Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #5
Written by Peter Tomasi
Art by Fernando Pasarin
It’s taken a few issues, but this book is starting to find its stride. I mean, after Green Lantern Corps it seemed like a Tomasi written Guy Gardner series featuring Kilowog and Arisia would be money, I mean, how could it be anything else? Green Lantern Corps was freaking awesome! Unfortunately though, this book took a few issues to really get going due to the pacing behind the who’s and why’s. So for the first four issues of the book we had a general idea as to why things were happening, but there just hadn’t been much to sink our teeth into yet. Well, unless you’re a fan of Sodom Yat, then there was an issue for you. But this book has had all the makings of an instant classic, so it’s nice to see it finally starting to live up to it. Of course, this being Green Lantern, the best way to reach its potential has to be with random rookie slaughter, and it’s soooo easy to do. So this issue turns quickly into mind controlled rookies facing off against three supremely decorated Lantern’s as well as Red Lantern Bleez.
Our villain is still creepy yet ill-defined, but it’s yet to take away from the story. I mean, this issue inparticular is spent giving them a reason to want to take the guy down without ever delving into his motives. Tomasi makes the issue personal for our Emerald Heroes, as opposed to practical. Mind controlled Lantern’s see them as Sinestro’s and are prepared to treat these apparently hostile Lanterns as such. Or are they fully on his strings, a question raised to me when it was shown that his words are uttered through their mouths. At the same time, if he’s fully in control of them, why would it matter if they saw Guy and the others as Sinestros? Why would they need justification if he were in full control? I want to know more about this guy, as while I respect his willingness to throw Green Lantern rookies at a problem like cannon fodder, I want to know his end game. I want to know what he’s doing that he has no care or concern for the lives of his own servants. Dude is creepy and given the lack of creepy space villains these days, I definitely approve.
Kilowog gets a great heart-wrenching moment this issue when faced with death and failure, and the former drill instructors purpose in the book begins to speak more for itself. We knew coming out of Blackest Night that he was having trouble facing the loss of his students, especially the sheer amount he’s lost in the last few months. That he needed time before he could help turn some more White Circles into Green Lanterns, and run the risk of having to bury even more of them. Like I said, I get it, after years of whipping Lantern’s into shape he just didn’t want to have to face the fact that he keeps outliving all of them. He blames himself, that he could have done his job better, that he failed each and every one of them because he was the one who passed them, who made them full fledged Lanterns. That without his approval none of them would have been in the places where they wound up dead. Everything is hitting him hard, and everything is causing second thoughts and guesses, he no longer feels that his best was good enough, and to see the ‘Wog get his confidence decimated like this is actually really intriguing. I’m so used to the uber badass Kilowog that I sometimes forget that he’s hardly invincible.
Arisia and Bleez are more or less background characters in this issue, as while both get some speaking lines, neither really does anything overly important. That said, I’m happy with the presence of both of them and I do enjoy what they can potentially add to the book. Especially in the case of Bleez who gained my immediate interest during the Tales of the Corps miniseries where we had her origin story. I figure her presence in the book is for more than to just remind Guy about his Red Ring taint and to try and lure him to the darkside, and that after we move out of this initial story arc we’ll begin to see more of her true character and motivations. She’s already redeveloped her ability to speak due to a Blue Lantern, so it’s just a matter of time before she says something important. Not to mention that she’s the cover-girl for the next issue, so sooner than later.
Admittedly, there are really only two huge moments in this issue, one for the ‘Wog that was earlier alluded to, and one that the solicits give away to set up for next issue. I won’t say too much about what it is, other than I hate when characters keep secrets in comics. I mean, the kind where we, the readers, are in the know, but the character keeps reminding us that they have a secret to emphasize how they won’t tell other characters. Unless it pertains to a secret identity, it’s one of my least favorite things to deal with in comics, TV, movies, anything. You’ve got a secret, got it, don’t keep reminding me how major it is. I’ve seen too many writers use it as a crutch to run in circles that it’s gotten to the point of driving me completely insane. So, obviously, something happens in this issue with Guy’s secret, and while I won’t say what happens, I will say that Tomasi handled it well and I felt as if it were the perfect way to treat the situation at the time.
I like the art, it’s dark, it’s detailed, and it goes well with the story. Emotions are captured pretty well, especially during the scenes with Kilowog. Though the coolest looking part of the entire issue, to me, is the two page spread of red (as I’ll call it) that comes near the end. There’s a lot to like about this issue visually, and it stands out enough from the other Lantern artists of recent years to feel unique.
This was a good issue from start to finish as this book manages to tighten up the story as the first arc moves towards a conclusion. There was some good character development for Guy and Kilowog, but mainly there was a lot of foreshadowing as the title begins to build us up for the War of the Green Lanterns. The book still has a little ways to go before it really lives up to the standard that Tomasi set for himself, and for the characters of the title, in Green Lantern Corps, but it’s getting there. This is a good comic, and a good Green Lantern issue at that. Here’s hoping that the good work keeps up, because this issue is definitely worth a look.
Overall?
7.5/10
