What’s different: After two Green Lantern books that were more or less unchanged, this is where things start to get interesting. So interesting, that DC blacked out the cover. Always a good sign!
Here’s the solicit:
Kyle Rayner has assembled the most powerful team in all the universe, selected from the full spectrum of corps. But can he even keep this volatile group together?
And just in case there’s a few clues, here’s the original announcement:
Who are The New Guardians? The power of Rage, Avarice, Fear, Will, Hope, Compassion and Love combine to be the most powerful (and colorful) team in the corps under the leadership of Kyle Rayner. Beware their power . . . and their volatility!
So this is the first book that shows any signs that the War of the Green Lanterns had any ramifications to speak of. The name “New Guardians” leads one to believe that the Guardians of Oa have been replaced in some way. Which, based on the job they have been doing since Rebirth, is probably for the best. I don’t think they have done one thing right since the Corps reformed.
There is a fair amount of speculation going around regarding the identities of the representatives from each of the various corps. The silhouettes actually make most of the identities pretty clear unless they are intentionally misleading. The one that interests me the most is the identity of the Star Sapphire. Having Fatality on the team could make for some interesting possibilities.
The big change in my mind is Kyle’s status. Ever since Hal’s return, Kyle has kind of been jerked around from one role to another. He became Ion, Parallax, a Challenger of the Unkown and a member of the GL Honor Guard. But none of these roles seemed distinctive enough for a guy who was once the last of the Green Lanterns.
But leader of the New Guardians? That’s got a nice ring (no pun intended) to it. That’s the kind of unique role I would expect for a guy who carried the GL legacy through its darkest days.
All cards on the table, I’m a Kyle fan. And while I’m fine having Hal back in the spotlight given his present popularity, it always kind of bugged me that the full extent of Kyle’s contribution to the Corps was rarely ever acknowledged. Yeah, they occasionally called him “Torch Bearer” but at the end of the day he was just another Lantern more often than not. And a lot of times, he wasn’t treated very respectfully even by other Lanterns.
So this change sits well with me just so long as we get to see Kyle rising to the challenge.
What’s the same: Tony Bedard’s been writing Kyle’s adventures in GLC. And I’m pleased to have him continue writing Kyle. I feel like Bedard has a better sense of Kyle’s voice than Tomasi who basically wrote Kyle as a vanilla nice guy.
Chances for Success: This is the first Green Lantern book I am less than certain of. The GL franchise is currently popular enough to support 3 books. Kyle’s got a fan base. And people seem to enjoy reading about the various Corps enough to support the premise of this book. So I think the outlook is good so long as the Green Lantern mythology remains popular enough to support a 3-book franchise.
Final Thoughts: As I mentioned in my GL #1 write-up, I’m actually kind of sick of the multi-colored corps. So I’m a little irked that my favorite Lantern has been saddled with a concept I wish would go away. But I also see this as an opportunity for Kyle to finally establish his own identity within the DCU since Hal’s return. And that excites me.
Justice League International #1
I find it interesting that other then what is presumably Saint Walker, none of them are “Leaders” of their corps.
Assuming leadership hasn’t changed following War of the GLs.