New This Week 9/5/12

-Theories & Thought Bubbles-

            The New 52 changed almost everything in the DC Universe, during the ending of Flashpoint something happened, something that DC has taken more than a year to explain. Until the release of the forthcoming zero issues next month, we still won’t know the whole story.

However, one aspect of the DC Universe was left virtually unaltered, The Green Lantern storyline picked up right where War of the Green Lanterns left off, Sinestro was once again a member of the Corps and Hal was shipped back to Earth, ringless. Over the course of the last year, Sinestro has partnered up with Hal against the wishes of the Guardians of the Universe. Together they have discovered the origin of the Indigo Tribe and successfully exterminated most of the Sinestro Corps. But during their last mission, Black Hand killed himself and received a Black Ring.

Green Lantern Annual #1 is an epic yarn, written by Geoff Johns and saw the return of Ethan Van Sciver as artist, effectively reuniting the dream team that brought us Green Lantern: Rebirth. Using Black Hand, a character Johns brought from obscurity, the team behind this comic gives the reader a whole new reason to absolutely hate the Guardians. As always, Johns’ writing stands out amongst his peers, using twists and canon to support his emotionally charged story and dialog. Some of the best dialog happens between Sinestro and Hal, almost like two detectives assigned to work together against their will. As each page is turned, new paths are opened in the Green Lantern universe that readers have been waiting on since before Blackest Night. And without spoiling too much of the story, everything does change for the entire corps.

            Aside from Johns’ excellent script, Van Sciver’s art literally jumps from the panels. Most of the frames are extremely energized contain very little standard panel structure. Emotion, action, flashback, and exposition are all executed perfectly. Energy sparking from both Hal and Sinestro as they exercise their willpower is contrasted by the sickly black ooze and dead eyes of Black Hand and his undead minions. As in most of the Lantern books, color plays a major role. Van Sciver and colorist Hi-Fi use color and tone to massively affect the way the comic feels, shrouding the guardians in shadow and darkness, while making Sinestro and Hal shine brightly. I can’t describe the art in this book and do it justice, you’re just going to have to read it for yourself. I can tell you this team is highly creative and their work will probably be prominent at DC for years.

This comic is the culmination of more than 3 years of comic book collecting, I’ve been following Geoff Johns since the first issue of Blackest Night and to this day I’m still blown away by the level of commitment he has shown to the Lantern universe. You can really tell that he loves what he does, because his care and dedication come through in his stories. I highly recommend Green Lantern Annual #1 to anyone looking to jump into The New 52, and coupled with the upcoming Zero Month, I guarantee readers are going to see something they never expected.

Josh Nelson

Unabashed Green Lantern Fanboy and Avid Flatterer

-Events This Week-

Monday – CLOSED
Tuesday – 230pm – 6pm – Pathfinder
Wednesday – 5pm & 6pm – D&D Encounters
Thursday – 530pm – 8pm -  Magic the Gathering – Casual
Friday – 530pm – 9pm – Friday Night Magic – Standard Constructed – $5
Saturday – Noon – Magic Celebration – Free to play!
Saturday – 4pm – 7pm – Draw Club
Sunday – Noon – Heroclix
Sunday – 3pm – Kaijudo League Play
Sunday – 330pm – Board Game Open Play