3.5 Razors

Green Lantern #1

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green-lantern-v5-1-coverI was a little reluctant to pick up a Green Lantern comic where Sinestro was the hero of the book. Although Hal Jordan gets plenty of pages here, he’s no longer the Green Lantern of Earth. That responsibility has fallen to his former mentor (and deadly enemy).

The first issue of Green Lantern proves to be one of DC’s better #1’s of the recent reboot. The focus is split between Sinestro (and the Guardians of the Universe) coming to terms with a ring choosing the Lanterns most hated foe and Hal Jordan’s life which has quickly fallen apart since his ring was stripped from him following the events of War of the Green Lanterns.

We’re reminded once again, the only thing Hal Jordan ever did well (other than flying jets) was being a hero. Seeing him stuck in a purposeless rut, without a job, cash, car or even a relationship (Hal proves once again he’s not a great date) writer Geoff Johns reminds us just because someone is a great hero doesn’t mean they’re a great man.

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Red Lanterns #1

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Although I’ve been a Green Lantern fan for almost my entire life (aside from those dark days known as the Ron Marz years) I had no intention of picking up the first issue of Red Lanterns. Atrocitus and the Red Lanterns burst onto the scene in Final Crisis and (along with the other colors of the rainbow all given their own power rings) have been a big part of Green Lantern comics ever since.

Unlike the Green Lantern Corps, the Red Lanterns use their rage and anger to fuel their rings. Their leader, Atrocitus, blames the Guardians of the Universe for the destruction of his home sector of space. Now that Hal Jordan has killed Krona, the Guardian responsible for the massacre, the leader of an army bloodthirsty killers with hate-fueled wish rings finds himself at an impasse.

Over the last two-thirds of the comic writer Peter Milligan does a fairly good job going over the events surrounding the Red Lanterns and bringing new readers up to speed. It’s the opening story, however, that made me pick this issue up.

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Animal Man #1

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animal-man-v2-1-coverFor those who have no experience with the character Animal Man may be a little hard to understand. Part super-hero, part animal activist, part horror protagonist, and part family man, the character of Buddy Baker is as far on the edge of the DCU as you can get, which was why I was pleasantly surprised when he earned a title as part of DC’s “New 52.”

Animal Man has the ability to tap the morphogenetic field (known as “the Red”) and mimic the abilities of various animals for short periods of time. He can even combine the abilities, such as the speed of a cheetah, stink of a skunk, and the strength of a rhino, all together.

As the comic begins former actor, hero, stuntman, and now actor again, Baker finds himself wrapping up a small role in and independent film, spending time with his family, and throwing on the tights to end a stand-off in a hospital’s children’s ward.

The stand-off in the hospital is especially well done and writer Jeff Lemire gives us one creepy ending involving Baker’s daughter Maxine (which I won’t spoil here).

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Stormwatch #1

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stormwatch-1-coverStormwatch is an attempt to bring the Wildstorm super-team (that was the precusor to The Authority) into the DCU. The first issue is a mixed success, but still enough of one that I’m willing to give it a couple of issues to see where it goes.

On the plus side, the inclusion of Martian Manhunter works much better than I anticipated, and I also like that the team created to be a secret black ops squad working jobs the Justice League is too visible to handle. In a universe with the JLA, and several other super-hero teams, this gives a reason for Stormwatch to exist. And J’onn J’onzz (being a shapeshifter, and one who can read minds) would seem to be exactly the type of individual the team would recruit.

The main story involves the team of the Martian Manhunter, Jack Hawksmoor, and the Projectionist attemting to recruit Apollo. Writer Paul Cornell gets into a little trouble by trying to introduce a large number of characters at once (Jenny Quantum‘s tale and the adventure on the moon could both have waited another month or so), but I am glad to know the Engineer is still around.

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Morning Glories #12

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morning-glories-12-coverAfter giving us a series of issues centered around each of the new students at Morning Glories Academy the latest issue spotlights the return of Miss Hodge, the school’s guidance counselor.

The issue opens with Hodge’s return to the school which starts in the middle of nowhere at an apparent military facility as the character takes an elevator miles below the earth, transfers a huge empty warehouse (in a hazmat suit), and goes through a vault to to arrive at the school. I’m guessing the school doesn’t get many visitors.

The rest of the issue involves Hodge meeting with Miss Daramount, the school nurse, and several of the students one-on-one. In typical Morning Glories fashion, the meetings are far from regular talks. Hodge gives Zoe a gun, struggles to talk with Jun and Ike, and offers Casey her heart’s desire (after getting a right hook on the chin).

The addition of Hodge gives the comic yet another wild card. The start of a new arc, issue #12 is a good jump in point for those looking to jump into the series. Worth a look.

[Image, $2.99]

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