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Green Lantern (2011)
Green Lantern, Volume 3: The End
Comics' hottest writer Geoff Johns continues his historic run on one of the best-selling titles of DC Comics' The New 52: Green Lantern!
The universe is in shambles and the Guardians are the cause. Their mysterious Third Army has risen across the cosmos like a plague, destroying everything in its path and Hal Jordan and Sinestro are nowhere to be found. It is up to wrongfuly accused Simon Baz to clear his name and become the hero that the Corps needs in order to get to the bottom of Hal and Sinestro's disapperance and the Rise of the Third Army!
Collecting: Green Lantern 13-20, 0
The universe is in shambles and the Guardians are the cause. Their mysterious Third Army has risen across the cosmos like a plague, destroying everything in its path and Hal Jordan and Sinestro are nowhere to be found. It is up to wrongfuly accused Simon Baz to clear his name and become the hero that the Corps needs in order to get to the bottom of Hal and Sinestro's disapperance and the Rise of the Third Army!
Collecting: Green Lantern 13-20, 0
264 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 2013
45 people are currently reading
909 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,718 books2,410 followersGeoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
May 31, 2017
4.5 stars
Sappy?
Most definitely.
But it works, because it's Geoff Johns' love letter to a character that he brought back to life.
If you've been following his run on Green Lantern since Green Lantern: Rebirth (like I have), then this one is a must-read simply because he's finally leaving GL. If you haven't, I still think this would be enjoyable. I mean, it even has an epilogue that shows how each of the Lanterns ends up with their Happily Ever After.
An epilogue!
Are you on board yet?
Maybe. Maybe not. I guess that would depend on your level of cynicism when it comes to comics and/or HEAs.
Personally, I got a kick out of it.
It starts off with Sinestro and Hal still trapped by Black Hand in some sort of Land of Death. Sinestro's ring (and by extension Hal's ring) registers a dead Lantern, and goes in search of the next deserving finger.
Hello, Simon Baz.
Did we really need another Lantern?
No. Not even a little bit.
There are tons of those fuckers running around already, and I'm a little tired of trying to keep up with what's happening to all of them. The only two that I give a shit about are Hal and John...in that order. Sorry, but I don't like Kyle, and Guy is usually just a filler that's thrown in there to make a mess of things.
Having said that, I didn't dislike this new guy. I didn't really care for the political correctness that got rubbed all over my face when he and his family were introduced, though.
Get it off me! It burns!
I'm not very PC, but I think I'm fair.
I hate everyone equally.
Should Baz 'n family have been treated in a shoddy manner simply because they were Muslim? No.
Should the police have believed Simon when he told them that he accidentally stole a car with a bomb already in it? Or that he drove it to his former workplace because he knew it would be empty?
Sorry, but I wouldn't buy that story, either.
Do I think government agents would resort to waterboarding a man because of circumstantial evidence?
Of course not! Our government (and its agents) are far too ethical and trustworthy to do something as morally reprehensible as that!
That was called sarcasm...just in case you missed it.
The moral of Johns' story is tolerance toward Muslims, 'cause they're not all suicide bombers.
Duh.
M'kay! Thanks, Geoff!
But other than the After School Special stuff, I liked Baz well enough to think that he'll fit in with the other b-list Lanterns. And I already like him waaay better than that doofus Kyle.
The real surprise for me was how well Johns' handled Sinestro's part in the story. During the epilogue I was like, wha...?, then, No way!, and finally, Awwww!, 'cause it was just filled to the brim with ooey-gooey goodness. Seriously.
Don't mock me! That shit with Ganthet made me tear up...
This may not be the most incredibly epic story ever told, but I thought it was the perfect way for Johns to end his run with GL. If you're a fan of comic books, you need to go get this one.
Sappy?
Most definitely.
But it works, because it's Geoff Johns' love letter to a character that he brought back to life.
If you've been following his run on Green Lantern since Green Lantern: Rebirth (like I have), then this one is a must-read simply because he's finally leaving GL. If you haven't, I still think this would be enjoyable. I mean, it even has an epilogue that shows how each of the Lanterns ends up with their Happily Ever After.
An epilogue!
Are you on board yet?
Maybe. Maybe not. I guess that would depend on your level of cynicism when it comes to comics and/or HEAs.
Personally, I got a kick out of it.
It starts off with Sinestro and Hal still trapped by Black Hand in some sort of Land of Death. Sinestro's ring (and by extension Hal's ring) registers a dead Lantern, and goes in search of the next deserving finger.
Hello, Simon Baz.
Did we really need another Lantern?
No. Not even a little bit.
There are tons of those fuckers running around already, and I'm a little tired of trying to keep up with what's happening to all of them. The only two that I give a shit about are Hal and John...in that order. Sorry, but I don't like Kyle, and Guy is usually just a filler that's thrown in there to make a mess of things.
Having said that, I didn't dislike this new guy. I didn't really care for the political correctness that got rubbed all over my face when he and his family were introduced, though.
Get it off me! It burns!
I'm not very PC, but I think I'm fair.
I hate everyone equally.
Should Baz 'n family have been treated in a shoddy manner simply because they were Muslim? No.
Should the police have believed Simon when he told them that he accidentally stole a car with a bomb already in it? Or that he drove it to his former workplace because he knew it would be empty?
Sorry, but I wouldn't buy that story, either.
Do I think government agents would resort to waterboarding a man because of circumstantial evidence?
Of course not! Our government (and its agents) are far too ethical and trustworthy to do something as morally reprehensible as that!
That was called sarcasm...just in case you missed it.
The moral of Johns' story is tolerance toward Muslims, 'cause they're not all suicide bombers.
Duh.
M'kay! Thanks, Geoff!
But other than the After School Special stuff, I liked Baz well enough to think that he'll fit in with the other b-list Lanterns. And I already like him waaay better than that doofus Kyle.
The real surprise for me was how well Johns' handled Sinestro's part in the story. During the epilogue I was like, wha...?, then, No way!, and finally, Awwww!, 'cause it was just filled to the brim with ooey-gooey goodness. Seriously.
Don't mock me! That shit with Ganthet made me tear up...
This may not be the most incredibly epic story ever told, but I thought it was the perfect way for Johns to end his run with GL. If you're a fan of comic books, you need to go get this one.
March 12, 2019
Wow, this was loud. There was a whole lot of action and fighting. It has plenty of excitement. So this story has been going on since 2005, so I came in on it toward the end and there is a lot of threads coming together here at the end and the pieces feel like I'm missing a little bit. Still, I did enjoy this and it makes me want to go back and read the whole thing. It's a huge volume with plenty of dense story telling.
Green lantern reminds me of Star Trek and all the very weird alien species you see on the show. There are some bizarre creatures in this world. All the power ring colors show up. The first lantern gets free, surprise and they all have to deal with it.
So much happens in this volume. There is a lot of story here. I do like the last chapter and the valiant song of Ode sung to Hal Jordan and his time as Green lantern. It works really well.
There is a half volume between this and Volume 2. I don't understand why you don't just put them out in order and not do these weird half volumes. It is so strange. Seriously. I have to go back and try and catch up on that.
If you are looking for a world building fantasy with superheros with dense characters and plots then this is the story for you. I will keep going with this.
