Green Lantern No. 5
In all of DC lore, Sinestro's switch from heroic, but mal-intentioned officer to the scourge of the universe and back again has to be one of the most exciting team changes of all time. But what mythos-master Geoff Johns needed to bring to the panel was the great wit and skill to take the rogue-turned-Lantern to the next stage of his evolution. His latest Green Lantern story arc does just that.
As armed Korugarians fight off the growing swarm of Sinestro Corps., it's up to the Red-skinned rogue and briefly-reinstated Hal Jordan to quell the amber horde. With the dust barely settling on the war-torn planet, Johns manages to take a brief pause to portray the anguish of a villain whose original intentions of control over Korugar now fully seem to impact Sinestro's typically bullet-proof hide.
Johns' team at DC manages to make this issue shine like its gemstone namesake. The title and splash page starkly contrast, highlighting the highly powered rings and setting a standard in beauty for issues to come. There'll be plenty more monumental moments in John's rebooted Lantern run, especially with Jordan's private life rekindling the hot coals of love.
This issue, like every other in the series, follows the age-old pattern of explosive openings and endings geographically overpopulated with cliffhangers, and it is worth a read for Oan guardians and Lantern initiates alike.
The New Avengers No. 20
Brian Michael Bendis consistently produces some of Marvel's most beloved and sought after comic properties. Typically, his stunning story arcs and intricate character creation weave a tale of wonder and whimsy that all can appreciate. Unlike his previous works, this issue of The New Avengers series just doesn't meet the aforementioned criteria.
Bendis finally brings together Earth's mightiest heroes and their Norman Osborn-created, evil alter-egos; while this should have been Clash of the Titans, it ended more akin to the 2011 flopbuster Immortals – a whole lot of hype and a whole lot of nothing.
In his defense, Bendis brought the rage-induced, hyper-powered Luke Cage in direct combat with an oddly overwhelming Norman Osborn with some unexpected results, and still managed to produce an issue as directly frenetic and action-oriented as the genre can go. But for all the potential this inconsequential brawl should have had, Bendis brought a knife to a literary gunfight.
While this issue lacked the proper plot enhancements that previous issues have seen, Osborn's slight-of-hand at the issues end at least attempts to compensate for the less-than-appreciated combat between the two increasingly apocalyptic forces.
With Strange and Mockingbird standing on their last legs, and the possible threat of Victoria Hand being a double agent growing ever more apparent, the team is left high and dry for an exciting upcoming issue. So as long as this plot-quarantined issue remains to be a one-time thing and not a trend, Bendis will surely rebound back to his generally marvelous groove.
Cobra Command: Snake Eyes No. 9
Cobra Command has launched a preemptive strike on the Southeast Asian nation of Nanzhao, and once again it's up to America's elite to stop it. Yet again, their attack plan includes America's greatest mute-ninja, Snake Eyes.
Every author that gets a hold of the property typically takes the characters in the direction laid out years ago, and very rarely strays from the beaten path. Writer Chuck Dixon keeps the best of what worked in previous arcs and discards the rest, even though his plotlines are unoriginal.
For example, the latest Cobra Commander to bear the title still follows the winning formula as a conniving, predictable, treacherous terrorist – a decision which is appreciated an era of remakes and reboots. Similarly, Snake Eyes still takes center stage, and while the setting of war changed, Snake Eyes' standoffish approach to warfare has not as he manages to take out squad after sullen squad without managing to break a sweat.
The issue really comes into its own with its highly exceptional artwork by series vet Alex Cal. From the vast, colorful canopy of the Southeast Asian jungles to the craggy, rugged outcrop of Cobra Commander's Nanzhao outpost, this issue's artwork is absolutely phenomenal. Cal's attention to detail is masterful, and the use of eye-catching palettes and subtle blacks create an almost cartoonish version of war that's just as nostalgic as it is beautiful.
While Dixon's GI Joe series hasn't rounded the corner into the realm of popularity, IDW's continued foray into the world of spec-ops and real American heroes is always a welcome addition to any reader's generally super-powered comic book backlog.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
