Note: we’re doing all our DC reviews in separate posts starting this week. To find the reviews of all the other issues from November 15 and previous weeks, check our index.
Green Lanterns #35 – Tim Seeley, Writer; Carlo Barberi, Penciller; Matt Santorelli, Inker; Ulises Arreola, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 8.5/10
Corrina: Back On Earth
WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!!
Ray: Three issues in, it’s very clear that Seeley has a fantastic handle on Jessica Cruz. Simon Baz…yet to be seen. But we’re off to a strong start overall, as this issue takes the Lanterns back to Earth. Jessica’s starting a new job, and has gotten up the courage to speak to her boss about giving her more duties. That, of course, is right when the evil space mercenary Bolphunga the Unrelenting attacks her place of work. He immediately picks a fight with Jessica, trashes the cafe, and challenges her to a duel. Simon, meanwhile, is wrapping up a one-night stand with an original superhero he met on a dating app (I kind of like Night Pilot and would like to see her somewhere else where she’s not a random date for Simon), when he’s called in to help Jessica.
That’s where things take an interesting turn, as it’s clear something is off with Bolphunga. Bolphunga is a joke villain most of the time, but he’s also a rather cunning mercenary with no moral code. Here, he seems almost desperate to pick a fight for no reason (it’s Guy Gardner he hates, not Simon and Jessica). When the Lanterns finally corner him, it’s revealed why he’s actually there – and he story takes a fascinating turn that’s equal parts horror and absurdity. The new villain introduced this issue, Singularity Jain, is genuinely creepy, but the twist about Bolphunga’s actual target is surprising and easily the best thing ever done with this obscure Lantern villain. There’s also a slow-burn plotline involving the Molites from the first storyarc. Overall, this book stays one of DC’s strongest.
Corrina: I enjoyed the segments with Jessica a great deal, especially her anger with Bolphunga the Unrelenting, and Seeley seems to have given her more of a sense of humor, which is a nice addition. The plot is basically a murder mystery/alien horror and works well. All good.
But I’m not sure what’s going on with Simon. First, he’s yelled at by his sister for freeloading, then another woman yells at him for freeloading in the JLA satellite, and when did Simon become a one-night-stand kind of guy? That’s a bit out of left field and it doesn’t seem to add anything to his character. You add the two women insulting Simon (sister and date) to the classic femme fatale represented by Singularity Jain, and I’m a bit uncomfortable with the whole presentation. This also made me look at the editorial credits, and, yes, among them is Group Editor Eddie Berganza, and that made me raise my eyebrow, as I’m no longer willing to accept that conduct of the type Berganza was (finally) suspended for has no bearing on the pages that he supervised.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
