Construct of the Week #35

Appeared in:
Justice League of America #1 (vol.6), 2015
 

 

Construct: All of Hal's Favourites!

(Boxing Glove, Fist, Baseball Bat, Gatling Gun,

Shark, Attack Chopper)

 

Generated by: Hal Jordan

 

 

 

A Curious Combination

Mark Twain famously said, “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations."

Impossible or not, I think I am on fairly safe ground to conjecture that the majority of ideas are routinely revisited in the world of comics.  Whether it is the retelling of an origin story, the resurrection of a formerly dead character, or the passing of said character's legacy on to the next generation, we all love to see elements from our favourite stories invoked in new material.  As I understand it both DC Comics and Marvel intend to take this approach to the extreme in 2015, overtly referencing a whole of host previously published storyarcs as the basis of each of their latest company-wide events.

At the other end of the scale to this are the little tricks and eye-catching gimmicks that innocently resurface every so often as comic book writers attempt to tap into the timeless essence of their chosen muse.  I stumbled across one such oddity not long ago while I was researching the earliest appearances of the Justice League of America.

Have a look at the delightful panel below from Justice League of America #3, vol.1 (1961) showing Hal Jordan think quickly to save the city from certain disaster.  He creates giant humanoid constructs with his power ring to prevent damaged sky-scrapers from falling and crushing the population below.

  

We can all agree this is a fantastic bit of ring-slinging from Hal which must have been very exciting for fans to read back in the early sixties.

Jump forward then exactly 50 years into the future and take a gander at this next wonderful double page spread which graced the pages of Green Lantern: New Guardians #1 (2011).



Note the collapsing building and falling crane destined to annihilate the terrified city dwellers below.  Note our green-clad hero swooping down from the sky to mount a daring rescue, and most importantly, note the big, green giants stretching their huge arms around the plummeting debris to halt its catastrophic descent.

It's the same concept in both panels!  Yes, the 2011 version has been considerably fleshed out and updated to entertain a more demanding 21st century audience (3 years on and I am still struck by the beauty and energy of the artwork) but when you boil right down to it, it is the same idea appearing in both comic books. 

I have no clue if the New Guardians creative team of Tony Bedard and Tyler Kirkham gave any thought to their historic Justice League predecessors, Gardner Fox and Mike Secowsky.  I sincerely doubt it.  But I like to think the idea first popped into heads of those silver-age creators back in 1961 and floated around in the ether for a good many years until it passed through Mark Twain's mental kaleidoscope to be turned and transformed into a new and very curious combination.

Who Turned the Lights Out?

As happens to us all from time to time, I recently found myself in the unfortunate position of having to cut down my comic book pull list while I divert my finances towards more practical requirements.  On the plus side this means I have ample opportunity to reacquaint myself with my back-issue collection, including a 5 year run of JLA.

 

 

All the talk recently of the up-coming 'Lights Out' storyline running across the Green Lantern titles reminded me of another time when the lights went out for GL.  Whereas in the excellent Green Lantern #23.1 featuring Relic it looks like the Lantern Corps power batteries are literally going to fade throughout the DCU, the incident I recall was a much more personal experience for Kyle Rayner.

The scene played out in JLA #43 & #44, in the 'Tower of Babel' storyline written by Mark Waid.  Unbeknownst to his fellow Justice Leaguers Batman had devised plans to neutralize each of them in the event that they went rogue or fell under the control of evil influences.  The problems began when Ra's Al Ghul used his resources to hack the Bat-Computer and steal the emergency plans so he could take down the League before initiating a nefarious scheme to wipe out mankind.

Superman obviously has his Kryptonite but Bats had to think a little differently to overcome the resident Green Lantern on the team.

Fans will know the thing that makes Kyle Rayner such a unique and talented Green Lantern is his background as an artist.  In the right hands a power ring will create anything its wearer can imagine which in Kyle's case is pretty much unlimited.  Whereas Hal Jordan spent years reusing the same tried and tested fist construct, his successor produced any number of fanciful creations.  From Manga characters to alien beasts we have been spoiled with a visual smorgasbord of the wild and wonderful.