Green lantern reminds me of Star Trek and all the very weird alien species you see on the show. There are some bizarre creatures in this world. All the power ring colors show up. The first lantern gets free, surprise and they all have to deal with it.
So much happens in this volume. There is a lot of story here. I do like the last chapter and the valiant song of Ode sung to Hal Jordan and his time as Green lantern. It works really well.
There is a half volume between this and Volume 2. I don't understand why you don't just put them out in order and not do these weird half volumes. It is so strange. Seriously. I have to go back and try and catch up on that.
If you are looking for a world building fantasy with superheros with dense characters and plots then this is the story for you. I will keep going with this.
October 25, 2015
If, like me, you’ve already read Rise of the Turd Army, you’ll already have read half of this volume. If, unlike me, you read Wrath of the First Lantern, you can basically skip this entire volume as that noise fills up the second half!
So this is Geoff Johns’ final Green Lantern book (for now) hence the subtitle. Emotional? Nah, me neither. I didn’t read many of his Lantern books but the few I did were just ok (though I'm not really a big Green Lantern fan).
The not-very-interesting Simon Baz is the new bearer of Sinestro/Hal’s ring. He’s also Middle-Eastern and, through some contrivances, he’s stuck with the stereotype of the Muslim suicide bomber and is being chased by the US government and the Justice League. He has to find the guy whose bomb was in the van he boosted AND fight off the Turd Army goons… zzz…
It’s not nearly as exciting as it sounds, especially as the Justice League show how incompetent they are, undercutting the drama with their (unintentional) slapstick comedy. Cue the Benny Hill music! Big Blue, Emo-man, Token Woman, Red Guy, the Tin Man and Captain Birdseye’s nemesis can’t stop some scared dude in a car who doesn’t know what he’s doing with a power ring? The New 52 Justice League suuuuuuck!
Elsewhere, the First Lantern wants powah, so much powah, to do something; in other words he’s Johns’ usual dreary bad guy. Watch with boredom as lots of colourful lights flash and Lanterns everywhere… ah who cares. POWAH! Also, Simon who? Poor git’s forgotten in the second half and I don’t think he appears in the series ever again. Things prolly worked out for him, right?
Lots of busy pages round out the book – what First Lantern? He dead… or something - as Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke take a victory lap with all the Green Lantern characters posing; I’m sure it was moving for someone. Before that though, that stuff with Hal Jordan and Sinestro was ridonkulous. I won’t spoil it here but Deus ex Machina’s all round with old, old ideas trotted out once more because this is the last time Johns is gonna get to do them I guess. So, so stupid and shows Geoff Johns is plum out of new ideas for this series making his exit all the more fortuitous.
Bye, Geoff Johns, you made Green Lantern popular for DC again (I’m assuming it must’ve been popular at some point in the last 70+ years)! However a patchwork collection of lacklustre crossover issues unfortunately isn’t the best way to go out.
And what is that pose Kyle Rayner’s striking on the cover? “I am Kyle Abs – look at my super-wide chest! POWAH!” What a douche-nugget.
So this is Geoff Johns’ final Green Lantern book (for now) hence the subtitle. Emotional? Nah, me neither. I didn’t read many of his Lantern books but the few I did were just ok (though I'm not really a big Green Lantern fan).
The not-very-interesting Simon Baz is the new bearer of Sinestro/Hal’s ring. He’s also Middle-Eastern and, through some contrivances, he’s stuck with the stereotype of the Muslim suicide bomber and is being chased by the US government and the Justice League. He has to find the guy whose bomb was in the van he boosted AND fight off the Turd Army goons… zzz…
It’s not nearly as exciting as it sounds, especially as the Justice League show how incompetent they are, undercutting the drama with their (unintentional) slapstick comedy. Cue the Benny Hill music! Big Blue, Emo-man, Token Woman, Red Guy, the Tin Man and Captain Birdseye’s nemesis can’t stop some scared dude in a car who doesn’t know what he’s doing with a power ring? The New 52 Justice League suuuuuuck!
Elsewhere, the First Lantern wants powah, so much powah, to do something; in other words he’s Johns’ usual dreary bad guy. Watch with boredom as lots of colourful lights flash and Lanterns everywhere… ah who cares. POWAH! Also, Simon who? Poor git’s forgotten in the second half and I don’t think he appears in the series ever again. Things prolly worked out for him, right?
Lots of busy pages round out the book – what First Lantern? He dead… or something - as Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke take a victory lap with all the Green Lantern characters posing; I’m sure it was moving for someone. Before that though, that stuff with Hal Jordan and Sinestro was ridonkulous. I won’t spoil it here but Deus ex Machina’s all round with old, old ideas trotted out once more because this is the last time Johns is gonna get to do them I guess. So, so stupid and shows Geoff Johns is plum out of new ideas for this series making his exit all the more fortuitous.
Bye, Geoff Johns, you made Green Lantern popular for DC again (I’m assuming it must’ve been popular at some point in the last 70+ years)! However a patchwork collection of lacklustre crossover issues unfortunately isn’t the best way to go out.
And what is that pose Kyle Rayner’s striking on the cover? “I am Kyle Abs – look at my super-wide chest! POWAH!” What a douche-nugget.
February 12, 2019
This is it. The End of what many consider to be one of the best runs on a superhero comic book. In the previous volume, before getting sucked into the Black Lantern Ring, the unlikely duo of Sinestro and Hal Jordan desperately send their merged ring into the cosmos to look for someone like them that might be able to save the universe. That someone turns out to be car thief and suspected terrorist Simon Baz of Earth, a man that turns out to be a perfect blend of Sinestro and Hal's personalities, but he must learn the ways of the Corps quickly if he is to help fight the Third Army and Volthoom, both unleashed by the Guardians, who've gone fully insane in their desire for absolute emotional order.
And you know what? Screw it, I'm throwing all the stars at this thing. It's the culmination of everything that Geoff Johns has been introducing throughout his cosmic epic, bringing in every Corps of the Emotional Spectrum in the fight, wrapping up Hal and Sinestro's rivalry arc, and also wrapping up the collective character arc of the Guardians of the Universe, who the series is almost equally focused on, especially Ganthet. While the big bad guys weren't as compelling as they could've been (see Sam Humphries's subsequent Green Lanterns series for a much better treatment of Volthoom as a character), there are some amazing moments here and Johns totally sticks the lofty landing in the fantastic, slam-dunk of a final issue. Everyone knows that Thaal Sinestro has been Hal Jordan's arch-nemesis since forever, but Johns really imbues the rivalry with never-before-seen emotional depth during this series, and it all comes to a head here.
I'll be the first to admit that the series has had some moments better than others, but on a whole, it really is one of the most memorable comic book experiences I've had, and whether it's the dramatic action sequences from Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War or Blackest Night, or the great character moments from Green Lantern: Rebirth or Green Lantern: Secret Origin, certain images and scenes will stick with me for a while. But this moment especially sticks out from this book in particular, which holds one of the best pieces of dialogue I've seen written between a hero and their nemesis:
And you know what? Screw it, I'm throwing all the stars at this thing. It's the culmination of everything that Geoff Johns has been introducing throughout his cosmic epic, bringing in every Corps of the Emotional Spectrum in the fight, wrapping up Hal and Sinestro's rivalry arc, and also wrapping up the collective character arc of the Guardians of the Universe, who the series is almost equally focused on, especially Ganthet. While the big bad guys weren't as compelling as they could've been (see Sam Humphries's subsequent Green Lanterns series for a much better treatment of Volthoom as a character), there are some amazing moments here and Johns totally sticks the lofty landing in the fantastic, slam-dunk of a final issue. Everyone knows that Thaal Sinestro has been Hal Jordan's arch-nemesis since forever, but Johns really imbues the rivalry with never-before-seen emotional depth during this series, and it all comes to a head here.
