This week's post will feature Brightest Day #20, Green Lantern Corps #57, and Green Lantern #62.
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Brightest Day #20
I really enjoyed this issue as a conclusion to the Aquawar arc that had been building. The issue begins with the Entity revealing that it definitively opened the gates of the Bermuda Triangle (confirming my speculation from Level 9). The fight between Aquaman's forces and the forces of Black Manta and Xebel was really well done. Aquaman's determination shows through when he asks Jackson (the new Aqualad) to cauterize his newly chopped off hand, so he can continue to fight.
Mera finally shows up and in a really really cool scene controls the entire tide with her hydrokinesis knocking the Xebelian forces back into the ocean. At that moment, Aquaman summons creatures of the sea (who oddly enough are still dead) to force the Xebelians back to the gate, while Jackson closes it. At this point, Aquaman glows White, with the entity proclaiming "Mission Accomplished". But at that moment, Deadman shows up in White Lantern grab, and after warning him about being unable to control the his ring, seemingly kills Aquaman with the white ring.
This issue felt great as a conclusion to Aquawar, but felt like it had no real tie to the ongoing mystery of Brightest Day until the very last page. But a good comic is a good comic, and I'm not going to let something as minor as that ruin this one for me.
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Green Lantern Corps #57
This issue finally delivers on the promise given WAAAAAAY back in Level 3. The issue begins with Firestorm heading to Qward to search for Deathstorm and the stolen White Lantern. He senses that White Lantern energy is on Qward and heads that way, hoping to find Deathstorm. Instead, he finds the Green Lanterns and Thunderers in battle with Sinestro. The Green Lanterns are not using their rings so as to not break the truce with Sinestro, but Firestorm did not agree to a truce.
The Weaponer saves the Thunderers, and rallies them around him for a final battle with Sinestro. Surprisingly, the Weaponer holds his own, but when Sinestro defeats him, he doesn't berate or humiliate him. What he instead does surprised me. He pulled out a yellow ring and offered the Weaponer membership in the Sinestro Corps as his weapons expert. The Weaponer accepts the offer, declaring that it is better to serve in heaven than rule in hell. Ganthet then tells the Lanterns that they have pressing business in main universe, as Krona grows stronger.
This issue was fairly weak, but what I really enjoyed was the narrative style. The entire issue, save the prologue, was narrated by Soranik Natu. In this context, there was no better choice. This entire storyline however, felt like filler to get Ganthet and the other Earth-based Lanterns out of the way while the War of the Green Lanterns was building. So here's hoping things pick up with the next issue.
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Green Lantern #62
This issue was amazing. It starts with a flashback (which I'm sure will be important) of Ganthet and Krona chaining some being. At that point, we return to the present, wherein Krona attacks Hal and defeats him, draining most of the energy from his ring. Atrocitus comes in for the save, but is overwhelmed by Krona. At this point, The New Guardians attempt to regroup and face Krona head on, but he uses the power of Ophidian to disrupt them. He then steals the Butcher from Atrocitus, finally controlling all of the entities, with the exception of (I think) the Predator. He then leaves the Earth victorious, to prepare his purge of Emotionally Unbalanced races.
Hal wakes up in Justice League HQ, with them asking Hal to let them help battle Krona. There is even a nice panel where Superman asks Hal when the last time he took off the ring was, referencing the break-neck pace of the book since the end of the Sinestro Corps War. Hal declines their offer and takes off with the New Guardians to hunt down Krona.
I loved this issue, and cannot wait for War of the Green Lanterns. Nothing else needs to be said.
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Next Week: Our weekly reviews as well as the announcement of our next Spotlight. Due to the high response to the contest, I'm extending the deadline by a week in order to properly determine the winner. So keep those emails coming in.
Thanks for reading, and as always, feedback (nextlevelstaff@gmail.com) is welcome.
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