Green Lantern Corps #223 (April, 1988)
"The Last Testament of the Green Lantern Corps!"
Story - Steve Englehart
Special Guest Artist - Gil Kane
Letters - Carrie Spiegle
Colors - Tony Tollin
Editor - Andy Helfer
Special Thanks - Todd Klein, Archivist
Cover Price: $0.75
Hey, don't look now... but today is our 950th Daily Discussion! Our last major "milestone" on our way to one-thousand.
Also today... we're going to find out exactly what Sinestro was babbling about yesterday before buyin' the farm! I've mentioned it a couple times already, but this little excursion into Green Lantern past will be part of an upcoming episode of the Cosmic Treadmill... wherein we will cover Hal Jordan's time as the "leading man" in Action Comics Weekly. Figured it would behoove us to get everybody "up to speed" on the Corps before jumping on in! The episode is shaping up to be a goodie and a biggie... might even become a series. Expect it in the next couple of weeks!
With the plugging out of the way... let's get some answers from the Battery!
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We open on the... strange scene of Ch'p preparing to hang himself! He's still hung up (pardon the pun) on betraying the Lanterns to seek out more of his own with the B'rkrs. Salaak stops him before he can take that final step... to deliver some more dire news: The Green Lantern Corps is dead! This sends us into flashback land, more specifically, the closing panels of last issue... just moments after the Corps executed Sinestro.
The Corps has no idea what Salaak was talking about... so, he goes on to explain. Worth noting here, that Kane drew John wearing his mask... which might be an indication of how well he was "following along" at home. He's only wearing his mask on this page though. Anyhoo, in the far-flung future, where Salaak had been residing, he asked his wife Iona if she'd ever heard of the Green Lanterns. She hadn't.
And so, Salaak decided to visit the Oa of 5716. He finds it barren and ruined... even the Central Power Battery is gone. He cries out, asking what could have happened... and is shocked to receive an answer from the very sands of the planet itself. The message he receives blames the fact that the Green Lanterns Killed Sinestro in 1988 for it's current state... and the fact that there are no more Green Lanterns this far into the future.
Back in the present, the Lanterns are still befuddled. Finally, Appa Ali Apsa pipes up... something Salaak said triggered a long dormant memory. Before he can elaborate, however... the Central Power Battery fires off a terrific blast of light!
Hal decides to quit lollygagging with Salaak's half-explanations, and go directly to the source. He asks the Central Power Battery itself just what's going on. Before he can get an answer... stuff happens! First, Driq the zombie Lantern (about twenty years before that became cool!) falls to pieces. It's explained that he was only being kept together by the power of his ring... and since he fell apart, that's surely a sign that something's up with the works. As if the great big explosion wasn't enough of an indicator.
Then... the Green Power wanes so low that the Sciencells are no longer effective! Before we know it, the Lanterns are faced by a whole lotta baddies.
Amid the fight, several Lanterns' power rings explode... and it looks like those remaining will not be able to count on their rings to win this one. Hal orders the Corps to move the battle into the Museum Spoke... a place full of tchotchkes and doo-dads of Green Lantern lore... though, most importantly at this juncture... impregnable walls. The Lanterns manage to lock the escapees inside and return to the Battery for some information.
Since the Battery is still mum, K'ryssma risks it all and enters a psychic trance in order to convey a little knowledge... it's history lesson time! You remember the Guardians, right? Well, at some point ten billion years ago... they stopped dying! And so, they left their home planet of Maltus... and flew to the center of the universe... to what is now called Oa.
There, they would create... the Manhunters. Who, lemme tell ya, look an awful lot like Doctor Manhattan here. While one group was creating the Manhunters, another was focusing their mental energies growing and shaping a green crystal... which would ultimately grow to become the Green Lantern Central Power Battery.
By this point, the Manhunters had proven to be a pretty bad idea... hell, we could've told 'em that. And so, they were depowered... or made dormant... or turned "sleeper", or however they explained it during Millennium.
