DC KO: Green Lantern Galactic Slam #1 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; Cian Tormey, Pat Boutin, Artists; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Jeremy Adams made the announcement a few months back that Kyle Rayner will be taking over as the co-lead of Green Lantern in a few months, returning to his role as the Green Lantern of Earth. This is welcome news to the many 90s kids out there, and to incorporate Kyle back into the main story, Adams is bringing back one of his most beloved and bizarre concepts – space wrestling! A few years back, Wally West found himself in a cosmic tag team match alongside the ridiculous Omega Bam Man, a purple-skinned, 80s-haired wrestling champion who talks like a bro and packs a ton of power in his cosmic elbow. He’s a good guy – but if you wind up in one of his matches, you’re probably in for a hurting.
The character is hilarious, but when Kyle gets knocked into a Boom Tube, he’s not excited about joining the wrestling fraternity. The arena, which is located out of time and space, has strict rules – no Green Lanterns and no unplanned stops, just to name two – so Kyle is stuck. As they make their way through deep space, Omega Bam Man relates his origin, which is as hilariously bizarre as he is. It involves a planet where men couldn’t show any sort of strength or aggression due to fear of a curse, and one boy who dreamed of being swole and strong. Add in a beloved but doomed mentor and a treacherous manager, and you’ve got the makings of an epic tragedy, just one with plenty of pile-drivers.
To escape this strange place and get back to Earth, the duo have to team up for an epic slam-bang wrestling match against an unlikely opponent, with several shocking betrayals along the way. But surprisingly, there are some big lore reveals about Darkseid’s influence over some key players in the event, and it sets up a bigger role for Omega Bam Man going forward. Adams is clearly having a lot of fun writing this strange little corner of the DCU, and he also has a pretty great handle on Kyle as he gets ready for his biggest role in years.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
