COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS REVIEW [PART FIVE]

 

[ACT V - The Purge]

• Day of Vengeance #2 - "Some Enchantress Evening" = We finally get the flashback revealing how Spectre was tricked by Eclipso, though Willingham comes up with some excuse for Spectre's susceptibility via amnesia mumbo jumbo since he's untethered to a host. We also see how Stranger got mouse'd as well as what happened to Hector and Lyta in the pages of Black Vengeance. I enjoyed the flashbacks and expo-dumps, but this issue was mostly banter and character devs to grow the reader's interest in the team which I get, but I want to see some magical chaos! The highlight was probably the Ragman/Enchantress sequence where she explains the monkey's paw to her powers, even if the awkward kiss killed the vibe.
• Day of Vengeance #3 - "A Hot Night In Budapest" = 
  Enjoyed the Blue Devil spotlight! No Justiniano on pencils, but Wagner still did a good job. Painful to see false hope for the magic users as Marvel gets the upper hand since we know it's not going to be that easy going into Infinite Crisis. Last issue they set up the Enchantress dilemma and I have a feeling that's what's going to bite them when they need it the most. Who is this Lori that Detective Chimp and Nightshade are trying to find?
• Day of Vengeance #4 - "Monkey Business" = 
  Underwhelming! Intro to Black Alice was fine enough, but unfortunate that the entire plan was neutered by Enchantress having DID issues. At least the art was good, but it's a shame that my interest has significantly decreased since the first issue.
• JSAC #1 - Power Trip, Part I : "Point of Origin" = Finally! The mystery we've been waiting for begins to unfold! We get a flashback showing us that Power Girl did in fact escape a dying Krypton only to end up on Earth with no memory of her point of origin. With no weakness to kryptonite and the Arion connection being debunked, what is the true genesis of the platinum blonde powerhouse? Who sent the vision of Garn Daanuth after Power Girl? Is it the same individual who spawns these three Legionnaires on the final page?
• JSA #76 - "In Search Of..." = Aftermath! One of the main things I have a problem with since the OMACs started popping up in tie-in issues is that they seem pretty unbeatable. If Superman, Batman, or the JSA heavy hitters can't take one single OMAC out how the heck is the entire superhero community supposed to beat an army of them? I enjoyed the angle they tackled with Mister Terrific's tech invisibility, great set up for how valuable he will be in stopping Brother Eye. Fun snippets with the JLI remnants recruiting Power Girl as well as some flirting between her and my boy Pieter Cross! Happy that Al comes full circle but now worried about the absolute problem that is Amanda Waller. What is the rumor Calculator mentions? Could it be about the mindwipe of Batman? How will Nabu help Rick?

COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS REVIEW [PART FOUR]

 

[ACT IV - Insiders]

