Green Lantern Corps #12 – Review

By: Peter J. Tomasi (story), Fernando Pasarin (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Gabe Eltaeb (colors)

The Story: Mark my words, heads are going to roll from all this chaos.

The Review: By now, the Green Lanterns have become such an established and important part of the DCU that we just take it for granted they deserve to be there.  Now before you get your mob on, I’m not suggesting they don’t; I’m just saying it’s been a long time since we considered for what purpose the Lanterns were originally created.  To merely police the universe?  To be symbols of hope?  To ultimately bring peace and order to all sentient creatures?

The question seems particularly relevant for this issue, what with the Corps falling apart at the seams and veteran corpsmen questioning themselves.  Granted, the Alphas were never the most popular force even from their introduction, but their total, tyrannical meltdown has to be somewhat disillusioning for the other Lanterns, not to mention the broken justice system we all had to witness with our very eyes.  In these circumstances, how can anyone have confidence, then, that their goals are just?

Green Lantern Corps #11 – Review

By: Peter J. Tomasi (story), Fernando Pasarin (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Gabe Eltaeb (colors)

The Story: Apparently, some people do escape the Alpha Lanterns.

The Review: If you’ve never had a violent quitting experience in your life, let me just say I recommend it.  It’s actually one of the more satisfying and empowering moments you’ll ever have.  Besides giving you the opportunity to stand up for yourself, which requires you to summon up some necessary-for-life backbone, it also scratches every itch you ever had to stick it to your overbearing, crazy-pants boss.

Totally different context, but that’s the general sense of satisfaction and empowerment you get out of watching the day-to-day Green Lanterns rebel against the increasingly brittle Alphas.  Even Salaak, of all corpsmen, gets in on the game.  At first he uses a pretense of regulation to disobey Boodika’s orders, not even flinching when she threatens dismissal and incarceration, then he goes beyond passive resistance, downright ordering other Lanterns to “Engage Alpha Lanterns!”  And when Salaak gets uppity with you, you have to be on the wrong side.