Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Ivan Reis and Ethan Van Sciver (p), Oclair Albert, Julio Feirreira, and Ivan Reis (i), Moose Baumann, Rod Reis (colors)
Publisher: DC Comics
Average Rating: 
Chris Hansbrough: 
Chris Murman: 
Kevin Powers:
Nicholas Slayton:
Caryn A. Tate:
Chris Hansbrough
In the interest of full disclosure I need to get this out of the way. I didn’t like Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern.
Yes, that’s right. I really couldn’t stand it. Everything after and including Rebirth felt like nothing more than an excuse to do nothing more than redeem and absolve Hal Jordan of all of his past sins. First, Parallax is some fear entity. I hated that. I thought it was one of the most inane concepts I had ever read. Then, we find out that every Lantern he killed is now alive on some funky monitor planet. Ummm, okay.....so now not only was Hal being completely controlled, he didn’t kill anyone. That just annoyed me and convinced me to drop the title. And I almost did. I was loving the Green Lantern Corps, and its use of both the entire Lantern mythos and the Great Lord Mogo as well.
But then something happened.
What happened? I had an extra bit of cash on me one day so I decided to snag some special issue about some Sinestro Corps thing. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it, but I bought it because it was going to be a massive GLC crossover, and I hoped it was going to take advantage of the whole mythos that I love so much. And something weird happened. It made me love what I had hated before. It made me love the Parallax entity of fear. It made me love books I had pretty much loathed before.
Well, the final issue is out, and it’s near perfect. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed a comic story as much as I have enjoyed this one. It took every single thing that pissed me off about the current GL books and made them something amazing to behold. Everything. Be it Parallax, Ion, missing Lanterns not being dead. Everything that annoyed me or pissed me off about the new run is now awesome. It has literally turned Green Lantern Rebirth and the initial GL arcs into something I want to read again, which before this crossover is something I never thought I would say again. I found Green Lantern lackluster and now it has me more excited to be a comic fan than I’ve been in years.
I never thought I would say that. Before now I looked at Geoff Johns as a JSA writer and found myself relatively underwhelmed by his other work. Now I want to gaze upon him and bow, not to mention apologize for not believing. This isn’t me. I don’t gush. I simply don’t. I’m the guy who everyone hates on a message board because I’m honest about everything, the kind of guy who people actually like to speculate on what angry comment I’ll make on a book each week.
But now I’ve got to talk about the art a bit and that requires only one word:
MOOSE!
I’m not even kidding. The best artist on the book is not Ethan Van Sciver, it’s not Ivan Reis. It’s Moose Baumann, arguably the best colorist in comics. I’m convinced that his colors could make stick figures look like they have life and dimension. He could make me look like an artist. Yes, Ethan and Ivan do an amazing job bringing these huge battles to life, but Moose! Moose just makes them come flying off the page, bringing them to life in a way that is equaled by very, very few colorists in the business. And I must say, the lighting of Coast City is one of the most beautiful scenes I have seen rendered in comics.
So to all the creators of “Sinestro Corps,” thank you. Thank you for a brilliant story. Thank you for turning a book I hate into one I love. And thank you, thank you for rekindling my love of comics which had been slowly dying over the last few months.
Chris Murman: I’ll give this series the little praise it is due: for the first time in many story arcs, Geoff Johns built a story to a crescendo and actually finished on a high note. Granted, it didn’t start out as much, but at least he ended it with a bang. Regardless, great single and double-splash pages couldn’t save a story that spent half of its finale alluding to the next year’s worth of events and sent all of the villains of this book away with a whimper.
Case in point is the way in which in which Sinestro’s Guardian, his heralds, and in the end he himself all bit the big one in this week’s final battle. I said at the very beginning there were too many bad guys in this series, and it would take gimmicks worse than Cap giving up at the end of Civil War to finish this baby off.
The Anti-Monitor, who was on a tear to consume our Earth, goes toe-to-toe with the Guardians from Oa. Because his armor is what keeps him going in his current state, Guy Gardner and John Stewart hurl the Sinestro Corps’ big mobile power battery at him and all hell breaks loose. I wasn’t so opposed to this happening if this had been the end of his story, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Cyborg-Superman, the reluctant immortal who was just begging for someone to off him, finally gets his wish. Fighting alongside the Anti-Monitor, he gets caught in the blast radius of the so called “grenade” and is incinerated instantly. Of course, it is rendered moot and cheap when a piece of his face is found floating in space so his Manhunters can rebuild him. “Hey, I never really did anything and nothing is different about me in the end. Why was I part of this series again?”
