Absolute Green Lantern #14 – Al Ewing, Writer; Sid Kotian, Artist; Pressy, Colorist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: After the bulk of the first issue of this series took place on Earth, the universe is closing in. While Cameron Chase and Simon Baz battle to get the unconscious Todd Rice to safety, with Hammond’s men hot on their heels, Jo Mullein wakes up in a void. Again. But this time, things are different. Guy Gardner and John Stewart are there with her once again, but this time Hal Jordan is as well – and he’s glowing violet for some reason. They’re soon joined by Tomar-Re, the bearer of the Red Lantern – and the universe’s representative of rage. This normally benevolent hero of the Lantern Corps here is a murderous warrior who lost his planet to the most powerful representative of the Green in the universe – Mogo. Sid Kotian depicts the last days of his planet in one of the most harrowing scenes of the entire series so far, making the death of a planet feel painfully intimate.
Last issue we were introduced to the other side of the equation – the Darkstars, a massively powerful cosmic police force that cuts its way through the cosmos, subjugating planets and lobotomizing opponents. That evil force has radicalized Tomar-Re to the point that he has little left of the child he started out at within him. What’s left in its place is a murderous warrior who plans to not only eliminate his opponents, but sacrifice a whole lot of innocent beings in the process. Unlike Hector Hammond, who was a one-dimensional villain, Tomar-Re is both much more human – and much more dangerous. By the end of the issue, Jo has become convinced that there’s only one thing to do here, and the tensest fight of the entire series is set up. Al Ewing has always been the type of writer to hold his cards close to his chest, and when things finally start unfolding, it’s almost always spectacular.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
