The Good
There's always so much going on in this title. With Black Hand back in his right mind and in possession of the Book of the Black, you know things can't be good for Hal and Sinestro. You never quite know what you're going to get when it comes to the prophecies in the book but we do get a couple that will leave you scratching your head. Geoff Johns is getting good at giving us these little teases and what's nice is, he always stays true to them. They aren't just done for the sake of shocking readers (even if these have the potential to).
Throughout the encounter with Hal, Sinestro and Black Hand, we also visit the other characters to get updates on Carol Ferris and the Guardians with their plan to get rid of the Green Lantern Corps. You'll enjoy the fighting/team up with Hal and Sinestro and wonder how long this relationship will last. GREEN LANTERN has mostly always been about having Hal as the main star but with each issue, I'm loving the idea of Hal and Sinestro working side by side. Normally I'm not a fan of the 'villain-turned-good-guy' story since it never lasts, and maybe it won't here, but it's playing out in a glorious fashion.
The moment I've been dreading the last few issues has come again. Doug Mahnke is not doing the art for this issue. But we do get Renato Guedes, who does a great job filling in. Guedes' art captures the Black Hand scenes nicely. We also have Jim Calafiore also doing some pages.
The Bad
I am always bothered when we have multiple artists on the same issue. For the most part, the scenes are separate and the styles aren't too drastically different. But you can clearly see a difference in Hal and Sinestro in the beginning and final pages.
I mentioned there is a lot going on but with the zero issue next month, this almost felt like it had moments of delaying the story a little in order to accomodate the schedule. We've been hearing about the Guardians and their plan for several months now. What the heck is taking them so long to get things in motion? You would think they'd have the power and ability to get their plan started. If they are determined to replace the Corps, they should be able to do so quicker. Thankfully this story is set to "end" in GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1 in two weeks.
The Verdict
Dark times are coming. It's always great to get reminders that previous events, such as 'Blackest Night,' still hold in the New 52. Hal and Sinestro continue their unlikely alliance in order to deal with Black Hand. There's more prophecies being revealed and the Guardians are still planning to restructure the universe. While there is a lot going on here, there is a slight feeling that the story is being stalled a bit in order to accomodate the zero issue next month. Although this story appears to conclude in the first GL annual in two weeks. Doug Mahnke takes a break in this issue and we have Renato Guedes and Jim Calafiore on hand. The styles are fitting for the story but slight differences make the presentation slightly distracting. You'll be glued to your seat as you see what develops here and if the last page doesn't make you long for the annual in two weeks, then I'm not sure what else would.