Green Lantern #44
Review by ohcaroline:
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari
Size: 32 Pages
Price: $2.99
I dunno, you guys. I picked this issue up because I like Hal and Barry, and because so many people are talking about Blackest Night like it's the Second Coming. I thought this was a mostly unobjectionable, above-average superhero comic. There were some really nice pages -- that opening with the Oreo -- but most of this issue seemed to be heroes (and a maybe zombie-ex-hero?) expositioning at each other about their personal histories. The Hal & Barry banter was cute, though I feel virtually the same scene was done better in Flash Rebirth.
I thought this was resoundingly okay. Whether I'm bugged by the hype, or a victim of high expectations, or just being contrary, I still don't think it's for me.
1032
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Avg Rating: 4.5
Users who pulled this comic:
Sweedy kevmann16 zack JBaughb HolidayHaley besighyawn JimBilly4 immortalfireboy thedude XomneonUsers who reviewed this comic:
changingshades SarahMonkey JimintheCuse ohcaroline vadamowens TheNextChampion akamuuComments
How familiar are you with Martian Manhunter? I think part of what I like about this issue is that the Manhunter was such a strong presence in these men's lives. He would telepathically link them in battle and served as a sort of team psychiatrist. Having someone who knew you so intimately come back and tell you that you shouldn't be alive would be devastating (in my opinion). That is the hook that drew me in and held me in thrall.
Posted by stuclach on 07/23/09 at 10:06 PM
@TheNextChampion I don't even remember what I've read of this, to be honest. I don't feel like I have a lack of understanding of the story, but I could be wrong. Anyway, I'm just judging this issue as itself and I found it somewhat lacking. Not *bad*, I just wasn't hooked.
@stuclach Huh, that's an interesting take, thanks. I mean, I love J'onn. The 'Final Crisis Requiem' issue with him made me sob, and he's been the heart of every Justice League book I've read. So it's not a lack of attachment to him, or a lack of believing in his relationship with Barry. It's more that, on one hand, I'm trying to figure out if the zombie is really him or just something Barry's seeing in his head, and on the other hand it seems like the dialogue is made up more of characters explaining things to each other than it is of genuinely emotional. It's a little too arcane and a little too simple at once, if that makes any sense. (It probably doesn't sorry!)
Posted by ohcaroline on 07/23/09 at 10:56 PM
You made me think about why it is I've been liking this stuff.
I guess I was comletely expecting this story to be a huge dissapointment when it transitioned from 2 monthly titles to an "event". When I keep seeing the lists of dead characters I never heard of and clouds of rings flying across space, I keep bracing myself for a very fragmented, diluted story like final crisis. Maybe I just like it because doesn't suck like I was expecting. The overall story is disorganized, but I keep finding little parts that are touching and scary at the same time.
Posted by Aalbatr0ss on 07/24/09 at 12:22 PM
And see, I loved Final Crisis, but this kind of bored me. Different strokes.
Posted by ohcaroline on 07/27/09 at 03:53 PM
Did you read Blackest Night #0-1? Cause you should start at the beginning when you have the chance.
Posted by TheNextChampion on 07/23/09 at 01:18 PM