinestro Corps #1 set the stage for what should be an absolutely stunning and wildly exciting conflict in a massive scale. I haven’t been this excited for an upcoming storyline in a very long time. I think we are in store for something truly special and spectacular.

Ethan Van Sciver’s artwork is simply gorgeous. I could stare at his art for hours. I love Van Sciver’s incredible attention to detail. Van Sciver can draw Green Lanterns better than anyone else. Van Sciver’s Green Lanterns and Sinestro Corps members look phenomenal. Green Lantern Sinestro Corps #1 is truly a treat for the eyes.

I usually only purchase comic books based on the writer. I generally view the artwork to be window dressing to the real meat of a comic book which is the writing. Having said that, I would buy any comic book that Van Sciver draws regardless of the quality of the story. And that is a real rarity for me.

The Bad: I have no real complaints with this issue.

Overall: Wow, if Green Lantern Sinestro Corps #1 didn’t get your heart racing and blood pumping then I don’t know what will. This was a truly monstrous issue with tons of incredible revelations. Johns has set the stage for what should be a universe shattering event. If you haven’t checked out Green Lantern yet, then I urge you to run to your comic book store immediately and purchase this issue and the upcoming issues of Green Lantern. Green Lantern is absolutely worth your money.