GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1

[ GREEN SALE ] 

Sometimes change is a good thing. On occasion, I just find that repetitive and routine behaviour can set into the marrow like a monkey with an ulcer. True – you just ask these creative guys whom write a comic book about monkey ulcer’s – Writer: Peter Tomasi; Artist: Fernando Pasarin; and Publisher: DC Comics – only in October 2011.

THE STORY:

Two members of the Green Lantern Corps are brutality murdered whilst safeguarding a prisoner stationed with the GL Section House – so what is fellow corpsman, Guy Gardner, going to do about it? Well – at the moment – nothing really. As Guy has gone to a job interview to be a Football coach in a high school – which alas, is an endeavour that does not really pan out too well for him. OK then, so what about another corpsman, like John Stewart for instance? Err – the same as Guy I am afraid to say – just swap interview in a high school with a heated discussion with a group of town-planners concerning building regulations.

Some time after their turbulent day, Guy and John meet up together in space, and discuss about the situations that they are both currently in. Now the results of this tête-à-tête takes them to Oa – which takes them to honour guard, Salaak – whom tells them about the deaths of the two members of the Green Lantern Corps.

So what do Guy and John do when they hear this news? Yep – correct – they grab a pack of Lanterns, and investigate what caused their fellow corpsmen to die.

However, once at the scene of the crime – they discover that the planet is dead!

To be continued...

THE REVIEW:

I love this comic book. I want to take it out for dinner and then give it a baby, YOWZER! OK, I know that what I have just said may sound somewhat strange for an opening remark (may?), but I would like to give this ongoing series a baby – a plastic baby I will buy in a toyshop (whatever were you thinking?).  Conceptually, what writer, Peter Tomasi, and artist, Fernando Pasarin, have managed to do, it take two erstwhile members of the Green Lantern Corps – John and Guy – found a common ground between them  – there lack of a secret identity – and then spun a little character into the mix.

Now my personal favourite segment of the ‘Green Lantern Corps’ is the first half of the book – the death of the alien GL’s and the Guy and John ‘job’ scenes. For me, what this section did, is to start the story off with a touch of intrigue (as the deaths were illustrated with a touch of suspense), and then present to us Guy and John with a twist – whom they are at their core (no pun insinuated). Honestly, this is the type of stuff that make’s story telling relatable – its cleaver – well illustrated – pertinent to an ‘introductory’ issue – and just fun to boot.

Granted, as a ‘reboot’ goes, this is not one of those ‘dangerous titles’, which tries to shake up the status-quo by injecting a scandalous element into the mix (though Guys dulcet behaviour does cause some concern).  Instead, it set’s-up a nice story, and give us what we want – character – fun – and Governmental officials getting a beat down.

Bravo Peter and Fenando – you may not be the newest ‘new’ creative team on this green related space franchise, but by far you are the most enjoyable to follow.

Great issue – intriguing storyline – bold characterisation.

THE RATING: A