Superman-Prime, who turned from scary villain to annoying brat who won’t go away, finally was thrown a curveball he wasn’t expecting. After taking the extremely weak Anti-Monitor and hurling what is left of him into space after the grenade hits him, he tries to rip one of the Guardians open with his bare hands and is phased away from this universe by the pure power inside the little blue one. That’s what happens when you make a villain too strong and powerful: you are left with little else than to write a ridiculous ending in order for the story to finish. And yes, his end is meaningless because he’s still around just to annoy me further. Thank you, DC!
Finally, we have the non-powered fist fight between Hal/Kyle and Sinestro. That’s just what I want, to see three guys with the most powerful weapon in the whole universe duke it out like they are in the Bloodsport. This is what I paid five bucks for, seeing Hal and his former mentor have a pissing contest that ends in the test pilot announcing to his pink-skinned nemesis: “One more thing Sinestro. You’re under arrest.” That’s the dialogue I knew you could give me, Geoff! Why didn’t Kyle high-five him and have a pose-down like the end of every CHiPs episode?
Of course, this issue also provides the final reveal about which colors and emotions will make up the Lanterns that will end with the “Blackest Night” prophecy coming to fruition. It’s hard to know where to begin with how much fun this will be (sarcasm intended):
- So, Green Lanterns earn their logo by overcoming fear, Sinestro Corps gets theirs by instilling it. How do the red ones shed the rookie logo, achieving road rage? With that nugget of info, 95 percent of morning commuters could function as corps members. Aren’t we reaching here a bit, guys?
- I promised my buddy Sean I would use this line: how do the Blue Lanterns recharge their rings? By hugging? If so, can’t DC acquire the Care Bears for the next chapter of the story?
- Eschewing the obvious racial humor involved with the Orange Lanterns, do FICO scores help nominate you for service? I can totally see the guardians for those corps watching someone step over a homeless bum and think to him or herself, “This one shows promise.”
- It was bad enough watching the Love Lanterns want to wrap the entire universe in crystal cocoons; do we have to be subjected to the Indigo Lanterns wanting to establish a “Circle of Sharing” for the whole world to see?
Look, regardless of Ganthet’s and Sayd’s hugging heroics, The Blackest Night will come, and with baited breath we will watch the colors collide. Most likely, an eighth color will work its way into the mix with the Anti-Monitor representing black. Does that mean all the other colors have to meld into the color white to fight the ever-looming darkness of black? Spare me the gut-wrenching clichés and just get back to single colored space tales. I’m glad “Sinestro Corps War” is over. Maybe we can get back to decent stories about everyone’s favorite space cops.
Kevin Powers: I suppose everyone thinks this is the part where I profess my unwavering satisfaction and love for “The Sinestro Corps War,” right? You’re damn right. Anyone who visits this site knows I love Hal Jordan, and for the past six months I have been going crazy over “The Sinestro Corps War.” It’s not because I am a die-hard Green Lantern fan, it’s not because of how I feel about Hal Jordan, it’s because in an era of big events, this has been the one event to re-write the entire book on big events. This has been one of the most compelling, breathtaking, action-packed and generally extraordinary storylines I have ever read, it just so happens to involve the Green Lanterns. This has been the definitive Green Lantern storyline and judging by the end of this issue, it is only the beginning. Geoff Johns has created a masterful tale of classic good vs. evil, but beyond that he steered clear of Countdown, he tapped into the long and rich history of the Green Lantern mythos, and he has fully returned Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps to their full greatness. Not only is this possibly the best storyline I’ve ever read, but the finale in this issue is unlike the finales of big events we have seen over the past few years, this finale raises the bar for great endings to important events.