From here, the Guardians' heads grew larger... and their bodies smaller. While they, the males of the species, turned their sights on creating the Green Lantern Corps, they became estranged from their wives and children. And so, the women decided to leave! This takes us up to just two-and-a-half billion years ago... so, we're chuggin' along at a pretty good pace!
The women would find themselves on Korugar... which, we know as the home planet to folks like Sinestro and Katma-Tui. The immortal ladies would take the mortal Korugarians as lovers... and proceed to reproduce.
The Oan women would soon begin to hate their former lives... and former mates on Oa. They would undergo "augmentations" in order to change their appearance... looking to have a redder hue like their new countryfolk. This didn't quite work, but did (somehow) result in the creation of the Star Sapphire. The Oan women would travel to and conquer another planet... and become the warriors of Zamoran we now know.
Somewhere along the line, the Guardians of the Universe caught wind of this... and were pretty ticked off to have been replaced in bed by the Korugarians. The Guardians held council to discuss what their next move would be, and it was ultimately decided that they are just feeling the stings of rejection... and it's effecting their male egos. And so, they decided to be diplomatic about the thing. They made a vow that, regardless of provocation, they would never do anything worse than "confine" a Zamoran or Korugarian. Ya follow? To keep themselves "honest", they ordered the Power Battery to "return to nothingness" if they ever crossed that line. Wouldn'tcha know it, in killing Sinestro... they did break their own vow!
After that almighty info-dump, we arrive at our conclusion... the Old Timer finally remembers everything. Soon, all that will be left of the Battery is... the yellow impurity... and then, all bets are off!
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We jump from the death penalty straight into attempted ch'pmunk suicide. Who sez comics are just for kids?
Sometimes I forget just how intensive Green Lantern lore can be. I mean, you could almost make a college course out of it... and I'm not talking a 101 class... I feel like we're at least at the 300 level here. There's just so much to it... so much of it is repetitive... but, then they surprise ya with a new nugget of information!
So, what we have here is... the Guardians made a vow never to kill a Korugarian or Zamoran. In order to keep them to their word, they built a "failsafe" into the Central Power Battery, wherein the Green energy would dissipate to nothing should they cross that line. In killing Sinestro, that line was crossed... and so, the Central Power Battery (just following orders) will winnow down to only the Yellow Impurity. I think that's it, in the shell of a nut.
I suppose that's as good an excuse to wrap up the Corps as any, right? Worth noting, that while this isn't the final issue of the volume... it is the final story written by Steve Englehart. Wonder if that explains why this issue felt so packed with exposition and information. Steve's just tryin' to "get his stuff in" before walking away.
As far as "story" is concerned... I mean, outside of the revelation there isn't all that much to talk about. I guess, Ch'p trying to hang himself is a thing. I'm unsure whether or not this entire issue was just Salaak relaying the events to him, or if that was just a way to bring us back into the action. I suppose that might become a bit clearer in the next issue.
Gil Kane's art here is pretty good. I kinda run hot and cold with his later work, but for the most part, I dug this. There was that little gaff of John wearing his mask... but, whattayagonnado?
Overall... an important issue for Green Lantern lore... how much of it is still in continuity, I couldn't hazard a guess. If you're into the lore, you're going to really dig this. Heck, even if you're lore-curious (lorious?), there's plenty here to wrap your noggin around. Worth grabbing!
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Green Lantern Corps #222 (March, 1988)
"The Last Testament of Sinestro!"
Story - Steve Englehart
Pencils - Joe Staton
Inks - Mark Farmer
Letters - Agustin Mas
Colors - Tony Tollin
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75
Yesterday we laid a bit of the foundation for the post-GL 200 Green Lantern Corps... met the cast, sorta-kinda established their mission statement.
Today we're jumping toward the tail-end of this run, to discuss the beginning of the end for the Green Lantern Corps (for now). This will be a major talking point during an upcoming episode of the Cosmic Treadmill... and, I'm using this as my refresher!
And now... the Trial of Sinestro!
