Green Lantern Corps #56

I really should have wrote about this series a few issues ago, but I didn't get around to it. What can I say, it's the new casual me. "Deadlines are for chumps" is my new golden rule. There are a million people doing what I'm doing, and a million people who have already told me that they do it better (or could do it better than me), so why stress about such things. If you need me, I'll be in the hammock located in the office downstairs.* Anyways, enough of my new years philosophy, let's talk about Green Lantern Corps #56.

The main story is that The Weaponer (not a terribly original name) from planet Qward has decided to take revenge on Sinestro. He made the yellow lantern rings for Sinestro, who in turned enslaved his people and ruined his life. In order to get revenge, he kidnaps current Green Lantern, and Sinestro's daughter, Soranik. That's not all! Soranik has been dating Kyle Rayner, so he leads a group of GL's to go rescue her. ALSO! The Weaponer has made a new weapon out of white lantern energy, which was left on Qward by Deadman way back in Brightest Day, that makes him nearly unbeatable. WHEW! It's a little steep in continuity, but it does make for an interesting read.

This particular issue sees a lot of action between the green and yellow lanterns. It takes me back to the days of the Sinestro Corps War storyline, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I know there a bunch of different lantern groups floating around now, but it will always be about the green and yellow battling it out. The addition of The Weaponer keeps the tense battle fresh, making it a three-way bout. Who will end up on top once this over is anyone's guess, but I'd say chances are that everyone loses in the end.

It's also nice to see Kyle and John receive some of the spotlight in this series. They quickly became canon fodder once Hal came back to save the universe from every evil in existence. I always thought that was a shame, since they are rich characters that have many stories left to tell. This issue is a fine example of that, as we get to see Kyle and John take charge of a situation that highlights their qualities. It's very similar to how Emerald Warriors is allowing Guy Gardner to be awesome as well. Hal who? That's what I say! Just kidding, I still like Hal. Don't hate.

The art in this book was cool as well. The battle looks epic, as tons of lanterns battle it with giant constructs from their rings. You'll see a lot of different types of constructs created too. I always make a note to check for variety of ring creations when talking about a GL artist. It's a great area to use some artistic license and create a bunch of wild drawings. I was glad to see that here.

If you haven't been reading GL:Corps, or dropped it for one reason or another, then I would suggest picking it back up. This issue marks the fourth part of "The Weaponer" story, and I highly recommend it.

*- There isn't a hammock in the basement of Coast City. It's just a pile of cardboard boxes and oily rags that I call a hammock.