Written by Peter J .Tomasi
Art by Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna
Publisher: DC Comics
It’s been almost two years now since I decided to boycott DC over their “New 52” reboot shenanigans. I had no issue whatsoever with restarting all their comics from issue 1- that’s just good business sense; first issues stimulate interest and sales. No, my problem was the continuity reboot. I had just spent my entire life developing an on-going vested interest in the characters and stories of the DC Universe and suddenly I’m told that not only do those characters no longer exist, they never existed at all. What a gigantic middle finger to its loyal readership. To say I took the hump would be a major understatement. However I’m over it now and ready to start getting back into the DCU.
Green Lantern Corps issue 20 finds the cast picking up the pieces after the latest mega event. After the cursory explanations and tying up of one last loose end (with extreme prejudice), the issue focuses on the Lanterns getting some much needed R and R. Chiefly Guy Gardner taking some home leave on Earth
Guy Gardner has always been a favorite character of mine but aside from a select few writers (Geoff Johns, Beau Smith) his jerk with a heart of gold character has focused almost exclusively on the former part leading to an extreme Flanderisation of his less palatable characteristics. Tomasi has got the character spot on here: he’s not an assHOLE; he’s an assKICKER. Also I’m glad we’ve seen the last of the god-awful bowl haircut that plagued him for so many years. It’s additionally nice to see John Stewart (a character all too often playing the tortured soul), finding some respite in the arms of his ex-nemesis Fatality (though there is a slightly unsettling voyeuristic implication in the scene where they “get nekkid”).
Damnnnnnnnn
As a jumping on point the epilogue of a major event like Wrath of the First Lantern is hardly ideal, but the natural lull in action allows for some great character work, and a few quick plot dumps to easily catch the reader up on what’s going on. It appears at first glance that the New 52 has retained the majority of the Johns related Lantern stories, so (at least to my eyes), the back-story was none too complicated. This is by no means an unmissable piece of comic’s literature, but rather a nice story about a couple of guys taking a well-deserved break. Judging it as that and that alone, it’s hard to find much fault here. A solid introduction and one that makes me keen to keep reading and pick up the trades.
3.5 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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