Green Lantern #24 Review

Green Lantern is the best read that DC currently has on the market. Nothing over in Marvel or in DC is as entertaining as the Sinestro War. Johns keeps hitting home run after home run in this title. There is no doubt in my mind that Green Lantern #24 is going to be another incredible read. Let’s hit this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Ivan Reis
Inkers: Oclair Albert & Julio Ferreira

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with Superboy-Prime, Cyborg Superman, and Sinestro leading a horde of Sinestro Corps members and Manhunters in a massive attack on Earth. Hal, John, and Guy are stunned. Hal immediately calls the Justice League of America for support.

The Sinestro Corps members begin to lay waste to everything in their path. We see the Justice League of America brawling against a huge army of Manhunters who are unable to respond to Hal’s call for help. Hal contacts Salaak and tells him that the target wasn’t Oa. That the target is Earth.

Sinestro squares off in front of Hal, Guy, and John and tells the Lanterns that Earth is going to be his symbol of fear that will wash all over the universe. That he will take Earth and make everyone his slave. Those who refuse will be killed and buried in the mass grave that Sinestro plans of transforming Coast City into. Sinestro reveals that Parallax is there right now with Hal’s brother.

Hal immediately streaks to Coast City flying faster than the speed of sound. Hal’s ring informs him that he only has 0.5% power left. Hal thinks that since the day his dad died, Hal hasn’t been there for his family. That he ran away when he was eighteen to join the Air Force because his mother forbade him to join. Hal’s mother refused to talk to him until he quit. But, Hal couldn’t quit even when his mother was on her deathbed. So, Hal got himself discharged by taking a swing at General Stone. Hal’s mother died before he got to the hospital.

Hal streaks to his brother’s apartment and grabs Parallax and begins brawling with him. Hal contacts John and Guy and tells them that they have to break Kyle loose from Parallax. Hal tells Guy to go get a painting that Kyle’s mother had. That it might be enough to give Kyle to strength and inspiration to fight Parallax. John continues to fly to Hal’s location to give him support.

We see Kyle’s hand come out of Parallax’s mouth. Hal grabs Kyle’s hand and begins to pull. Hal’s power ring then runs out of energy and Hal turns back to normal. Parallax then swallows Hal Jordan. John arrives on the scene to a new and improved yellow Parallax.

Guy is on his way to get the painting when a large number of Sinestro Corps members suddenly attack him. The Sinestro Corps members laugh at Guy that he stands no chance against them since Lanterns can’t kill. Suddenly, the army of Green Lanterns from Oa arrive on the scene and start slaughtering the Sinestro Corps members. The Lanterns announce that they can now kill.

We cut to Superboy-Prime brawling with the Justice Society of America. (For the love of god, just keep Superboy-Prime away from any member of the Teen Titans!)

We shift back to Parallax brawling with John Stewart. Parallax tells John that he will die. Johns responds that right now he doesn’t have to do anything but stay black. (Errr, oooookay.) Guy arrives on the scene with the painting. Guy places it in front of Parallax and tells Kyle to concentrate.

We see Kyle and Hal inside Parallax. Hal is in his Green Lantern form and Kyle is not. Kyle is being his usual mopey self. Kyle whines that Despotellis killed his mother. That Kyle is the reason that his mother died. Hal tells Kyle to get his shit together. That all Lanterns deal with guilt, regret, and loss, but they don’t have to do it alone. Kyle takes Hal’s hand and the two combine their willpower and rip out of Parallax’s body.

Parallax reverts back to his yellow energy form, but before he can attack, Ganthet and Sayd appear on the scene with the power batteries for our four Earthling Green Lanterns. Ganthet dissects Parallax’s essence and imprisons it within the four power batteries.

Ganthet then gives Kyle back his power ring and asks Kyle to forgo his elevated status and become a Lantern once again. Kyle accepts. Our four Earthling Lanterns all say the Green Lantern oath as they recharge their power rings. We see Sinestro and Anti-Monitor maneuvering their forces into position on Earth. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Green Lantern #24 was another excellent read. Johns treats the reader to a well-paced and plotted issue. This is an action-packed issue that moves the various players into position for the upcoming war on Earth. We have our villains getting their forces set up for the attack on Earth. And, on the other hand, Johns has weaved into the mix of the combined heroes of the JLA and the JSA to help bolster the Green Lantern Corps in their fight against the Manhunters and Sinestro Corps members.

Johns also streamlines the plot a bit by wisely reducing the number of monster villains from five to four. By removing Parallax from the playing field, Johns can concentrate more on the Anti-Monitor, Cyborg Superman, Superboy-Prime, and Sinestro. This makes the villain contingent a bit more manageable. It also presents a more balanced number now that the JLA and the JSA are joining the battle with the Green Lantern Corps.

