Green Lantern 75th Anniversary: Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight #3 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written by: Ron Marz
Art by: Darryl Banks, Romeo Tanghal, Steve Mattson

Release Date: March 1, 1994

There can be Only One...

This is the final part of a three part review. If you didn't read the second part click here.

Last issue we saw how far Hal has fallen when he began his rampage across the galaxy. Every Green Lantern that was thrown in his way kept falling to the greatest Lantern of their time. For every fight he won, Hal claimed more and more rings, going so far as to slicing off the limbs of allies he recruited into the Corps, until he finally reached Oa. Kilowog tried his best to stop him, but with two fists of rings, there is no chance. Thats where his ultimate challenge was revealed: SINESTRO! 

The end is finally here, and with two thirds of the story holding up so far, I have no doubt this will do the same. Let's finish this...

We open to where we last left off, Hal is preparing to fight Sinestro, the last hurtle before he can get the energy of the Central Power Battery. Sinestro goes on, expecting this to be the normal prideful Hal Jordan and not the unhinged one that stands before him. Hal then removes every ring on his hand with the exception of his own, to make the fight even.

When the fight actually begins, it is shown to be pretty one way at first in favor of Hal, until Sinestro actually comes out and reminds him that HE was in the same position all those years ago when Hal first fought him. He goes on to ask what the difference is between the two of them, and I hate to admit it but he is right, which makes the battle so much better. Hal's fall is very reminiscent of Sinestro's fall. Both went mad in the pursuit of power to protect their homes.

The battle rages to a stalemate where Hal points out that the only way this can be truly settled is with their fists. Hal is clearly shown to be a superior hand to hand fighter, and beats down Sinestro. Battle over right? WRONG! Sinestro points out one final time how far he has fallen, only to have Hal permanently shut him up by snapping his neck...As much as I see Sinestro as a villain, I still felt bad.

If you think that's depressing, it gets even worse when Kilowog wakes back up and begins beating on Hal without a ring. He finally is able to break through to his old friend reminding him of the hero he once was and how many Lanterns he killed in his conquest. Hal just looks depressed, trying to explain that he left a little power left in them to keep them alive...which I call shenanigans since they had no rings to keep them alive in space. 

Kilowog then tells Hal that if he takes the power from the central battery, it will shut off every corps member's ring as all the power would be in Hal. Despite Kilowog's pleas, Hal tells him theres no going back and causes the most shocking moment in this event...He kills Kilowog. This was the Lantern that taught not just Hal but almost all human Lanterns how to use their rings. Kilowog can be considered one of the most important Lanterns in the mythos and going out trying to bring his former pupil and friend back from the brink is perfect for the character and one of the saddest moments in the Lantern Mythos. 

After mourning the friend he murdered, he tells the Guardians its over and enters the Central Power Battery. In their last attempt to protect the universe, the guardians form a shield around Ganthet and die as Hal explodes out of the Battery as Parallax, who flies off to the stars, which will lead to the Zero Hour event. Ganthet then flies to Earth with the final Lantern ring. We end the storyline the same way Hal's journey began...An alien giving a young man a powerful ring...this man:

KYLE RAYNER

Thats it for the Emerald Twilight event. Obviously the events of this storyline were eventually written out of continuity, with the exception of Hal being possessed by Parallax and Kyle being given the ring by Ganthet. 

Once again the art was able to hold up after over 20 years. I will say a bloody and beaten Sinestro and Kilowog will haunt my dreams for days to come, which I believe is the point. The design of Hal/Parallax still looks awesome to me this very day, and despite him being evil I wished ther Lantern Corp's uniforms looked more like that!

Bits and Pieces
This story actually does hold up after all this time, as well as the art. It is a brilliant conclusion to a brilliant, but sad storyline but it opened the door to a new Green Lantern. It was full of emotion(mostly sadness and fear), action, and has a conclusion that opens a new chapter for fans old and new to jump on. I highly recommend this story arc to anyone who is curious of the beginning of Parallax, Kyle Rayner, or anyone who wants to see a feeling-filled, action-packed story.

9/10