I'll be the first to admit that the series has had some moments better than others, but on a whole, it really is one of the most memorable comic book experiences I've had, and whether it's the dramatic action sequences from Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War or Blackest Night, or the great character moments from Green Lantern: Rebirth or Green Lantern: Secret Origin, certain images and scenes will stick with me for a while. But this moment especially sticks out from this book in particular, which holds one of the best pieces of dialogue I've seen written between a hero and their nemesis:
August 11, 2015
Four and a half stars, just because I'm a stingy jerk.
I can't really say anything negative about this book. It was great in every aspect. Story was great. Amazing art. It tied in well to the Rise of the Third Army crossover event. And the conclusion was sappy, but terribly fitting for this GL story.
If you are at all interested in Green Lantern this whole run by Geoff Johns has got to be on your "to read" list.
I can't really say anything negative about this book. It was great in every aspect. Story was great. Amazing art. It tied in well to the Rise of the Third Army crossover event. And the conclusion was sappy, but terribly fitting for this GL story.
If you are at all interested in Green Lantern this whole run by Geoff Johns has got to be on your "to read" list.
August 15, 2017
A more than excellent ending and art was just over the top.
And now I just have to look out for 30+ years of previous stories...
This is everything comic books need to be and more.
Green Lantern, you gained a new fan.
August 15, 2019
I really liked how the last issue of this was structured a lot. The Green Lanterns are my favorites, so I'm a little biased. I do think I missed some stuff though because I didn't know there was a "Rise of the Third Army" I should have read before jumping into this one. I was reading the volumes as they were numbered, so I missed a lot about Kyle in a bridging volume between 2 and 3. I'm going to go back to fill in that missing info before continuing on.
November 27, 2014
I'm pleased to say, this is a bounce back for Papa Johns after the turd dumping that was Trinity War.
He's had a hard-on for GL forever; and here, he's able to close the chapter on a very respectable run for the Emerald Knights.
When last we left our hero, he (and on again GL/Nemesis Sinestro) were killed by Black Hand. We know that Black Hand killing doesn't quite work, and Hal's been dead before, so would they go back that way? Who knows, but we do see Hal and Sinestro stuck in the Black/Afterworld with a GL from the past.
Meanwhile, Sinestro's Construct/Shared ring with Hal, goes for Simon Baz, a Muslim-American living in Deerborn, Michigan (my Great Uncle lived there too, lovely little place lol). There's some well-meaning but heavy handed "we're all good people" bit, a sort of Johns apologism for American foreign policy, torture, racism etc...OK moving on.
Simon gets guided by Squirrel/Chipmunk Lantern, who's very entertaining, and is his Yoda. He ends up going on a quest (shockingly) with very little backup and training. It also turns out that he's more powerful with his emotional lack of fear than some of the great ones!
This being the end of it, of course John and Guy show up, and I don't mind them at all, but they don't have a huge part to play (That would be the GL Corps books). Also, Kyle shows up with his rainbow brigade...ugh.
But this is Hal's book. Hal's the hero, he makes some gigantic sacrifices and leaps of faith to save the universe. The best part? Sinestro ends up making different sacrifices for different reasons, but when we see the end result, Sinestro is about as close to heroic as he will ever be.
So it's a nice finish up, and everyone lives happily ever after...except the bad guys...and the people that die.
The Coda/Epilogue follows what happens to each of the lanterns, looking back many years later, and we see Guy, John, Kyle, and Hal, and what they ended up moving on to, all doing well.
However, for me, the best part of the whole thing was the relationship between Hal and Sinestro. They got to a point where they understand each other, won't ever agree about the means, but agree to the same ends, and each makes a personal sacrifice to try and reach those ends. Hal is a hero, the greatest GL of them all, but Sinestro, I feel like his actions were even more heroic given the context, and the aftermath.
So, a very enjoyable, sentimental journery. Johns is forgiven here, because you know it's his baby. It's a good enough job, it stands out, the universe mumbo-jumbo cosmic shit is minimized, and the fact that it focuses on relationships and people instead of that helps a lot.
Well done.
Get this review and more at:
He's had a hard-on for GL forever; and here, he's able to close the chapter on a very respectable run for the Emerald Knights.
When last we left our hero, he (and on again GL/Nemesis Sinestro) were killed by Black Hand. We know that Black Hand killing doesn't quite work, and Hal's been dead before, so would they go back that way? Who knows, but we do see Hal and Sinestro stuck in the Black/Afterworld with a GL from the past.
Meanwhile, Sinestro's Construct/Shared ring with Hal, goes for Simon Baz, a Muslim-American living in Deerborn, Michigan (my Great Uncle lived there too, lovely little place lol). There's some well-meaning but heavy handed "we're all good people" bit, a sort of Johns apologism for American foreign policy, torture, racism etc...OK moving on.
Simon gets guided by Squirrel/Chipmunk Lantern, who's very entertaining, and is his Yoda. He ends up going on a quest (shockingly) with very little backup and training. It also turns out that he's more powerful with his emotional lack of fear than some of the great ones!
This being the end of it, of course John and Guy show up, and I don't mind them at all, but they don't have a huge part to play (That would be the GL Corps books). Also, Kyle shows up with his rainbow brigade...ugh.
But this is Hal's book. Hal's the hero, he makes some gigantic sacrifices and leaps of faith to save the universe. The best part? Sinestro ends up making different sacrifices for different reasons, but when we see the end result, Sinestro is about as close to heroic as he will ever be.
So it's a nice finish up, and everyone lives happily ever after...except the bad guys...and the people that die.
The Coda/Epilogue follows what happens to each of the lanterns, looking back many years later, and we see Guy, John, Kyle, and Hal, and what they ended up moving on to, all doing well.
However, for me, the best part of the whole thing was the relationship between Hal and Sinestro. They got to a point where they understand each other, won't ever agree about the means, but agree to the same ends, and each makes a personal sacrifice to try and reach those ends. Hal is a hero, the greatest GL of them all, but Sinestro, I feel like his actions were even more heroic given the context, and the aftermath.
So, a very enjoyable, sentimental journery. Johns is forgiven here, because you know it's his baby. It's a good enough job, it stands out, the universe mumbo-jumbo cosmic shit is minimized, and the fact that it focuses on relationships and people instead of that helps a lot.
Well done.
Get this review and more at:
January 7, 2021
WHAT AN EPIC ENDING TO THE GREATEST RUN IN COMICS!
