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Green Lantern (2011)
Green Lantern: Rise of the Third Army
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 Annual 1, 13-16; Green Lantern Corps Annual 1, 13-16; Green Lantern: New Guardians 13-16; Red Lanterns 13-16
Collecting: Green Lantern Annual 1, 13-16; Green Lantern Corps Annual 1, 13-16; Green Lantern: New Guardians 13-16; Red Lanterns 13-16
416 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2013
13 people are currently reading
670 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,706 books2,414 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 91 reviews
August 19, 2015
Those little bastards, the Guardians, have gone a bit mad and decided the best way to bring order to the chaos of the universe is to turn everyone into mindless, mouthless automatons - much easier to manage! This is their Third Army, an unstoppable force of self-replicating zombies, out to colonise all living creatures, free will, and wipe out all Lanterns everywhere.
With Hal Jordan and Sinestro “dead”, the focus is on Simon Baz, the latest Green Lantern and a Muslim supposed-criminal. He’s got to clear his name, get his best friend out of a coma, and join the other Lanterns in taking down the Third Army. Elsewhere, Guy Gardner’s been kicked out of the Corps; Kyle Rayner’s on a quest to become the first White Lantern (white is the colour of life apparently); John Stewart and Star Sapphire Fatality are watching Mogo the living planet reform (because no death sticks anymore); and Atrocitus is raising an army of his own to battle Ganthet’s.
So - a lot’s supposedly happening!
The book is nearly 400 pages long, which is what you’d expect for a Lantern-wide crossover event, but not a whole lot happens. Simon Baz slowly completes his small story arc while Kyle Rayner and Atrocitus predictably complete theirs. Guy Gardner faffs about, as is his wont, and unfortunately so does John Stewart. It’s a lot of treading water. And really out of those plots, Kyle’s was the only one that was mildly interesting - the others were so boring to read.
The “Guardians gone wild” storyline’s been done before and the Third Army are blandly challenging. But I get it - the New 52 means they can rehash old stuff again and they’ve gotta have something to go up against the Lanterns. Doesn’t make for great comics though.
The worst thing is that this isn’t a self-contained story like I thought it was. It’s actually Part 1 of (I assume) 2. Nearly 400 pages and they end with a “To be continued in… The Wrath of the First Lantern”. Bullshit! The book wasn’t amazing but it was competently written and drawn and parts of it were enjoyable - then the ending happened and made me really dislike it. DC up to their usual tricks. It’s Trinity War all over again!
Rise of the Turd Army is a whole lotta Lantern comics with no payoff. If that sounds like your thing, go for it. Me, if I’d known the cop out I was getting into, I wouldn’t have bothered.
With Hal Jordan and Sinestro “dead”, the focus is on Simon Baz, the latest Green Lantern and a Muslim supposed-criminal. He’s got to clear his name, get his best friend out of a coma, and join the other Lanterns in taking down the Third Army. Elsewhere, Guy Gardner’s been kicked out of the Corps; Kyle Rayner’s on a quest to become the first White Lantern (white is the colour of life apparently); John Stewart and Star Sapphire Fatality are watching Mogo the living planet reform (because no death sticks anymore); and Atrocitus is raising an army of his own to battle Ganthet’s.
So - a lot’s supposedly happening!
The book is nearly 400 pages long, which is what you’d expect for a Lantern-wide crossover event, but not a whole lot happens. Simon Baz slowly completes his small story arc while Kyle Rayner and Atrocitus predictably complete theirs. Guy Gardner faffs about, as is his wont, and unfortunately so does John Stewart. It’s a lot of treading water. And really out of those plots, Kyle’s was the only one that was mildly interesting - the others were so boring to read.
The “Guardians gone wild” storyline’s been done before and the Third Army are blandly challenging. But I get it - the New 52 means they can rehash old stuff again and they’ve gotta have something to go up against the Lanterns. Doesn’t make for great comics though.
The worst thing is that this isn’t a self-contained story like I thought it was. It’s actually Part 1 of (I assume) 2. Nearly 400 pages and they end with a “To be continued in… The Wrath of the First Lantern”. Bullshit! The book wasn’t amazing but it was competently written and drawn and parts of it were enjoyable - then the ending happened and made me really dislike it. DC up to their usual tricks. It’s Trinity War all over again!