I’m not really sure where to begin with this issue. It’s amazing, simply put. What Geoff Johns has done is outstanding. There’s no other way to put it. In my review of Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Ion, I referred to Hal, Guy, Kyle and John as the “four horsemen of the Green Lantern Corps,” a reference to the legendary University of Notre Dame Football backfield during the 1922-1924 seasons. They are the guys who get the job done in the spotlight, and in the Green Lantern’s case, the four Earthmen are at the center of the multiverse and are the most integral part of the Green Lantern Corps. It is here where Guardians Ganthet and Sayd reveal the implications of the Sinestro Corps to Hal and the others. It is here that Geoff Johns brilliantly lays the Countdown-free groundwork for the future of the Green Lantern story. Ganthet and Sayd reveal the meaning the “third verse” of the Book of Oa, the meaning of seven colors representing different emotions: green, yellow, violet, red, orange, indigo and blue. These colors and emotions will give birth to seven different corps, essentially following Sinestro’s footsteps, but with different motivations and emotions. Of course, three already exist, The Green Lanterns, Sinestro Corps and Star Sapphires. The prophecy is grim as the seven corps will eventually clash resulting in the end of the universe. What is absolutely fantastic about this grim revelation is the fact the Johns perfectly captures Guy Gardner’s humor immediately after Ganthet finishes speaking. The four Earth Lanterns are told they are the only ones who can stop it, and this is where the final battle of “The Sinestro Corps War” begins.
Sinestro brilliantly wants to take Hal’s heart before anything else, targeting Coast City and Hal’s family first. What I absolutely love about this scene is when Hal tries to convince the people of Coast City to leave. It may seem a bit cheesy, but it is one of those rare and brilliant cinematic moments in comics as the people of Coast City find a way to change their lights to green. It’s a powerful moment as the city lights become green and the Sinestro Corps approaches, the people of Coast City showing no fear, just like their resident hero. Johns also brings the storyline involving the Lost Lanterns full circle as they come to Hal’s aid.
The revelations that follow as Hal, Kyle and the Lost Lanterns dive into battle have very important implications. When Ganthet reveals that one of the seven corps is red, believing in violence, everything begins to fall into place when Hal realizes that Sinestro wanted the Guardians to enable lethal force. It has two meanings, either Sinestro wanted it enacted for when he took over the Green Lantern Corps, or he wants the third verse to come to fruition. Either way, one of the finest moments of this sequence comes when Amon Sur realizes that the Green Lanterns can kill. A being fueled by fear is suddenly left in fear and he abandons the Sinestros. One would assume that he will be the leader of one of the new corps.
One of the most epic moments of this final battle takes place in New York City as the Green Lantern Corps and the heroes of Earth battle the Anti-Monitor and War World. This is a truly epic battle, even if it has a bit of a Countdown/Final Crisis flavor with Superman-Prime. That’s just par for the course. But it’s interesting to see Superman-Prime’s actions and his recent appearances in Countdown finally make a little more sense. And it’s also very creative and very epic how the Guardians and heroes finally push Prime back into the multiverse. It’s an epic moment for the Guardians, and it may prove to be one of the strongest points of Final Crisis.
Also spectacular with this battle scene is the fact that Guardians actually enter the fray. It’s always interesting to see them get involved in a battle and some of what happens is very interesting, particularly the Guardians’ vulnerability to the Anti-Monitor’s touch. There’s also a fun panel featuring the Bizarro Lantern from the recent Johns/Donner Bizarro storyline in Action Comics. The fan favorite Sinestro, Despote llis, the sentient virus, has a great moment of infecting Guy, and it’s interesting that the Green Lanterns have their own virus. But as this battle comes to not only an explosive close, but a very heartwarming close for Cyborg Superman, the battle in Coast City gets a hell of a lot more interesting.
This is perhaps one of the best fight scenes in a superhero book in a long time. Many seeds Johns planted early on in this series come into full effect in this issue. One of those seeds is the Manhunters’ ability to drain a ring of its power. Sinestro uses this to his advantage against Hal and Kyle. But as War World collapses in New York, the Manhunters drop in Coast City and Hal is able to use one against Sinestro. I honestly did not see this coming. For years we’ve always seen Hal vs. Sinestro with the rings, but we’ve never seen them throw down powerless, until now. In pure adrenaline pumping, high quality creative action-movie form, Hal and Kyle go “old school” with Sinestro. I didn’t see this one coming. They simply throw down, and Sinestro gets his ass handed to him. Hal overcomes one of his greatest fears and doubts that his father died in fear. But Hal knows this isn’t true. Hal stays true to his core, to his fearlessness, the same fearlessness that inspires Kyle, and Hal beats down his former mentor. I found it very fitting that Kyle and Hal take down Sinestro. Since Rebirth, Hal and Kyle share the student/teacher/best friend relationship that Hal and Sinestro once had. This is a very fitting way to close this chapter for Hal and Kyle’s relationship. Sheer brilliance.