It starts off with the Guardians activating their plans for the third army connected to them obviously devoid of free will and they take out Sinestro and Hal and send them to the dead zone/afterlife and thus it begins the quest of them both to get free while the ring chooses a new wielder in Simon and we follow his story for 1/2 of this volume and its so good and interesting and then we have Volthoom rising (the guy whose power the guardians were using) and he imprisons them and we learn how he was the first lantern and all but then we switch to fourth gear and we have Sinestro coming back to life and tragedy happening to him and Hal becoming a Black lantern to escape and the way he summons Nekron and defeats Volthoom finally JUST WOAH! I loved this volume a lot, and maybe one of the best endings in comics period and Johns gives an ending to every character in a way..happy endings to both heroes and villains he introduced or that were important in his run alike..but Hal and Carol just amazing. This run was so good and like just made me happy a lot and just wow..the sheer brilliance of Geoff Johns. And all the artists were amazing in this epic conclusion to a great saga! Take a bow Geoff Johns for this epic run/saga!
It starts off with the Guardians activating their plans for the third army connected to them obviously devoid of free will and they take out Sinestro and Hal and send them to the dead zone/afterlife and thus it begins the quest of them both to get free while the ring chooses a new wielder in Simon and we follow his story for 1/2 of this volume and its so good and interesting and then we have Volthoom rising (the guy whose power the guardians were using) and he imprisons them and we learn how he was the first lantern and all but then we switch to fourth gear and we have Sinestro coming back to life and tragedy happening to him and Hal becoming a Black lantern to escape and the way he summons Nekron and defeats Volthoom finally JUST WOAH! I loved this volume a lot, and maybe one of the best endings in comics period and Johns gives an ending to every character in a way..happy endings to both heroes and villains he introduced or that were important in his run alike..but Hal and Carol just amazing. This run was so good and like just made me happy a lot and just wow..the sheer brilliance of Geoff Johns. And all the artists were amazing in this epic conclusion to a great saga! Take a bow Geoff Johns for this epic run/saga!
June 7, 2017
Hal Jordan and Sinestro have been trapped in the underworld thanks to Black Hand. Who can step up when they go missing? Kyle Rayner! Simon Baz, who is chosen by Hal and Sinestro's merged ring with the implication that Simon can strike a balance between fear and courage. Simon is labeled a possible terrorist by the government and is pursued by the Justice League until he's rescued by B'dg, the giant squirrel Green Lantern. Meanwhile, the First Lantern (also known as Roy G. Biv Volthoom), trapped and drained by the now insane Guardians of the Universe, swears revenge. In the underworld, Hal and Sinestro try to find their way back to the land of the living.
This, the final volume of Green Lantern in a nine year run by Geoff Johns, is a great finish to a semi-continuous story that has been in motion since roughly 1993. Storylines are wrapped up, emotions are stirred, full powers are unleashed, colors are double rainbowed, and Johns says to hell with continuity and gives the major characters satisfying epilogues. (These will no doubt be eventually ignored considering the nature of superhero comics, but ultimately that doesn't matter; it's still great to see Johns' vision of how things turn out.) Sinestro's growth feels complete and he becomes one of the most convincingly sympathetic archenemies I've read, making me into a fan.
I had doubts about the introduction of yet another human Green Lantern in Simon Baz, but I ended up really liking the character and his concept. I enjoyed seeing a headlining Middle Eastern-American character with a post-9/11 story, and it was done well here. I didn't especially feel hit over the head with any particular lesson other than that Simon's a guy who seems to both have made questionable choices and also has legitimately bad luck. He is afraid yet he has courage, and he immediately tries to do the right thing when presented with the opportunity. Attach whatever meaning to Simon's race/ethnicity/religion and Johns' handling of it you want, it's just a good superhero origin story.
As for the climax, .
Very recommended if you like Green Lantern and the other colored corps.
This, the final volume of Green Lantern in a nine year run by Geoff Johns, is a great finish to a semi-continuous story that has been in motion since roughly 1993. Storylines are wrapped up, emotions are stirred, full powers are unleashed, colors are double rainbowed, and Johns says to hell with continuity and gives the major characters satisfying epilogues. (These will no doubt be eventually ignored considering the nature of superhero comics, but ultimately that doesn't matter; it's still great to see Johns' vision of how things turn out.) Sinestro's growth feels complete and he becomes one of the most convincingly sympathetic archenemies I've read, making me into a fan.
I had doubts about the introduction of yet another human Green Lantern in Simon Baz, but I ended up really liking the character and his concept. I enjoyed seeing a headlining Middle Eastern-American character with a post-9/11 story, and it was done well here. I didn't especially feel hit over the head with any particular lesson other than that Simon's a guy who seems to both have made questionable choices and also has legitimately bad luck. He is afraid yet he has courage, and he immediately tries to do the right thing when presented with the opportunity. Attach whatever meaning to Simon's race/ethnicity/religion and Johns' handling of it you want, it's just a good superhero origin story.
As for the climax, .
Very recommended if you like Green Lantern and the other colored corps.
July 30, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up because it pretty much deserves it
My only qualm is that this is just "The End" of Geoff Johns's run on Green Lantern...? This run continues under Robert Venditti, so I'm not sure where it'll go from there or even if I'll like it, but I am going to give it a shot soon.
My only qualm is that this is just "The End" of Geoff Johns's run on Green Lantern...? This run continues under Robert Venditti, so I'm not sure where it'll go from there or even if I'll like it, but I am going to give it a shot soon.
May 21, 2020
Nearly a decade in the making, Geoff Johns brings his Green Lantern saga to a close. Typically, he brings high concept to the mythology right to the end.
The volume kicks off with Geoff's first-ever original Green Lantern, Simon Baz, who thoroughly belongs to the Lost/Fast and the Furious generation (subsequent writers will have plenty to write about with this one), ending the post-New 52 three-volume run that concludes the saga with a slow build. The original Silver Age Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan and Sinestro, once sworn enemies, have been working together for the first time in years. They've found themselves in dire straits, and at the worst possible moment: the Guardians of the Universe, creators of the Green Lantern Corps, have finally gone mad in their quest to create perfect order. They've created the Third Army, basically an organic version of Star Trek's Borg, but even that isn't enough. This action has finally released the First Lantern, the last of Geoff's considerable additions to the lore, who truly brings the story full circle. Defeating him means bringing everyone together, pushing both Hal and Sinestro to their very limits, and reaching a true sense of fulfillment.
Could you conceivably read only this volume? In a sense, yes. The decision to introduce a new Green Lantern so close to the end allows for such an entry point. Simon's experiences at the climax serve to introduce readers to plot points introduced not only in the previous volume but even all the way to Green Lantern: Rebirth, as Simon knows what it was like for Hal to desperately seek redemption. This last story illustrates how Geoff pushed the Green Lantern framework into a perfect representation of the superhero concept, its most pure, the limits of power and the human element that must necessarily lie at the center.
In a practical sense, there are story beats that seem missing, like what exactly happens to the Third Army. Those are things that occur in the pages of other Green Lantern titles. Does it feel like a cheat to meet Simon and then have him sidelined by the end? In a way. But Green Lantern has always been about not one hero but many, all working in concert. No writer before Geoff Johns has managed to integrate all of them so well, even if this volume best focuses on three of them and leaves the rest to be best understood by those who already know who they are. Readers who began with the first New 52 volume will wonder if they followed Sinestro in vain, but their faith will be rewarded. He is perhaps the first villain in comic book history to have become three-dimensional. Even if you still consider him to be a villain, he's a tragic villain, a redeemable villain.