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We open with a look at the first time Sinestro faced a Green Lantern Tribunal... that time he was stripped of his Lantern status, and banished to Qward. We jump further back in time to learn just why he was stripped in the first place. We know the deal by now, Sinestro abused his powers... little did he know that the much like Dick Lewis, the Guardians are always watching.
His stay on Qward wasn't quite as "forever" as the Guardians intended... and he'd be a pretty persistent thorn in the Lanterns side ever since. Today, however, he's been nabbed and it looks as though he's going to be put on trial again.
Hal and the gang are greeted by the "Old Timer" Appa Ali Apsa who will oversee the pending trial. The Lanterns chat a bit about the recent Millennium event... which is thankfully behind us by this point. Kilowog does a scan and finds that there are 137 fewer Lanterns than last time he took a look... a statistic he attributes to Sinestro, and maybe a little bit Ch'p. Worth noting that Sinestro has his tiny sorcerer Myrwhydden by his side.
After some more Millennium talk... you'd almost think Englehart wrote the thing-- oh yeah. Anyhoo, the Lanterns finally get around to the matter at hand. Sinestro. They know he's guilty as all hell... but the question is, now that they've caught him, what in the world do they do with him?
Arisia is the first to pipe up with a suggestion... and it's death! Kilowog piles on, and considering that Sinestro wiped out his entire planet, it stands to reason that he would! There are many Lanterns opposed, and feel like a life-sentence in the sciencell would suffice... but, c'mon... do they even lock those things? As Sinestro listens to the debate, all he can think is how pathetic these Lanterns look.
The Old Timer interjects, and presses for the trial to begin. Apros approaches Myrwhydden and passes judgment... not nearly as dangerous as Sinestro, he will just be returned to the Sciencell. After all, capital punishment isn't the norm for Lantern-Justice. Hal wonders if it should even be on the table at all!
The trial is set to go... with Appa Ali Apsa preciding... Kilowog for the prosecution, and Sinestro's own "countrywoman" Katma-Tui Stewart for the defense. Sinestro is tossed into a heavily guarded Sciencell while preparations are made.
As the trial begins, Sinestro's crimes are read aloud. Looks like dude is responsible for the death of billions... with a "b", making it look like a slam-dunk for Kilowog. Further cementing that, when 'Wog throws it over to Katma for a rebuttal... she's got nuttin'! Even this appears to tickle Sinestro.
Being unable to properly defend Sinestro... or at least take the death penalty off the table, Kat lets Lantern Skirl plead the case for life. What he comes up with is basically... Lanterns shouldn't kill, to which, Kilowog reminds him that they actually have that right in the "GL Regs"... when they have no other choice, it's a-okay to deep-six a threat. Meanwhile, Sinestro is as cool as a cucumber.
Appa Ali Apsa closes things out, and it's time for the vote. All of the Lanterns will beam their will into the Central Power Battery... and it will reveal the majority decision...
... and that decision is...
Sinestro is pretty incredulous to start... he knows that no matter what the decision is, the Lanterns will ultimately balk and lessen his punishment. He's not so sure, however, when he finds himself surrounded by some of the Corps' heaviest hitters!
Sinestro starts to panic a bit... and pleads with them not to kill him, even going so far as to put doubt in their heads about what might happen should they go through with it (more on that, tomorrow).
Then, it happens. The Lanterns actually go through with it, and... kill Sinestro.
Kilowog checks Sin's fallen body and confirms that he has passed. Just then, Salaak barges in from the future... with a warning. Whatever they do... do not kill Sinestro!
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This is definitely one of those issues I wish I was "there" for. Well, "there" and "invested" I guess. I'd have loved to experience this as it happened... just to gauge my reaction to it. I have a feeling that this issue would've "blown up" had social media been a "thing" back in 1988.
I suppose what we start with is this issue's handling of the death penalty. Now, I'm not equipped nor qualified to really opine on the real-world death penalty... it's a wildly contentious and conflicting concept, inside and out, and it can be, and has been, passionately debated from all fronts.
