DC Comics have been knocking it out of the park with the whole Green Lantern line recently and Green Lantern #10 is no exception. In the previous issue we learnt that Abin Sur had helped create the Indigo power rings to brain wash the universe's most notorious criminals into feeling compassion and remorse for their crimes. But now those rings are on the fritz, the bad guys have their true personalities back and guess what... they are pretty pissed with all things Green Lantern! Which isn't the best of news for Hal Jordan and Sinestro.
While the two GLs make a run for it in one direction Black Hand takes to his heels in the other, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Indigo ring with which he'd been shanghaied after the Blackest Night saga. Hal and Sinestro catch up with the Indigo Tribe's 'guardian', Notromo, and convince him to reignite the Indigo power battery which will bring the tribe back under its influence. With complete disregard for his standing in the villain community Sinestro volunteers to hold off the chasing hoards while Hal and his half pint companion get to work on the battery. Doug Mahnke treats us to an amazing splash page of Sin delivering a flying left hook on the Indigo Tribesman Munk. We are left in no doubt as to the former fear-monger's bad-ass credentials.
We also get a lovely little shot of Hal getting around his loss of flight with an Evel Knievel style super jump on a motorcycle and ramp construct.
Notromo is having trouble with the battery until Iroque shows up and sheds a tear for the horrific crimes she has committed in her past. Her sorrow is the spark Notromo needs to fire up the Indigo light. The panel showing Iroque transform into Indigo-1 is powerful. I've always been amazed how the Green Lantern artists and colourists can draw light that feels like it is actually burning into the back of your eyeballs.
We leave the Indigos with Hal trying to convince them to release Sinestro from their spell. I know that Hal needs help to do battle with the Guardians of the Universe but has he forgotten that Sinestro is his greatest enemy and a genocidal maniac with a million plus bodycount to his name. On the face of the evidence are the Guardians really the bad guys in this scenario?
Anyway, all this passes into the background as we are reminded why Geoff Johns' is worth every cent of the massive bag of dollar bills he is undoubtedly handed by DC each week. We rejoin Black Hand as he tears across the jungles of planet Nok with a recharged Indigo ring in hot pursuit. The unwilling recruit comes to a cliff edge and throws himself off it without hesitation. He adopts Superman's extended arm pose, his cape billowing behind him, and for just a moment I am struggling to recall if Black Hand can actually fly. And the answer is... no. Gravity takes over and Hand falls to his doom on the rocks below. In a graphic couple panels that are definitely not for kids we are left in no doubt that he is dead. His blood gathers in pools around his smashed skull. The sound effect lettered to accompany the impact is BLAAAPP but it really should be SSPPLLAAAATTT!!!
The indigo ring flies off to scan sector 2814 for his replacement leaving the rain to beat down on his lifeless corpse. And then something happens. A bubbling and glow of energy appear across his lips. And suddenly, with a bloop, a ring pops out of his mouth and attaches itself to his finger. And not just any ring... "William Hand of Earth. Rise." This is the New 52 and the Black Lanterns are back!
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