As strong and compelling as this issue is, it is the ending that raises this issue and saga even higher. Kyle finally raises to the same level as Guy, John and Hal, “The Four Horsemen of the Green Lantern Corps.” But it is the implications for Hal Jordan that are truly grand. In light of Sinestro’s attack and the dubbing of Coast City as “The City Without Fear,” thousands begin to pour in to fill the empty streets. Coast City is restored; the atrocity that was “Emerald Twilight” seems fully redeemed as Hal’s status as the champion of the Corps is also restored. However, the implications for the universe are much more ground breaking. Not only does Prime re-discover the multiverse, but the Guardians prepare to enact their second of the ten new laws. Even more surprising is the fact that Ganthet and Sayd intiate the creation of the color blue, standing for hope. What is most important about this development is that Ganthet and Sayd were the ones to warn Hal and the others about the different emotions forming from the “Sinestro Corps War.” The Zamarons had already begun the process with the Star Sapphires, but they have yet to realize the potential of their power. Everything falls into the place. The reasons the Guardians forbid Ganthet and Sayd from being lovers was to prevent their actions at the end of this issue.
However, the blue isn’t the only color to form. It would appear as though the orange, or greed, emotion comes to fruition as well. While it’s really heartbreaking to see it happen, you understand if you see who it happens to that it also makes sense. I’m interested to see if this is really the orange or not, because it presents a rather interesting dynamic of greed if it is. And finally, “The Blackest Night” is revealed, and it is indeed wild. The Anti-Monitor becomes the source of power for the final branch of the spectrum, the eighth color Ganthet failed to mention, black. The unique thing about the coming Black Lanterns is that they play directly into the Black Hand and his history. Those seeds of this story that Johns planted in Rebirth and earlier in this series are fully realized by the end of this issue. The Black Lanterns are literally death. I really hate to say this, but the Black Lanterns who will be the centerpiece of “Blackest Night” are essentially zombie Lanterns. However, do keep in mind that they fit perfectly into Black Hand’s history; it just comes at a time when comic book readers either love or hate zombies.
Ivan Reis, Ethan Van Sciver, Oclair Albert, Julio Ferreira, Moose Baumann and Rod Reis put together one of the finest looking books ever. Ivan Reis and Van Sciver handle the pencils with Reis doing the bulk of the story and putting out his best work ever. Albert, Ferreira and Ivan Reis do the inks and at no point does it bring down or alter the appearance of the book, and Rod Reis and Moose Baumann do an excellent job with the colors. The artwork is beautiful. It’s flawless. I can’t begin to put words to the beauty of this artwork. Beautiful splash pages that I need to have posters of are in abundance. I need to stop trying to put into words how great this artwork is because it is truly epic, beautiful and simply outstanding.
When the Sinestro Corps Special hit shelves back in June, I participated in that Sunday Slugfest and called that issue my Pick of the Year. As a die-hard Hal Jordan and Green Lantern fan, I find it appropriate now that the year is nearly at a close and the slugfest of the final issue of a saga that began with the Sinestro Corps Special is taking place. A true testament to this issue and this series is that this issue, Green Lantern #25, the final issue of “The Sinestro Corps War,” has surpassed the opening issue of said saga. This issue is my Pick of the Year. It redefines the way I look at big events, and it finally gives a fitting, worthy and future implicating end to a big event in a time where big events have become the norm.
Nicholas Slayton: Forget “The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul.” Ignore the soon to be dead cast of the Titans books. Disregard Countdown. Do not even think of Final Crisis. If you want awe inspiring, edge of your seat action from DC with a great story and well rounded characters, the “Sinestro Corps War” is the epic for you.