• Superman #218 - "Power" = I get it. They're trying to put Superman into a difficult space emotionally by turning the people against him. But jeez can you at least make a good story out of it? Black Rock is added to the long list of lame Superman villains, we get Lois talking about roleplay, and Superman OOC hurting people with his powers without realizing. At the end of the day, I only read this for that last panel with Max Lord, everything else is forgettable. It was the same with last issue, but hey there was an OMAC in it! That's all I care about. I have no regard for the clean-up of Azzarello's stupid story, since Infinite Crisis and Sacrifice are literally knocking at the door.
• Adventures of Superman #641 - "Innocence" = Yes! I believe that Pete isn't Ruin, but we did see Hamilton with a weird tech glove on his hand, the same hand that Superman injured in #637. That would explain why the guns he gave to Lupe's team ended up charging him in that same issue! And I'm sure he had a way of breaking out Pete too. As for the OMAC stuff, my understanding is that in OMAC Project #1, Max Lord set Brother Eye to autonomous mode which is why he has been sending OMACs all across the DCU to eliminate threats. That's why Supes was attacked this issue, as well as why the OMAC got rid of the green parasite (maybe also Rucka cleaning the board before "Sacrifice" starts). I'm actually really intrigued by the sniper mystery, and I love the fact that Lois gets help from Bruce (and we see him looking at Brother Mark I satellite blueprints?). I do wonder what Clark's attitude will be to Lupe after seeing her police brutality to Pete.
• The OMAC Project #2 - "There Is No 'I' In Team" = Don't get me wrong, I love Rucka on Supes and Wondy, but he is on a whole other level in this. Brother Eye is terrifying, especially in this day and age with surveillance states and all that Snowden/NSA stuff. The opening sequence with Bats explaining his process of unlocking the mindwipe was great, especially with Saiz recreating panel mimics of Rags Morales but with Batman villains! The page layouts are fantastic, and Brother Eye's code input green text is very cool. I especially loved the coup scene, a prime demonstration of the danger of Maxwell Lord. When Batman shows them the goggles, it broke my heart: this is Defcon One everybody, one of their own is dead, the Trinity have failed the superhero community.
• The OMAC Project #3 - "The M-E In Team" = The calm is over! Max Lord is such a fascinating villain, and I love his dynamic with Brother Eye. Even though he's a psychopath, Rucka conveys his insecurities and doubts extremely well. I enjoyed the banter between Diana and Guy, but I found it really interesting that the JLI members all have a sort of bond, a union outside of the OG seven and satellite teams. What is Max Lord's plan with Superman? Why didn't Max's powers work on Sasha? Who else did Max believe can resist his powers? What is the secret of the OMAC virus? Why does Superman call him "father"?
• Wonder Woman #218 - "The Calm" = There are poisons that will blind you, but there are poisons that will open your eyes! I'm not sure if it had been mentioned before that Lyta was daughter of both Circe AND Ares, but I guess it makes for a good segue into setting up the final arc in the midst of Countdown/Infinite Crisis. Nice check in with Cale, Cassie, and the Embassy crew. Is Jonah an OMAC? Is that how he was able to take down Ferdinand? Given the hints from the previous issues, we can assume he's been connected to Checkmate but this is pretty game changing. Will Athena's orders and refusals push Diana further to the brink?
• Teen Titans #24 - Insiders, Part I : "The End Begins" = I love Matthew Clark, but sometimes I have no freaking idea what the heck is happening in each panel. I really wish there was more communication on what is happening from writer to artist on this because that Superboy fight was schizo as mess. Then again, maybe that was the point and it's one more layer of immersion into the story; you are meant to feel like the Teen Titans, you are meant to be confused at the random attack from one of their most trusted allies. It's funny to see how two authors tackle the same group of characters since Johns and Winick have two completely different voices for the Outsiders. I'm assuming it was Luthor who turned Conner bad and possibly Indigo as well. That fight was brutal, everyone got maimed. Is Raven dead? Is Vic dead? Is Shift the mole on the Outsiders? Is Indigo/Brainiac-8 the mole?
• Outsiders #24 - Insiders, Part II : "I Am Your Destruction" = This just got a lot more interesting than I was ever expecting! This answered a question I had back in the previous arc, and Luthor's partner is revealed to be none other than Brainiac! What is Brainiac's plan? Why is Luthor involved? Indigo mention that it has something to do with Colu's survival, but why would Lex care? Nice little Graduation Day recap, but none of the Titans are too messed up besides Vic and Tim's arm. I don't really care about the banter between the Outsiders or Indigo's OP nature, but that last page reveal pretty much saved the issue for me.
• Teen Titans #25 - Insiders, Part III : "Sons & Daughters" = Jeez, seeing Connor regain control for a couple panels was heartbreaking. Burnt, bleeding, beaten, and yet Lex takes away his freedom with a mere phrase. I could care less about Indigo, but I definitely want to see good ol' Brainiac do some damage. I wonder if this Colu/Donna Troy stuff will come up either in the "Return" mini-series or after the Crisis?
• Outsiders #25 - Insiders, Part IV : "It Was Real" = Even though I did not read Judd Winick's Outsiders run, I will give him props for making me feel sorry for Shift and Indigo after only a couple pages of an intro sequence, and a well-executed death. The highlight of all of this is the Luthor/Connor stuff, especially Lex having some affection and desire to help Connor. I hate the aggressive and moody Nightwing (who is completely different than how he is in Winick's Batman), and I also hate getting scuffed on Brainiac. That dude was a total non-factor, the greatest bait of all, only used to legitimize the threat of Indigo/Brainiac-8. D'Anda was hit or miss on every page. Also, why the heck didn't Tim have a cast on his arm when it was literally snapped in three directions at the beginning of this story? Mid crossover overall.
• Teen Titans #26 - "Soul Searching" = So good! Superboy has easily been one of the highlights of this run, and when you have Geoff Johns on script and Tony Daniels on the canvas there isn't much that can go wrong. Very cool that we got a Raven and Connor spotlight since I don't believe they've interacted that much in this run. Both of their pathos are so engaging and easy to empathize with. This is a true Teen Titans thematic fulcrum, a focus on discovering identity that is so common among adolescents. Who is Brother Blood's mother?

