The New 52! Green Lantern #1

DC decided to reboot their comic book universe, so I decided to blog along with it!

Green Lantern #1

Writer: Geoff Johns

Pencils: Doug Mahnke

And here we are, where things are new, but it feels like nothing has changed.

Seriously, nothing has changed. And its a good thing. We have Johns moving the characters around, building a great story, and we have Mahnke making it all look easy.

Sinestro is a Green Lantern again, and with it comes a chance at redemption. Hal Jordan is human again, and can't make it in the world. All of this fantastic adventuring in space has brought him nothing on earth. No job, no apartment, no woman. Sinestro has built his own Corps, but doesn't want them to know that he is a Green Lantern again. We get a few details that I'm sure will be meant for something bigger later. Like the fact that Sinestro can destroy yellow rings, something that I don't think was around in the previous continuity.

And what's the twist at the end? Sinestro goes to Hal to offer him his rings back, but only if Hal does what Sinestro asks.

It's great, it's exciting, but it also feels very flat. Just the regular motions here, nothing big and grand and new with the Green Lantern myths. I think this is what turns me off on Johns' writing, but also makes me connect with it. On one end you get these great moments, but in monthly installments it just doesn't work. Read it all together in one sitting and it is just page turning goodness. But the monthly format breaks that pace.

I get what Johns is saying - that Hal Jordan belongs in the air, either as a lantern or as a pilot, because he can't stay grounded. And he will take that character trait of Hal's and Hal will gladly make a deal with Sinestro to get his ring back. Its expected, but I hope the details don't get boring and predictable. Johns can do better than that.

I can't say much on the artwork. Its there, it does good, it has details. It tells a story. But, just like the writing, we've come to expect this out of this artist, and I was just hoping for a little more. It will come one day, put we are working at the pace the industry demands.

Words: 8/10

Pictures: 8/10

Recommend: Yes, but new readers may be confused. Thankfully, DC can still attach the previous trades for Green Lantern and sell them to you to tell the story.

Buy Next Issue: I'll be here. Just keeping pace.