Hot headed New God Orion with hot headed Hal Jordan, on the run from a thing that looks like something Marvel could sue DC over. Also Kyle Rayner is here.
Even though this issue was action packed, it seems to me that this New Gods arc will be a beefy arc. I say that because this issue barely moved the needle in terms of overall story, Some might say that nothing was gained from this chapter. At least at the end of the issue, readers are given a reason as to why Orion is being chased down but only, but not enough to spoil whatever twist Venditti has planned. What this comic lacks in overall story progression, it’s easily made up with sheer spectacle. I can’t tell you how may comics I’ve read since I started reading (and maybe it’s my love of Godzilla), but nothing beats a giant thing terrorizing a city.
A lot of the credit for how entertaining this issue was goes to Rafa Sandoval. I don’t want to take away from what Venditti does with his character work and overall pacing on this comic, but Sandoval brings that spectacle to life. Scale is one the trickiest things to work in comics, the confined space doesn’t allow the same breathing room that movies or even television provide. Sandoval use of scale on the giant celestial being is breathtaking, even when the celestial is kneeling down you can tell how massive this thing is. It’s pretty easy to declare that Sandoval’s line art is great, but his layouts with this issue are truly outstanding. I can’t help but think that Sandoval was inspired by Kirby’s design choices when it came to how these pages would be laid out. Each double page spread feels like it has a interlocking feeling to it, yet it also feels chaotic, a beautiful combination that under a lesser artist would, the grandeur would be there.
One interesting aspect that Venditti seeks to bring back is John Stewart’s trauma with the planet of Xanshi. For years this was the only real plot point that Green Lanterns would bring up for Stewart, so much that it became a meme. What I’ve liked about Venditti’s characterization of Stewart is that Xanshi wasn’t a talking point, I believe it was brought up a couple of times but nothing on a consistent basis. At least in this instance, bringing up Xanshi actually has a connection with this story due to the New Gods showing up. Going back to Sandoval for just a second, I love his facial expression for John. If you’re like me and you didn’t read the original story that involved the destruction of Xanshi, this one panel sells the pain and guilt that John still carries with him (despite Dr. Manhattan rewriting the universe).
Hal #27 delivers a fun action filled romp and an angry New God, what more could you ask for?!
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #27 earns a 3/5