Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps #1

Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1

By Ken
Rating: 4.5 Bullets

"The Second Rebirth" (prologue)
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ethan Van Sciver (p), Moose Bauman ( c )

"The Greatest Once, The Greatest Again" (Tales of the Sinestro Corps)
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Dave Gibbons (p), Rodney Ramos (i), Moose Baumann ( c )

Publisher: DC

Plot: In the anti-matter universe, Sinestro vows vengeance against the Green Lanterns and the universe. He guarantees everything will change. He recites his oath, "In blackest day, in brightest night, beware your fears made into light, let those who try to stop what's right, burn like my power, Sinestro's might !" The scene then shifts to Earth where the JLA is battling Zoom. After that brief tussle with Zoom, Green Lantern has a little chit chat with the JLA with Batman giving information that he was chosen by a yellow power-ring because he had the ability to instill great fear. Hal Jordan lets the JLA know that the Sinestro Corps is not Earth's problem prior to departing for space. Jump to space sector 424, and a pair of Green Lanterns are having problems catching an elusive yellow power-ring darting towards another space sector. Add Kyle Rayner into the picture. As Ion, one of the most powerful beings in the universe, he easily catches the yellow power-ring and accompanies the two Green Lanterns back at Oa. In Oa, Guy Gardner leaves Superboy Prime sentry duty to have lunch with his fellow Earthmen Green Lanterns, but not before teasing Superboy Prime. There is a look on Superboy Prime that makes the gives the reader a little trepidation and make the stomach feel uneasy. Then the Guardians of the Universe discuss amongst themselves about what Cyborg-Superman, Hank Henshaw discovered while bonded to the source wall, which is the end of the known universe for the Guardians. The four earthmen sit in the same table with the yellow power-ring encased in sphere preventing it from escaping. Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner together in one table. When these guys are together, there is usually a big crisis happening. The yellow power-ring burst out of the encasing and moves all over the cafeteria amongst the hundreds of Green Lanterns and acquires its target and rushes to the target and teleports the target to the other side of the universe, and he is surrounded by the entire Sinestro Corps. Oa is then attacked by another group of the Sinestro Corps. The Green Lantern Corps counter-attacks. Meanwhile there was a large explosion. And then green lantern-rings start scurrying towards their sectors as each ring reports that the ring bearer of that particular ring is deceased. The look of concern on the Green Lanterns from Earth sums up the catastrophe. Guy Gardner will learn not to tease people. Beyond the known universe, the captured Green Lantern. And the least expected Green Lantern is entered by the embodiment of fear, and thus Parallax is reborn. And Parallax and Sinestro enter a hall. And you won't believe your eyes is the being responsible for the essence of Fear. Frightening indeed.

Comments: For Green Lantern fans worldwide, the anticipation of the Sinestro Corps crashing the Green Lantern Corp's peace and order has been building up for the last several months. I have been looking forward to this storyline for quite some time. Congratulations are in order to Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons for increasing the interest on the Sinestro Corps by carefully placing parts of its genesis in the Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps books leading up to Sinestro Corps Special #1.

The battle between both sides is epic in scope. You can sense the urgency and the level of danger as many perish in this issue. There is a feeling that the crisis the DC Universe encountered is almost miniscule in contrast to the ending of this issue. The status quo definitely is out the back door as can be interpreted from the final double-splash page.

That double-splash page at the end made my heart stop for just a second. Which superheroes are you going to put together to beat that fearsome group? I have never seen such an ensemble cast, heroes or villains, put together that just reverberates power. Then there's the two individuals included in that double-splash page that puts the stamp of approval to the word "unbeatable". There will be a lot of deaths. Not just Green Lantern Corpsmen deaths, but mainstream DC Universe superheroes deaths. Those two augments the danger of the Sinestro Corps to great heights.

It's great to see that bringing back the Multiverse comes at a price. A very deadly price by just looking at that double-splash page at the end. I have never scene a more fearsome picture in any DC Universe art I have ever seen in my life. That double-splash page at the end truly defines the most fearsome image ever produced in DC. The two definitely shifts the balance of power over to the villains.

Gibbons has been doing solid work over at Green Lantern Corps. He has brought back respectability and life to the title, while adding his own spin to the Green Lantern Corps mythology. In fact, GLC is epic in scale since the beginning. His added tale at the end of the book capturing Sinestro's days as the greatest Green Lantern at the time is a great insight into Sinestro to those readers who are unfamiliar with Sinestro's life as a Green Lantern. At the same time his portrayal of Hal Jordan and Sinestro comes out as genuine friends. Gibbons captures their handshake perfectly.

Geoff Johns increases the epic scale exponentially by escalating the danger levels to unlimited proportions. Johns who brought back the GLC renaissance with Green Lantern Rebirth just keeps adding more to the myth of Green Lantern by disturbing "the quiet peace" in this universe. And readers are wide-opened in excitement and pumped up for the upcoming destruction all over the universe. You have to give the creative team high praise for bringing capturing that dreaded helpless feeling for the readers who are cheering for the good guys. Forget about the Crisis, that looks minor to what is brewing here. I'll bet Hal Jordan is eating his words now about the Sinestro Corps not being Earth's problem.

On another note, Geoff John's respect for continuity never ceases to amaze me. The Guardians of Oa discuss Abin Sur's prophecy from the planet Ysmault from back in the Tales of the Green Lantern Corps annual #2, which was written by Alan Moore back in the mid 80s. Basically, the Guardians imprisoned their enemies from the Empire of Tears as demons on the planet Ysmault. One of the demons of that planet prophesized to Abin Sur that in the end, the enemies of the Guardians of the Universe and Green Lantern Corps will rise and unite against them. This was "The Final Catastrophe". But one of the Guardians called it "The Blackest Night." Johns captures the Oans' arrogance, citing it was not a prophecy, but just a fable to instill fear. The problem are the villains amassing with the Oans unfamiliar with the villains' leader. That was the best surprise. And their visuals are outstanding.

Ethan Van Sciver brings his immense talents to this book. One can only love how he makes the Green Lantern logos come to life with his art. He captures the emotions of the characters the way they are supposed to be portrayed. For example that look on Guy Gardner's face near the end of the book upon seeing a hole on the side of "The Box" is real. He looks pale, and that's the best rendition of a glassy-eyed look of someone who knows something really terrible will happen to him soon. And there is a real sense of trepidation clearly visible on each Green Lantern's face upon seeing that hole in "the box". The double-splash pages are the best at capturing awe. The reader's jaw will drop especially with the last double-splash page. He captures the magnitude of destruction about to visit the DC Universe. Those two "franchise players" are just so menacing. It's like capturing the essence of the lawn mower about to cut fresh grass. How does grass stop a lawnmower ? Care to ponder on that question ? Exactly.

Final Word: Looking back at both major publishers and their big events promising danger in epic scale each time, it pales in comparison to what kind of danger Sinestro Corps bring up to the plate. It makes all big events look miniscule. Readers will devour this story and especially how will the two "Franchise Players" be stopped by our heroes ? I mean these guys make Parallax and Sinestro look like junior varsity players in a professional ball game. I definitely highly recommend this to all readers. Don't miss Sinestro Corps Special #1. You will find yourself opening the book over and over and just shake your head in utter disbelief at the level of power of the villains. Unbelievable! At 64 pages total, of which only 8 pages are ads, the price of $ 4.99 is a steal. The quality of this book speaks for itself.