Green Lantern: No Fear Review (Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Part 3)

 

[Green Lantern - No Fear]

• Green Lantern Secret Files & Origins 2005 - "Flight" = Beautiful. Darwyn Cooke man, doesn't get better than him. Scheduling a reread of New Frontier once I'm finished with this Infinite Crisis business.
• Green Lantern #1 - "Airborne" = Love it! So I'm assuming this new alien murderer arrived in the yellow vessel above Nevada, and he's searching for an older version of the Manhunter. The color scheme on the jet engine makes it seem like they're using manhunter tech to augment these new planes. The intro to Cowgirl and Shane Sellers was awesome, and I loved Hal's brother as well. Johns does a great job of hooking you into Hal's world, and I'm so excited to see how it flourishes over the course of his run.
• Green Lantern #2 - "No Fear" = Damn bro, RIP to Carlos Pacheco. His art in this brings such a Silver Age quality; a revitalization of the Gil Kane and Carmine Infantino art that brought these heroes to life 60 years ago! Having John pop up is awesome, and the interaction with Jim brings some much-needed introspection to Hal that dismantles any "cardboard-cutout" slander directed towards him. Who is the new Manhunter Grandmaster? Why is this new manhunter trying to destroy its predecessor? How did the military rebuild Abin Sur's ship?
• Green Lantern #3 - "Flight Delay" = The Lost Lanterns! Highlights had to be Jordan and the old Manhunter before detonation and his monologue when he returned to Coast City about fear. I also thought it was so great that they tied this into Engleheart's Millenium, such a weird but fun event! Johns is at home in this title, and I feel so much more passion in this and JSA then I sometimes do Flash. Green Lantern is just so much fun!
• Green Lantern #4 - "Alienated" = Holy final page! Loved this one, a triptych knitting three stellar sequences into the prime example of what a monthly comic should be! We get more context on the Guardians and the rebuilding of the GLC which will be tackled in Recharge, Hal pays a visit to his very own Doctor Psycho, while two unlucky skinny dippers turn into the Shark's midnight snack! Great opener as well with the Grey Alien turned into roadkill, but the best scene in this was Sonar's cameo in Belle Reve. So the aliens that sent the meteor that mutated Hector Hammond also created the Silver Age Shark (Karshon)?  
• Green Lantern #5 - "Feeding Frenzy" =Extraterrestrial horrors unbound! Black Hand enters the mix after getting Jaime Lannister'd by Spectre/Hal in Rebirth, but after a gremlin upgrade he's eager to genocide a whole hospital. Battle against the Shark was super dope, and I'm seeing a reoccurring theme of evolution and survival of the fittest across this entire volume, from the Manhunters purging inferior models to space gremlins evolving and experimenting with natives. After using the power of Google Translate, are these gremlins working for Thanagar?
• Green Lantern #6 - "Black Sheep" = Would have loved Van Sciver to have finished this arc, but Bianchi has a certain quality that I appreciate, been a fan ever since he did Shining Knight with Morrison. Love that Johns tied this into the Rann-Thanagar War, but the hinting this early to Blackest Night from Black Hand was surprising as mess. He even made some deep comments about the emotional spectrum that I caught. The flashbacks were tragic as heck, but I'm interested to see how these snippets get put together once we reach Secret Origin. Hal and William are both Black Sheep from their own families! What changes occurred to Hammond as a result of the experimentation?

COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS REVIEW [PART TWO]

[ACT II - Evil Does Not Sleep]

• Batman #639 - Family Reunion, Part I : "The Word on the Street" = Nice kickoff to the next act of this storyline, but I never would have expected to get a stealth Identity Crisis follow-up inserted into this! If it wasn't more evident from the final pages of IC #7 or AoS #636, this should only cement the fact that the Bat found out! Savage put-downs for Zee and Ollie, super tragic but then again they do deserve it. Introducing Onyx as a new player is cool, and I'm eager to learn more about her character and what role she'll end up playing. I can praise Mahnke's art until the end of time, but Winick's dialogue is so freaking great.
• Batman #640 - Family Reunion, Part II : "While the Cat's Away" = Man what a quick read. Literally nothing happened in this issue besides a nice convo between Bats and Supes and some good action sequences. Paul Lee was a surprisingly nice fill in for Mahnke, an Winick's dialogue continues to keep you turning the page.
• Batman #641 - Family Reunion, Part III : "Face to Face" = Fuuuuuuuuck! Wonderful issue, wonderful standoff, and a gut punch for an ending that leaves you with a jaw hitting the floor! Onyx's role in this seems pretty useless, and it's unfortunate she was reduced to essentially a McGuffin to lure Batman in and catch the narrative up to the opening sequence from #635. In my opinion, this story should have been the end all be all for these "Batman doesn't kill" argument/debate comic-essays that everybody loves to bring up in regards to the caped crusader. Excited to move forward with this subsection of Countdown nonetheless!
• Villains United #1 - "And the Empires In Their Purpose" = 
  Holy both perspectives of this book are so engaging. I was hooked to see the Society at work, but using the book as a sleeper secret six vessel was brilliant on Gail Simone's part. The concept of Mockingbird is awesome and his incentive system is hilarious given the eventual reveal. Why was the lozenge they planted in the Amazon? How did they get access to the House of Secrets? What's in the letter sent to Green Arrow?
• Villains United #2 - "A Fire In The Steppes" = 
  How did they smuggle a bug onto the Secret Six plane? Who is Scandal's significant other? What leverage does Mockingbird have over the other five members of the team (besides Cheshire)? What happened to Catman to turn him into a total badass? What is Cheshire planning?
• Villains United #3 - "Privileged To Spill Her Blood" = 
  Wonderful issue. The highlights were Catman's escape and the Society gaslighting Black Adam into staying with them. We get the answer to the Lozenge, though I wonder if the one near Kahndaq was actually put there by Mockingbird or if it was just Luthor's manipulation. I definitely want to own the Metropolopoly game they were playing.

COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS REVIEW [PART ONE]

 

[ACT I - Things Fall Apart]

