After Brightest Day, After Blackest Night

GREEN LANTERN CORPS Vol. 1: FEARSOME
DC New 52
Writer:  Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Fernando Pasarin
DC Comics | TPB | $22.99

Review by From the Booth‘s own Ken

Peter J. Tomasi has edited pretty much all of the major DC books from Batman to Justice League and has written several including Batman and Robin and The Outsiders. Fernando Pasarin has worked on JSA and Oracle: The Cure.  They both worked together previously on Blackest Night.

Green Lantern is one of those titles that I’ve always meant to read but never seem to get around to.  One of the series that I did pick up was Guy Gardner: Warrior but it was a huge disappointment. Guy Gardner: Warrior saw Guy lose his ring and become some sort of Space Native American hero with guns in his arms.  Deciding that the Native Americans had suffered enough already, the ring was eventually restored to Guy.

Despite the left turn that the story took, I love the character of Guy Gardner. When one of my co-hosts mentioned that Guy and John Stewart were the central figures in one of the New 52 books, I decided I needed the trade.

The story opens with the deaths of two Green Lanterns by an unseen assailant. Guy and John, as well as several other Lanterns, are sent to investigate the planet which is now totally devoid of life. Finding themselves defending planet after planet from falling to a similar fate, the Lanterns are outmatched by an enemy that seems mostly immune to the effects of their rings.

The storytelling in the book is excellent. It seems like a soft reboot in that we’re not exploring the origins of Guy and John but that it’s still accessible to someone who might pick this up as their first Green Lantern book. Guy’s take-no-prisoners attitude is on full display while not coming off as obnoxious as he sometimes can be when in the hands of a less skilled writer.

The art of the book is absolutely gorgeous. Many full page panels of epic, chaotic battles are worth staring at for several minutes to appreciate all the detail that went into them. All of the interior art seems to be of cover art quality.

Because of the silly way DC has staggered their New 52 trades, we’re getting this book as #13 of the series is rolling off the presses and after many of the other trades have come out.  Hopefully, it will not get lost in the shuffle because this book is truly worth picking up.

Final rating (out of 5):