Green Lantern Annual #2 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Robert Venditti
Art By: Sean Chen
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 30, 2013

The Light Bill Is Due!

Well we're finally here, and by here I mean we're hopefully not going to see another big cross over for awhile.  Not saying that this wasn't a good story arc, I just want to see the individual titles do their own thing.  Just think about those poor people that can't afford, or don't want to pick up every Lantern title.  Anyway Light's Out is over, so let's get to the Kandi Bar so I can...

Explain It!:

So we begin this issue on Ysmault, where the Red Lanterns have agreed to get their rage on, against the colossus Relic.  But the Corps. doesn't know where Relic, or Kyle who they believe to be with Relic (guess what.  They're right) is.  Now the other writer of Weird Science; Jim, has been arguing with me about Hal being jealous of Kyle, and Carol hanging out so much.  I told him he was crazy, and I didn't read anything into their partnering up.  Well turns out, like so many other things, I was wrong.  Carol knows where to find Kyle because of her love tether.  So before we can go save the universe we have to have another installment of what I like to call.  Asshole: Hal Jordan be thy name.  The whole of the universe is in jeopardy, but Hal is going to take time out to be a jealous ex boyfriend.  Luckily for the universe, and all of us at home, it only lasts a couple panels.  The Lanterns go to find Kyle, and Relic.

On the edge of the universe, Relic is trying to penetrate the source wall.  But all of his attempts are in vain.  Even though the Templar Guardians, and the White Lantern Kyle Rayner agree to help him, Relic lets his frustration get the better of him.  Being positive, that all he needs is more power he proceeds to try and drain Kyle of his power.  If you haven't been following the rest of the story, Kyle is now empowered by all the entities of the emotional spectrum except Paralax, and Nekron.  The entities within him struggle as their life force is being drained.  But before Relic can can have all the power he needs to save the universe. (weird right?)  Our heroes show up to save the day.

At this point the fights are a lot like they have been.  The Lanterns use a bunch of energy, and Relic's defenses start shooting their energy back at them.  But just you think all is lost.  John Stewart, the new recruits, and the Indigo Tribe show up for the last round of the fight.  Now the plan is for the Indigo Tribe to teleport the earth lanterns (of course) past Relic's defenses so they can face him....well face to face.  The mighty earth man plan is to knock Relic back into the source wall, and since I haven't explained it yet, this seems like an appropriate time.  For those that don't know, the source wall is impenetrable, and anyone who touches it, becomes a part of it.  So you become a weeping angel with your ass attached to a wall.  The group fights him back and surprisingly Hal makes everyone move away.  The way he's been acting I would of thought he'd let everyone die to take down Relic.  So the group moves away, except for Kyle.  Kyle realizes that the more he emraces life, the stronger he gets.  Kyle now knows that Relic was never the key to saving the universe, he was.  As he powers up to a hundred percent Kyle throws himself and Relic into the wall.  Relic tries to fight his way out, claiming that the spectrum reservoir is within the wall, and with his theories proven true, he quickly turns to stone.

So are you all ready to have everything wrapped up with a nice bow on top?  Well here you go.  The Indigo Tribe teleports the Red Lanterns back to Ysmault, and the Green Lanterns to their new home; Mogo.  The Indigo Tribe's builder recreates the green power battery, and all is well.  Well except for a few of the Corps. members want to give up their rings.  When Kyle dove into the reservoir he replenished the source, but it will run out again, and they don't want to be apart of killing the universe.  The Templar Guardians stay behind to honor Kyle at the source wall.  But the honoring is short lived because Kyle comes flying back out of it.  We find out that the entities within Kyle were the ones to replenish the emotional spectrum, and that they sacrificed themselves to do it.  So the only entities left in the universe are Paralax and Nekron.  I'm sure the rest will be reborn at some point.  The story ends with the guardians trying to read Kyle's mind, and understanding that no one is to know what's behind the source wall.  Now back to individual Lantern stories YAY!

Bits and Pieces:

So the new creative teams have stretched their legs in the Lantern mythos, with a big crossover event, and they pulled it off.  So from what I've seen here, I'm really excited to see what each creative team will give us from their respective title.  This was a good annual, and it's nice to have a larger issue to have a final installment.  So go get this issue, and prepare for each Lantern title's individual adventures.

8.5/10