• Countdown To Infinite Crisis - "The Life & Death of Ted Kord" = This might be one of the finest single issues I've ever read, and the fact that it's a prelude to an event comic is pretty goddamn unbelievable. Geoff, Judd, and Greg crafted something truly beautiful and heartbreaking, all centered around the pride and joy of c-list comics characters: Blue Beetle. In the span of 5 sub chapters, we fall in love with Ted Kord as we watch him looked down upon and rejected by his peers, his life crumbling before his eyes. But it's this bug that sets off the powder keg, the domino train that gives the heroes of the DCU an edge against enemies closing in at all sides. Rags, Benes, Saiz, and Jimenez are at their A-Game in this, every page is immaculate. God this is so good. As for the loose ends: If Batman created Brother Mark I, then how did Checkmate + Max Lord gain control? What happened to Skeets? What is this OMAC Project? I would be confused about the kryptonite, but Winick just dealt with that in the Under The Hood arc. Did Max and Checkmate siphon funds from Kord Industries and blow up the Bug? Did he hire the Madmen to plant the tracker on Blue Beetle? Or was that Lex and the Society? Why did Luthor appear in the scarab's hologram? Who was talking to the Wizard Shazam? Many questions that I hope are answered, but for now let the Countdown begin!
• The OMAC Project #1 - "The Eye In The Sky" = 
  Greg Rucka is the man! Love the new cast, love the spy thriller vibe, and I love Sasha Bordeaux! For some strange reason I thought the kid with the red and yellow shirt who smack talked Booster was Billy Batson, but I don't think Billy's Fawcett design had that yellow stripe on the center of the shirt. Did not expect to love Jesus Saiz's art as much as I did, and Rucka's prose is so unique from what I'm used to in AoS and WW. Heartbreaking to see the aftermath of the Countdown special, but it only gets more heartbreaking from here! Is Ted's data inside the parcel sent by Sasha? Or is it his goggles?
• Superman #217 - "The Journey" = If the extent of these OMAC tie ins is that one centurion shows up, then you have lost my interest completely. I have zero cares to give about Verheiden trying to clean up Azzarello's lame "For Tomorrow" crap.
• Day of Vengeance #1 - "One Last Drink At the End Of Time" = So begins the Death of Magic! Unfortunate that such a huge event is reduced to only being 25% of the whole Countdown storyline instead of having its own spotlight and resulting status quo, but it functions well as a prime mover for this wonderful journey so I can't be mad at all given what we have down the road. Bill Willingham has some great prose, but it's no doubt bogged down by plot sluggishness paired with some of his comedic idiosyncrasies. Justiniano's art is awesome and does a great job at elevating the script. Why has Spectre declared death to magic? We just saw him separate from Hal Jordan during Green Lantern: Rebirth, could his lack of a host body leave him susceptible to seduction? What did the Heart of Darkness tell Jean Loring? How did the Spectre turn Phantom Stranger into a mouse?
• JSA #73 - Black Vengeance, Part I : "The Verdict" = Crimson Avenger returns! Loved tying in Day of Vengeance to the JSA series. We finally get an answer to who Shazam was talking to during the Countdown special, none other than Mordru! Last time we saw him was when Fate imprisoned him within the Rock of Eternity during JSA #51; will he make a return before Infinite Crisis? How did Eclipso manage to trick the Spectre? Did both of them attack Kahndaq? Will Billy fumble Courtney? And what was the verdict on Atom-Smasher's membership!?!
• JSA #74 - Black Vengeance, Part II : "The People's Heroes" = The wrath of God falls on Kahndaq! We get a nice expo dump to frame Day of Vengeance better, with Captain Marvel explaining that the hostless Spectre is vulnerable to Eclipso's manipulation, hence the magical genocide that has ensued. I personally would consider this essential reading for that event (and it's just damn good comics!). We get more retcons for Jean Loring through Carter's dialogue, character revitalization or assassination, that's for you to decide. Are Hector and Lyta trapped within the Helm of Fate? Did Spectre deflect the Thunderbolt's spell and instead send Jakeem and Johnny to the 5th Dimension? Does Power Girl truly have Kryptonian heritage?
• JSA #75 - Black Vengeance, Part III : "Sunset Over Kahndaq" = Holy mess that was beautiful. A wonderful piece on Atom-Smasher, and I'm so happy Johns got all three main artists across this run to come and do an awesome retrospective. I love Kramer and Kirk, but Sadowski was on god-mode during his sequence. His depictions of Black Adam go up there with Gary Frank and Jerry Ordway. Spectre and Eclipso get away of course, but who is Eclipso referring to when she says "Then he'll let me rest"? Is it Jean talking about Eclipso, or is it Eclipso talking about some other unknown power?