Green Lantern #24 is an impressive blend of kick-ass action and nicely crafted dramatic scenes. Johns amazes me with how he is equally adept at delivering furious action scenes as he is with powerful dialogue-heavy scenes with rich character work. It is Johns’s well-rounded talents that make Green Lantern such a rare breed: a title that satisfies readers who crave action and readers who appreciate well-crafted dialogue and a commitment to character development.

Johns does a nice job making sure each of the Green Lanterns has their own distinct personality. We may have four Green Lanterns from Earth, but they are all nicely well-rounded characters with their own unique personalities. And Johns gives each Lantern a nice external voice, with the exception of some pretty cheesy dialogue from John Stewart.

I loved the excellent character work with both Hal and Kyle. And mind you, I have never liked Kyle’s character. However, Johns has at least gotten me to soften my stance just a little bit on Kyle. I still find him to be a mopey loser, but Johns does a nice job getting me to view Kyle as a character that has a bit more depth than I have ever thought.

As always, Johns shows a wonderful feel for Hal’s character as he gives us some quality insight into Hal’s relationship with his mother. Hal comes across as the ultimate hero that he is as he pushes himself harder and harder despite a power ring that is nearly out of power to race to save his family. And Hal attacks Parallax with no hesitation despite the obvious power difference.

Johns gave us a rather interesting contrast between the very close and loving relationship that Kyle had with his mother and the distant and strained relationship Hal had with his mother. Both women become a source of inspiration for their sons to perform great feats. The love that Kyle’s mother had for him and their bond give Kyle the strength and courage to defeat Parallax. The guilt that Hal has for not being by his mother’s side before she died gives him the inspiration to never fail his family again. And it is Hal’s desire to not make the same mistake twice that makes him have the strength and courage to defeat Parallax.

The ending with the defeat of Parallax was perfect. I loved seeing Hal and Kyle combine willpower to defeat Parallax. Johns takes this opportunity to finally bring together the Hal Jordan fans and the Kyle Rayner fans in one fell swoop. Both men combine to defeat a common villain that had exposed their fears which allowed them both to become possessed. Johns impresses upon the reader that there is room for both Hal and Kyle.

Johns shows the reader that it is all about teamwork and relying on your fellow Corps member for support. Together the members of the Green Lantern Corps can deal with anything. That a Corps member never goes through any tough times by himself. He has the entire Corps to support him.

It was very cool to see all four Earthling Green Lanterns powering up at the end of this issue. That was the typical “bad-ass” scene that gets the reader pumped up that is required in every action-adventure story. The moment when the main characters take the villains’ best shots and then recover and get the reader for a heroic counterattack. Of course, as much as I like seeing the Earthling Lanterns taking the center stage, I have to wonder if we really need four Green Lanterns from Earth.

Johns certainly serves up gobs of cool action in Green Lantern #24. The scene that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up was when the Green Lantern Corps appears at the last second to save Guy from the horde of Sinestro Corps members. The Sinestro Corps members terrifying realization that the Lanterns can now use lethal force was fantastic. And it was sweet watching the Green Lanterns slaughtering Sinestro Corps members. It is about time after watching the Sinestro Corps deal so many lethal blows to the Green Lanterns up to this point.

Johns gives us a delightfully cold and cruel Sinestro. This guy simply has no soul. He exudes evil from his every word. Sinestro is a character that I have generally found to be kind of a goofy villain. Not anymore. He is finally living up to his name in being one seriously sinister villain.

It is nice to see Superboy-Prime is still a total brat who is full of anger. Superboy-Prime doesn’t have as fully developed a personality as Sinestro, but that isn’t his role in this story. Superboy-Prime is more of a force of nature. He is just an engine of destruction that Johns can use to cause massive damage during the Sinestro War.

Reis, Albert, and Ferreira deliver some phenomenal artwork. Green Lantern #24 is a fabulous-looking issue. Reis continues to amaze me with his gorgeous artwork. Few artists can draw Green Lanterns better than Reis. And the double-page splash shots of the various forces arriving on Earth were spectacular. It really helped to pull me further into the story.

The Bad: I have no complaints about this issue.

Overall: Green Lantern #24 was another superb read. Johns keeps the ball rolling as he throws more twists and turns at the reader with this Sinestro War storyline. Right now there is no other title on the market that can match the intensity and excitement of Green Lantern. If you still haven’t given this title a try, then definitely do so. The Sinestro War storyline is an amazing big event story. Green Lantern is absolutely worth the cover price.