Green Lantern #8 – Review

By: Geoff Johns (writer), Doug Mahnke (artist), Mark Irwin, Keith Champagne, Christian Alamy (inkers), Alex Sinclair (colorist)

The Story: When the Indigos do rehab, they definitely don’t screw around.

The Review: If there’s one lesson we’ve learned on this title, it’s that membership to a color corps—any color corps—isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Red Lanterns are rage-aholics, Orange Lanterns make prime candidates for A&E’s Hoarders, Yellow Lanterns include some of the most despicable creatures in the universe, Green Lanterns suffer constant attacks both from outside and within, and Blue Lanterns barely function without a buddy system.

As for the Indigo Tribe, the red flags about their true motives have been flapping furiously since last issue, and now it’s time to declare them officially bonkers.  By now, it should not surprise you in the least to discover Black Hand and Indigo-1 aren’t the only former psychopaths who’ve turned eerily placid with a blue-purple ring on their fingers.  The tribe members’ silhouettes on the last page merely confirm what you’ve already suspected: each and every single one of these staff-bearing individuals was once a menace of some kind.

Yet Abin Sur’s prominence in the Indigo mythos remains a baffling mystery.  About the only words we ever understood from the tribe’s nonsensical language was his name, so he clearly figures quite reverently in their existence.  They refer to him here as “savior” and “creator,” but against these benevolent epithets, we see that Indigo-1 in olden days had once been his “greatest enemy,” whom he also “saved.”  From War of the Green Lanterns, we figured her conversion was anything but voluntary, so rather than savior, Abin comes off more like enslaver.

WCBR’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Wolverine and the X-Men #88 – I do love Chris Bachalo and even though he had a few story-telling stumbles in this issue where I thought, “Huh?  What’s going on?” the combination of Bachalo’s energetic art and Jason Aaron’s fast-paced and fun script are just dynamite.  I really hope that Avengers vs. X-Men doesn’t screw up this title….

Most Anticipated: Northlanders #50 – What a STACKED week!  I’m actually a little giddy at this week’s prospects because I doubt these titles will let us down.  But, even with some of the potentially cool #1s or second issues of series that got off to very strong beginnings last month, I’m most excited to see how Brian Wood ends Northlanders.  Let’s think about how amazing this is: Wood and Vertigo gave us 50 issue of a series about Vikings!  50 issues!  Not some measly 6 issue miniseries, but 4+ years of really good comics.  This most recent arc about the history of Iceland has been wonderful, featuring art by the uber-talented Danijel Zezelj, and I have a feeling that the end will be bloody and touching.

Other Picks: Saucer Country #2, The Unwritten #36, Haunt #23, Saga #2, America’s Got Powers #1, Secret #1, Fantastic Four #605, Secret Service #1

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Fatale #4 – A creepy read that manages to feel both different and comfortably familiar from Brubaker/Phillips’ previous offerings, Fatale remains as engrossing as ever.  It’s claustrophobic, unsettling, and mysterious in a way that tantalizes more than it befuddles.

Most Anticipated: Saga #2 – Golly, I have a MASSIVE stack of comics to pick up this week.  You know it’s a good week when the first issue of a new Jonathan Hickman book doesn’t even get a “Most Anticipated” merit.  But I can’t resist Saga #2 and seeing how Vaughan and Staples can follow up their landmark first issue.  I have no doubt that they’ll keep up the quality, and that only makes me want this issue all the more.

Other Picks: Secret #1, Batwoman #8, Demon Knights #8, Frankenstein #8, Green Lantern #8, Saucer Country #2, Avenging Spider-Man #6, Fantastic Four #605, Journey into Mystery #636, New Avengers #24, Secret Avengers #25, Uncanny X-Men #10, Winter Soldier #4, Wolverine #304