Saturday, September 17, 2011

Green Lantern #1

My first reaction to this issue of Green Lantern was: that guy on the cover looks nothing like Hal Jordan.

(Of course, I know it's actually Sinestro.)

Unlike every other "New DC" series I've looked at so far, you might never know that this issue was part of DC's "52." It picks up right where the "old" series left off, with no changes at all - not even an updated costume. Just a new #1 on the cover.

Hal is back on Earth, but he's no longer a member of the Green Lantern Corps - although perversely, Sinestro is once again a member of the team. Each character has his own struggles to deal with the new status quo, as Hal tries to manage living a normal life, and Sinestro feels the burden of wearing a hero's mantle again.

It's an odd first issue, but writer Geoff Johns gets the most out of it, and that final page suggests big events are on the way.

The art by Doug Mahnke is terrific - he just gets better with each issue, and here he seems to be channeling Brian Bolland, with sharp, precise features on the characters and powerful layouts.

Of course, i makes sense that this series wouldn't change too much for the "New 52" - it was already one of the best books DC publishes, so there's no reason to mess with success.

If only all the comics out there had that problem...

Grade: A-

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