Rise of the Turd Army is a whole lotta Lantern comics with no payoff. If that sounds like your thing, go for it. Me, if I’d known the cop out I was getting into, I wouldn’t have bothered.
May 16, 2022
THIS WAS SO EPIC!
It took me some time to read but omg its so worth it like the fights in particular and everything.. just too good!
So the story starts with the guardians having a 3rd corp in the third army and then we follow as they take over the world. There are multiple stories like one with Simon and how he copes with being a GL and then fights against the JL and trying to understand the mssage of Hal, curing his brother with his new power.. that was new and opens gate for new things to explore and also then meeting with Guy.
The Guy story as he is ousted from the corps and him trying to become a hero ad the conequences of that and I like how we follow him and its so relatable even though some big things happen for him and whatever John and Fatality are upto, its fun and makes for new dynamics and also showing how far the threat of this army is and also Kyle trying to master all the emotions to become a WL that was so fun and I love the character development there and building him upto big things!
And finally whatever is going on wth Red lanterns and yeah there are multiple stories there too but I like the one with Atrocitus and his plans for revenge which are just epic like controlling the manhunters aka 1st army like this.. genius!
And then leading straight into Volthoom war, the whole volume is epic in big battles but also the character development for so many of these characters and showing the atrocities of war and what happens when those charged with protecting you go corrupt. Absolute power and all that plus the art and colors are just brilliant!
It took me some time to read but omg its so worth it like the fights in particular and everything.. just too good!
So the story starts with the guardians having a 3rd corp in the third army and then we follow as they take over the world. There are multiple stories like one with Simon and how he copes with being a GL and then fights against the JL and trying to understand the mssage of Hal, curing his brother with his new power.. that was new and opens gate for new things to explore and also then meeting with Guy.
The Guy story as he is ousted from the corps and him trying to become a hero ad the conequences of that and I like how we follow him and its so relatable even though some big things happen for him and whatever John and Fatality are upto, its fun and makes for new dynamics and also showing how far the threat of this army is and also Kyle trying to master all the emotions to become a WL that was so fun and I love the character development there and building him upto big things!
And finally whatever is going on wth Red lanterns and yeah there are multiple stories there too but I like the one with Atrocitus and his plans for revenge which are just epic like controlling the manhunters aka 1st army like this.. genius!
And then leading straight into Volthoom war, the whole volume is epic in big battles but also the character development for so many of these characters and showing the atrocities of war and what happens when those charged with protecting you go corrupt. Absolute power and all that plus the art and colors are just brilliant!
December 9, 2015
For once, I didn't feel gypped when I read a crossover collection!
Maybe it's because there are so many GL titles that unless that's the only title you're following, there's almost no way to keep up with every one of them. Whatever the reason, this only had one or two stories in it that I'd already read before.
The gist of this arc is that the Guardians have totally lost it, and are in the process of creating a (you guessed it...) Third Army to replace the Green Lanterns. They've given Ganthet an emotional lobotomy, so now he's on board with their plan to wipe out free will across the universe. They're using the power/life force of the evil First Lantern to accomplish this.
Yeah, that's not going to turn out well.
The majority of this collection deals with the Kyle's Rainbow Brigade, the Red Lanterns, and Guy Gardner. There's also a snippet with Hal and Sinestro, and part of what's going on with the new guy, Baz.
You get his full story in Green Lantern, Vol. 3: The End.
Even though Green Lantern isn't my favorite anymore, this was still a very solid story. It was also the least annoying/disappointing crossover collection I've read from DC in a while.
Recommended for GL Fans!
Maybe it's because there are so many GL titles that unless that's the only title you're following, there's almost no way to keep up with every one of them. Whatever the reason, this only had one or two stories in it that I'd already read before.
The gist of this arc is that the Guardians have totally lost it, and are in the process of creating a (you guessed it...) Third Army to replace the Green Lanterns. They've given Ganthet an emotional lobotomy, so now he's on board with their plan to wipe out free will across the universe. They're using the power/life force of the evil First Lantern to accomplish this.
Yeah, that's not going to turn out well.