The entire Sinestro Corps descending on Coast City and New York, Superman-Prime on the loose, and the Anti-Monitor out for revenge. Oh, that is epic. Over the course of this arc, Geoff Johns has managed to raise the stakes and give Hal Jordan and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps an adversary that matches their numbers and skills. This whole arc has exploded with action, and in this issue the creative team dropped the figurative nuclear bomb and gave the story an amazing climax.
Johns is on fire with this issue. In the span of this double-sized issue he manages to end not only the war, but also many of the subplots from the first two years of this title. The Anti-Monitor, the status of Coast City, and Hal’s family are all given good conclusions that do not simply end their stories but move them on to new and very exciting possibilities. One of Johns’ best writing skills is characterization, and every character has a distinctive, fun voice. Even the surprisingly tragic Cyborg-Superman and the ever psychotic, but oh so entertaining Superman Prime feel fully rounded and far from the stereotypical villains.
The fight scenes are intense, from Guy Gardner and John Stewart’s brilliant (and hilarious) plan to take down the Anti-Monitor, to one of the most brutal battles in comics; Kyle Raynor, Hal Jordan, and Sinestro leap across rooftops, smash through glass, and provide plenty of fisticuffs, and it makes it a perfect climax to the central characters of the arc.
In addition to wrapping up the story, Johns manages to throw in hints of his next epic, and the ominous foreshadowing to it is cryptic but not vague, perfectly exciting and entertaining. If anything, “The Blackest Night” looks ready to blow the “Sinestro Corps War” out of the water.
The art here is stellar. Ivan Reis is at the top of his game, balancing a cast of hundreds and managing to put an insane amount of detail into his panels. His action scenes are big, action packed, and contain wonderfully subtle touches. As for Ethan Van Sciver’s epilogue and hints at the coming story arc, it merges rather seemlessly with Reis’s art and gives the preview a real cinematic, haunting touch. The whole art team kicks it up to eleven with this issue.
Johns and co. have created one of the best epics in comics, and this issue is the perfect conclusion to it. Brilliant art, edge of your seat action, and a great cast make Green Lantern the best thing coming out of DC. I cannot wait to see where Johns takes things next.
Caryn A. Tate:
I was this close to giving this comic five bullets. It is fantastic—phenomenal even. It is exactly what I want in superhero comics, especially in space opera adventures. It’s exciting, action-packed, full of believable and accurate characterization, packed with heroism and mythos.
Issue #25 wraps up the “Sinestro Corps” event, and it’s not a stretch to say that it most likely couldn’t have ended better. If you’ve kept up with the story arc, you know that the Sinestro Corps have attacked Earth and, more specifically, Coast City; that Superboy Prime has been released and is on a rampage; and the Guardians have begun to re-write the Book of Oa, thus enabling Green Lantern rings for deadly force. Most recently, Kyle Rayner gained his freedom from Parallax. This extended length issue takes all of the story’s loose ends and ties them up nicely, culminating with a little teaser of things to come in 2009.
One of the most astounding things for me about this issue—and about the entire story arc, honestly—is the fact that for the first time, a writer has made Hal Jordan interesting to me. It’s not an easy task; despite the fact that he has a loyal following, I’ve always found him about as interesting as a tree stump. In my experience, he’s typically portrayed as a fearless, stoic figure who consequently is as boring as can be. As Green Lanterns go, I’ve always thought that part of what makes Kyle Rayner so intriguing is that he has actual weaknesses and human failings to overcome. Hal has not usually been portrayed with those characteristics, and thus his character has suffered for it. Why would I want to read about someone who is supposedly perfect, with no fear or any other limitations? What is interesting about that? Kyle and John Stewart are interesting because they have flaws and struggle to overcome them. When they do, you cheer inside; they are heroes because they’ve done what most people don’t.
But Mr. Johns has taken a boring character and made him interesting and likeable. Not only that, but he throws smart and ruthless into the mix! For the first time, I felt that I could understand why Hal Jordan was chosen to be a Green Lantern—why he’s looked up to by the others in the Corps, why he’s a good teacher and leader. He stands up for his friends, he struggles to overcome human emotions and difficulties as much as the next guy, and succeeds. At one point in the tale, Hal figures a way out of a desperate situation, and he and Kyle are able to take the fight to Sinestro himself. I applaud Mr. Johns and Eddie Berganza (editor) for what has been done with him here.
