Talk about lightning momentum! In this issue we get no less than Hal Jordan becoming a Red Lantern, reverting to a Blue/Green Lantern, Sinestro's freedom, a wicked battle, and Carol Ferris joining the Sapphire Core.
While I love me some Johns I feel that he can make some of his storylines feel a bit stretched out, like the Secret Origins arc a few issues back. This is another reason why I found this issue in particular so refreshing. There is a great economy of storytelling here. We get a complete Hal arc, we get some good Sinestro moments, and even Ms Ferris is given a satisfying amount of panel time. Although the Red Lantern Hal thing was solved a bit quickly, or at least more quickly than I'd thought. Suppose we've had enough of evil Hal, eh?
Ivan Reis did a killer job on this issue, with massive props to Oclair Albert for his inks and colors. With all the Lantern varieties the colors really stand out here, this series is vibrant and beautiful, almost like the ink is giving of a real glow. Reis is doing a great job in the big fights and his delivery month after month is pretty staggering, but I also have to give him props for the quiet moments. I noticed some great "acting" in here and the character's expressions are always very evocative.
Overall, this is definetly one of those must-have DC books and one that will be collected in trades and Absolute Editions for years to come. Definetly in the top 3 DC books out now, if not #1.
Story: 5 - Excellent
Art: 5 - Excellent