The majority of this collection deals with the Kyle's Rainbow Brigade, the Red Lanterns, and Guy Gardner. There's also a snippet with Hal and Sinestro, and part of what's going on with the new guy, Baz.
You get his full story in Green Lantern, Vol. 3: The End.
Even though Green Lantern isn't my favorite anymore, this was still a very solid story. It was also the least annoying/disappointing crossover collection I've read from DC in a while.
Recommended for GL Fans!
August 11, 2015
Really great story line. As a relative noob to GL, I've never experienced a "Guardians Go Bad" story, so this was fresh and cool to me. Plus, it actually made sense from the first page to the last, which hasn't been my experience with a lot of these DC crossover events.
The art teams obviously changed throughout the book, but I really didn't see a big drop off anywhere. They all did amazing jobs portraying this many characters going at it.
And finally, I have to say I really love Sinestro. I hate myself for admitting it, but the red dude is a total badass in my book.
The art teams obviously changed throughout the book, but I really didn't see a big drop off anywhere. They all did amazing jobs portraying this many characters going at it.
And finally, I have to say I really love Sinestro. I hate myself for admitting it, but the red dude is a total badass in my book.
October 6, 2021
Geoff Johns’s vision for the Green Lantern universe has been building up to the corruption of the Guardians of the Universe, which is an awesome idea. So it was pretty cool to see all of this story that has been building for years come to a head here, after the Guardians (finally fed up with pesky emotions) activate their dangerous, parasitic Third Army in an effort to replace the Green Lanterns and assimilate all sentient life in the universe.
This is a big crossover between all four Green Lantern books and I loved seeing all the build-up and great pacing that still fit in with the storyline in each series. As usual, Johns’s Hal Jordan series and Tomasi’s Corps series are easily the best, with Corps edging out with its detailing of the Guardian’s plot and really showing how manipulative they are and how they systematically break down the Corps from within. Highlights include the exciting introduction to Simon Baz, Earth’s new Green Lantern, Atrocitus looking in the most surprising place for help, and Kyle Rayner learning to master all the colors of the emotional spectrum. It’s exciting to see what is arguably the best written superhero series barrel towards its epic ending.
This is a big crossover between all four Green Lantern books and I loved seeing all the build-up and great pacing that still fit in with the storyline in each series. As usual, Johns’s Hal Jordan series and Tomasi’s Corps series are easily the best, with Corps edging out with its detailing of the Guardian’s plot and really showing how manipulative they are and how they systematically break down the Corps from within. Highlights include the exciting introduction to Simon Baz, Earth’s new Green Lantern, Atrocitus looking in the most surprising place for help, and Kyle Rayner learning to master all the colors of the emotional spectrum. It’s exciting to see what is arguably the best written superhero series barrel towards its epic ending.
August 4, 2020
Pretty solid event dragged down a bit by having too many crossover books into one.
Crossovers are meant to push new storylines for the future. They're also a tool companies use to sell more issues of a series not doing too well. I don't know how well Red Lantern was selling at this point but I really wish they weren't in this collection.
Basically you have the main green lantern story focus on Simon and how he becomes a Green Lantern. This is really solid stuff. Then you have the Green Lantern Corps mostly focused on Guy, and his decent into near madness when losing his crew and ring. Then have New Guardians dealing with all the other ring weilders, and more importantly, Kyle's ascending to a new form. Last you have Red Lanterns who basically just yell at each other and do nada.
I enjoyed the Green Lantern stuff alot. Probably most of all I enjoyed Green Lantern Corps stuff because of Guy's fall and push back. John is in the background too but you can feel he'll be bringing some big stuff soon. Kyle's story seems distant from the rest but it's great to see him become a badass once more. Red Lanterns story is pretty meh.
Overall a 3.5 out of 5.
Crossovers are meant to push new storylines for the future. They're also a tool companies use to sell more issues of a series not doing too well. I don't know how well Red Lantern was selling at this point but I really wish they weren't in this collection.
Basically you have the main green lantern story focus on Simon and how he becomes a Green Lantern. This is really solid stuff. Then you have the Green Lantern Corps mostly focused on Guy, and his decent into near madness when losing his crew and ring. Then have New Guardians dealing with all the other ring weilders, and more importantly, Kyle's ascending to a new form. Last you have Red Lanterns who basically just yell at each other and do nada.
