Green Lantern Corps #12 – Morgan Hampton, Writer; Fernando Pasarin, Will Conrad, Oclair Albert, Jason Paz, Artists; Arif Prianto, Ian Herring, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: One of the best things about this era of Green Lantern is just how chaotic everything is, and Morgan Hampton really gets to delve into that in this issue. There’s a looming threat as Fatality partners with a mysterious water-like being whose planet was wiped out by the Lanterns accidentally, but back on Oa, there’s enough native trouble to deal with. Oa is now serving as a refugee planet for Thanagar, as well as trying to divide the planet between the various corps to avoid conflicts. Kilowog and Guy continue to try to train the new recruits, as well as oversee the Indigo Corps’ meditation/hibernation period, but an attempt to create a parlay between the various Corps is easier said than done. It’s hard enough to get Sinestro, Atrocitus, Saint Walker and the rest, but there’s a larger problem in the background. No one knows where Larfleeze is – and he’s not waiting to put his new plan into effect.
Larfleeze has always been one of the more interesting Green Lantern villains – a one-man Corps who kills anyone who possesses too much of the Orange Greed energy and takes them into his central battery as a construct. He’s usually played for laughs, but is actually incredibly powerful – and now, for the first time, he’s sharing his power. He spreads the energy across Oa, bringing long-simmering conflicts to the surface. The Thanagarians try to seize Oa for their own interests, and silent resentments become brutal fights. This is a fun, chaotic issue with some great battle segments, but it also has some awesome moments that hint at deeper issues, such as a confrontation between John Stewart and Katma-Tui, who have recently been reunited and may have been papering over some much deeper issues. And the best part is, it feels like we’re still just scratching the surface of this story’s potential.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
