Writer: Peter Milligan
Pencillers: Ed Benes & Diego Bernard
Inkers: Rob Hunter, Mark Irwin, Sal Regla & Dave Meikis
The Solicitation
It's Green Lantern Guy Gardner vs. the first Red Lantern of Earth! Rancorr – once the human John Moore – was born in the fires of heartbreak and rage, but why do his powers work unlike any other Red Lantern's? And why will he be such an important player in the upcoming Red Lantern civil war?
Preview
The Story
We start with Bleez attacking some fallen Sinestro Corps Members. Apparently there were some survivors from Sinestro turning off their rings (over in Green Lantern) and they cut off some fingers to remove the rings. Nice nod to continuity. Bleez then proclaims that the age of Bleez has begun, which makes me think part "duh" and part "when did this go down?" The second part mostly because she kept denying denying denying and now we have this turn. Interesting.
Guy Gardner then meets up with our Red Lantern from earth. The Red Lantern speaks a bit and then gets pulled into space for what will probably end up being the Red Lantern home world.
Cue to Bleez telling the surviving Sinestro Corps members that Bleez will now lead the Red Lanterns against the Sinestro Corps. The Sinestro Corps member laughs saying that she will never lead them, that Atrocitus was feared by even Sinestro and that she is nothing. So she makes him burn.
Back on the Red Lantern's home world, Atrocitus is trying to find out who took the corpse of Krona. We see his doll fetish again, and by doll fetish I mean his child's falling doll from when he was killed. He happens about some of the first Red Lanterns that he tried to create and ended up burying centuries ago. Abysmus and his Abysmorphs.
I know, I laughed too.
Abysmus is wearing the skin of Krona, so Atrocitus decides that it will be just like killing Krona himself and attacks. The Red Lantern of earth lands in the middle of the fight just in time for Atrocitus to get a spike rammed through his chest. End of issue.
While the story does pick up pace greatly, I kept wondering why this didn't go down in previous issues. This issue was major plot advancement and the past couple of issues that we could have done without should have been replaced with this issue.
I'm kinda torn with this issue. I am glad that it is picking up pace, but I'm saddened because they seem like lame plot points and twists. The first Red Lanterns? Aren't they doing that over in Green Lantern with the Guardians searching for the first Green Lanterns? The Red Lantern from earth is someone I could care less about. His big go to - that he can speak and has somewhat coherent thoughts - was a trick already used with Bleez when she was given intelligence.
The more I think about the issue, the more I realize that the Red Lanterns are just a one note character. Bloody rage. In fighting, as in lots of. They haven't interacted with much of the other corps until this issue and I'm wondering why they couldn't have met up before.
The Art
Art duties got chopped up again this issue, and it has me worried a bit. Where it worked well in other issues, this one just is covered with weirdness and inconsistency. You can definitely tell where some solid ink work was done, and where some sketchy fill in was used.
Blah.
The Cover
Taken from a scene in the comic. Is it weird to say that it feels like it is too up close of a shot? Standard unimpressive superhero cover with two distinct colors fighting it out.
Grades
Words: 6/10 - I like that it is picking up the pace, I just think it is old ideas being reused.
Pictures: 5/10
Recommend: If you were waiting to see an issue of Red Lanterns pick up the pass and have been skipping lately, come see it. If you are new to this, Guy Gardner's appearance won't make sense, you won't get the deal about Sinestro members cutting off their fingers, and the ending ends on such an abrupt line that will just leave you feelings deflated. And Rancorr has yet to be referred to by name in the comic even though the solicitations the past couple of months have been referring to him as such.
Buy Next Issue: If this situation doesn't develop into something better by next issue, I may be done.
Previous Issues
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