[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Robert Venditti
Artists: Ethan Van Sciver and Liam Sharp
Colorist: Jason Wright
Summary
Events are usually big money makers for comic companies. Sometimes they even tell a good story. DC is currently in the midst of Dark Nights: Metal. This Batman-centric series is crossing over into other titles this month. Sometimes these tie ins have little to do with the main story, but they nearly always disrupt what’s going on in the book that’s drawn into the fray. This is the case with Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32.
Last issue left Hal in an emotional hole after not being able to check in on Carol. Instead of getting the opportunity to address Hal’s emotional arc, this issue is a protracted battle between Hal and his Bat-opposite – The Dawnbreaker. Despite getting some licks in, Hal is defeated and taken by the Dawnbreaker to one of the Monitor’s giant tuning forks from Crisis on Infinite Earths where his fellow Justice Leaguers have been defeated and collected by their own Bat-opposites. Unfortunately, that’s about it plot-wise.
Positives
Fortunately, the opening sequence features John, Guy, Kyle, and Hal in Coast City in the past in the midst of a rebuilding where Venditti gets to shine and give some nice character moments for the four Lanterns. Hal gets to soliloquize on fear and how to fight through it and demonstrate how Coast City has done the same. This theme carries over into Hal’s fight with the Dawnbreaker.
Negatives
This issue is an interruption and distraction to the themes and emotional arc Hal is currently facing. It’s a non-sequitur from the previous issue.
Verdict
If you’ve been following Metal and all it’s tie ins, this is no doubt a book you will want to read. If you aren’t that interested in Metal then you can skip this issue. Despite Venditti doing the best he can with the tie-in, it’s really not necessary to read unless you are trying to read all the Metal tie-ins. It’s more of a distraction from the great work that’s been going on in the book. It feels disjointed from the rest of the series and would be best enjoyed by those all in on Metal.
