Green Lantern 24: Lights Out, Part One: Dark Days
Part One of Light's Out is finally here, and I can hardly say I'm disappointed. I'd originally approached this issue with trepidation due to the fact that this is the beginning of the first major story arc not including Geoff Johns, who, of course, has made the Green Lantern franchise into the success that it's become in the last nine years. This issue, though, definitely holds its own!
Issue twenty-four begins on Oa, where we learn that the reason the green lanterns' rings have been malfunctioning is a direct result of the central power battery having "barfed out Ion like it was bad sushi."
As reported in Billy Tan's interview here on ComicVine, no lanterns died as a result of the malfunctions, for Kilowog had called for all active lanterns to ground themselves. Kilowog, and later in the issue, Hal, seem to slowly be slipping into their new roles in the corps as Clarissi and CEO.
Not long after, a group consisting of the new guardians, Carol Ferris, Kyle Rayner, and Saint Walker appear in a blinding flash of white light, apparently breathless and carrying news of a new threat named Relic. In short, they give a small summary of GL 23.1. Then, on cue, Relic arrives with a boom, landing right above Oa and the lanterns.
Relic calls for the lanterns to surrender, and when they don't, he releases thousands of insect-like devices that latch onto not only the lanterns, but also the central power battery. As the lanterns try to fight back, Relic dispenses a second wave of devices that act to spectrum light as a mirror does to sunlight, spitting it back at the lanterns. In what amounts to mere minutes, the central power battery is drained of all energy and destroyed. The last panel ends with a quote from Salaak, "When the battery was installed, its infrastructure was embedded throughout the catacombs. It reaches down into the core. Its detonation will cause a chain reaction throughout the entire planet. Oa will die."
As you can see, Venditti is starting off the Light's Out series with a bang. There were a few minor complaints that I had with this issue, too, though.
Billy Tan's art is fantastic, but I feel like he hasn't really settled into drawing the characters yet. Sometimes Hal, John, and Kyle's features are just warped.
Also, I would've liked to have seen something of Prixiam Nol-Anj. In the last issue, Nol-Anj had been imprisoned in the Oan sciencells before tricking a new recruit into thinking that she loved him. She further proved this point as a violet ring made its way to her when its previous owner was killed in duty. Her wrap sheet includes racketeering, smuggling, extortion, murder for hire, abduction, trafficking in organisms, larceny, grand theft starship (i'm laughing), and assault with an energy weapon. On her home planet, she is the leader of some kind of clan that refer to her as 'the prixiam.'
She seems to be a new villain in the Green Lantern universe, though nowhere near as powerful as Relic. She does lay Hal on his tush, though, so she's not to be underestimated.
Overall, though, this has been an interesting read, and I am highly anticipating next week's Green Lantern Corps.