What Batman realised was that Green Lantern's strength was also his weakness.  His ability to wield the ring relied on visualising the constructs he conjured up.  All Batman (or in this case Ra's) had to do to take Kyle out of the game was to rob him of his sight.  Not being able to see the world around him made the GL virtually powerless and easy prey for Ra's and his daughter, Talia.

For those who are curious as to how exactly Kyle was rendered blind in the first place and how his terrifying predicament was eventually reversed in true comic book style, you need look no further than the old post-hypnotic suggestion trope.  And I am very pleased to report some 13 years after the 'Tower of Babel' arc was originally released that our hero and his teammates where able to overcome their dastardly plight and save the Earth once again.

 

An Emerald Flash…

 

Green Lantern has joined forces with many heroes over the years in his battle against evil-doers but the team-up that is best loved by most fans is Green Lantern and The Flash.  From the long running partnership of Hal Jordan and Barry Allen to the rivalry turned friendship between Kyle Rayner and Wally West there are few stories that can hold a torch in the heroic stakes to the adventures of the Emerald Crusader and The Fastest Man Alive.

 

My favourite tale dates back to the Silver Age, 1966 to be precise, when the Green Guardian meets long-time foe Major Disaster for the first time.  The whole rip-roaring saga takes place in the pages of Green Lantern #43, volume 2.

Cleaning up after a series of seemingly natural disasters should have been easy work for our superheroes but right in the middle of their mission both Hal and Barry suddenly lose control of their powers. 

 

 

The storms and earthquakes, of course, are far from ordinary occurrences.  Common criminal Paul Booker had learned the secret identities of both GL and The Flash and began to plot their downfall as the pinnacle of his nefarious career.  To this end he hired a group of scientists to create a machine that controlled the weather and could stir up geological catastrophes on his command.

 

 

Added to this, in their very own freaky Friday moment, the boffins were able to swap the two heroes powers from one to the other.  Thus far Major Disaster’s plan was working perfectly.  Not realising they had control of their friend’s abilities, Hal and Barry assume they are now completely powerless.  What the Major had not counted on was the heroic spirit possessed by both men.

 

Rather than pack up and go home our champions resolve to come together to tackle their deadly adversaries.  Relying on fighting spirit and the “Justice League tactics” of working as a team they make swift work of Disaster’s cohorts.

Later, as Hal tries to recharge on his hidden power battery, the true extent of their peculiar position becomes obvious to them.  

 

 

Instead of replenishing the Lantern’s ring as expected, the green energies power up the Scarlett Speedster standing next to him.

 

Naturally Hal has also become lighting fast.  Within moments of making the realisation the two superheroes are back in action.

 

 

Meanwhile Major Disaster continues to wreak havoc on a crime spree across Coast City and Central City with his dastardly machine providing cover.  Green Lantern and The Flash follow in his wake rescuing the embattled citizens of both metropolises.  The fact that they are in control of powers that are unfamiliar to them gives them no pause in their pursuit of the rogue weather-master.  Hal zips and zooms around landslides and ice-storms while Barry deftly forms emerald constructs to hold back floods and stem the spread of forest fires.

 

 

Although they do eventually work out how to transfer their powers back again it is ironic that they don’t get the chance to bring their opponent to justice.  Feeling the heat of the incredible duo on his tail Booker becomes the architect of his own doom.  In his haste he forgets to don the insulated gloves that protect him from his sinister machine.  The contact causes an explosion that destroys the device and takes the unwitting villain along with it.  In the end it is his lifeless corpse that the superheroes discover in the rubble.

 

Or is it?  This is comic books after all…

 

 

Green Is The Colour… And Red… And Blue…

 

 

Guy Gardner - Warrior!

This jaw-dropping image leaves little doubt that the most controversial member of the Green Lantern Corps is every inch a hero, from the tips of his spiky red hair to the toes of his shiny green boots.

