Reviewer: Tim Stevens
Story Title: Enemies Within
Written by: Geoff Johns
Penciled by: Ethan Van Sciver
Inked by: Prentis Rollins
Colored by: Moose Baumann
Lettered by: Rob Leigh
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Publisher: DC Comics
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is a cornerstone of storytelling, whether it be the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Elfstones of Shannara, or The Force. Any object or ability that carries with in the potential to remake reality, to bend the wills of men, also carries the potential to poison the user, changing them from people of virtue to addicts, power hungry mad men, and monsters. It was only a matter of time until this track record caught up with those who yield the might of the Green Lantern Corps. And that time has arrive in Green Lantern: Rebirth #2. The former aberrant behavior of Sinestro (by the way, the guy’s name is Sinestro. How could they not have realized he might end up a bit, I don’t know, sinister?) and Hal Jordan, two of the “greatest” ring wielders of all time can no longer be pointed to as the exception that proved the rule. They were merely the first to crack. This issue, the darkness of the ring becomes undeniable has two more fall to its sway.
And man, it is great.
With the first issue, Johns set up the idea that something was not quite right in the DCU and it was very much connected to Hal Jordan. Here, he reveals some of his cards and a much more complicated picture is unveiled. Something remains awry with the former GL/Parallax/current Spectre, but that is not all that is afoot here. By playing up the absolute power axiom, Johns crafts an out for Jordan’s murderous behavior without exonerating him entirely of guilt or simply saying, “Let’s just forget all about Emerald Twlight, okay?” It is a smart idea and proves, yet again, that Johns is incredibly effective at working with and respecting all continuity, regardless of the value that others may find in it.
The story is bookended by current GL/Former Last of His Kind Kyle Rayner who remains in lousy shape from last issue. He resists the temptation to knit himself back together and eliminate his pain through the ring, something he could do with little more than a thought. Even faced with a more definite, immediate physical threat, Rayner refuses to invoke the ring to protect himself and repel the attack. This is a Kyle that we have had little opportunity to get to know. The appeal of the character always had more to do with his everyman status and very little to do with his inner fortitude. More often than not, Rayner’s ring-wielding abilities were chalked up to his creative abilities, not his willpower. In this issue though, we see the will that all GLs possess within Kyle. Even knowing what he now knows, the desire to “fix” himself must have been incredible and the desire to “save” himself ever more so. Yet in both cases, Kyle swallows that want and endures without turning to the ring.
As far as the other GLs we check in on, I’ll leave much of that to surprise. Except to say this: fans of a certain cranky former GL, here is your present.
Van Sciver continues to be absolutely incredible on art duties. This issue crackles with energy during the fight scenes and still manages to nail the quiet moments between Hal and Carol Ferris(past and present) and Ollie and John with equal skill. No one panel better encapsulates his talent than the JLA’s arrival at Carol’s rebuilt airstrip. Carol and Hal have just completed a sweet embrace when the DCU’s foremost superteam arrives to “discuss” recent events with him. While Hal and Carol remain almost frozen in their moment of reconciliation, a truly demonic looking Batman demands, “What are you doing?” The juxtaposition between Hal’s quiet goal of helping this woman he loves and the dark disasters the JLA is investigating, and believes him responsible for, is palpable. Of course, even with excellent penciling, none of this would have been possible without Prentiss’s inks or Moose’s colors and both of them step up and deliver fantastically.
