It’s no secret that the recent volume of Green Lantern Corps was my personal favorite out of the three main Lantern titles. However just like Rome, nothing can last forever as Sinestro scribe Cullen Bunn takes the reigns. I’ve read his past stuff before and while I’m not his biggest fan the quality of his work speaks for itself. Now we are aware that something has happened to the Corps, but that’s the alluring mystery that can bring a reader to a new #1. It’s what brought me here in the first place (well that and I’m required to review it so….)
As I read this issue, about halfway through I couldn’t help but think to myself “did I miss a chapter?” Normally that’s not something I could categorize this as a good thing. This isn’t an Omega Men instance in where a new reader will feel completely lost, but by the time I finished the issue it’s clear that this was deliberate. It does help that some of the characters themselves around are just as confused as the reader.
So it’s clear that Bunn is making this story to have a mystery element to not only the fate of the Corps, but also Guy Gardners reintroduction and the polarizing choice of having one of the more infamous villains in Green Lantern history (no not Sinestro) Krona joins John Stewart and his platoon. Part’s of me want to judge the abrupt sudden introductions of both of these characters, however the mystery angle has me intrigued enough to see where Bunn takes all the various plot lines.
What’s not in doubt is Bunn’s ability to write John Stewart as a leader. The framing sequence for the issue is the inner monologue of John, this allows for new readers who may not be familiar to John to get a firm grasp on his character, and I’m sure long time fans will be glad to see that despite Convergence John hasn’t changed since we was last seen over two months ago. However the flashback to Stewart’s tour as US Marine I felt was unnecessary when looking at the bigger narrative. Everything that Stewart did in that flashback sequence could have been done within the current battle or at least flesh out the relationships of those around Stewart. In short it was a bit on the nose, that from my perspective should have been better integrated along the main story.
Besides being a fan of The Green Lantern Corps one other reason that made me excited to pick up this new series was the inclusion of Jesus Saiz as the main artist. While most comic book fans will look at a comic book done by Saiz, as he isn’t the flashiest artist on the block. What he does to perfection is storytelling and his character models look like actual people. Despite that this is taking place in a galactic setting, his art makes it feel more grounded which allows the reader to connect to the characters on the page. Jesus Saiz’s art is deceptively simple at a glance but once a reader stops for a minute, they to will see the majestic beauty of Jesus Saiz’s art.
Green Lantern: Lost Army has me hooked and I want to see where Cullen Bunn is going with all this. While I did enjoy that he nailed John Stewart’s voice down, I’m even more hyped to see him flesh out the other characters on the roster. Combine that with Jesus Saiz’s beautiful skills on the page and I will be reading this book for the long haul.
Green Lantern: Lost Army #1 earns a 4/5
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