The artwork is one of many DC Comics inspired creations from the graphic designer known as ColourOnly85.  This uber-talented artist has set himself the extremely bold challenge of producing an illustration of every character appearing in the DC universe before 14 June 2013 – the date that the much anticipated Superman movie, Man of Steel sees general release.

Impossible I hear you say.  And yes, maybe so.  But let me tell you, ColourOnly85 is making a damned good go of it!

I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with the man himself to find out a bit more about the Man of Steel project and the inspiration behind this daunting undertaking.

 

 

FP:  Thank you for taking time out of your busy art schedule to share a few words with 'Flodo's Page'.  This is a massive project you have set for yourself - to illustrate all of the DC characters before the Man of Steel movie comes out in June.  What inspired you to create this challenge?

CO85:  Thanks for giving me time to share a little bit about ColourOnly85, very grateful.

Well it all happened a bit randomly.  I got caught up doing a lot of graphic design work and realised I hadn't given much time to just design and create for the fun of it.  At the same time I was getting really excited about the new Man of Steel movie, so I thought it would be fun to do a Superman piece in aid of it.  It was whilst doing the Superman illustration I thought 'why not do some other DC Characters, ' and after that the thought of doing more artwork dedicated to Man of Steel popped into my head.   So I decided to turn what I was doing into a challenge to try and draw all the characters before the movie is released.

FP:  Last I checked you had released character #115 which is an amazing accomplishment but there have been a lot of characters in the DCU over the last 60 years or so!  How many more illustrations have you got left in you?

CO85:  Thanks so much!  I'm now on #120 and in the grand scheme of things I know I've got a LOT of catching up to do.  But I've definitely got it in me to do all the characters (although unfortunately it looks like the bulk will likely come after the deadline).  But I like to stay optimistic, so I'm still going to try and work towards June 14th anyway.

FP:  You obviously love comics and movies. Which do you enjoy more?  Is there a comic book or film that holds a special importance for you?

CO85:  That's a tough one, but I would have to say movies.  I love getting lost in comics and LOVE seeing the talent in the artwork that's created in them.  But there isn't much I enjoy more than going to the cinema or kicking back at home and getting lost in a good film, I love the escape of it.  With today's visual effects at such a high level as well, it just makes me love films even more!

In terms of a favourite film, I can't honestly say I have one.  Sci-Fi and fantasy films are definitely my favourite genre but I couldn't point out a single film as my favourite.  I know that's an 'easy way out answer' but it's true …haha. 
 

 

FP:  Your work is awesome and, as your Twitter name suggests, your creations are in colour only.  No lines.  What inspired you to follow this style?

CO85:  In terms of the style, I really wanted to do something different, especially in terms of presenting comic book characters.  I think at the moment, the traditional clean graphic style is what we are very used to seeing and which is incredible.  But I really wanted to come from a totally different angle.  So I took some time to just try a few ideas out and I finally developed the idea of geometric shapes and minimalism without lines to define the object and the ColourOnly85 style was born from that.

FP:  It seems like you produce your illustrations really quickly.  You sometimes post 3 or 4 works at a time on Twitter.  How long does it normally take to create a piece?  What do you use for reference? For example, do you look for lots of images of Kyle Rayner and then pick one you like to base a new illustration on?

CO85:  Producing a piece takes about 2 to 3 hours on average and what I try to do is work on 3 or more at one time.  Jumping between different characters helps me keep the ideas fresh in my head and makes the experience a lot of fun.  Getting the free time to design is the hard part.  Sometimes there are weeks where I will produce lots and weeks where there may only be 1 or 2 designs.  It can be really really tricky.

In terms of the actual designs, I will either use a popular or particularly striking image for reference.  That way I can deliver something fans are familiar with but in a new way.  Or I will use a pose that I think reflects the character well.  I took a lot of time to build a massive library of action poses which I use for reference and which are a massive help when illustration. 

