Green Lantern #17

Wow! Just wow.

I have to admit that I was getting a little bit fed up with Hal lately. The whole bounty hunter thing, being a POW, and all seemed to be dragging a tad. But I take it all back with this issue.

Right off the bat, (heh) we have Batman talking to the rest of the Justice League, who are getting the Global Guardians defried, and Hal's name cleared, while Bats is out doing a little urban renewal. Then from out of the blue comes the yellow Sinestro ring that has been making its way to earth. It declares that since Batman inspires great fear, that he is now inducted into ...the Sinestro Corps! Boy howdy, I did not see that coming.

Batman manages to fend the ring off, helped by the fact that Hal had let him use his Green Lantern ring earlier, so the Sinestro ring rejects Batman, and flies off looking for another subject. I will say that Ivan Reis draws a fabulous-looking Batman, while the color just glow...along with with ring-induced bats, which I thought was a really neat touch.

And then, we jump right into the action back where we last left Hal, dressed in his flight suit, his ring depowered, and being loomed over by a very peeved Amon Sur. Hunger Dog is also there, making sure that he gets his bounty, and the little bug-guy, named Loragg, who is holding the head of a Manhunter. I can't help but imagine that Loragg sounds just like Peter Lorre.

Well, Amon Sur is being quite the pain, bloviating on in proper super-villain fashion. His father wasn't there for him, it's all Hal's fault, and the Green Lantern Corps, blah, blah, blah. He makes Hal take him to where his father Abin Sur was buried, digs up the corpse and gets all weepy.

Nobody in my opinion can whine quite like Hal Jordan when he gets going, but in this case, even Hal is revolted. Loragg (in Peter Lorre's voice) keeps urging Amon Sur to kill Hal, but Hal, bless his heart just taunts him about what a big coward he really is. Amon Sur of course doesn't take this particularly well, and after a bit more boasting, he knocks Hal flat on his magnificent buttocks and takes a blast at him...

...Which is intercepted by none other than Hunger Dog, who in a really fabulous splash page, is revealed to be... John Stewart! Woohoo! Actually I had pretty well guessed that Hunger Dog was John by this point, but still, it was so nice to see him again. Plus he and Hal have some rather fun banter together. Then, sans ring, Hal goes for Amon Sur and proceeds lay down some serious whup-ass, even summoning up some nice Batman-like moves.

Then the Sinestro Corps ring...you remember the Sinestro Corps ring?...shows up and decides that Amon Sur is just the ticket. Amon Sur, being the bad guy, is of course delighted and is all ready to use his new power against Hal and John, when the ring decides to take him for training, which really ticks him off.

Hal and John are left standing in a crater as Amon Sur disappears, then we switch to a lovely quiet scene on Ungara, which was Abin Sur's home planet. Hal has brought Abin's body home and raised an appropriate memorial, which is a nice touch. Hal may be slow sometimes, but he does get it eventually.

Finally, he goes to see how Cowgirl is doing, and to angst a bit more about how the airforce base had been ripped up by Amon Sur. Cowgirl essentially tells him to lighten up...Hal. Guess she's a bit brighter than Carol.

Speaking of which, Star Sapphire is shown on the last page, right outside Ferris Air. Won't that be interesting?

The art was gorgeous, and ditto for the coloring, while the story zipped along nicely, and with fun bits of dialogue. Amon Sur is a bit long-winded, but that's his job.

Very very good.