I enjoyed the Green Lantern stuff alot. Probably most of all I enjoyed Green Lantern Corps stuff because of Guy's fall and push back. John is in the background too but you can feel he'll be bringing some big stuff soon. Kyle's story seems distant from the rest but it's great to see him become a badass once more. Red Lanterns story is pretty meh.
Overall a 3.5 out of 5.
March 22, 2021
5 🌟
The Guardians form the Third Army and it starts to make it's way across the universe.
The Guardians form the Third Army and it starts to make it's way across the universe.
October 29, 2024
They did my boy green lantern dirty
February 5, 2017
Well, that just happened!
Having all the lanterns team up like that... seeing Kyle's training, and then some... it was all packed in this amazing bundle of joy..
Don't think I've read a 400+ in 1 sitting before, but it's just kept on delivering punch after punch.. I just had to go in for the kill...
Great story, great build up, great characters, great everything.. can't seem to think of anything bad for this one, so this one definitely deserves a 5star rating!
Having all the lanterns team up like that... seeing Kyle's training, and then some... it was all packed in this amazing bundle of joy..
Don't think I've read a 400+ in 1 sitting before, but it's just kept on delivering punch after punch.. I just had to go in for the kill...
Great story, great build up, great characters, great everything.. can't seem to think of anything bad for this one, so this one definitely deserves a 5star rating!
August 1, 2016
Had potential and it was enjoyable but the framing was kinda janky.
I generally don't like event book with the exception of GL books. When GL books have an event it's a non-stop action packed story with multiple characters and stories that all interweave and become something grand and bombastic and awesome. This was what Rise of the Third Army should be, being the culmination of seeds that Johns planted in Green Lantern Rebirth, but there was certainly some editorial issues.
World: The art is great, GL books have always been colorful and fun and loud and this is the case with the book. The exception of the rule is the Red Lantern book which just looks scratchy and kind of ugly, it's not hideous but it's not my thing. The world building here is simply great. It's the culmination of seeds planted since Rebirth and all the pieces I've read throughout Johns' run. Free will is the target this time and it makes sense, this is the direction that the world has been heading towards and it's wonderful. But it's not perfect, the framing of each book series telling their own story until the Annual didn't make this into a wonderful cohesive book like it should have. The world building is effected as a result, it's sometimes janky and I wish it was better.
Story: The framing of the story is the biggest issue. Each series taking their own chunk of the story sounds good but in the grand scheme of the story it suffers. There is a lack of cohesion to the story and the scale and tension would have been better if it was framed like Sinestro Corp war or Blackest Night. The story could have been great but yeah as I said, the structure is flawed. The story itself is fun, it's a culmination of what's happened in the GL universe since Rebirth and it's so good. It's cool and bombastic and sad at the same time. It's a bit distinct and cold because of the format though.
Characters: The cast is great and there is a lot of character development but compared to other events this one is lacking in the heart. I think this is because of the structure of the story. John and his journey to find Mogo, Guy and his stuff at home, Kyle and his journey to control the full spectrum and Simon the newest character. Simon, what do I think about him, he's certainly well written but he is just too on the nose in it's PCness that it rubs me the wrong way, he also doesn't quite tow the line between hero and simply a bad guy given a ring. I think more time needs to be spent with this character to fully flesh him out, there are good things there but it's surround by some questionable choices. Hal and Sinestro are missing and this is not good, I wish they were in the story but I would have been find if the others stepped up emotionally, they do somewhat but it could have been so much better.
I liked this story but compared to other events this one did not cut it. I wished it was better cause the topic and the subject would have been so great. Well, now we see where this next part will go.
Onward to the next book!
I generally don't like event book with the exception of GL books. When GL books have an event it's a non-stop action packed story with multiple characters and stories that all interweave and become something grand and bombastic and awesome. This was what Rise of the Third Army should be, being the culmination of seeds that Johns planted in Green Lantern Rebirth, but there was certainly some editorial issues.
