Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps #49
DC Comics
Writer: Robert Vendetti
Artists: Rafa Sandoval and Sergio Fernandez Davila
Oa is at war, there’s an unstoppable army reaching inevitable victory, enemies are now allies, and Hector Hammond just gets freakier by the minute. We’ve reached the penultimate chapter of the epic “Darkstar” saga and things just keep heating up. Kicking off from the previous issue, we find Hal and Hammond trying to stop the Darkstars by disrupting the Controller’s feed, Guy, Kyle and their new gang of allies are in the centerfold of Darkstar space, and John is at the ground zero of Oa, taking charge once more as the Green Lantern’s tactical leader against overwhelming odds.
Talk about dramatic! Vendetti continues to entertain us by really ramping up the threat of the Darkstars, and you really do feel the danger and sheer scope of the army, who outnumber and seemingly overpower our heroes. However, like any good hero’s journey, we must fall before we rise back stronger. Vendetti’s current arc has been satisfying, tying up some of the previous plots with certain characters, culminating in this epic battle royale over the age-old argument of “are vengeance and justice the same?”
Over the course of this series, I’ve really enjoyed how Vendetti has written these characters. Hal has always been a favorite of mine, mainly because of how idiotic he can be but ends up emerging victorious out of sheer stubbornness (and, er, willpower), but I’ve really begun liking not only the other Corpsmen but the other characters involved in the series, especially the villains. Arkillo’s buddy-cop bromance with Guy has been surprisingly wholesome and fun to read, Hector Hammond, a character I kind of thought was okay and just odd-looking, has been made sympathetic but also continues to freak me out. And then comes the “Big Bad” of this arc: Tomar-Tu. But can you even call him a big bad? Tomar’s arc throughout the series has been a tragic, but understandable, downfall.
Sure, the Darkstars idea of “justice” is one that should maybe be tweaked and turned down a notch, but Tomar’s fall from the Green Lantern’s grace has been something I’ve sympathized with. I mean, the guy killed a child killer who had gotten away multiple times; you can understand his rage. While the development of the Yellows and Greens working together was great, you knew full well that it was inevitably going to fall apart. While browsing some forums about this issue, I did see some people compare Tomar to a slight reflection of Hal and how he acted in his “Parallax” days, and it’s something that could be explored a little. While I do enjoy the different spectrum of Lanterns, I also enjoy seeing other opponents who do question their methods without the use of a power ring. Hopefully, Vendetti keeps Tomar as villain/antagonist to Hal, exploring the character and his ideals deeper and even raising more questions on how effective the Lanterns are. Having a character who is tied on a personal level to Hal also helps make this dynamic more fun and interesting to explore.
I’m in love with Sandoval and Davila’s artwork. Honestly, Hal & Pals has had some fantastic artists, probably some of the best out of Rebirth honestly. Sandoval & Davila draws these characters in a cinematic light, which helps with demonstrating the grand scale of these intergalactic police forces. The designs of the constructs have this simplistic but also epic looks to them and are complimented greatly with Jordi Tarragona’s inks and Tomeu Morey’s colors. Each page is just bursting with action and you can really feel the energy of what’s going on.
So it all comes down to the epic conclusion on the big 5-0 in two weeks. Will the Green Lanterns not only emerge victoriously but also prove that their method of justice works? Or will Tomar-Tu shed a new light? Be sure to check out this series folks, it’s a great one and I eagerly look forward to the conclusion.
Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps #49
The Penultimate chapter of the Darkstar saga continues to heat up and entertain.
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