Green Lantern (vol.3) #119 (1999)

Green Lantern (vol.3) #119 (December, 1999)
"Spectre of the Past"
Writer - Ron Marz
Penciller - Darryl Banks
Inker - Cam Smith
Letterer - Chris Eliopoulos
Colorist/Separations - Rob Schwager
Assistant Editors - Harvey Richards & L.A. Williams
Editors - Kevin Dooley, Bob Schreck & Mike Carlin
Cover Price: $1.99

Well golly, but that's a lot of editors for a single book!  What is this, Marvel?  Well, no... because even with that many editors Marvel couldn't ship a book without spelling and continuity errors.

This is a somewhat special installment, as it's the second Green Lantern #119 we're covering here!  That's your random Chris is on Infinite Earths trivia for the day.  Speaking of the site, I haven't really said much about it... but on the right side of the page, you'll see a button called "The Fall and Rise of Hal Jordan"... it looks something like this:

If you click on it, you can read all of our Hal-centric discussions from Emerald Twilight through Green Lantern: Rebirth.  It's the shakiest decade of Hal Jordan's life, and for the first time (on this site) you can read them all in chronological order!  If'n you're interested, give it a click!

Enough plugging!  Today... we're revisiting the fallout of Day of Judgment, a story we covered in long-form not all that long ago.  Kyle acted a cad (I guess?), and Hal got himself some new duds.

Annnnnd, go!

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We open with Kyle arriving back to his apartment... and to a very angry Jennie Lynn Hayden.  Turns out Kyle and his old flame Donna Troy locked lips during the Day of Judgment event.  Since I don't recall that happening, I'm going to assume it went down in one of the tie-ins.  Anyhoo, Jennie asks Kyle if there's anything between he and Donna... and when he hesitates, she decides it's time for her to go.

We shift ahead... ya know, I write "shift" a lot on this blog... and every so often I wonder how many times I might've misspelled it.  Like, left the "f" out.  Anyhoo, we join Kyle at Radu's (what I wouldn't give for a "Radu's" mug!).  It's here that he (and we) learn that Radu was, at one time, a married fella.  This might be important later...

Kyle starts ramblin' on about his girl troubles, when he hears the familiar voice of someone who's "been there, maaaaaaan", Hal Jordan!

Hal takes Kyle for a little walk "in between places"... showing him just a bit of what he's now capable of.

They are then teleported to Ferris Aircraft, where we learn that Tom and Carol are having a pretty rough time "keeping the lights on".  Everything's riding on their latest prototype... and if it's a flop, it just might be curtains for them.  Carol asks Tom to leave... and then suddenly finds Hal Jordan going through her mind.

Hal-as-Spectre presents himself before reaching into Carol's head... and retrieving the Star Sapphire gem.  She is (understandably) shocked... first to see Hal, second to see that the Star Sapphire was still a part of her.

Hal encourages her to stop blaming herself for everything she had done under the influence of the Star Sapphire... and, well... she does!  Hal hands her back the Gem... and, armed with her... uhh disbelief, she makes it vanish.

Suddenly, everything's hunky dory in Ferris world.  She instantly forgets everything about this odd "visit", and finds herself with a new positive attitude.

Hal is happy that he was able to do one last "good deed" before losing himself completely to the Spectre.  He takes Kyle home and they share a moment that Kyle won't even remember.

We wrap up with something completely different.  Radu is locking up for the evening... and is being watched by a sniper (with the most generic of guns).

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Ehhh.

Had higher hopes than usual for this one... but really feel as though it under delivered.  I mean, just looking at that cover... it feels like something big is gonna go down.  I was really hoping for a bit more Hal/Kyle bonding... but for the most part, Kyle just hangs out in the background.

I get that this is a Hal story... but I can't help but wonder why it wasn't included in the Day of Judgment Secret Files & Origins rather than eating up an issue of Kyle's ongoing?

I guess I appreciate it for tying up some loose ends between Hal and Kyle... and it was neat seeing the Star Sapphire get a mention/cameo... but, really... I feel like this could have been more effective as a 6-8 page story in the SF&O... or at least less of a distraction to this series.