World: The art is great, GL books have always been colorful and fun and loud and this is the case with the book. The exception of the rule is the Red Lantern book which just looks scratchy and kind of ugly, it's not hideous but it's not my thing. The world building here is simply great. It's the culmination of seeds planted since Rebirth and all the pieces I've read throughout Johns' run. Free will is the target this time and it makes sense, this is the direction that the world has been heading towards and it's wonderful. But it's not perfect, the framing of each book series telling their own story until the Annual didn't make this into a wonderful cohesive book like it should have. The world building is effected as a result, it's sometimes janky and I wish it was better.
Story: The framing of the story is the biggest issue. Each series taking their own chunk of the story sounds good but in the grand scheme of the story it suffers. There is a lack of cohesion to the story and the scale and tension would have been better if it was framed like Sinestro Corp war or Blackest Night. The story could have been great but yeah as I said, the structure is flawed. The story itself is fun, it's a culmination of what's happened in the GL universe since Rebirth and it's so good. It's cool and bombastic and sad at the same time. It's a bit distinct and cold because of the format though.
Characters: The cast is great and there is a lot of character development but compared to other events this one is lacking in the heart. I think this is because of the structure of the story. John and his journey to find Mogo, Guy and his stuff at home, Kyle and his journey to control the full spectrum and Simon the newest character. Simon, what do I think about him, he's certainly well written but he is just too on the nose in it's PCness that it rubs me the wrong way, he also doesn't quite tow the line between hero and simply a bad guy given a ring. I think more time needs to be spent with this character to fully flesh him out, there are good things there but it's surround by some questionable choices. Hal and Sinestro are missing and this is not good, I wish they were in the story but I would have been find if the others stepped up emotionally, they do somewhat but it could have been so much better.
I liked this story but compared to other events this one did not cut it. I wished it was better cause the topic and the subject would have been so great. Well, now we see where this next part will go.
Onward to the next book!
August 18, 2013
I’m blown away!!! I really don’t know what to say so I guess I will ramble on about how awesome this book is and hope it makes sense. I was chosen by DC Comics through NetGalley to read this prior to release and review it. What a story. I have been catching up on the reboots from DC and just read the first 2 volumes of Green Lantern Corps. This book collects issues from every Green Lantern title out there and meshes them seamlessly.
Rise of the Third Army stretches through Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, New Guardians, Red Lanterns, and two annual issues. Each section had some great story telling, and I loved seeing what was going on with each Lantern. I hadn’t seen much of Kyle Rayner in what I have been reading so I had wondered what he was up to. This book filled me in perfectly. Kyle, the fifth of the earth Lanterns, is on a mission to master each color of the emotional spectrum. Trying to master each emotion was a difficult challenge and a great story. I got chills at times because the artwork and writing was just amazing.
So here is the main plot to all of this. The Guardians have lost their minds. After removing all emotion from the Guardian known as Ganthet, they created a race of beings called the third army. These beings absorb and infect any being they come into contact with. The Guardians' goal is to convert all of the Green Lanterns into their third army beings. All of this is going on while John Stewart is on a mission to find all the blown apart pieces of a Green Lantern Planet known as Mogo. Guy Gardner gave up his ring because of getting Lanterns and civilians killed (all part of the guardians plans), and Hal Jordan is missing with Sinestro. The ring that Sinestro and Hal shared finds its way to an accused terrorist known as Simon Baz who is trying to prove his own innocence.
This was an amazing book and when it comes out I would encourage any fans of comics to rush out and get it. The only down side I felt was the New Guardian issues were a little on the slow side when compared to the pace of the rest of the book. Also, don’t expect a resolution in this book because it ends with one of the biggest battles I have seen in a long time and it just began. I am now itching to read more and I hope volume 2 comes out shortly after the release of this. The suspense builds through the whole story and just stops leaving you wanting more at the very end. As frustrating as it was that it just ended, I will wait anxiously for the next installment. A lot of questions are answered and created in this book which helps add to the suspense and make this one of the best graphic novels I have read this year.
The Batman books and Green Lantern books are dominating the DC universe in my opinion. These have the best writing and art out of the others I have read so far and I will recommend either series to everyone who enjoys comics and a great well developed story.
