Comic of the Week: Halloween Edition

November 1, 2009

Man, this article just does not want to be written. Started this November 1, but couldn’t finish. I tried the next day but I messed up and no draft was saved. Last night, the power went out and no draft was saved. Then today, as I was about to publish, the Internet cut out! GAH! This was supposed to be my Comicology Halloween special. It was supposed to be a two-comic Comic of the Week special.

No matter! We will continue with it anyway! So what if Halloween was what, 4 days ago? Instead of having a two-comic CotW, we’ll now make it into a two-parter, I’ll be taking a look at the two titles featuring the most zombies this side of the comic book universe that isn’t Marvel “Done-to-Death” Zombies - Green Lantern #47 and Blackest Night #4. Today, we look at Mr. Space Cowboy Hal Jordan’s solo title.

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy, Mahnke and Tom Nguyen with Mark Irwin and Randy Mayor (I’m gonna start to make it a habit to include the entire art team, and not just the guy who did the pencils)

Zombies all around! Huzzah! So essentially, this issue is a two-pronged story, which are parts of a mutli-threaded tale being weaved together throughout the DC Universe by the Blackest Night Event. Of course the other guys make appearances, too, to further advance the entire story. Hopefully, all these loose storylines come to a head perfectly.

One part of it sees Atrocitus and his Red Lanterns (well, just Atrocitus, really) being all bad assed. He goes up against the zombies and shows that he’s got an advantage over zombies and no, it’s not a chainsaw, though I wouldn’t be surprised if he uses one eventually.

Man, I love the Red Lanterns; they’re just so fucking hardcore. And emo, too, I guess since they say they have no heart. Then they cut themselves to feel alive.

The other, more important focus of the story is that of Hal Jordan and Abin Sur’s reunion, as well as Arin and Sinestro’s. The star of this issue, and quite possibly the whole series, is Sinestro. He shows complex motivations and emotions, especially in the last issue when he goes up against Mogul. I mean, I’ve always liked him, but he really stole the show in Green Lantern #47.

What disappointed me was Hal Jordan’s generic hero-speeches and Abin Sur’s supposed kick ass return. I thought it was going to be an epic battle - the greatest Green Lantern, as an undying zombie, that ever lived going up against his predecessor (!!!). But no, it was just as a little mind fucking and through some Power Ranger action, the light guys drove evil and darkness away.

Seriously, all they need now is a fifth guy (like a blue one) and a Megazord.

The art is fantastic, as always. I can’t even begin to imagine Green Lantern looking any way else.

Green Lantern #47 gets 3 out of 5 Zombie Girls, because of the disappointment that was Abin Sur.