Green Lantern Corps #36
If you are looking for a calm, contemplative or uncharismatic comic book...then keep looking, because the latest issue of Green Lantern Corps is none of those things. The action is heart-pumping and non-stop.
The most contemplative part of the book is at the beginning, wherein Sinestro does indeed confirm his cliff-hanger of a statement that Soranik Natu is his daughter and that furthermore, he's been looking after her for a very long time. Needless to say, Soranik is less than thrilled to learn that dear old Dad is actually the most reviled character in Korugar's long and storied history. It is rather poignant, to watch Sinestro as loving father and husband...Pat Gleason draws a simply adorable infant and toddler version of Soranik. I suppose that we must also take into consideration that these events are told only from Sinestro's point of view, so they may be a little more than self-serving, but still...! Sinestro is good enough to warn Soranik about Atrocitus and the fact that he knows that Sinestro HAS a child,if not her identity, and that if she needs help, all she has to do is yell.
Meanwhile, back on Oa, the riot in the Sciencells still rages. Really, the Guardians should just install revolving doors on the Sciencells at this point, it would cut down considerably on the wear and tear, not to mention the paperwork. This is our only glimpse of Guy, Kyle, Kilowog and so many others as they fight valiantly to quell the disturbance,but it is quite visually exciting, and rather unnusually, instead of dialogue, there is narration by either the Central Power Battery, or by one of the Ring, which is interesting.
Voz, against all expectations is still hanging in there, alive and kicking, although quite a bit the worse for wear. There is a lovely shot of Brik vs. Lyssa Drak.
Finally, we end up on Daxam, where Sodam Yat and Arisa are still trying to save the natives from Mongul and his happy hordes. While Arisia clings and pleads, Sodam flies off to confront Mongul, who is busy having his sculptural likeness made. I was rather surprised by Arisia in this, she's usually got a lot more gumption. Sodam is running into something of a problem, Daxam has a red sun, so no enhanced powers, and he can't seem to access the ION power either, due to Scar's interferance, although he doesn't know that yet. But he's a Green Lantern after all, and he doesn't let little setbacks like this daunt him. He may not be quite in Guy's league when it comes to sheer stubbornness,but he's getting there.
So...! A lot of chaos, confusion and lovely lovely action, leading up to the Blackest Night. The story is perking along quite nicely. Scar can be proud of herself.
posted by SallyP @ 12:45 PM
7 Comments:
Of course, Sinestro would think he was the perfect father, just like he was the perfect Green Lantern, and the perfect protector of Korugar.
Still, considering how well Soranik turned out, you gotta wonder ...!
I do love how Sinestro's having layers peeled back, revealing why he always seemed to be a mustache-twirling cartoon of a bad guy when there was so much more to him. Kudos to Johns and Tomasi for giving him so much more depth.
But yeah, Arisia does seem to be headed for definition as Sodam's girlfriend and conscience, doesn't she? Too bad. I'm hoping she'll end up being the one to kick Mongul's butt, but really my money's on Sinestro.
--Jack of Spades
Sinestro holding his baby = the most adorable Sinestro picture I've ever seen.
Sinestro taking his baby flying = the second most adorable Sinestro picture I've ever seen.
I think he's implying, though, that his obsession with order started with Soranik's birth. I'm sure he was an uptight fellow beforehand anyway, but there he is looking at the world and realizing how unsafe it is and how easily things can go wrong, and suddenly he has a little bundle in his arms that gives him all the reason in the universe to use his power to make things as perfect and safe for her as he can. I think that would be a very natural thing for a parent to wish they could do, but the difference with Sinestro is that he really had the power, and he was just obsessive and unbalanced enough to believe that he was right to do so. Or even that he had the responsibility to do so!
I can believe that he was a good parent in the beginning, but his tattooing of Soranik unnerves me a little. I can understand wanting to make sure he never lost her again, and I can even believe he truly meant it as both a safety measure and a token of love, but... her face? You have to be truly self-centered to believe that you and your motives are important enough to mar your child's face when it would have been just as easy to mark an arm or leg or whatever.
I'm annoyed with how Arisia is being portrayed here. She's the senior Lantern, with far more experience than Sodam, and yes, she ususally has a lot more gumption, and yet here she is, standing around whining and letting Sodam put his incredibly stupid plan into action. Couldn't she at least have had the common sense to advise Sodam to ask for permission to access the Ion power before flying into the fray? She's dealt with Hal and Guy enough to know how to handle a stubborn "I gotta do this alone" kind of man.
But then, whenever a man is the star of a storyline (which is 99 percent of the time), the girl in his life almost always suddenly becomes limp and useless and annoying.
I'd never thought I'd read a Green Lantern book and go all "Aaaaww..."
DC should make an entire issue of all Green Lanterns as babies! Just imagining Lil'Kilowog makes my heart smile.
But I digress.
I was quite annoyed with the Arisia thing too, but then I remembered that - if the previews are correct - she'll lead the Daxamites against the yellow baddies and will do a pretty darn good job. At least until Big Hero Sodam makes it back to close the deal.
*Grrr*
That guy is seriously heading towards Sector number Mary Sue.
That girlfriend moment was totally of out of character.
The baby pictures of Soranik and Sinestro were simply adorable. It is interesting that we never see the face of her mother however. I wonder if there is another trick up their sleeve? Maybe SHE'S the lost Star Sapphire?
But yes, Arisia was oddly gormless in this issue. Sodam is ok, he's not my favorite by any means, but he's...ok. Still he makes me a little bit nervous, in that he's got such a hair-trigger temper about some things, and he's a little too ready to take the Guardian's word for everything. Of course being contrary seems to be mainly an earth-Lantern habit.
I noticed that we never see Soranik's mother's face, but it never occurred to me that there might be a reason for it. The Lost Sapphire! That would be awesome!
And according to the solicit for Green Lantern #45, Sinestro is going to be assaulting Zamaron (exactly one issue after he mops up Mongul, ha!), so that would be a perfect time for her to show up.
I think it's interesting that Soranik didn't ask about her birth mother, and Sinestro didn't volunteer the information. I also think it's interesting that she just gave Soranik away rather than running away with her. And then he talk about how she was good at keeping secrets, so he obviously had contact with her afterwards. To me that implies that she didn't leave Sinestro herself. At least not right away. I assumed she died or something, but it would be super awesome if she was a Star Sapphire.
To be fair, Soranik has had a lot of information dumped upon her in a short period of time, so I can understand that she didn't start asking questions about Mom. That will probably come shortly, however.
You notice that they rather carefully don't say that she's dead or anything. She IS rather myserious...so I'm wondering if there are going to be further revelations.
Oh, won't it be fun?
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