I've said it before... and I'll say it again, Ron Marz never fails to treat Hal with respect.  I'd say "I'll never understand..." why those H.E.A.T. goons got so upset, but being a lifelong comic fan... yeah, I get it.  But the idea that Marz somehow hated Hal... that's just wrongheaded.  I've never seen a Marz-penned story that treated Hal unfairly.  I suppose Emerald Twilight could be argued... but I've already said my piece on that.

The art here feels a bit... I dunno, muddy?  I see we have a new inker... but, I never associate such muddiness with Cam Smith.  Maybe it was a rush job... maybe it was the colorist.  Either way, Banks' work did not come across with its usual level of polish here.

Overall... not an issue I'd suggest breaking your back to track down.  If you come across it (or if like me, you're a completionist)... yeah, grab it... it's not a bad story... just an underwhelming one given the circumstances.  This issue is available digitally.

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Letters Page:

A HEAT.net ad in a Green Lantern book?!

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Action Comics #891 (2010)

Action Comics #891 (September, 2010)
"The Black Ring, Part Two"
Writer - Paul Cornell
Pencillers - Pete Woods & CAFU
Inkers - Pete Woods & Bit
Colorist - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Wil Moss
Editor - Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $3.99

Had such a good time with Lex Luthor's Action Comics yesterday, I decided to keep the ball rolling today.  When last we left him, he was facing of with... of all peo... er, things, Mister Mind!

Worth mentioning, we're nearing the fourth quarter of our #Action100 endeavor.  I've still got a few requested reviews on the docket, including a couple of the "hundredth" issues.  I'm saving those for a little closer to the end though.  That said, I'm still taking requests... so, if you've got an issue of Action you wouldn't mind seeing me spoil... and it's one I've got in the library, just lemme know... here, Twitter, Facebook... wherever!

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We open in... prehistoric times?  Sure, let's roll with it.  Lex Luthor is leading a loin-clothed band of cavefolk toward a temple bathed in light.  There's a bit about class and privilege before Lex runs in and steals a bowl of fire... and tears down the temple for good measure.

Everything starts to make sense when we shift scenes to Mister Mind... a far cuter-looking Mister Mind than the one we met last issue.  He reveals that he has taken over Luthor's consciousness... and he did so on behalf of, well... we don't know who yet.

Back to Luthor's head, where the fantasy has jumped ahead several centuries... and he is depicted like Dr. Frankenstein.  His Lois-bot gets the Bride of Frankenstein makeover for good measure.  On the table lays a man covered in a sheet.  Before revealing who it is, Lex pauses... feeling as though something's not quite right here.  Lois encourages him to remove the sheet... and wouldn'tcha know it, the "monster" is... him!

Lois asks if he'd have pulled the sheet if not for her prodding... and he realizes he wouldn't have.  Lex is a man who works best when he has others to do his bidding (sort of like that hitman we met last issue).  This troubles Mister Mind, because it's going against the fantasy he'd placed Luthor in.  He realizes he's going to have to get involved.

Back in Luthor's head... townspeople crash through his window, pitchforks and torches in hand... before they can do any damage, however... Lex shifts into his next fantasy.  In it, he is a Sheriff in an old Western town.  His Deputy rushes the saloon to inform him that "Big Blue" is back.

"Big Blue" is... well, you know.  He and Lex face off in the street in front of the saloon.  Again, Lex is getting hip to the fact that this ain't all kosher.  He decides to take control of the situation by... not shooting "Big Blue", but blowing the brains out of his Deputy!

Now this really vexes Mister Mind... who is not only losing control of the situation, but his own consciousness.  His "benefactor", whoever that is, watches as Mind is pulled into the simulacrum.

Sheriff Luthor reenters the saloon, and finds Lois has been taken captive by... Mister Mind in an adorable black hat.  He and Lex exchange some banter, and we (well, I) learn that this Mister Mind is the offspring of the original.  Lemme pull out by best Johnny Carson... ahem, I did not know that.  At this point Lex is all but sure that they are, in reality, still atop that building in Metropolis.

