Review: Green Lantern #12
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Jeremy Adams
Art: Xermanico and Kevin Maguire
Colors: Romulo Fajardo, Jr. and Rosemary Cheetham
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
Hal learns the hard way that the UP Council are all complicit in Thaaros’ plan and the “spectrum” Lanterns get the upper hand. Star Sapphire arrives just in time to rescue Hal.
Positives
Xermanico’s exceptional artwork stands out immediately with Green Lantern #12. There are a few double page spreads of action at the beginning of the issue that provide the scope of the battle between the Green Lanterns and the “spectrum” Lanterns that are working for the United Planets Council. He also catches the subtlety of Carol’s emotion when she has to explain what’s going on to Hal. There’s also a full page of Star Sapphire that’s poster worthy as he captures her in all her glory. It’s a reminder that she can be a formidable character in her own right and a worthy associate of Hal Jordan.
The story moves forward as we get confirmation that Thaaros and the entire UP Council are all Durlans! For Legion of Super-Heroes fans it’s a fun reveal. Combined with the reference to her once and future relationship with Brainiac 5 by Supergirl in Superman #13 and the appearance of the classic LSH on the cover of the forthcoming Justice Society of America #11 there’s finally something for Legion fans to be excited about since the end of their title back during the New 52 (No, Bendis’ Legion was not a reason to be excited).
Positives Cont’d
The appearance of Star Sapphire brings both Hal’s heroic and personal lives together. This wasn’t what I was anticipating with Carol, I was ready for Carol to move on, but perhaps she will embrace the power of Star Sapphire and this will bring her closer to Hal and give her admission some real weight. When she returns Hal to his trailer on Earth, she tells him:
“I don’t want anyone else. I don’t want someone that’s predictable. I don’t want someone who doesn’t challenge me. I want you…and whatever insanity comes with that stupid grin of yours.”
Perhaps, that insanity will include Carol regularly using the Star Sapphire ring which will give Carol a better understanding of what it’s like to be a ring-wielder.
The depiction of Star Sapphire in Green Lantern #12 is interesting as it again appears that she’s a separate entity that takes over Carol, leaving Carol mostly in the dark about what’s going on. This means there is a third person in play here…Star Saphhire- not just Carol in a costume with a power ring. There’s a lot of potential for for exploration of Hal and Carol’s relationship with the Star Sapphire persona hanging over their heads.
Negatives
DC Comics really knows how to ruin good comics with unneeded and unwanted events. Absolute Power intrudes as Thaaros contacts Amanda Waller for help in securing Hal Jordan. Like “Knight Terrors” last summer, Absolute Power is poised to stall the momentum in this series. I have no doubt that Jeremy Adams will do his best to make it work, but interrupting this storyline is wholly unnecessary and actually detrimental.
While fans of Guy Gardner and Lobo are no doubt enjoying the second feature in this title, neither character has never appealed to me. It makes it very difficult to read. That should be sign that Adams and Maguire are doing something right for fans of the characters if I can’t get through a chapter.
Verdict
Green Lantern #12 ratchets things up a notch! Great art from Xermanico and both micro and macro story movement from Adams come together perfectly. There’s still a lot of story to come, and you can feel. The anticipation is on the precipice…the fate of the Green Lantern Corps is at stake, and it seems like either they or the UP will fall!
