Green Lantern v5 050 (2016) (Webrip) (The Last Kryptonian-DCP)Writer: Robert Venditti

Penciller: Billy Tan & Vincente Cifuentes

Inkers: Mark Irwin, John Livesay, & Vincente Cifuentes

Colorists: Alex Sinclair & Tony Avina

Letterer: Dave Sharpe

By: Nicholas Eskey

It’s rare that I feel I have to give someone else’s work a negative review. I know how much hard work and planning goes into the crafting of a story and it feels wrong of me to shun that, but the occasion happens when I find myself reading something that can be both rough and uninspiring; Green Lantern: Issue 50 is that occasion.

This comic, written by Robert Venditti, is very confusing to say the least. It’s hard to explain without Green Lantern v5 050 (2016) (Webrip) (The Last Kryptonian-DCP)giving any spoilers away for those that are still interested in reading it for themselves. The best way I can describe it is by pointing out the difference between a convoluted story and a sloppy story. Green Lantern issue 50 manages to be the latter, as well as vague at the same time (a big feat). Events and actions are presented to the reader that don’t make sense at all, only then clicking together by angry dialogue that we are presented with two Hal Jordans from different dimensions. That said, one of them is oddly decades older than the other. So not only are we dealing with different dimensions, but also time travel. Got it. The story continues on with quick little dialogue additions made by the two Jordans while in mid battle. This “super villain verbal diarhea while the hero is slowly being lowered into a pool of hungry sharks” is the vehicle that brings to focus the events of the comic. It’s sloppy, unimaginative, and annoying for the reader.

Green Lantern v5 050 (2016) (Webrip) (The Last Kryptonian-DCP)If the art was at least on point, then maybe this would have been the comic’s saving grace. I’ve seen better work from fledging artists at their booths at comic conventions. It resembles something that would have been the standard for the industry in the 1970’s. Don’t be mistaken, this is not because the comic is “gritty” and I’m being overly judgmental. On the contrary, I love gritty comics. This one however is just all around rough. I don’t think this is due to lack of talent. There are a number of panels that show a great amount of detailing in the faces of characters and scenery shots, but then we are treated to other panels that lack the same detailing, becoming flat and boring. It almost looks like the artists ran out of time and rushed the panels that they felt weren’t too important to the story.

The coloring is also on the subpar level. I can’t really blame the colorists too much; if they are given a Green Lantern v5 050 (2016) (Webrip) (The Last Kryptonian-DCP)product that lacks the depth made by shallow line details, it’s a hard task to color it. But this too could have been salvaged by the right color pallets and shading.

Overall, the comic felt rushed, like they had a deadline to meet and spat it out as fast as they could. Could have also been that the team felt this issue was a throwaway and just threw everything together without regard. Either way, I didn’t like anything about the comic. It wasn’t the worst I’ve read (which is scary to say), but it still didn’t meet any sort of entertainment quality in my book.

If you wish to judge for yourself, DC’s Green Lantern: Issue 50 is on comic book shelves now.

4 COMMENTS

  1. “It resembles something that would have been the standard for the industry in the 1970’s.”

    The industry standard in the ’70s looked a helluva lot better than this. Even the second-tier artists like Herb Trimpe, Don Heck and Sal Buscema were above the level of this stuff. This looks like a high school kid’s sketches.

  2. FWIW, Parallax is’t necessarily decades older than modern Hal, although he might be 10 years older. I’m sure the differences between the specific timing of the pre-Flashpoint universe (Parallax is from) and the post-Flashpoint universe (Hal is from) are not something DC wants to get in to. But the main thing is, the effect of having the Parallax entity inside older Hal was that his temples became white.

    But it’s probably fair to say that the comic could have explained that in some way.

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