Mister Mind reacts to this deduction by growing to kaiju-size!

Ambushed... by a Bug?!

Lex pulls the whole "Stand back..." bit, tearing open his shirt... revealing... well, his hairless chest.

He takes the fight to the giant Mister Mind... and realizes all he really needs to do to win this one, is to regain control of his actual motor reflexes.  He does, and boots the poor caterpillar off the Metropolitan roof.

The simulacrum ends with a bang... and when the dust settles, Luthor and his kidnappers spring back to their senses.  They apologize to Lex, claiming to have been under Mister Mind's control when they acted.  Lex agrees to let them off the hook, so long as they tell him everything they know.

Later, Lex and Lois discuss the day's events.  Lex worries that Lois isn't sure she's actually a robot... but she assures him that she fully understands.  He then tells her that their journey has just begun.  Since Mister Mind was so set on isolating Lex, he now knows his best bet is to assemble a team to seek out the Black Lantern ring.

We wrap up with Lex putting in a call to a potential third member...

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More fun than it had any right to be!

When I first heard that Lex Luthor was taking over Action Comics, I had braced myself for some... well, to be blunt, really boring "boardroom" stories.  I feel like a lot of writers in comics today are tickled by scenes of "mundane intrigue" (probably because they're trying to use comics as a springboard into movies and television)... and I was glad to see this was most certainly not the case.

Back when I used to talk about Marvel... when I thought Marvel was almost worth talking about, I used to complain about how books like the Avengers and X-Men no longer felt like "fun" superhero comics.  So often half the pages were taken up by members of S.H.I.E.L.D. sitting in a darkened monitor-filled room "sassing" at each other.  Apropos of nothing, when it got to the point where Captain Freaking America had to get permission from Maria Freaking Hill in order to do... well, anything... I knew it was time for me to split.

Back to this story... I mean, this is the perfect way to show Lex in different situations.  It's great seeing him so out of "control" at the start, and slowly regain himself as we move forward.  I really can't overstate how much fun this was.  I've always been intrigued by the idea of lucid dreaming... and taking control over your dreams.  My wife claims she's able to do it from time to time... Just between us, I'm not quite sure I believe her.  Figure if anyone can do it though... it'd be Lex Luthor.

Mister Mind made a really fun foil as well.  I'm glad he wasn't the dripping, oozing mess he was last issue... and was back to a more cartoony-cute look.  Shame he went splat though!  I'm glad he wasn't the "big bad" though... seems like we've got quite a reveal in the making (one that I've actually forgotten the outcome of... so, yay for that!).

Art here was, as expected, top-notch.  The addition of CAFU (or Cafu... not sure if that's all-caps) was great and absolutely seamless.  Really just another beautiful chapter.

Overall... if you haven't read this run, I'd recommend you do so.  I'll admit, I was a bit on-the-fence about it at first, but so far it's over-delivered on an engaging, entertaining, and excellent (EEE) story.  As with yesterdays book, this has been collected in trade... and is available digitally.

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Action Comics #890 (2010)

Action Comics #890 (August, 2010)
"The Black Ring, Part One"
Writer - Paul Cornell
Artist - Pete Woods
Colorist - Brad Anderson
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Editors - Wil Moss & Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $3.99

So, whattaya do when Superman decides to "take a break" and walk across America?  I mean, he's got two ongoing titles... it's not like we need to check in with his stroll twice a month (believe me... nobody wants that!).  So, whattaya do with that pesky... other Superman book?!


Do you put it on hiatus?  Do you cancel it outright?  Or... do you hand it over to Superman's worst villain?  Well... to be fair, between J. Michael Straczynski and Lex Luthor... I'm not sure who's worse!

What I'm getting at is... Action Comics has now become Lex Luthor's book.  How could that ever work?  Well, read on...

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We open with Lex Luthor being dangled off the edge of a building by his feet... record scratch, I bet you're all wondering how he got himself into this mess.  Well, let's go back in time a few days and find out.  Ya see, Lex has been working with his team with the hopes of locating a Black Lantern ring.  One of his lab-geeks told him it was a fool's errand... and so, Lex fires him on the spot... and promises to ruin his reputation so he'll never work again.  We're about to learn that that's a moot point... but, we'll get there.