Superman: Lightning Strikes Twice Review

Come one, come all to the Countdown before Countdown! We are post Identity Crisis, the powder keg paving the way for the event to end all events. I will stand here and say that this era of the DCU might be the most unified and exciting it has ever been (though a close second would have to be 2016-2017 Rebirth era). I would even dare call Countdown itself an event with how much impact it has line wide. With Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, Gail Simone, and Judd Winick at the helm maneuvering all the power players into the places they need to be, there's not much that can go wrong!

  [Lightning Strikes Twice] ~ {Written by Judd Winick}

• Action Comics #826 - Lightning Strikes Twice, Part I : "Hate" = Opener was interesting enough. I enjoyed the framing device with all three suicides, while I'm interested to see how Eclipso and this Lex-Tech convergence contribute to the building narrative of Countdown. We get a great mention of Black Reign as well as an appearance from the boys Shazam and Captain Marvel, and Ian Churchill does a fine job on art.
• Adventures Of Superman #639 - Lightning Strikes Twice, Part II : "Rage Is His Door" = My god, Ian Churchill had Clay Mann levels of horniness in this issue. I swear all the women were packing heat in every panel, and they never missed an opportunity to have them scantily clad. These have been reading very quickly, and most of the issue was the fight. 
• Superman #216 - Lightning Strikes Twice, Part III : "Scales of Power" = Quick lore dump, brutal brawl across the globe, and a succinct segue into Day of Vengeance! I enjoyed Winick's edgy grimdark dialogue for Eclipso-Superman, although I'm hyped to see Willingham tackle the upcoming "Death of Magic".

Green Lantern Rebirth Review

Come one, come all to the Countdown before Countdown! We are post Identity Crisis, the powder keg paving the way for the event to end all events. I will stand here and say that this era of the DCU might be the most unified and exciting it has ever been (though a close second would have to be 2016-2017 Rebirth era). I would even dare call Countdown itself an event with how much impact it has line wide. With Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, Gail Simone, and Judd Winick at the helm maneuvering all the power players into the places they need to be, there's not much that can go wrong!

 

[Green Lantern Rebirth]

