We now enter the second week of DC’s Villains month and for the Green Lantern titles, the focus shifts from our new friend Relic to a old staple for the DC Universe. That villain is the leader of Warworld, Mongul. This should be stated right off that bat before this review can get underway with the contents inside, this issue does not tie into Forever Evil nor does it seem to deal with the upcoming Lights Out crossover next month for the Lantern books. Instead this issue that is 100% Mongul and that might be a good or bad thing depending on the type of reader who buys this book. Now co creator of Mongul Jim Starlin and veteran artist Howard Porter reintroduce Mongul to the New 52, but the question is do they do an effective enough job? Let’s open page one and find out.

It should be stated for any new readers or any unfamiliar with Jim Starlin’s work but he is known to many as the master of cosmic. He made his name at Marvel and DC with his stories that centered around the cosmos far from earth, so needless to say this reviewers expectations are a bit high for this one shot. We open page one with a glorious rendering of Warworld being surround by space ships by Howard Porter and it appears that he has returned to full form from his hand accident several years ago. Porter’s art has such immense detail that it gives the feeling a actual lived in universe. Starlin decides for us to see Warworld’s assailants who demand absolute surrender. The commanding officer is quickly transported to a very lively Warworld and all the terrors inside.

The next two pages quickly catches readers up to speed on how and what Warworld is like. Porter’s art rich detail brings the floating death ship to ironic life, he also makes the aliens in the back round are all “acting” in their own way, not one alien is doing the same thing as another alien. It’s the details that make this one shot that much more enjoyable.

and now we enter our main character for this issue as Mongul makes his way onto center stage. With a great combo from Starlin and Porter they do an excellent job of reintroducing Mongul to readers. Mongul is depicted as the ruthless, calculating, cold and extremely arrogant all which lines up perfectly with Mongul’s character. This all is cut in between a retelling of Mongul’s early years which influences his character that we know now. It goes without saying that Starlin and Porter did their job of making Mongul a menacing character.

Now while Mongul is indeed menacing, Starlin and Porter show that this floating death ship is called Warworld for a reason. Starlin lays out a well done scene with how Warworld destroys a planet and he adds that cosmic flair with a moon crashing into a planet. Something you just don’t see much in comics anymore. We are teased at the end with Mongul heading towards a Green Lantern safe house and his line of dialog establishes that he and the Green Lantern Corps have clashed before and hopefully this indicates Mongul will be showing in the main Green Lantern books in the near future.

Overall this issue was a wonderful spotlight on Mongul his origins and how Warworld works and while it doesn’t progress the story for Lights Out it is still a nice small look into the warlord Mongul. Starlin proves that he still has it when it comes to outer space warlords and it’s nice to see Howard Porter drawing at full strength.

Green Lantern #23.2:Mongul receives a 4/5