In the end, it pivots around Hal Jordan. For years now, readers, the ones who didn't clamor for his return, wondered what made him so special. Was it simply that he was the first Silver Age incarnation of the character? Or his willingness to challenge even his own limitations, even when he falls? He makes a decision in this last story that seems like an awful one, and then uses it as just another fighting chance. That's Hal Jordan in a nutshell. It's not merely his ability to overcome great fear but the risk he embraces, not even so much the faith he has in himself but what his actions allow to be instilled in others, why the ring keeps coming back to him. As the Blue Lanterns say, "All will be well."
After playing so fruitfully in the sandbox, Geoff Johns ensured that this will indeed be the case for Green Lantern.
The volume kicks off with Geoff's first-ever original Green Lantern, Simon Baz, who thoroughly belongs to the Lost/Fast and the Furious generation (subsequent writers will have plenty to write about with this one), ending the post-New 52 three-volume run that concludes the saga with a slow build. The original Silver Age Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan and Sinestro, once sworn enemies, have been working together for the first time in years. They've found themselves in dire straits, and at the worst possible moment: the Guardians of the Universe, creators of the Green Lantern Corps, have finally gone mad in their quest to create perfect order. They've created the Third Army, basically an organic version of Star Trek's Borg, but even that isn't enough. This action has finally released the First Lantern, the last of Geoff's considerable additions to the lore, who truly brings the story full circle. Defeating him means bringing everyone together, pushing both Hal and Sinestro to their very limits, and reaching a true sense of fulfillment.
Could you conceivably read only this volume? In a sense, yes. The decision to introduce a new Green Lantern so close to the end allows for such an entry point. Simon's experiences at the climax serve to introduce readers to plot points introduced not only in the previous volume but even all the way to Green Lantern: Rebirth, as Simon knows what it was like for Hal to desperately seek redemption. This last story illustrates how Geoff pushed the Green Lantern framework into a perfect representation of the superhero concept, its most pure, the limits of power and the human element that must necessarily lie at the center.
In a practical sense, there are story beats that seem missing, like what exactly happens to the Third Army. Those are things that occur in the pages of other Green Lantern titles. Does it feel like a cheat to meet Simon and then have him sidelined by the end? In a way. But Green Lantern has always been about not one hero but many, all working in concert. No writer before Geoff Johns has managed to integrate all of them so well, even if this volume best focuses on three of them and leaves the rest to be best understood by those who already know who they are. Readers who began with the first New 52 volume will wonder if they followed Sinestro in vain, but their faith will be rewarded. He is perhaps the first villain in comic book history to have become three-dimensional. Even if you still consider him to be a villain, he's a tragic villain, a redeemable villain.
In the end, it pivots around Hal Jordan. For years now, readers, the ones who didn't clamor for his return, wondered what made him so special. Was it simply that he was the first Silver Age incarnation of the character? Or his willingness to challenge even his own limitations, even when he falls? He makes a decision in this last story that seems like an awful one, and then uses it as just another fighting chance. That's Hal Jordan in a nutshell. It's not merely his ability to overcome great fear but the risk he embraces, not even so much the faith he has in himself but what his actions allow to be instilled in others, why the ring keeps coming back to him. As the Blue Lanterns say, "All will be well."
After playing so fruitfully in the sandbox, Geoff Johns ensured that this will indeed be the case for Green Lantern.
December 1, 2013
The first couple of issues of this trade are incredibly political, and it makes for rather uncomfortable reading. Where other comic universe use metaphors for racism or religious hatred, this comic goes for the jugular. In the space of 30 pages we have a Muslim man being accused of terrorism, a woman in a Hijab being asked to leave her job because of what her brother is accused of, and the same man being water boarded. All the police brutalizing the soon to be new Green Lantern are white, the woman who sacked his sister, was white and though I hate to say this, when the Justice league turn up they are all white (except Cyborg I supposed). What I want to do is pick up the comic creators and shake them screaming in their faces ‘I get the point already, stop milking it.’ It really makes me want to re-write my review of Might Avengers as I was fairly scathing of the contrived and implied racism in that comic, but this utterly blows it out of the water.
The art throughout this book has a muted quality, not in terms of the colour, but in terms of the expressions. Almost as if everyone is very relaxed and can shout though a closed mouth. It is slightly off putting when the speech bubble is in bold text and orange rimmed, but coming from a guy with his mouth shut. It never really gets any better, no one ever seems to be speaking, merely posing for the words, a bit like a badly dubbed film. The rest of art certainly improves throughout the comic, especially after the first couple of issues and the sections in the Dead Zone are atmospheric as they give the impression that the panels were fully coloured, before having all that life sucked out of them to leave a sludgy black colouring. My biggest complaint with the art is the panel layout; there is absolutely no wasted space, it is literally crammed on every page with insets, cut ins, overlays, off centre panels, unaligned panels, basically every layout you can imagine and it just does not work. The page feels smothered in text and different drawings, there is not space for any of them to live, it is like looking at the world through a crack and every time you blink the picture on the other side changes. In small doses this can make a part of a comic feel claustrophobic and can add to a scene, but throughout 230 pages, it is smothering.
Unfortunately this does not flow as book. It starts out focusing on one character and then drops them almost entirely before picking up another and another. It feels like, and might well be, just a snapshot of one comic title, without any of the tie ins and branches off that make up the individual stories contained within complete. The best way I can describe it is reading through a big cross over event, but only looking at one title over a full year. Characters come and go; plot lines get derailed and then realigned until you realise that the comic you were reading at the beginning has the same name at the end, but it is not the same story. Split in half, this book would get very different reviews. Mostly negative for the first half, and mostly positive, save the layout, for the second half. But as one combined book, unless the Green Lanterns are your go to hero team, I could not recommend it.
http://cmro.travis-starnes.com/blog/2013/10/green-lantern-volume-3-the-end/
The art throughout this book has a muted quality, not in terms of the colour, but in terms of the expressions. Almost as if everyone is very relaxed and can shout though a closed mouth. It is slightly off putting when the speech bubble is in bold text and orange rimmed, but coming from a guy with his mouth shut. It never really gets any better, no one ever seems to be speaking, merely posing for the words, a bit like a badly dubbed film. The rest of art certainly improves throughout the comic, especially after the first couple of issues and the sections in the Dead Zone are atmospheric as they give the impression that the panels were fully coloured, before having all that life sucked out of them to leave a sludgy black colouring. My biggest complaint with the art is the panel layout; there is absolutely no wasted space, it is literally crammed on every page with insets, cut ins, overlays, off centre panels, unaligned panels, basically every layout you can imagine and it just does not work. The page feels smothered in text and different drawings, there is not space for any of them to live, it is like looking at the world through a crack and every time you blink the picture on the other side changes. In small doses this can make a part of a comic feel claustrophobic and can add to a scene, but throughout 230 pages, it is smothering.
