Thursday, February 3, 2011

COMIC: Top of the Stack - Green Lantern Corps #56 (Review)

Written by Tony Bedard
Pencils by Tyler Kirkham
Cover by Tyler Kirkham, Matt Banning & Nei Ruffino

Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99

It turned out that the third week of January comic book releases had several outstanding series battling over being the top of the stack. Brightest Day #18, Darkwing Duck #8 and Tiny Titans #36 each continued their series quality with another solid issue but there was something in the air - or space if you will - that caught my attention instead. In what has been a revitalization of my interest in the Green Lantern characters in recent weeks, I found myself caught off guard with the latest issue of Green Lantern Corps, #56, enjoying the start of the confrontation that was issues in the making so much that it made an easy selection as the week's top comic.

Tony Bedard took over the writing duties from Peter Tomasi back in May when Blackest Night evolved into Brightest Day and Tomasi went on to start the Emerald Warriors book and has continued the tradition of orchestrating big epic battles so far in his first two Green Lantern Corps story arcs.

This issue finally brought the slow building fight to a boil with Sinestro finally arriving to face off with the Weaponer and his Sinestro Corps along for the ride to battle against the Thunderers and the Green Lanterns stuck in the middle of the conflict. Previous issues were frustrating to read with just how easily the Weaponer had handled the Green Lanterns but in retrospect it made Sinestro's might seem even far greater when he broke through the Weaponer's defenses with ease.

Tyler Kirkham came onto Green Lantern Corps with the start of the Weaponer arc, and he has been a welcome addition to the team. His art fits perfectly with the sci-fi action book, and there is some individualism displayed in the Lanterns use of their power rings. Sinestro looked sinister, and the only nitpick I have with the art was Kyle looking a bit too buff in some panels. The solitary cover featuring Sinestro was eye-catching and was a great example of showing how a simple cover can still reflect the contents of the story unlike say another release that week, Batman: Streets of Gotham #19.

Some fans had dropped the Green Lantern books after the complex mess left in Blackest Night's wake, but as recent top of the stack winners have shown that section of the DC Universe has seemed to find its path and the stories being delivered are reaching the quality the books had pre-Blackest Night. Bedard seems to have a firm grip on the characters and stories that need to be told in the Green Lantern books and Kirkham's art is solid, so I definitely think this book should be one to look out for in months ahead.

Check out Geek Plate's Tumblr for today's Green Lantern/Sinestro themed picspam.

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