Rise of the Third Army stretches through Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, New Guardians, Red Lanterns, and two annual issues. Each section had some great story telling, and I loved seeing what was going on with each Lantern. I hadn’t seen much of Kyle Rayner in what I have been reading so I had wondered what he was up to. This book filled me in perfectly. Kyle, the fifth of the earth Lanterns, is on a mission to master each color of the emotional spectrum. Trying to master each emotion was a difficult challenge and a great story. I got chills at times because the artwork and writing was just amazing.
So here is the main plot to all of this. The Guardians have lost their minds. After removing all emotion from the Guardian known as Ganthet, they created a race of beings called the third army. These beings absorb and infect any being they come into contact with. The Guardians' goal is to convert all of the Green Lanterns into their third army beings. All of this is going on while John Stewart is on a mission to find all the blown apart pieces of a Green Lantern Planet known as Mogo. Guy Gardner gave up his ring because of getting Lanterns and civilians killed (all part of the guardians plans), and Hal Jordan is missing with Sinestro. The ring that Sinestro and Hal shared finds its way to an accused terrorist known as Simon Baz who is trying to prove his own innocence.
This was an amazing book and when it comes out I would encourage any fans of comics to rush out and get it. The only down side I felt was the New Guardian issues were a little on the slow side when compared to the pace of the rest of the book. Also, don’t expect a resolution in this book because it ends with one of the biggest battles I have seen in a long time and it just began. I am now itching to read more and I hope volume 2 comes out shortly after the release of this. The suspense builds through the whole story and just stops leaving you wanting more at the very end. As frustrating as it was that it just ended, I will wait anxiously for the next installment. A lot of questions are answered and created in this book which helps add to the suspense and make this one of the best graphic novels I have read this year.
The Batman books and Green Lantern books are dominating the DC universe in my opinion. These have the best writing and art out of the others I have read so far and I will recommend either series to everyone who enjoys comics and a great well developed story.
February 22, 2016
The Guardians now wanting to rid the universe of free will go to .. The chamber of shadows.. Was that what it was called? To use the First Lanterns power, who is being guarded by another sect of Guardians who stayed behind a millennia ago. With this new power they create the Third Army who assimilate every being they run into.
All this is in Green Lantern Annual #1 (5 stars) which starts off the event, and starts it off great. After that all the Lantern titles continue their own stories while the third army attack here and there.
GL: New Guardians focuses more on Kyle trying to master the power of all the other corps. (4 stars)
In GL Corps: Gardner is taken out of the picture, by having his ring taken away while John Stewart is sent off to find out what is going on with Mogo, as it turns out he is actually being distracted to keep him away from Oa. While this scheme by the guardians is kinda dumb and this side of the story in relation to the whole event seems like an unimportant side story. Guy on earth, with his family is interesting, as well as Stewert and Fatality dealing with Mogo.
On a down note, it seems to follow the same formula of the Corps, ...war, unite, calvary, battle cry, fight. ..it's still fun though. (3.5 stars)
Over on Green Lantern, new GL Simon Baz gets a helping hand from a squirrelly Green lantern, (see what I did there?). Also, Doug Mahnke on art is always a plus for me. (4 stars)
The conclusion in GL Corps Annual #1 wasn't bad, but there just wasn't anything memorable about it. (2.5 stars)
This books lead directly into another crossover Wrath of the First Lantern. And what seems like Geoff Johns last run on GL.
All this is in Green Lantern Annual #1 (5 stars) which starts off the event, and starts it off great. After that all the Lantern titles continue their own stories while the third army attack here and there.
GL: New Guardians focuses more on Kyle trying to master the power of all the other corps. (4 stars)
In GL Corps: Gardner is taken out of the picture, by having his ring taken away while John Stewart is sent off to find out what is going on with Mogo, as it turns out he is actually being distracted to keep him away from Oa. While this scheme by the guardians is kinda dumb and this side of the story in relation to the whole event seems like an unimportant side story. Guy on earth, with his family is interesting, as well as Stewert and Fatality dealing with Mogo.
