There's a new Sinestro series out featuring the writing of Cullen Bunn and the art of Dale Eaglesham. The book follows the once leader of the Sinestro Corps and is the first time, in quite some while, that a villain has had his own on-going series at DC. Cullen Bunn took the time to answer some questions about this series.
COMIC VINE: What will the focus of this series be about?
CULLEN BUNN: As this series begins, Sinestro has gone into a self-imposed exile. He’s abandoned his quest for control over the universe. But he soon learns that he can’t go into retirement just yet. He believed that his people—the Korugarians—had been lost when his home planet of Korugar was destroyed. But he discovers that many Korugarians are still alive. They fled Korugar in secret while it was under Sinestro’s rule. They now live as refugees cast throughout the galaxy, and they are persecuted and mistreated, in part because of their connection to Sinestro. That’s enough to bring him out of exile. He has a new mission—save his people —but he needs help to accomplish this. For that assistance, he turns to the Sinestro Corps. The Corps, however, has fallen far from what Sinestro had envisioned for it.
So, the focus for Sinestro (and for the book) is saving the Korugarians and returning the Sinestro Corps to its former glory. Of course, those are just the first steps for Sinestro. As he sees his plans coming together, greater plans begin to take shape.
Sinestro’s own pride and ambition will be both his greatest assets and his greatest enemies.
CV: Why is it time for a Sinestro on-going series?
CB: I think it’s past time! Sinestro has been one of the most popular villains (and most popular characters in general) for several years. He’s not a character who is suited to long periods of obscurity. He’s made a mark on the DC Universe, and readers want to know what’s next for him.
CV: For some of the newer readers out there, what's changed about this character, since the New 52 began?
CB: Sinestro has gone through a number of significant changes in recent years, but the events that have rattled him to the core have been the destruction of his homeworld of Korugar, his abandonment of the Sinestro Corps, and the estrangement of his daughter, Soranik Natu. These things will all play a major role in his new adventures, because he’s really setting out to “make things right” with his people, his daughter, and his army.
CV:In Sinestro's past, mainly pre-52, there's been a power play for leader ship of the Corps. Is Sinestro going to be leading again, and if so, will there be those in the corps that don't want him in power?
CB: Sinestro doesn’t necessarily see leading the Corps as something he wants. He sees it as a necessity. In his mind, he’s the only person who is good enough to control the Yellow Lanterns. So, yes, he’s going to make a move to take control again. And, yes, there will be those who do not want anything to do with Sinestro. He’ll spot some of these dissenters right away, but there will be those who are a little more secretive and cunning. Some of Sinestro’s greatest detractors will be in positions of great power within the Corps.
CV: In GREEN LANTERN CORPS, we've seen Arkillo pop back up. Will he have any connection to this series?
CB: Most certainly! Arkillo will be a regular supporting character in the series, along with many of the Yellow Lanterns. You’ll see most of your favorite Yellow Lanterns in this book, but there will be a core group of focal characters. Sinestro, Arkillo, Lyssa Drak, and a couple of new characters and surprise characters.
CV: What tone are you going for on this series?
CB: There are a couple of moods playing against each other in this series. Because the Yellow Lanterns are fear-based, there will always be an undercurrent of horror and darkness in the book. At the same time, the series will depict epic cosmic adventures—other worlds, other cultures, aliens—and I’m hoping to get the idea across that the universe has a deep history of its own that we’ve only seen glimpses of. Exploration and discovery will be important story elements. Finally, there will be a lot of intrigue and politics at play here, a lot of double-dealing and backstabbing as Sinestro tries to control the Yellow Lanterns. All of those elements should come together to give the book its own distinct flavor.
CV: Aside from Sinestro, what are some of the other aspects, within his life you wanted to focus on?
CB: Sinestro’s relationship with Soranik Natu is of great interest to me. Here we have a terrible villain who wants to be a father to a great hero. How he deals with his daughter is something that will inform readers as to the type of character he really is.
CV: Will this series be new-reader friendly? How much of the recent GL-events will need to be known?
CB: I’ve tried to keep this book as new-reader friendly as possible. There’s obviously a very rich history with Sinestro, but I’ve tried to summarize it pretty quickly in just a couple of pages. Those are elements that I’ll layer on as the series progresses. In the meantime, as long as you can buy into the idea that he was once a great (if somewhat misguided) man and lost everything because of his actions, you’ll be able to follow the book pretty easily.
Many thanks to Cullen Bunn for answering our questions and make sure to read SINESTRO which is available at your LCS and digitally!
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