Now, it's not necessarily that the death penalty was "on the table" that really gets me about this issue... it's more the fact that characters we've followed and loved for years actually take part in "pulling the trigger". I dunno about you, but seeing Hal Jordan (and John Stewart) as part of the "firing squad"... kinda bugged me. It bugged me more than the fact that they were going through with it in the first place!
I couldn't see this happening today. I'd assume that Hal and John might be "conscientious objectors" in this sort of situation. Not necessarily putting a stop to it, but certainly not taking an active role in the execution. This actually feels a bit more cold-hearted than when Hal snapped Sinestro's neck six years later.
We closed out with hints that should the Corps go through with this... bad things are going to happen. Of course, Sinestro's ranting gets dismissed as the panicked words of a man grasping at straws to save his own hide. Then... Salaak comes with tidings from the future to back up Sinestro's claim... just a few moments too late.
Sounds like a bad deal, right? Well... I dunno, anytime you bring time-travel into a story, the stakes drop for me... big time. I could see Salaak showing up, seeing Sinestro dead... going "Oops, my bad.", then just time-traveling again to a few minutes earlier. Maybe that's a bit too simplistic... but it's the first place my mind went.
Overall... found this to be a pretty great and thought-provoking issue. Sinestro's cockiness throughout was pretty bad-ass... until, of course, ya know. The Lanterns putting on the "show" of a trial was interesting, but ultimately unnecessary. I guess that goes to show the lengths an organization might go to in order to "cover their bases" and give the illusion of "due process". Still have a bit of a problem with Hal and John's involvement in the execution... but, this was definitely a "net-positive" issue. Well worth checking out... but it'll be a bin-dive. This issue hasn't been collected nor made available digitally just yet. Worth a hunt!
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Green Lantern Corps #201 (June, 1986)
"Setting Up Shop"
Writer - Steve Englehart
Pencils - Joe Staton
Inks - Mark Farmer
Letters - L. Lois Buhalis
Colors - Carl Gafford
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75
Starting work on a Hal Jordan focused project for an upcoming episode of the Cosmic Treadmill... and decided to give myself a bit of a refresher course to fill in any gaps in my memory.
We're going to start with the first issue of Green Lantern Corps... which, of course continued from Green Lantern (vol.2) and ran until the end of this numbering a couple years later.
To set the table a bit... the Guardians of the Universe and the Zamarons have left to mate... leaving the Guardians' charges the Green Lantern Corps to more or less fend for themselves and find their own way. There's also something about a "new race" emerging within the next millenn... er, thousand years.
This issue is also the first appearance of our friend Kilowog!
As you might be able to tell from the cover image above... my copy is a juuuuust a bit crumpled. Oh well.
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We open with Lanterns Ch'p and Salaak bumping into each other on their way from their respective sectors to Earth. They're both kinda surprised, considering they had planned to stay in their own home worlds after the Guardians split town and left Hal Jordan and John Stewart in charge. The original plan was for Hal, Arisia, John, and Katma to operate from Earth... because "the next race" would evolve there sometime in the next thousand years... or, millennium, if you will... with the rest of the Lanterns sticking close to their home sectors.
Turns out though, when Ch'p arrived back to his home world, H'lven... he found himself attacked! Finding this to be not quite right, he headed to his "nest"... only to find that his old squeeze M'nn'e is now married to Ch'p's old pal D'll. It appears that this new post-Crisis H'lven is quite a bit different than the one he'd left. Oh, also... their Ch'p is dead. Did any of that make sense? Anyhoo, Ch'p decides that his home is no longer his own, so it's off to Earth with him.
Ch'p asks Salaak what brings him back Earth-way... but he doesn't spill the beans. Truth is, he just became used to being around teammates... poor dude was lonely back home.
And so, not too long after... Ch'p and Salaak arrive in Los Angeles and reconnoiter with their pals. All but Hal are wearing new duds. It's pretty cute, John and Katma's are matching. It's also here that we get another dig at just how young Arisia is. Hal's got "No Comment" on the subject... which miiiiight not hold up in court.
