Green Lantern #39 Review

Johns continues to have Green Lantern hum along like a finely tuned engine. The excitement for the upcoming Blackest Night event gets ratcheted up with each issue. Green Lantern #39 is going to focus on the new Orange Lantern Corps. I am confident that this issue is going to be a solid read. Let’s do this review for Green Lantern #39.

Creative Team
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Phillip Tan
Inks: Jonathan Glapion

Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with the Controllers on the planet Okaara in the Vega system. The Controllers stand outside a cave where the orange light is being kept. We hear a voice yelling “Stay out!” The voice continues that it has been a long time since anyone has disturbed them. The voice says that the Controllers want to protect the universe. The voice says that you cannot protect anything that big. That you can only protect what you can hold in your hands.

The Controllers enter the underground cave headquarters and come across a giant dining hall with rotting food on a table. The voice says that he was having a feast. That he was happy. That the Guardians promised him this. The Controllers discuss how they are as strong as the Guardians. That all they lack are soldiers.

The Controllers then arrive where the orange power battery is located. One of the Controllers picks up the power batter and says that the orange light is strong and that they must take control of it. The voice then howls “No!” The voice says that the Controllers cannot have the light.

The voice says that the Guardians broke their treaty. We see beings comprised of the orange light erupting from the power battery and attack and kill the Controllers.

We cut to Odym, home of the Blue Lanterns. We see the green and blue power rings battling for total control over Hal. Hal yells for Saint Walker to take back the blue power ring. Hal says that he has had it with people who have hope but never get up and actually do anything about it.

Ganthet and Sayd arrive on the scene. Ganthet reveals that Hal will lead the Blue Lantern Corps as a Green Lantern. That Hal’s will can power the entire Blue Lantern Corps. Ganthet says that the Guardians believe that the power of the emotional spectrum can be contained. Ganthet says that the Guardians are wrong about that. Ganthet says that the war of light is coming and that they must prepare for the Blackest Night.

Sayd creates a new ring for Saint Walker since they cannot remove the blue power ring from Hal. Sayd says that only when Hal’s blue power ring is drained can Hal then take it off his hand. Sayd tells Hal to find something to hope for and then to unleash the power of the ring. Then the ring can be removed and passed onto someone else who has faith in the Brightest Day.

Hal replies that he needs to find Sinestro. Hal flies off. Ganthet says that the Blue Lanterns have a new mission at hand. That the wielders of the Indigo light must be located. Ganthet says that Hope and Compassion must work together. Ganthet says that Hal will find Sinestro when the skies turn black.

We shift to Hal streaking through the universe. Hal thinks that he needs backup from someone who knows him well. Hal attempts to radio John Stewart. Unfortunately, the blue power ring is still blocking the transmissions from Hal’s green power ring. Suddenly, the Guardians contact Hal via the green power ring. The Guardians say that Hal has been compromised. That Hal will return to Oa immediately.

We cut to Space Sector 2828 where Stel is in pursuit of a Sinestro Corps member. The Sinestro Corps member states that Stel is not allowed to enter the Vega system. We hear the orange voice stating that he has shared his sanctuary, the Vega system, with others for too long. The voice says “I never share.”

Suddenly, we see a massive alien creature crackling full of orange energy appear on the scene. The Orange Lantern eats the Sinestro Corps member. The Orange Lantern then attacks Stel.

We shift back to Oa where Hal is standing before the Guardians. The Guardians demand that Hal give them the blue power ring. The Guardians then use their powers to attempt to strip Hal of the blue power ring. The Guardians are unable to take the blue power ring from Hal.

The Guardians state that the Red Lanterns will be exterminated. That the Alpha Lanterns have been sent to Ysmault. The Guardians tell Hal to remain on Oa until they can remove the blue power ring from him.

John Stewart then appears on the scene and tells the Guardians to let Hal go. Salaak then enters the room carrying a badly injured Stel. Salaak informs the Guardians that Stel came across a new colored Lantern Corps. We see the Orange Lantern Corps symbol branded on Stel’s chest. The Guardians recognize the symbol and stammer that this is impossible.

Suddenly, the Orange Lantern symbol erupts in a massive orange flame and an orange energy form of Larfleeze appears on the scene. Larfleeze screams “You said it’d be mine!” Larfleeze yells that he has tolerated the Green Lanterns entering the Vega system recently to pursue the Sinestro Corps members. But, now the Guardians have spoiled Larfleeze’s feasting time.

Larfleeze yells that the Guardians took something from him. That the Guardians’ Controllers tried to take the power from Larfleeze and that the power is rightfully his.

The Guardians answer that the Controllers have not been associated with the Guardians for billions of years. Larfleeze responds that he gives the Guardians the only thing an Orange Lantern gives: demands. Larfleeze says that he demands many things lest Larfleeze have his Orange Lantern Corps descend upon the Guardians.

