Green Lanterns #55 – Dan Jurgens, Writer; Mike Perkins, Artist; Hi-Fi, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 7.5/10
Corrina: Where’s Simon?
Ray: The biweekly pace of many of the original Rebirth books gives the writers a lot more opportunities to switch things up, show different perspectives, etc. That’s the case with Green Lanterns #55, which would have been rather frustrating in a monthly book. Two weeks ago we saw Simon Baz accidentally release the Cyborg Superman while in the thrall of the Phantom Ring. The issue ended with Simon picking up his old gun and promising to head to Mogo and fix the problem he unleashed. And this issue…Simon doesn’t appear at all.
Instead, the issue focuses on Mogo, where the rest of the Lanterns come under assault. This would have been a bigger issue if it meant that we had to wait two months to see Simon again, but we’re just going to wait two weeks. This issue focuses heavily on Hank Henshaw, one of Jurgens’ most famous creations, as he takes the Green Lanterns’ defenses on Mogo apart piece by piece. He remains one of the more vicious villains in the DCU.
As the issue opens, he takes command of the Ravagers and their leader Eon, although Eon remains somewhat of a cipher. This is clearly reminiscent of his rise as the leader of Warworld in the famous Reign of the Supermen story. The Lanterns are dealing with resettling the refugees of Penelo and having Jessica narrate this story is a good choice. But the middle of the issue has a little too much recapping, and once Henshaw comes through the portal and begins dismantling their defenses, it becomes an extended monologue by the villain. Henshaw’s always been a lot more powerful than he looked due to his control over technology, and he proves that by hacking the rings one by one and leaving the Corps at his mercy. The Phantom Ring remains ridiculously overpowered, one of the less interesting elements of the excellent Humphries run, but the story is overall enjoyable. Jurgens is delivering an exciting finale to this title before Grant Morrison takes over, but it’s a far cry from the unique runs by Humphries and Seeley.
Corrina: This is a good overall Green Lantern Corps story. But it’s not a great Jess and Simon story and that leaves me frustrated. I understand why DC merged the two Green Lantern books and I’m glad to see our new Lanterns integrated into the Corps, but I have little attachment to the Corps as a whole. Jess and Simon are the pair that got me into reading Green Lantern stories and to have Simon so in the background, especially after being viewed as a traitor, diminishes my interest in the story.
Perhaps if John Stewart was centered more, I might be hooked, or if the villain was fascinating but, as Ray said, the Phantom Ring is ridiculously overpowered. I was also unhappy to see Mogo “die” (hopefully, not really most sincerely dead) but that seems to be the way things are going with DC these days. It also might be that I’ve had enough “the Corps could be destroyed” stories lately, especially after the Collectors . But that part is not Jurgens fault. He’s telling a good, solid GL Corps story.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