By the same token, I’ve never understood why Guy Gardner had a fan base, much less why he was a superhero in the DC Universe. He’s so often been portrayed as arrogant to the point of being unlikable, brash, immature, and crass. But in this story arc and especially this issue, Guy was—amazingly—likeable! He is rough around the edges but has a kind heart; like Hal, he looks out for his friends and fellow Lanterns as if they were his brothers. Guy is put in a bleak situation, and in the face of it he shows courage, selflessness, and purity of spirit. And during the same scene, we’re given more insight into John Stewart’s character and why the other Lanterns count on him.
This entire chapter of this story feels like an extremely well done action movie. I almost hesitate to make that comparison because this story feels much more meaningful than the typical action film, but like a good action movie, it’s so very fun and entertaining. In the first half or so of the book, you can feel the excitement growing in your chest as the story builds. Everything is cumulating to explode in the climax. And, like the best superhero tales, while you may know how it’s going to turn out (i.e. you know Batman isn’t going to die), the fun is in finding out how that comes to pass.
This is by far the best writing I’ve seen Geoff Johns do. The dialogue is practically flawless. Every character’s voice fits them individually and flows realistically. The story itself is explosive and creative without being dark or disturbing. There’s nothing here that makes the reader feel uncomfortable about their hero or wonder how DC is going to come back from this (i.e. no senseless deaths or rapes so prevalent in today’s mainstream comics). It’s good, solid storytelling, and it seems obvious that Mr. Johns thoroughly enjoyed himself as he wrote this. For example, at one point, the citizens of Coast City show their support of the Green Lanterns in an overwhelming and moving way, and it helps solidify Hal’s place as a hero in the DCU.
Now for the few things I didn’t care for. First and foremost, I grew a little tired of seeing every other panel of the Earth based Green Lanterns being centered on Hal Jordan, with the other three surrounding him as if they were his sidekicks. Why can’t all four share the glory as Earth’s Lanterns? Why does DC continue to pander to those who are only interested in seeing one Green Lantern, ignoring the fact that the other GL’s have more than proven themselves as viable heroes? John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Alan Scott, and Guy Gardner are all top tier characters who are deserving of more. If I got more of this, I would be a regular Green Lantern reader.
Which brings me to Alan Scott. I would absolutely love to see more of him (and more mention of him) in the Green Lantern comics—and in JSoA, for that matter (after all, he is a founding member, yet we don’t see much of him). He was the first Green Lantern around. Why is it that he’s always in the background? I enjoyed that Kilowog mentioned him with some esteem in this book, but he didn’t have any speaking parts, and he only appears in a minor role. You would think that the first (and arguably the best) Green Lantern would have a little more involvement (if not in the Corps, at least in the four Earth GLs), especially at a crucial time like this. Now I realize that four separate main characters are a lot, but if JLA can do it, so can the Green Lantern comics. I’m tired of seeing Alan ignored or treated as if he’s old news. He is partially made up of the living energy of the Starheart. His character demands respect that he doesn’t currently receive. DC should step up to the plate here.
The pencil work is spectacular here. There are two pencillers, Ivan Reis (one of my favorite comic book artists) and Ethan Van Sciver, and they pull off the nearly impossible—the art in the book flows seamlessly. I noticed before I read the issue that there was more than one artist, but as I read the book I forgot about that. I went back afterwards and tried to figure out which pages had been drawn by which artist without looking at the page numbers listed in the credits, and it was difficult. I finally figured it out, but the point is that it was hard. They made it flow, they made it work, and that is exactly how it should be done. Of course, their line work is amazing—the heroes and villains fly off the page. These artists are simply perfect for working on a space adventure style comic where the stakes are high.
The colors are also brilliant, using more than the standard “Green Lantern green” on each page—there is that color of the constructs and Lantern energy, of course, but so much more is revealed on each page. It helps us really feel as if we’re there, in space, watching the ultimate fight take place.
The bottom line is that even if you’ve never been a Green Lantern fan, this comic will most likely make you one.
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