Then... Kilowog! He, uh... just shows up. This is, of course, his first appearance... and he... just shows up! He introduces himself as, not a drill sergeant, but a genetics scientist. When he heard what the Guardians had prophesized (that whole Millennium thing), he decided to head to Earth.
So, we've got seven Lanterns... howsabout we find ourselves just as many villains? We shift scenes to United States Army base where Sonar, Throttle, and Blindside are trying to break in. I know I'm shakin' in my boots. Once inside the vault (yeah, there's a vault) they meet up with... Doctor Polaris, Whiteout, Dropded and... Polestar. What, were the Crumbler, Lamplighter, and Javelin busy?
Looks like Polestar is being built into the "big bad" here... and mum's the word on exactly what he's all about. Doctor Polaris wants to take the fight to the Lantern Corps... after surviving the assembly of heroes that came together during Crisis... he doesn't want to see that many good guys together ever again.
Speaking of good guys, we join Guy Gardner... who is staying on Maltus with Appa Ali Apsa... and complaining about the size of his quarters. As luck would have it, Maltus comes under attack... Guy takes care of business... then demands a larger suite. Well, that was worth it.
On the planet Zamaron, the Queen of the Star Sapphires, Carol Ferris returns and is surprised to find her world deserted. Of course, we know that the Zamarons and Guardians went off to bump uglies for awhile. She ain't pleased... and begins planning how she's going to lash out at the universe.
Back on Earth, the Lanterns start building their new citadel. Good thing John is an architect. Here we learn the Arisia will go by the name Cindy Simpson... and we get our first look at Ch'p and Salaak's new duds... one of which includes a bow tie.
Then... the Sinister Seven attack! And hey, the Citadel went up pretty fast!
What follows is several (probably too many) pages of fighting... wherein the baddies get to demonstrate their powers before ultimately being overpowered by the Lanterns.
The villains bug out via a portal... and the Lanterns notice that the "guy with the funny earpieces" didn't even act during the battle. That guy is Polestar... and we're not allowed to know his deal yet. Anyhoo, the Lanterns realize that their time on Earth is likely to be anything but boring.
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Pretty fun issue here... really enjoyed this take on the Green Lantern Corps!
Sometimes there feel like so many Lanterns we're supposed to keep track of, that none of them really stand out. I mean, how many tentacled, plant-looking Lanterns am I supposed to care about anyway? Bringing this "team" down to a core seven members, really helps me to "invest" in each of them.
I've always been tickled by the strange friendship between Ch'p and Salaak. These are two critters you'd never put together... they're just so different... but, it works! They're so different that they kinda bring out the best in one another. You can tell that Ch'p's going to be ch'pping away at Salaak's defenses and eventually win him over.
Keeping with Ch'p for a minute... I thought it was pretty interesting how they made it so his home world was affected by "reality setting in" after the Crisis. I feel like we didn't get enough scenes like this. It's not something I'd have wanted to see overdone... but, it's pretty neat in this case. I apologize for all of the apostrophes during the synopsis... but, whattayagonnado?
The "couples" are pretty neat. John and Arisia are a great match... a doomed one, but great for now. I like that they chose matching uniforms for their new "look". Hal and Arisia... it's still a bit disturbing. Kinda feels like the girlfriend a divorced dad would bring along for visitation just to "stick it" to the ex-wife. Hal doesn't seem to have much of an emotional attachment to her here... seems more like he's just "putting up with" her. I guess there's only so many times a grown dude can help with his girlfriend's pre-algebra homework before he gets bored.
Then there's Kilowog! Definitely a bit different than the post-Emerald Dawn 'wog we're all used to. First time I read this back in the long ago, I thought maybe this was a different guy... who just looked like Kilowog. I mean, how many nearly identical bird-faced Lanterns do we have? Kilowog's entire race could've all looked like that... right? Ehh, maybe it's just me.
Overall... had a good time with this one, though the fight scene did drag a bit... and even became somewhat repetitive, using the same gimmick a couple of times. That said though, I think this is an important issue for Lantern-fans... and there's definitely fun to be had here. This issue is available digitally.
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