Unfortunately this does not flow as book. It starts out focusing on one character and then drops them almost entirely before picking up another and another. It feels like, and might well be, just a snapshot of one comic title, without any of the tie ins and branches off that make up the individual stories contained within complete. The best way I can describe it is reading through a big cross over event, but only looking at one title over a full year. Characters come and go; plot lines get derailed and then realigned until you realise that the comic you were reading at the beginning has the same name at the end, but it is not the same story. Split in half, this book would get very different reviews. Mostly negative for the first half, and mostly positive, save the layout, for the second half. But as one combined book, unless the Green Lanterns are your go to hero team, I could not recommend it.
http://cmro.travis-starnes.com/blog/2013/10/green-lantern-volume-3-the-end/
December 18, 2013
This volume of Green Lantern brings to an end a nearly ten-year run of stories written by Geoff Johns, one of the star writers at DC Comics. The story follows from the last volume, where Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Sinestro have been sucked into Black Lantern's ring, where they inhabit the Dead Zone. Most everyone there is really dead. They still have a bit of living in them, so there's a chance for them to escape.
Meanwhile Jordan's power ring thinks he is dead because it flies off in search of a new Green Lantern. It finds Simon Baz, an Arab-American who has been accused of a terrorist act and is currently being interrogated by the US government. He stole a van (part of a career of car theft) to help out his sister and nephew. Baz discovers the van has a bomb inside so he decides to drive somewhere unpopulated--the car manufacturing plant that shut down and left him unemployed. Naturally the Feds think he has a vendetta against the company and start using tougher techniques to get information from him about other terrorists he knows. His resistance, i.e. the ability to overcome great fear, makes him a prime candidate for a Green Lantern ring. So it breaks into his jail cell and he breaks out.
Baz is thrown into a chaotic universe. The Guardians have unleashed a Third Army to remove free will from the universe, one sentient being at a time. So he's on the run even as a Green Lantern. Can he get Hal Jordan and Sinestro out of the Black Lantern ring? Can he sort out his own life and convince the Feds he's innocent? Will the Green Lanterns be able to stop the Third Army?
The story does have an epic feel to it and it is a great ending to Geoff Johns's run on the Green Lantern. He's able to wrap up a lot of different story lines and character arcs. The one weakness is the Simon Baz storyline, which comes off as cliched and completely unsurprising. Unfortunately, that storyline takes up a big chunk of the graphic novel. I kept waiting for the story to get back to Hal and the other more interesting characters. That being said, the ending is very satisfying and is a must-read for Green Lantern fans.
One note: I read this on Kindle for the iPad which was fine except for the occasional "splash pages," where an image would cover two print pages. Also, there must have been a fold-out extra long image which was also difficult to appreciate in the Kindle format. I recommend paper!
Meanwhile Jordan's power ring thinks he is dead because it flies off in search of a new Green Lantern. It finds Simon Baz, an Arab-American who has been accused of a terrorist act and is currently being interrogated by the US government. He stole a van (part of a career of car theft) to help out his sister and nephew. Baz discovers the van has a bomb inside so he decides to drive somewhere unpopulated--the car manufacturing plant that shut down and left him unemployed. Naturally the Feds think he has a vendetta against the company and start using tougher techniques to get information from him about other terrorists he knows. His resistance, i.e. the ability to overcome great fear, makes him a prime candidate for a Green Lantern ring. So it breaks into his jail cell and he breaks out.
Baz is thrown into a chaotic universe. The Guardians have unleashed a Third Army to remove free will from the universe, one sentient being at a time. So he's on the run even as a Green Lantern. Can he get Hal Jordan and Sinestro out of the Black Lantern ring? Can he sort out his own life and convince the Feds he's innocent? Will the Green Lanterns be able to stop the Third Army?
The story does have an epic feel to it and it is a great ending to Geoff Johns's run on the Green Lantern. He's able to wrap up a lot of different story lines and character arcs. The one weakness is the Simon Baz storyline, which comes off as cliched and completely unsurprising. Unfortunately, that storyline takes up a big chunk of the graphic novel. I kept waiting for the story to get back to Hal and the other more interesting characters. That being said, the ending is very satisfying and is a must-read for Green Lantern fans.
One note: I read this on Kindle for the iPad which was fine except for the occasional "splash pages," where an image would cover two print pages. Also, there must have been a fold-out extra long image which was also difficult to appreciate in the Kindle format. I recommend paper!
October 31, 2014
All the really good stuff from Geoff John's Green Lantern finale is found in this book. It's pretty epic. And it is paired with some really great artwork.
There are a few moments where I felt the writing went a little too far with sentiment and emotions.... But then, this is a war in which emotional light is the main weapon of choice, so....
If for no other reason, this volume is essential reading just for the great pleasure of seeing those little blue buttheads, the Guardians, finally get what they deserve.
This volume also introduces us to Simon Baz, who, surprisingly is a timely and interesting character. Probably the story could have been told without him... But he is far more interesting to me than Guy or Kyle. It would have been even more interesting if the new lantern had been a Muslim woman.
4/5
There are a few moments where I felt the writing went a little too far with sentiment and emotions.... But then, this is a war in which emotional light is the main weapon of choice, so....
If for no other reason, this volume is essential reading just for the great pleasure of seeing those little blue buttheads, the Guardians, finally get what they deserve.
This volume also introduces us to Simon Baz, who, surprisingly is a timely and interesting character. Probably the story could have been told without him... But he is far more interesting to me than Guy or Kyle. It would have been even more interesting if the new lantern had been a Muslim woman.
4/5
December 23, 2013
The end of the Green Lantern run. Find out what happens to all of your heroes and villains in the new 52.
It's okay to be a car thief with courage via the Green Lantern Corps.
Sinestro isn't always a jerk.
Rodents can talk.
Defying death is easy if you have heart.
Parallax.
The little blue men have made some really bad choices over the centuries. So much for long age leading to wisdom.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B plus to A minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B to B plus; ACTION SEQUENCES: A minus; STORY/PLOTTING/PANELS: B plus to A minus; THOR MYTHOLOGY: B plus to A minus; WHEN READ: mid December 2013; OVERALL GRADE: B plus to A minus.
It's okay to be a car thief with courage via the Green Lantern Corps.
Sinestro isn't always a jerk.
Rodents can talk.
Defying death is easy if you have heart.
Parallax.
The little blue men have made some really bad choices over the centuries. So much for long age leading to wisdom.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B plus to A minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B to B plus; ACTION SEQUENCES: A minus; STORY/PLOTTING/PANELS: B plus to A minus; THOR MYTHOLOGY: B plus to A minus; WHEN READ: mid December 2013; OVERALL GRADE: B plus to A minus.
June 16, 2013
A fantastic though over the top finale concludes this storyline. Justice was finally done to Hal Jordan "The Green Lantern". The end of many things that have been a fixture in the GL saga for many a year. Its been an superbly constructed journey across the three franchises and Geoff is likely the only guy who could have pulled this off. I wonder who they will turn to next to come up with something even more outrageous!
July 10, 2015
Ive always been a bit hard on Geoff Johns. Pegging him as a mass producer, a star but not a superstar. I have to say though the work this man does in the New 52 is spectacular. From Justice League to Aquaman and now Green Lantern. Geoff Johns is DC and we are lucky for it.
