Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #1 Review and **SPOILERS**

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Starring Sinestro

Written By: Robert Vendetti

Art By: Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona, Tomeu Morey

Lettered By: Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: July 27, 2016

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Do you think there’s a form of music in the galaxy, maybe something rebellious and challenging, that has derogatory songs about the Green Lantern Corps? Maybe some crime-glorifying genre that complains about being profiles and needlessly harassed? I’d definitely like to hear it. I’m sure the Durlans have a thing or two to say about their treatment by the Corps. “Don’t hold me in your giant green pliers because I happen to look like some suspect! I’m a shape-shifter, dammit!” And then, of course, there would also have to be a Corps Benevolence Association that people could donate to, so they’d get a sticker for the windshield of their spaceship and maybe a special card that might make the Green Lantern Corps look the other way for minor infractions. See, you gotta know how to play the game, folks, sometimes you’ve got to spread the wealth. Unless, that is, Hal Jordan shows up at the scene, then all bets are off. That guy’s a loose cannon! I wonder what he’s up to these days? Hmm…well why not read on and find out!

Explain It!

You know, I usually use that Explain It! bit just above this line as a visual indicator of where the introduction ends and the recap begins. I cribbed it from Eric’s review template, and it tickles me a little to use it. But for once, I am at a loss. Explain it? Explain what? I don’t really understand a lot that transpired in the Rebirth #1 issue and this one does little to expound upon it. Hal Jordan is a Green Lantern again, via a process that really requires a little more clarification that does not seem to be forthcoming. Therefore, he can and does bust headlong into a den of smugglers, smacking them around with his mysteriously-charged ring, and then asking them if they know where the Corps is. What is even happening here? On whose authority is Hal smashing into space warehouses? I know he’s supposed to be brash, but here he seems like a real nuisance and a bully. Luckily, the scene shifts to a real nice guy: Sinestro, looking wizened and old, peering through a window on his pilfered planet Warworld, now sitting at the center of the universe. He has fought long and hard, but now will impose the order that people throughout the galaxy crave—order, through FEAR! Come on, did you think he had something else up his sleeve? He’s like the “fear guy,” at least in space. In order to be the most effective, he sucks up all the leftover juice from a severely taxed Parallax, causing the ethereal beast great distress and blasting a yellow fear beacon out of one of Warworld’s many chutes, that I can only guess are for expelling garbage and septic waste.

Back at the smuggler’s cove, Hal Jordan is acting like a total prick with these measly criminals, weaseling out some information we already knew about the Corps disappearing, when suddenly he gets a wicked migraine and loses concentration. He knows that feeling, like a wicked hangover after a night of Harvey Wallbangers: fear! Sinestro is afoot! Back on Warworld, Sinestro’s daughter Soranik and his Sinestro Corps Historian/Bootlick Lyssa are acting real catty with each other. Soranik says she has shown the universe that the Sinestro Corps can be a force for good, but Lyssa says it was all in Papa’s plan because here he comes—and he’s young again! Well, not young, really…but more distinguished than ancient. Looks sort of like David Schwimmer, but the way he looked playing Robert Kardashian in that miniseries about the O.J. Simpson trial. Now that he’s feeling robust, he calls the Sinestro Corps to a meeting and basically usurps his own daughter’s leadership to entice the Sinestro Corps to spread fear! Everyone’s ring issues an order from Sinestro to instill great fear, which seems pretty silly considering they’re right there listening to the guy. They all take off, to Lyssa’s delight, while Soranik chows down on some humble pie.

After getting the fear blast from Sinestro, the smugglers briefly overtake Hal, but he makes short work of them and collapses. Having been called by one of the smugglers, two members of the Sinestro Corps show up to deal with Hal Jordan and kill the smuggler because, well, they’re villains. Hal Jordan busts out like “I DON’T DO FEAR!” and the Sinestro Corps dudes are like “whaaaa…?” and just when it looks like there might be some action the scene shifts to the Green Lantern Corps zap back into the current DC Universe! Probably!

Some lingering questions I had since the Rebirth issue have compounded into even more complex questions, and I guess I’ll have to deal with it. That’s just the way it goes when a book has two consecutive #1 issues! I understand Hal Jordan is headstrong and brash, but he really seemed like an entitled dick in this issue, and I found it difficult to root for him. I suppose we’ll learn how Sinestro got youngified eventually (or we can chalk it up to “Parallax did it!”), but we still don’t know how he got old in the first place. It’s like my momma said: you can’t hurry Green Lantern stories, no, you just have to wait. The artwork in this is stellar as expected, and especially shines in a few well-placed splash pages. This issue is okay, but I am giving the benefit of the doubt to its potential. With one coming every two weeks, we should know how we feel about it before Labor Day.

Bits and Pieces:

Things shift in the Sinestro Corps this issue, despite last issue's introduction of new concepts and and factors. Maybe things will change every issue? Like, in issue #2 Sinestro operates an ice cream truck and Arkillo has to wear a little paper hat? That would be hilarious. I can just picture him all crammed into a Good Humor truck, handing Astro Pops to the kiddies. This Sinestro-heavy issue has some great-looking scenes, but not a ton of action. But there is the promise of action, which is the next best thrill.

7/10