 

 

FP:  Of the DC illustrations you have created so far which is your personal favourite and why?  Is there a character that you haven't illustrated yet that you are really excited about producing?

CO85:  Hmm...  At the moment the Batman image is my favourite.  It was the image that really convinced me that the style of illustration I was doing could work.  I also just had a blast doing it, so there are a lot of good memories I have associated to that piece.

In terms of a character I'm looking forward to doing, I'd say Kilowog.  I really like his character and Green Lanterns are my favourite DC Characters so I can't wait to do him.

FP:  I have to ask - apart from DC is there one character, be it comics, movies or the real world even, that you would like to give the ColourOnly85 treatment to?

CO85:  Man, awesome question, so tricky though.  There's so much to choose from!  I'm a MASSIVE Avatar: The Last Airbender fan (and also the new Legend of Korra TV show).  But Toph in particular is my absolute favourite so I would say I would like to do a ColourOnly85 version of her the most.  
 

 

FP:  Finally, I don't want to take up too much of you time but I'm sure your fans want to know, is there anywhere they can buy your work, either originals or reprints?

CO85:  I have an Etsy shop but only have two characters available at the moment.  I've decided I'm going to slow down on selling the prints until summer to help me deal with the workload.  There is just so much I'm working on at the moment.  Plus my main concern is getting the artwork out there for the fans to see.  I am in discussion with some individuals where I'm trying to get the prints out more effectively, so watch this space and I'll keep you posted as to how things come along.

FP:  Thanks again for taking the time to do the blog.  I wish you the very best of luck with your Man of Steel challenge and I will certainly be looking out for more of your fantastic creations in the future.  I hope we can expect a few more Green Lanterns in the line-up!  Kilowog maybe?

CO85:  It's been my pleasure and an honour.  Thank you so much for your support and taking the time to do the interview. And again a massive thank you to everyone who has been supporting me so far, the feedback and encouragement and way everyone has been spreading the word about the artwork has blown me away!

Haha…  Kilowog is definitely one of the greats, I'll make sure I add him to the list and see if I can deliver something special just for you.  

 

You can follow ColourOnly85’s progress on his Tumblr page or catch up with him on Twitter @ColourOnly85 and check out your favourite DC Comics heroes as you have never seen them before!


 

BANG AND BLAME – GREEN LANTERN #14

  

_ In common with many of my fellow comic book fans I can find myself worrying about every aspect of my treasured hobby.  Generally, of course, the object of my concern is something as trivial as the existence or not of Power Girl’s ‘boob window’ or the headache that is the Robin timeline in the compressed New 52 continuity.  But just occasionally I manage to raise my nose from the weekly pull pile just long enough to notice that the global economy continues to go through uncertain times.  It makes me wonder if I am justified in spending so much of my hard earned cash on comics, some of which will be read once and relegated to a long box for all eternity.  The question I have to ask myself is, “Am I really getting value for money?”  It’s not news that publishers have already tried every trick in the book to keep our favourite monthly titles competitively priced.  For DC that means keeping the page count for a $2.99 comic to 20 pages. Even those who are lucky enough to enjoy a discounted delivery or digital service can’t help but feel ripped off when they sail through their latest purchase in 5 minutes flat.

 

So let me assure you at the outset that this is not the case with Green Lantern #14.  The issue has plenty of bang for your buck.  Action and plot are squeezed into every panel of these 20 pages, and even with both a full page and double page splash I came away feeling that I’d absorbed more content in this one issue than some other titles provide across a whole arc.

 

Multiple storylines from the previous few months are picked up and progressed with equal prominence.  The book opens on Oa where the Guardians plot the demise of the Green Lantern Corps and then the entire Universe.  As well as acting as a recap it serves to underline the singular ruthlessness with which the Guardians have set about their devious mission.  One panel reminds us of the Third Army’s violent recruitment tactics.  Unlike the previous four issues of the ‘Rise of the Third Army’ crossover, this is the one of the few glimpses you get of the Thirdites in action.  There has been a nice build of tension in the event so far.  With each week that passed we were further submerged in the inevitability of the Army’s pestilent victory.  That said, I’m glad of the break.  The army are a very quiet lot (having no mouths of course) so there’s no interplay with their prey to break proceedings up a little.