May 30, 2014
Geoff Johns concludes his magnificent run on Green Lantern with this volume. And what a wild, invigorating 9-year journey it has been. Way back in 2004 when Green Lantern Rebirth came out, I had largely given up on comics. I had heard that the medium was undergoing a renaissance of sorts after the crossover-heavy, over-the-top 90s of my youth, so was on the edge of checking a few new books out. I loved comics, and the characters that inhabited their pages, but had grown weary of the same childish encounters, as I, well, grew. Most of the positive word-of-mouth I had heard was centered on the non-superhero stories coming out in independent books, but while in the shop, saw that DC had decided to bring back Hal Jordan. I remembered reading Zero Hour as a kid, but more memorably, remembered how it had royally pissed my dad off. Hal Jordan was his favorite superhero, had been since he was a kid, and that story had seemingly gone out of its way (again, like so many crossover events of the 90s) to demean the longstanding history of one of the company's greatest heroes. But now, all these years later, Hal was returning to his greatest role: Earth's Green Lantern. I picked up the issue, saw the names of two guys on the cover I knew largely nothing about (Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver) and made the purchase on a nostalgic whim. And here I sit 9 years later having likely devoured what could be the single-greatest run on one character ever. Bold words, I know, but here is why I firmly believe what Johns has done with Green Lantern is maybe the most important time spent with a character ever within this forum. A number of talented creators have done wonders with existing superstar characters over the course of extended runs, but what Johns did with Green Lantern was make him more than relevant for DC. With the exception of Batman, he became the company's most popular character. Further, Johns created a mythology that will define the GL brand for years and years to come. From depicting the Blackest Night to completely legitimizing Sinestro into one of the most heinous, and them sympathetic characters of all time (in any medium), this run went beyond "telling quality stories". But it did a lot of that as well. The End contains Hal and Sinestro's final struggle against the Guardians and the First Lantern, Volthoom. It's rooted in the happenings of this entire series and serves as a nice bookend to where things all began with Rebirth, while hitting all the highs that were established along the way. But it really showcases, for me, how important Johns has been to this character, and in turn, DC as a company at large. Before he started work on this book, there was not an emotional spectrum. Characters like Atrocitus, Larfleeze and Saint Walker did not exist. Carol Ferris was nothing more than Hal's squeeze. Superior work like this is rarely done, especially in an industry that is all about, and will continue to be held, to the bottom line. Johns stuck with his vision, and saw this story through. With few interruptions, it is the true testament to hard work and dedication to one's craft. I'm sad to see it end, but man, it's been one hell of a ride.
August 28, 2014
I read this with Green Lantern: New Guardians Vol 3. While this still wasn't great, it was better than the other volume. These two storylines are just very very weak. There's no real payoff from the Third Army and the First Lantern just peters out at the end. Not to mention that the resolution to that villain pretty much completely undermines another significant story from a few years ago. It was just a lot of cop outs.
What this volume did have was a little more character growth. With three Green Lanterns, that's a little easier to accomplish. Sinestro had the most dramatic arc here, though it felt forced. Not so much this portion, but with this portion in comparison to what he's done over the last several years, it all just feels like Johns was a fanboy playing out his fantasy. I realize a lot of stories are like that, but this FELT like it, which is bad. There are also some logic holes here that really bothered me. It would be one thing if they were just there, but they were pretty integral to the story's resolution.
It also really bothered me how much the Third Army arc just was dismissed. It was played up like this big event, when it really was just fodder to set up the First Lantern. It's a real shame because we saw how well Johns did horror in the past, though it may have ended up a little too similar to Blackest Night.
I did like the introduction to Simon Baz and how they established his personal history. However, it eventually felt a little played out. Like, you finally have a Muslim character and he has to be a suspected terrorist? Really? That's the most compelling back story you could create?
On the bright side, it did wrap up in a way that really sets up the future for success. I also really liked that it gave a very strong resolution to some of the tension from the last several years among the characters. The art was also a highlight. Doug Mahnke does great work and the atmosphere he developed and ways he differentiated between different scenes was great. I also really like the design for Simon Baz's costume. While Volthoom was a big let down as a villain, he looked great.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it was a weak link in an otherwise very strong run from Geoff Johns. Not one to get people into the characters or the world, but a nice ending to one of the most significant runs on a character in recent history.
What this volume did have was a little more character growth. With three Green Lanterns, that's a little easier to accomplish. Sinestro had the most dramatic arc here, though it felt forced. Not so much this portion, but with this portion in comparison to what he's done over the last several years, it all just feels like Johns was a fanboy playing out his fantasy. I realize a lot of stories are like that, but this FELT like it, which is bad. There are also some logic holes here that really bothered me. It would be one thing if they were just there, but they were pretty integral to the story's resolution.
It also really bothered me how much the Third Army arc just was dismissed. It was played up like this big event, when it really was just fodder to set up the First Lantern. It's a real shame because we saw how well Johns did horror in the past, though it may have ended up a little too similar to Blackest Night.
I did like the introduction to Simon Baz and how they established his personal history. However, it eventually felt a little played out. Like, you finally have a Muslim character and he has to be a suspected terrorist? Really? That's the most compelling back story you could create?
On the bright side, it did wrap up in a way that really sets up the future for success. I also really liked that it gave a very strong resolution to some of the tension from the last several years among the characters. The art was also a highlight. Doug Mahnke does great work and the atmosphere he developed and ways he differentiated between different scenes was great. I also really like the design for Simon Baz's costume. While Volthoom was a big let down as a villain, he looked great.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it was a weak link in an otherwise very strong run from Geoff Johns. Not one to get people into the characters or the world, but a nice ending to one of the most significant runs on a character in recent history.
July 26, 2016
I've never been a huge Green Lantern fan, although I'm enough of a hard core comic book nerd to be familiar with the broad strokes of all the major Green Lantern storylines since the classic Neal Adams Green Lantern/Green Arrow roadtrip days. This puts me in an interesting position to review The End, the final story arc in Geoff Johns' acclaimed ten year run on Green Lantern. I'm knowledgeable enough to not be alienated by the decades of backstory, yet green enough to not be up on all the details of Johns' run. . . . and I loved it.
I remember reading Doug Mahnke's art for ages. I never had any complaints against it, but I certainly don't remember it being this good either. The man has certainly stepped up his game. I haven't picked up on any distinctive hallmarks of a signature style, but the End contains excellent, iconic superhero action.
The End begins by introducing us to a brand new Green Lantern, Simon Baz, a Lebanese-American car thief wrongfully accused of being a terrorist. Simon's introduction to the ring and all that comes with it serves as an easy summary of the whole messy tangle of Lantern continuity without resorting to a momentum halting info dump. Simon's story on its own smartly touches on the American political zeitgeist and doesn't skimp on the superhero action. Once we move onto the Hal Jordan storyline, Johns' hits his stride. Geoff Johns is a continuity monster referencing dozens of old storylines and tying up dozens of loose ends. The fates of the Black Hand, the full spectrum of other lantern colors, Sinestro, and the first lantern are all dealt with smoothly. I had not read the story arcs that many of these figures came from, but I did not feel the least bit lost.
In short, the End is an excellent saga of cosmic space cop adventure. It only misses a five star rating by not being a genre defining masterwork.
I remember reading Doug Mahnke's art for ages. I never had any complaints against it, but I certainly don't remember it being this good either. The man has certainly stepped up his game. I haven't picked up on any distinctive hallmarks of a signature style, but the End contains excellent, iconic superhero action.
