Comics! Green Lantern #4

Green Lantern #4

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Doug Mahnke
Inks: Christian Alamy & Keith Champagne

The Comic
If you don't think about the illogical nature of the first five pages, the rest of the story has some awesomeness about it that is well worth reading.

This issue is focused on Sinestro and him confronting the people of Korugar that he more or less ruled over. We get to see Hal Jordan decide that he would want to see Carol one last time if he were dying. Then we get a really bad cliffhanger that will be as easy to resolve in the first few pages of the next issue like last issue's cliffhanger was easily handled in this issue.

One thing that threw me off in the beginning of this issue was that Sinestro was easily captured. Very easily. He wasn't knocked unconscious or anything, the Sinestro Corps members just grabbed him and the next thing you know Sinestro is being tortured. The Corps even make a point later on in the issue to say that they should keep inflicting pain on him so he doesn't have time to think about constructing anything. Yet they just grabbed him in the beginning of the issue?

Cue Jordan doing something stupid. Cue Sinestro getting thrown into a jail cell with some inhabitants of Korudar who are less than pleased to see Sinestro. Through the conversation though, Sinestro apologizes for what he did. Big moment for him.

Jordan then tells Sinestro to make rings for everyone in the cell with him and then maybe they could put up a fight and free themselves. Sinestro does. Then we get our "cliffhanger." All the new Green Lanterns with their Sinestro controlled rings decide to attack Sinestro. Because that will work. Yea. And it makes sense. Not.

They are choosing to attack the person who made a ring for them and they think that if they try to kill him, it will work?

Johns is usually good at providing a decent cliffhanger, but the past couple cliffhangers have felt empty with no tension or concern for the character who is in harm's way not being able to get out of the situation.

Mahnke does delivery another excellent, consistent issue with art duties. I loved the use of the dark tones to the second half of the issue. Mahnke knows how to draw some scary aliens in the Sinestro Corps.

Grades
Words: 6/10
Pictures: 8/10
Recommend: See previous Green Lantern entries for recommendation information.
Buy Next Issue: Doing it while hoping for a bounce back from this issue.

Previous Issues
Three Issue Trial
Green Lantern #3
Green Lantern #2
Green Lantern #1