 

 

The tone of GL #14 is a very different beast.  The Guardians still have the First Lantern held prisoner but they don’t seem to be able to do much except contain him.  He is able to talk freely to them of the revenge he will take on their souls when he escapes.  Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke conspire to keep the mystery of the First Lantern’s identity intact with shaded features and tantalising dialogue that could as easily with peppered with red herrings as genuine clues.  The GL fans I have been speaking with on twitter have been scratching their heads and throwing up all kinds of whacky suggestions.  My own ‘theory of the week’ has moved on from a time-displaced future Kyle Rayner to Sodom Yat in a scenario where the end of the universe came round in a circle and joined up with the beginning of the universe again.  The Last Lantern becomes the First Lantern. Well… it is only a theory!

As our introduction to Baz continues I find increasingly that I am drawn to the character.  He displays a noble spirit putting the safety of others before his own. Also, in his confrontation with the Justice League he shows a humility that is admirable.  Baz is quick to admit that he is woefully outclassed in the firepower stakes by Superman and the other Leaguers.  This leads to a humorous tribute to Hal Jordan.  When Baz comments, “Maybe I could to take Batman”, the Dark Knight retorts, “He’s a Green Lantern all right!” …Ba-doom-boom-tish!

 

 

The art is superb in this book and it is as much due to the inks and colours as Mahnke’s pencils.  The Justice League look undeniably heroic; every inch the super-powered heavy hitters we want them to be.  But it is with the Green Lantern himself that the art truly excels.  Even at rest green energy radiates from him.  When Batman tries to remove his ring it crackles and explodes.  Terrifying constructs of Sinestro, the rings former owner, scream forth from it causing Batman to leap back.  Simon Baz is as surprised as anyone at this defence mechanism which he concludes will prevent him getting a fair hearing from the League.  He conjures up a car from the inside out.  I’m a sucker for intricate detail in my comic book machinery and the panel of the naked engine is worthy of Jack Kirby himself.

 

He finally manages to shake off the heroes my creating multiple car constructs to cover this getaway.  The geek in me questions why Flash didn’t use his speed to zoom round them all, or Cyborg didn’t satellite track the occupied vehicle, or even Superman utilise his X-Ray vision but it’s easy to set aside.  The sight of Supes holding aloft a green sports car like a kid shaking his money box is just too good to pass up on.

Baz meets his sister who gives him an address which he hopes might lead him to the bomb-maker while our attention is turned back to the Chamber of Shadows last seen in Green Lantern Annual #1.  The Maltusans contemplate their fate at the hands of the Guardians unaware that they share their prison with Black Hand who is trapped in the adjoining chamber with the body of their murdered brother.  The payoff has been worth waiting for.  GL fans knew that Black Hand locked in a room with a corpse could not pass without incident.  Not one to disappoint he turns the dead man into his own billion year old zombie oracle.  A close up image of Hand’s Black Lantern ring is laden with meaning.  It owner’s involvement with this title is far from over.

And there is also something else.  Within the black ring, somehow, Hal Jordan and Thal Sinestro have been transported into another world, a land of the dead.  Ominously, they are not alone.  A hooded figure suggests that even here in limbo Sinestro cannot escape his many enemies.  The creative team of Johns, Mahnke and co. hit a home run in scene after scene in Green Lantern #14 but never more so than in these final few pages.  I’ve read the book at least four times now and my heart races each time I come across the character gesturing towards a dark apocalyptic cityscape behind him.  The anticipation for the next issue teased as “The Dead Zone” is almost too much to bear. _

 

 

 

STRANGE DAYS – GREEN LANTERN #0 & GREEN LANTERN #13

 

 

 As most visitors to Flodo’s Page will no doubt be aware September was “zero month” in the DC universe.  After a year of getting to know our heroes DC decided that it was high time to drop a few origin stories in our laps.  Where Green Lantern differed to most of the rest of these books is that we didn’t get the origin to either of the characters we have been following in the title over the previous 12 months, Hal Jordan and Thal Sinestro.  Instead we were introduced to Simon Baz, a brand new character gracing our pages and taking up the Green Lantern mantel for the very first time.