The End begins by introducing us to a brand new Green Lantern, Simon Baz, a Lebanese-American car thief wrongfully accused of being a terrorist. Simon's introduction to the ring and all that comes with it serves as an easy summary of the whole messy tangle of Lantern continuity without resorting to a momentum halting info dump. Simon's story on its own smartly touches on the American political zeitgeist and doesn't skimp on the superhero action. Once we move onto the Hal Jordan storyline, Johns' hits his stride. Geoff Johns is a continuity monster referencing dozens of old storylines and tying up dozens of loose ends. The fates of the Black Hand, the full spectrum of other lantern colors, Sinestro, and the first lantern are all dealt with smoothly. I had not read the story arcs that many of these figures came from, but I did not feel the least bit lost.
In short, the End is an excellent saga of cosmic space cop adventure. It only misses a five star rating by not being a genre defining masterwork.
December 10, 2013
I have said it once and I will say it again, "IF YOU ARE NOT READING GREEN LANTERN YOU DO NOT LIKE COMICS". Geoff Johns caps off his amazing writing for this comic book series with an amazing story arc. All the characters in this incredible universe are here. Hal Jordan earth's mighty champion, Sinestro the fear monger, Kyle Rayner the torch bearer, John Stewart the bridge builder, Guy Gardner the warrior, Larfleeze the greedy orange ring bearer, and Etrocitus the rage filled Red Lantern. Those who have reading these books have fallen in love with these characters. Doug Manke's artwork is fantastic. I always enjoy flowing the neon lighted flashes of red, green, yellow, white, blue and purples as battles rage. There are so many cool scenes in this volume I do not know where to begin.
I really enjoyed the scenes in the land of the dead featuring Tomar Re, Jordan and Sinestro. Sinestro really shines in this book becoming an epic villain. I really felt his anguish as he loses his home world and even more his troublesome friendship with Hal. The are a lot of characters here and Geoff Johns doesn't leave any of them to chance. Simon Baz will doubtingly become an interesting Green Lantern to follow. So in closing this was a great volume for beginners to the GReen Lantern Mythos and those looking forward to where DC comics will take it next. Geoff Johns run on Green Lantern will probably be remembered like Chris Claremont's with X-men,Frank Miller with Daredevil, or Dennis O'Neill with Batman run. An amazing graphic novel that deserves 5 stars.
I really enjoyed the scenes in the land of the dead featuring Tomar Re, Jordan and Sinestro. Sinestro really shines in this book becoming an epic villain. I really felt his anguish as he loses his home world and even more his troublesome friendship with Hal. The are a lot of characters here and Geoff Johns doesn't leave any of them to chance. Simon Baz will doubtingly become an interesting Green Lantern to follow. So in closing this was a great volume for beginners to the GReen Lantern Mythos and those looking forward to where DC comics will take it next. Geoff Johns run on Green Lantern will probably be remembered like Chris Claremont's with X-men,Frank Miller with Daredevil, or Dennis O'Neill with Batman run. An amazing graphic novel that deserves 5 stars.
August 4, 2013
This hardcover includes issues #0, and 13-20 AKA the end of Geoff Johns historic run on the GL title. And what a finish it is. The First Lantern isn't the greatest threat the Corps have ever faced, but the mystery is enough to keep you hooked until the unforgettable finale. PLUS: SIMON BAZ!! Issue #0 introduces Simon Baz, who is instantly one of my favorit Green Lanterns. I really hope that writers continue to use him, and his origin story is amazing. I realize that this is being collected, but issue #20 was the single greatest issue in the New 52. The emotional aspect of the story is never larger, and Johns writes some of the most humanistic moments in GL history, including a moment between Hal and Sinestro that will get you choked up. After reading this I would be perfectly content with never reading another Green Lantern story (obviously I still will, but its that kind of an ending). A truly perfect send off for one of the greatest comic runs of all time.
March 23, 2018
Geoff Johns wraps up his Green Lantern run perfectly and with a satisfying ending for all the characters. This volume goes up on my 10 Ten All Time Best List! The story is solid from Simon Baz' origin to the Hal and Carol's happy ending. The art work and coloring are among the most beautiful of any book I have ever read. I kinda want to buy another volume to rip out some of the pages and frame them in my comics room.
October 17, 2020
Generally pretty good. I went into this knowing that it was a part of two big cross overs but I thought in general it held up decently on their own. There was one clear time jump where I missed some stuff but nothing too integral and I looked at this as the split between the two arcs. The first focused a lot on Simon Baz, who I liked, and the second was much more about Hal and Sinestro.
Simon Baz was a very interesting character and I think they handled his balance of Hal Jordan and Sinestro characteristics while also making him feel like a new individual. Also B'dg is an incredible choice for the mentor role and I loved that.
Hal and Sinestro's section was slightly worse than Baz's but it wasn't awful. The artist shifts for the Dead Zone scenes was really cool. I wish the Dead Zone got introduced in Blackest Night but oh well. The last issue was notably the strongest and it felt genuinely touching at the end.
I really love Johns' whole run but the New 52 era is for sure the weakest and most inconsistent but it did wrap it up in a very nice way.
Simon Baz was a very interesting character and I think they handled his balance of Hal Jordan and Sinestro characteristics while also making him feel like a new individual. Also B'dg is an incredible choice for the mentor role and I loved that.
Hal and Sinestro's section was slightly worse than Baz's but it wasn't awful. The artist shifts for the Dead Zone scenes was really cool. I wish the Dead Zone got introduced in Blackest Night but oh well. The last issue was notably the strongest and it felt genuinely touching at the end.
I really love Johns' whole run but the New 52 era is for sure the weakest and most inconsistent but it did wrap it up in a very nice way.
December 20, 2018
I’ve wanted to understand and get into Green Lantern since I was a kid. He was always the superhero whose costume I thought was most unique but I never really understood his background or what he’s about. This book increased my intrigue and respect for this character even more. There’s still a lot I don’t know about GL but I had fun with this collection of comics. My only gripe is that the second half of this book involves a storyline that crosses over other titles so much of that story isn’t included in this collection which can make things confusing at times. If not for that I’d give this five stars. Great art great action and an epic ending. Well done.
September 6, 2022
This graphic novel featured the origin of Simon Baz, the first Muslim American Green Lantern!! This is a great volume featuring stunning artwork and an exceptional storyline. Geoff Johns's scripted magnificently. The Green Lantern corps is diverse with great ethnic minority representation of John Stewart and Simon Baz. Also included is a female Green Lantern who is Jessica Cruz. Fantastic and Cosmic stuff!! Nuff Zed.
August 28, 2021
Quasi 10 anni di storie (la scrittura della prima proposta risale al 2002), più di 100 numeri, un rilancio tra i più belli mai letti, un maxi evento che trasuda epicità in ogni tavola e la creazione di un universo che, almeno per me, non ha rivali.
Geoff Johns, signore e signori.
Geoff Johns, signore e signori.
June 19, 2022
A sentimental five-star. Geoff Johns Green Lantern run 2004-2013 was as good as any in the history of comics. Prove me wrong. Now if they could just figure out how to do a Sinestro Corps War movie that does it justice.
August 23, 2024
Este comic fue el final de la run de Geoff Johns del personaje, y fue un gran final, a pesar de que ciertos personajes no me dejaron satisfecho del todo con sus historias, Hal y Sinestro son los protagonistas de esta historia, y este comic se encarga de darles el rrspeto que se merecen, y al final del ultimo tomo hacen un omenaje a todo lo que paso durante esta run y un final perfecto para el concepto de Green Lantern
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