So, here we see yet another issue in the build-up to the Blackest Night and what an issue it is.  We see a new Corp being born, another one is soon to rise, and the old guard spiraling down into madness.

In this issue, we see the beginnings of the Red Lantern Corps.  From the looks of things, the RLs will be a more savage corp than even the Sinestro Corps.  I imagine they'll be more like berserkers than anything.  The use of Qull, the originator of the Book of Oa prophecies, in the making of the Red Power Battery via blood sacrifice was a nice touch.  The fact that the Red Lanterns appear to be born of the remnants of the Empire of Tears certainly doesn't bode well for the GLs.  It's amazing how one little side-story 20 years back has served for potentially the greatest epic DC has done in a long time.  Kudos to Geoff Johns for mining the past with a purpose and skill that shows him the current greatest comic writer DC has right now.  He jockeys for position as today's most prolific comic book writer with Ed Brubaker, in my opinion.

On the other side, we see the rise of the Orange Lanterns in the form of the Darkstar Controllers.  I applaud Johns for not just pulling random Corps out his rectum but truly basing these Corps often in pre-existing groups.  The use of the Empire of Tears and the Controllers for the Red and Orange Lanterns is a nice touch and shows Johns isn't simply making five new Corps out of nothing, but each so far has a history very much tied to the mythos of the Green Lanterns.

Of course, one can't comment on this issue without mentioning the impact on the GL Corps itself.  The second law, lethal force authorized to ALL "enemies" of the Green Lantern Corps has been enforced.  Frankly, it's a logical and natural progression. ,  It's actually quite surprising the greatest peacekeeping force in the galaxy lasted this long WITHOUT lethal force.  It's not a bad law by any means and Sinestro IS right about them needing it but one could see how things could go downfall.  Speaking of Sinestro, Johns has REALLY made this guy a great villain.  Sinestro has gone from being another power-hungry space-fascist into a truly terrifying fanatic that genuinely sees his stance to be right, only further frightening by the fact that he isn't entirely wrong.  Mr. Johns, you get another kudos.  A kudos from Mike McKone as well for making Sinestro red instead of pink and for the great artwork on Sinestro's eyes.  Ever since the "...and the universe will be better for it" line, Sinestro's most striking feature has been his creepy little eyes and McKone did a great job in showing that here.

However, clearly, the biggest issue the Green Lanterns have right now is the formation of the Alpha Lanterns, who are truly creepy and scary.  This has to be the most obvious case that the Guardians' aversion to emotion is going to be their undoing.  The idea that you would knowingly transform loyal and moral members of the Corps into cold-hearted Manhunter hybrids is sheer lunacy and proof Ganthet and Sayd were right to depart the Corps when they did.  And as Sinestro deftly points out, the Guardians should be focusing on preparing for the next war instead of trying to curb the tide of fate.  As seemingly always, the Guardians' greatest enemy is turning out to be themselves again.

And of course, we have the end where Laira is reborn as a Red Lantern.  Honestly, it was kind of predictable since the death of Amon Sur that Laira's rage would signal her turn from green to red.  That said, it's a perfectly logical, if predictable, progression of her character.  The transformation was really cool to see and I really anticipate the next chapter of the road to Blackest Night.