• Green Lantern Secret Files & Origins 2005 - "The Day Before" = Something I never noticed before this reread were the snowflakes around Kyle's ring that look exactly like the other Corps symbols. Crazy foreshadowing by Johns. From the Spectre sequence, we get a nice summation of Hal's arc since Day of Judgement, as well as the developments we got during the JSA arc Redemption Lost. We see that Parallax persona is still swimming in Hal's soul, and the Spectre is somehow containing or controlling it.
• Green Lantern: Rebirth #1 - "Blackest Night" = Pieces are set in motion for a storm to come, but who will make the first move? Who are the knights and who are the pawns!?! Johns does an excellent job of getting you up to speed on the GL status quo, and the tension building with each passing sequence is a feat to behold! So many mystery boxes planted in every panel: Why did Kyle crash with a coffin? What did he learn about the true meaning of fear? Why did Guy's Vuldarian Warrior powers go crazy? How did Coast City return? Why did Spectre-Hal maim Black Hand? What's the deal with Hector Hammond? Finally, is Hal Jordan responsible for all of these questions!?!
• Green Lantern: Rebirth #2 - "Enemies Within" = It hits the fan! We learn what's inside the coffin: the preserved corpse of Hal Jordan! This definitely makes sense since the opening scene from last issue had Kyle's ship emerging from the sun, which I'm sure is where the body had been since the events of Final Night. Hal claims that he only brought back the airfield for Carol, but I can't help wondering if he is unknowingly causing all of these mini-crisies with his reality warping Spectre powers. Not sure if it's Ganthet or Kilowog that emerged from Oa in the opening, but it doesn't really matter since both end up finding Kyle and standing off for an epic showdown next issue. The mysteries fester and multiply: How is Parallax coming? Why is Kyle refusing to use the ring? What does Kyle need to show them? What is poisoning Hal Jordan's soul? Why is Alan Scott under the weather? What has possessed John Stewart? Why did Arrow's ring duplicate itself? And why did Guy attack the heroes?
• Green Lantern: Rebirth #3 - "Yellow" = ENTER SINESTRO! Crazy dense loredump that redefines the entire Green Lantern mythos forever? Check! And we get so many answers, even to some questions nobody even asked for! The burden Kyle has been carrying emerged from his adventure at the edge of the universe, fear has a name: Parallax lives! Parallax is the reason why Guy and John and Kilowog have gone bananas, but Ganthet explains that Kyle maintains immunity due to knowing the secret giving him some ability to overcome it. Parallax proclaims that he's responsible for the random occurrences since the start of this book, though some of the stuff like Guy losing the Warrior powers and Coast City returning might have been Hal's subconscious. As for Korugar's #1 jerkoff, it's implied that he's the reason that Jordan was selected as the host for Parallax along with waking the big bug up from hibernation. Was Sinestro the reason Kyle crashed on Earth? Or was it the possessed Kilowog? Or did he just lose control because of Parallax's influence on the rings? Some interesting mysteries surrounding the Guardian's mindwipe of the Parallax secret; was it a lie or did they really purge the memory to prevent any chance of his escape? 
• Green Lantern: Rebirth #4 - "Force of Will" = GAHD THIS IS SO GOOD! Hal's final monologue before his reborn reveal was brilliant: this is undoubtedly Geoff Johns at his apex. I loved Ganthet guiding Hal's soul away from the afterlife and back into his preserved body as the backup ring Ollie used becomes his own. Sinestro was awesome in this issue, though we do get some Reverse Flash "IT WAS ME BARRY" with the reveal that he was a key factor behind Hal's fall from grace during "Emerald Twilight". Sinestro explains how Parallax woke up due to him acquiring the Qwardian Power Ring from the Weaponeers, with the ring unknowingly tapping into the sentient fear of the electromagnetic spectrum. During Parallax's confrontation with Ganthet, it is implied that the Guardians actually mindwiped themselves of the truth behind the yellow impurity, and I hope we get to explore that in Johns' upcoming run. Alan Scott's malaise is revealed as Parallax's failed attempt to possess him as well.
• Green Lantern: Rebirth #5 - "Rings" = An entire issue of Hal and Sinestro fighting across space? Count me the heck in! I always appreciate when good writers tackle fight sequences since it's so easy to make it boring while putting all the pressure on the artist to sell the scene. Morrison and Moore have done it dozens of times and Priest did it recently in his Black Adam run. Hal and Sinestro clashing maintains so much weight and gravitas due to their history and the recent revelations regarding the cause of Hal's descent. The final page is pretty funny to me since it's something you would never see in a comic today. With the amount of bat-wank that has permeated across most of DC's titles in the last decade, something like this would never fly (but then again, it was a different time, and Johns had been setting this confrontation up in both JSA and Flash).
• Green Lantern: Rebirth #6 - "Brightest Day" = Freaking awesome. This is what happens when you put the biggest fanboy on a collision course with his favorite character. Geoff Johns loves Hal Jordan and the GLC so much that every word and every panel in this issue actively infects me with that love. The descriptions of how each Lantern manipulates and manifests their willpower constructs is one of the coolest things ever done with the GL's, and I fail to understand why this isn't used more often. Best line of the book has to be Hal's response to Parallax-Ganthet: "I don't know how." Hal-Bats stuff was hilarious, Guardians foreshadowing, Hector Hammond foreshadowing, and a Hard Traveling Heroes moment to cap it off. Phenomenal book, phenomenal ending, and easily one of the best DC Comics ever, and in my opinion THE best Green Lantern story ever.