The fired guy lashes out, and rings Lex's bell with a... blunt heavy object of some sort.  Looks like a candlestick... but it's probably some lab instrument.  That night, Lex licks his wounds while sharing a dinner with... Lois?!  Wha--?  Read on, all will be explained.

After a brief chat, Lex decides he doesn't suffer fools... and order the fired guy killed.  Man, don't step to Lex.

After the deed is done, Lois applies some concealer to Lex's bruise.  As she does this, she too tries to reason with him about his Black Lantern ring-hunt.  And so, he tells her about the great power he felt during the Blackest Night when he wore the Orange Ring.  

He claims the ring "changed" him... and he has a pretty good idea of what he'd be capable of if he was able to find more.  Ya know, like making Superman kneel at his feet... stuff like that.  But alas, once the Blackest Night ended... all of the Black Rings disintegrated.

The following day, Lex holds a meeting with a man named Spalding.  He mocks Superman's "walk across America" (as well he should) and reveals that he's using sensors to monitor the Superman-Family.

Growing tired of not getting his desired result, Lex decides to use the Isopod... which troubles Spalding greatly.  This... pod, hasn't been tested, so getting inside is rather dangerous.  When did that ever stop Lex Luthor though?  He hops inside, and finds... something?!

Later, he shares his findings with Lois.  Turns out the very pattern of the universe has changed due to the destruction of the Black Lantern rings.

With this new knowledge, Lex decides it's time for a field trip... and one that Lois will accompany him on.  It's here that we learn that this "Lois" is actually a Brainiac-built synthezoid of sorts... which, duh, makes a lot more sense than this actually being Lois Lane.

At this point, the goofs from the beginning break in and start wrecking the joint.  Lucky for Lex, Lois has a "smash" mode!

The baddies (well, the non-Lex baddies, anyway) decide to flee... but not before grabbing Mistuh Luthah.  Which brings us back to where we started.

All looks to be going well for the goofs... until they start bleeding out their eyeholes.  Looks like Lex has got a friend... in the form of Mister Mind?!

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I remember being kind of annoyed when this was first announced.  I mean, Lex Luthor taking over Action Comics... while Superman effed off across America?!  I think "I hate this" was already in the back of my head when I first cracked it open... but, I gotta say... I thought the was pretty nice!  It aged well too... which cannot be said for it's "Grounded" counterpart.

I suppose we can get my complaint out of the way... and it's not even the fault of this issue.  I hate this "new look" Mister Mind.  I don't see why he needed to be "darkened" or "grossified".  I thought his old "cute" look was more iconic... and in a way, more disturbing that something so harmless looking was so powerful.  Maybe that's just me.

I'm glad the Lois-bot reveal came pretty quickly.  I think dragging that on would have been majorly confusing... so it was nice to get it out of the way.  In reading back today, even I was confused... I'd forgotten about the reveal entirely... just knew it didn't feel "right".

Speaking of not feeling "right"... and again, this is no fault of the issue, and not even a "bad" thing... but what is up with the ads (see below)?  These look to be aimed at a younger audience than DC's regular output.  I feel like this isn't one of the books you should aim at the tots.  I mean, our "protagonist" actually put out a hit on a guy!  Had him murdered at the family dinner table!  Ehh, I'm probably thinking too hard... just found the ads a bit of a mismatch for the story.

Overall though... this was pretty great.  Lex is depicted as cocky, while at the same time, somewhat meek.  I think this is about as perfect a portrayal as we can hope for with a character like him.  He's goal-oriented... but his motive is... morally muddy at best.  This feels like the start of a redemption arc for our man... just a shame that it's coming a year before the cosmic toilet flush.  Certainly worth mentioning, Pete Woods is on fire here.  Beautiful work!  I especially love little details like tilting the Orange Lantern emblem a bit to make it look like an "L".  

This issue has been collected in trade, and is available digitally.  I'd definitely recommend checking this one out.

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