NewU Reviews: Week 2 of the DC Relaunch

Batwoman #1

Just like last week, I’m going to provide a plot synopsis and review for each issue that came out this week.  I’ll talk a little bit about my general feelings about the relaunch thus far, and how week two did overall.  Finally, for those who like awards, I’ll give out awards to The Must Read Book of the Week, to The Most Pleasant Surprise and, finally, to The Biggest Disappointment.

Click through to find out more!

Review: Red Lantern #1

Red Lanterns get their own book in this relaunch, and I’m going to flatly state this thing was a chore to read through.

SPOILER WARNING!

Review: Green Lantern Corps #37

I was pretty impressed with GLC last issue.  I even went so far as to pick it as one of the top 5 books of the month.  Well, this issue the story kind of slipped into neutral.  As a result, the book’s momentum stalled out.

A lot happened last month.  It kept the pages turning pretty quickly.  But this issue hits a lot of the same story beats.  The majority of the Lanterns are still putting down a break-out in the Sciencecells.  Arisia is still on Daxam trying to overthrow Mogul.  At the end of the issue, very little has changed from the end of last issue.

The book starts off with Sodom Yat appearing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his people.  It lacks a certain dramatic punch given that we have seen Sodom alive and well in the future in Legion of Three Worlds.  As a result of… whatever he did… Daxam’s sun has been turned yellow and all of the Daxamites have been given Superman-like powers.

The Daxamites are understandably ready for a fight.  As they struggle to contain their new found powers and their rage, Arisia takes command.  She orders them not to rush into a fight against Mongul.  Instead, she vows to train them and lead an underground resistance in honor of Sodom Yat.

Yeah, it felt kind of phoney.  The only reason for it is to delay the story to the point where Sinestro can arrive.  Like so much of this issue, it felt like padding to stretch things out until Blackest Night starts.

Back on Oa, Kyle Rayner makes what promises to be a Faustian bargain with Kanjar Ro.  This too seems forced to serve the plot.  And Lyssa Drak searches for the Book of Parallax only to find an entirely different book on Oa.  It leads to the coolest moment in the books.  So, I won’t spoil it.  But I will say I am getting really sick of seeing Scar crying black goo!

The highlight of the issue was the art by Patrick Gleason.  Gleason delivers a two-page spread of the Sciencells break-out that is every bit on par with the work of Ivan Reis.  His artwork saved what was otherwise a bit of a lackluster issue.

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Green Lantern Corps 36 *spoilers*

Everyone is always talking about Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern.  But people seem to forget about Green Lantern Corps.  And that’s a damn shame.  This book is so completely satisfying. 

In this issue, Emerald Eclipse heats up with three equally compelling plots.  First, Sinestro rocks Soranik’s world by explaining her true parentage.  Yeah, Kyle’s dating Sinestro’s daughter.  Wrap your head around that!  Before he leaves to take back control of the Sinestro Corps from Mongul, Sinestro warns his daughter that the Red Lanterns are looking for her.

Meanwhile on Oa, there’s a riot in the Sciencells.  Red Lanterns and Sinestro Corps members are tearing the place apart.  And on Daxam, Sodam Yat is preparing to free his people from the tyrannical rule of Mongul.  Unfortunately, he’s having a power shortage.  He’s been on Daxam too long to access his Daxamite powers.  And in the middle of his battle with Mongul, Sodam comes to realize that he has been cut off from the power of Ion too.

The issue ends with Sodam seemingly making the ultimate sacrifice to save his people.  (Yeah, he’s still alive in Legion of Three Worlds, so it’s not much of a cliffhanger.)  And things are set up for the Sinestro/Mongul showdown to come.

The ensemble cast is a real strength for this book.  Tomasi does a good job of giving all the Lanterns a unique personality.  And since these characters aren’t owned by other books, he has free reign to do whatever he wants with them.  It’s one of the reasons this book works better than a book like Justice League.

By now, you’ve probably formed your own opinion of Patrick Gleason as an artist.  Personally, I think he’s great.  And he’s perfect for a book like Green Lantern Corps with it’s alien cast and bizarre settings.  His battle scenes are positively explosive.

As we build up to Blackest Night, the best stuff is going on in Green Lantern Corps.  Check it out

Home