The writing on the wall doesn’t bode well for the future of Kyle Rayner my friends. Time appears to be appears to be running out for the resident White Lantern, as he still continues to struggle with his new relationship and the ultimate fate of his powers. Only three issues remain before DC dives into Convergence, and New Guardians will bid farewell. What exactly will Kyle have to endure? It’s going to be a long three months before any of these will actually be answered, but until then let’s all together countdown the pages of Kyle Rayner.

Instead jumping right into the story, Jordan goes for a classic cold opening sequence to kick off the final arc for New Guardians. The way the it’s structured gives off a Godzilla esque fashion. It allows for artist returning artist Diogenes Neves to pay homage to the classic monster comics of old with a cosmic twist. The sense of perspective between human and monster on page three is outstanding, not to mention the inclusion of a character from the ill forgotten Future’s End tie-in. While at a glance this could be seen a throw away but the reintroduction of a familiar black goop makes it all connect.

Since Jordan decided to open with an homage to old monster comics, the next scene is dedicated to Carol and Kyle’s “relationship” where they have the talk. The talk between Carol and Kyle feels genuine, two people who might not love each other for the right reasons. It’s brings an interesting light to what their relationship is. Is Carol really in love with Kyle, or she only in love with him because she wants to keep her ring? With only three issues remaining this could potentially be the obstacle that keeps Kyle and Carol from actually being together, since they haven’t been able to do anything resembling a couple.

Clearly they both have some feelings for each other but at the end of they day, their own baggage from previous relationships weighs both of them down. That’s been hinted at in previous issues but now it’s at the forefront. Neves did a find enough job of capturing the emotions of both Carol and Kyle, but during a few panels some faces are just completely out of tune from what’s being said in dialog. Lucky those are few and the rest capture the tense romantic vibe between the two lanterns.

The second half of the issue makes not only the introduction come full circle but the appearance of Oblivion on the final page will make the reader think that Jordan is ready to wrap up all his previous plot threads from his entire run on New Guardians. The issue has a slight horror vibe with Oblivion’s message to Kyle. Kyle’s expression tells it all once he see’s his perverted symbol, but once Oblivion himself appears on the page it’s clear that he’s supposed to be Venom inspired. Given the black outfit, being a twisted version, and the extremely long tongue makes the homage just a bit over done. It feels more like a ripoff than a new creation for Kyle to fight, thankfully Oblivion doesn’t speak in the third person.

The pacing overall for the issue was a bit off once Kyle and Carol finish having their talk, before the reader can get their bearings the issue is over. The art on this issue was a more consistent than previous issues of New Guardians, and the monster shots were a welcomed addition. This was a solid beginning to the final arc of this beloved series.

Green Lantern New Guardians earns a 3/5

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