 

It was an audacious move by the publisher and one not without controversy.  Images of this cowl attired lantern wielding a semi-automatic pistol have been splashed across the comic book back pages and blog sites for months.  Opinion has been firmly split, albeit between the’ I’m not too sure yet’ crowd and the ‘this is a complete bloody travesty, I’m cancelling my pull-list and switching to Marvel’ crowd.  If twitter were to be believed this creation, one that is clearly close to writer Geoff Johns' heart in that it was reputedly modelled after his own experiences, was never going to get a fair hearing.

 

 

 

As a result I held off on posting a review for GL #0 when it was released last month.  I wanted to be sure how I felt about Baz and his introduction into the Green Lantern universe.  I took a chance that his origin was too long to share completely in 20 pages and held off publishing my conclusions until after the release this following month of Green Lantern #13.  And in that regard I was not disappointed.  For me then, GL#0 and GL#13 read together as one complete double issue prologue in preparation for the main event – the trials and tribulations of Green Lantern Baz of sector 2814.

 

Johns had no intention of steering away from the controversy that preceded this book beginning as he does with images of an Arabic-American family watching television with looks of horror and tears streaming down their faces.  Reflected in the eyes of their eldest child are the burning twin towers of the World Trade Centre attack.  As a result of that tragedy the boy spends  the next 10 years of his life being abused and victimised by a culture who treat all Muslims as potential terrorists.  Personally, I found these two pages very moving.  Doug Manke’s pencils capture the adversity Baz and his family face in a very impactful manner.  But at the same time the geek in me recognises that 9/11 did not happen in the DC universe, at least not prior to the reboot as the New 52.

 

 

We fast forward to the present day were Simon is caught up in a police chase when he is startled by the realisation that the stolen van he’s driving contains a massive time bomb.  The digital display confirms that it is live and slowly ticking down to zero.  Showing little regard for his own safety the former automotive engineer takes immediate evasion action and drives the bomb into the grounds of an abandoned factory and just manages to throw himself from the moving vehicle before it detonates.  This is bravery indeed but if he hadn’t it might have been a very short book…

 

 

The action switches to a prison in Guantanamo where our hero has understandably been detained for committing acts of terrorism against the United States.  The security services best interrogators can’t get Baz to admit that he is complicit in the bomb plot.  The tension is ramped up when he is hooded and escorted to a room contained a table fitted out with arm and leg restraints.  The implication is torture and even the US agents can’t agree on the moral proclivities of the line of questioning they are about to pursue.  There is a great panel in this sequence showing the terrified prisoner’s face from under hood.  Manke provides us with enough stylized light with to see the fear in his eyes and sweat beading on his forehead.   With the instincts of a cornered animal he punches wildly in the dark to make a futile break for freedom.

Just as all seems lost a Green Lantern ring comes crashing through the prison walls and attaches itself to Simon’s finger.  But something is wrong.  The ring has an error in its programming.  Instead of transforming him into a Lantern as expected, the ring electrocutes him.  Lightning crackles and stabs at him causing him to scream out in pain.  I don’t know if this is a deliberate choice by the colourists, Avina and Sinclair, but in comparison to other GL books the green light given off by the ring here is unpleasant and sickly.

 Baz is launched with a boom through the ceiling of the interrogation cell.  And make no mistake about it.  This was not the exit of a silver-age lantern gliding effortlessly like a ghost through solid wall.  This departure leaves a gaping hole and a trail of destruction in its wake.  News of his escape is immediately passed to Amanda Waller and does not go unnoticed by the Justice League.  In a teaser panel we briefly glimpse the transformed Third Army slave introduced in Green Lantern Annual before our attention is brought back to an unconscious Simon Baz lying prostrate in a field.  Green energy wisps and smokes around him like the aftermath of an explosion.  He is unaware that his new ring is trying to alert him to a mysterious waiting message.

