Part 4 of the “Godhead“ crossover arrives, within the pages of Green Lantern: New Guardians #35. The allusions made previously to the New Gods seeking out White Lantern Kyle Rayner finally come to pass. We catch up with him and Star Sapphire Carol Ferris, discussing his ability to pass beyond the source wall, the emotional reservoir that lies beyond, The Life Equation and so forth with the remaining Guardians.
Kyle is no longer happy playing possum, as his buddies still believe him to be dead since the finale of “Lights Out”. It also seems the Guardians have not lived up to their end of the bargain of being better than their previous brethren, who were slain at the end of “Wrath of the First Lantern”. Their intentions for Kyle are interrupted by the boomtube arrival of High Father.
The Positive
After last week’s slugfest in Green Lantern Corps #35, some much needed breathing room and exposition is delivered here. As a singular issue, it may seem a little dull, but in the scheme of this three month long crossover, it satisfies the complaints I had thus far. We also see for the first time Highfather finally portrayed in his classic compassionate like manner as opposed to the dictator-like figure he’s been up to this point in the story. Justin Jordan’s writing is solid, and Brad Walker’s pencils are quite good. For a dialogue heavy issue, the panel and page layouts still manage to be exciting and engaging.
The Negative
Minor gripes here at most. The only things that came to mind that slightly irked me art-wise would be the de-aging Kyle appears to have taken since the series was drawn by Tyler Kirkham. He looks almost like a teenager again, maybe the youngest he’s looked since the character debuted over 20 years ago. And whether intentional or not, many of the ideas of him being the white lantern, who is all powerful and has the potential to change the universe at will feels like a bit of a retread of the criminally underrated pre-Geoff Johns Green Lantern run of Judd Winick from over a decade ago (specifically, the Power of Ion trade paperback is excellent, if you can find a copy).
Verdict
Green Lantern: New Guardians #35 is a satisfying addition to the unfolding “Godhead” saga. Kyle has always been (aside from Alan Scott) my favorite Lantern, and I’m glad to still see him being handled well and with respect here. GL fans enjoying the crossover thus far should find themselves satisfied with this book.