The Guardians then use their combined powers to dissipate the orange energy form of Larfleeze. Scar says that the Guardians do not negotiate with terrorists. Scar says that they hoped that the orange light would never shine again, but that hope means nothing. Scar says that Larfleeze has been allowed to fester for too long.

Scar proposes a new law: the Vega system is no longer outside the Green Lantern Corps’ jurisdiction. Scar continues that “It is time we left this planet and got involved in this war ourselves.” End of issue.

Commentary

The Good: Green Lantern #39 was another good read. Johns moves this issue along at his usual measured pace. This issue was excellently plotted. Johns is creating such a deep and textured story with many interesting plotlines. Johns possesses impressive long-term vision and knows how to pull off a carefully planned big event. Johns performs more ground work in Green Lantern #39 for the upcoming Blackest Night event as we are introduced to another colored Lantern Corps and also get a new law from the Guardians.

Johns serves up plenty of solid dialogue. Even though this issue is dialogue heavy, Johns does not hit the reader with a massive wall of dialogue that bores the reader. The dialogue has a good flow and each character has a well developed voice. Of course, since this is such a dialogue heavy issue, Johns smartly inserts a few action scenes in order to keep Green Lantern #39 a lively read.

I dig the Orange Lanterns. I like the uncontrolled greed that possesses the members of the Orange Lantern Corps. Obviously, the Orange Lantern Corps is going to be more akin with the more hostile Lantern Corps like the Red Lanterns and the Yellow Lanterns unlike the potential allies in the Blue and Indigo Lantern Corps.

Johns unleashed a big swerve with the Controllers apparently getting killed by the Orange Lantern Corps. I was pretty convinced that Johns was going to establish the Controllers as the leaders of the Orange Lantern Corps akin to the Guardians and the Green Lanterns. In the final scene, Johns cements Larfleeze as the powerful and unquestioned leader of the Orange Lantern Corps. And that works for me. It was a nice twist that kept the story from being too predictable.

I liked the scene on Odym. I enjoyed the twist that Ganthet and Sayd did not plan on Hal actually becoming a Blue Lantern. That the two Guardians planned for Hal to lead the Blue Lanterns as a Green Lantern. The concept of Hal’s will powering the entire Blue Lantern Corps was pretty cool. This concept emphasizes the fact that Hal is the most powerful Green Lantern. That Hal is basically will power personified.

Johns places Hal in a situation where he is going to have to actually use his blue power ring in order to get it off his finger. Johns teases the reader with the fact that Hal will have to hope for something with all his heart and then unleash the power in the blue power ring. I wonder if Hal is going to end up expend the energy from the blue ring using his hope for Sinestro to reform. I am certainly curious to see where Johns goes with this plotline.

I enjoyed the final scene in this issue. The Guardians continue to display an increasing amount of hostility and emotion. I liked the hardcore approach to dealing with the Red Lanterns by dispatching the Alpha Lanterns to Ysmault to exterminate the Red Lanterns. This is the same approach you would take in dealing with a pack of mad dogs. I like that the Guardians understand that the Red Lanterns cannot be reasoned with or negotiated with like the Guardians can with the Star Sapphire Corps.

Johns ended Green Lantern #39 with a great hook ending by dropping two bombs on the reader. The first one is that the Guardians passed a new law ruling that the Vega system is no longer outside the GL Corps’ jurisdiction. The second stunner is that the Guardians are going to leave Oa and personally get involved in the upcoming war. Johns succeeds in being able to crank up the intensity and anticipation concerning Blackest Night with this ending.

Phillip Tan and Jonathan Glapion provide for plenty of incredible artwork for Green Lantern #39. I love what Reis and Oclair have been doing on this title. However, Tan and Glapion are an excellent fill-in team and they are able to keep the same basic look of the title established by Reis and Oclair. I am glad that DC took the effort to maintain visual consistency with this title.

I like the Orange Lanterns that we see in this issue. Larfleeze is a great looking character. And I loved the design of the giant head alien Orange Lantern that we saw in the Vega system. The character designs on Green Lantern continue to be top notch.

The Bad: Johns notoriously writes for the trade format in mind first and foremost. Some readers may find Green Lantern #39 to be too slowly paced. I would imagine that some readers will view Johns’ build-up to Blackest Night to be a bit lumbering and bloated. This story may be moving too slowly for some readers who prefer a more compressed story with the format of a monthly title in mind first and the trade second.

Overall: Green Lantern #39 was another quality read. Johns continues to do an admirable job juggling numerous intriguing plotlines that comprise the detailed story leading up to Blackest Night. Green Lantern is one of DC’s stronger and more consistent reads. Johns is treating the reader to a title that is a good mix of super hero action, Sci-Fi adventure, drama and mystery. Johns is performing solid character work while still delivering plenty of action and excitement. I would certainly recommend Green Lantern #39 since it is a good set-up issue for the upcoming Blackest Night event.