Elsewhere, in a one page epilogue, Hal Jordan and Sinestro apparently survived their ordeals of the previous issue and are trapped by an unearthly black energy.

 

 

As Green Lantern #13 opens we are back with Amanda Waller, this time briefing the US president on the identities of earth’s Green Lanterns and, of course, the recent activity of Simon Baz. The president demands that she call in the Justice League to pursue the escaped terror suspect.  Meanwhile the man in question continues to lie unconscious somewhere on the southern coast of Florida while the ring recalibrates itself to him, making the reader aware of an incident in his past that involved street racing.  He wakes suddenly to find himself floating a foot or two above the ground in a GL uniform.  The message telegraphed at the end of the previous issue begins to play.

 

The message itself is conveyed via a great piece of artwork.  The vibrant greens of Alex Sinclair’s colourings are back at their best in the rendering of  a contorted morphing of Hal and Sinestro into a light construct that is reminiscent of Pablo Picasso on LSD.  The words attached are a mesh of the two previous ring wielder’s final thoughts before their sudden disappearance in a battle with Black Hand and the Guardians of the Universe.  Despite this, the message could not be clearer.  Get help, and stay the hell away from Oa!

 

A tattoo quoting the word ‘courage’ in Arabic glows green on Simon’s arm as he flies into the heavens, one step ahead of the authorities who are hot on his tail.  The newest lantern’s use of the green energy is bold.  He doesn’t just ‘take off’ or ‘land’.  A more accurate description is that he ‘launches’ himself into the air and when he returns to terra-firma it is with all the force of a meteorite carving out craters from the ground beneath him.

 

 In this issue Geoff Johns sets out to give us a deeper exploration of the lead character’s background.  Away from the action, scenes with his father and sister show the problems his predicament has heaped upon his family.  His sister, Sira, is sacked from her job amidst fears for her colleagues’ safety.  It transpires Simon had already brought hardship down on those closest to him when his brother-in-law was left comatose in an illegal car race between the two.  He is desperate to lift the shame he has brought to their doors and wants to use his sister’s contacts to help identify the person he believes is responsible for setting him up.  Despite all that has passed between them in recent years his sister clearly loves him and remembers times when he fought to protect her from the torments of bigoted troublemakers.

Elsewhere the Guardians Third Army expands relentlessly, adding a transformed truck driver and hitchhiker to their numbers.  Under the Guardians instruction their primary pursuit is to track and assimilate Green Lantern ring slingers.  Like all the best horror movies the mouthless aberrations seem unstoppable.  In one panel they appear to reach out through the fourth wall to grab at us readers and drag us into the page, another unwilling victim of their ghoulish nightmare.

 

 

Back in his hometown of Dearborn, Michigan, Simon wills a full head mask to cover his features from a prying security camera.  In my opinion, this latest GL costume is pretty poor.  There is barely any green on it.  The back appears to be a black one piece leotard that would be more suited to a winter Olympian.  Where the green does appear on the chest, shoulders and boots, it glows in a way that just doesn’t sit right.  It is, perhaps, most similar to John Stewart’s uniform but it has none of the tangibility of his new look metallic shoulder pads.  The mask is worst of all - it looks like a bad imitation of Mr Terrific’s facial T-plate.

 

 

Suddenly, a blue red blur knocks Baz from his rooftop perch.  Before he can draw breath a heroic voice informs him he is in a lot of trouble, “like Justice League trouble”.  In the final poster-worthy splash page the entire league led by Superman bear down on him.  Manke draws a mighty cool JL, better in my assessment than the work Jim Lee does in the League’s own title.  But for the record the yellow glowing lines on Flash’s costume look just as terrible as the Green ones on Baz’s, and he doesn’t even have the excuse of being new to the super-hero business! 