On a down note, it seems to follow the same formula of the Corps, ...war, unite, calvary, battle cry, fight. ..it's still fun though. (3.5 stars)
Over on Green Lantern, new GL Simon Baz gets a helping hand from a squirrelly Green lantern, (see what I did there?). Also, Doug Mahnke on art is always a plus for me. (4 stars)
The conclusion in GL Corps Annual #1 wasn't bad, but there just wasn't anything memorable about it. (2.5 stars)
This books lead directly into another crossover Wrath of the First Lantern. And what seems like Geoff Johns last run on GL.
September 26, 2014
The biggest problem with these collected storylines is that if you've read the regular trades, most of it's familiar. I found myself skimming more than reading this, as I'd already read at least 9 of the 12 collected issues.
The second biggest problem is that when crossovers utilize the regular issues of a series, you end up with pieces of unrelated plot that are also shoehorned in; probably a quarter of the book really doesn't tell any of the Third Army story, instead carrying the collected series' other arcs along through the crossover.
And that leads to the third problem; a lack of cohesion. This crossover really suffered from that, because the Third Army never really feel like a credible threat. They're borg zombies; their touch turns anyone into them, but if you're able to keep out of range, they're not dangerous. At all. They never feel really threatening, so them being a universe-spanning threat that will wipe out all individual life in a few weeks isn't believable. And that their weakness hearkens back to a dialogue taunt from a 15 year old Role-Playing Game (go for the Eyes, Boo!)? These guys never earn their threat level. Of the many Green Lantern crossovers in the past decade, this was probably the weakest one.
The second biggest problem is that when crossovers utilize the regular issues of a series, you end up with pieces of unrelated plot that are also shoehorned in; probably a quarter of the book really doesn't tell any of the Third Army story, instead carrying the collected series' other arcs along through the crossover.
And that leads to the third problem; a lack of cohesion. This crossover really suffered from that, because the Third Army never really feel like a credible threat. They're borg zombies; their touch turns anyone into them, but if you're able to keep out of range, they're not dangerous. At all. They never feel really threatening, so them being a universe-spanning threat that will wipe out all individual life in a few weeks isn't believable. And that their weakness hearkens back to a dialogue taunt from a 15 year old Role-Playing Game (go for the Eyes, Boo!)? These guys never earn their threat level. Of the many Green Lantern crossovers in the past decade, this was probably the weakest one.
April 5, 2014
I'm a GL and RL reader, so I got this to get the story from the GLC and NG sides. (Who am I kidding, I would have bought this anyway, just like I bought trinity war and I have all the justice leagues).
Green lantern comics are my favourite to read. It was what got me into dc comics (and Geoff johns). So this was a must read for me.
What happens in the third army is exactly that: a creation of a third army. Guardians create manhunters, guardians don't like manhunters and replace them with the GL corps. Guardians don't like the GL corps and replace them with the third army. (Jurassic park, anyone?)
It was a good story, I'm a big Jordan fan girl and an even bigger sinestro fan, but it was actually nice to see them both on the background for a change.
It was a great story, but not the best. Maybe I'm biased because I really like ganthet (and sayd and the blue lanterns), and it saddened me to see him like this. Obviously Geoff johns and Ivan reis are geniuses and I will always love GL, but this is no sinestro corps war. Just saying.
Green lantern comics are my favourite to read. It was what got me into dc comics (and Geoff johns). So this was a must read for me.
What happens in the third army is exactly that: a creation of a third army. Guardians create manhunters, guardians don't like manhunters and replace them with the GL corps. Guardians don't like the GL corps and replace them with the third army. (Jurassic park, anyone?)
It was a good story, I'm a big Jordan fan girl and an even bigger sinestro fan, but it was actually nice to see them both on the background for a change.
It was a great story, but not the best. Maybe I'm biased because I really like ganthet (and sayd and the blue lanterns), and it saddened me to see him like this. Obviously Geoff johns and Ivan reis are geniuses and I will always love GL, but this is no sinestro corps war. Just saying.
October 10, 2013
The Guardians have gone amok and created a third army. This army is hunting down and destroying the Green Lanterns. Some of the Lanterns, like Hal Jordan, are missing.
In the midst of this, a new lantern rises. A young man accused of stealing a van and threatening to use it in an act of terrorism, but he may be exactly what the Green Lanterns need in their hour of need. Lantern Kyle Rayner decides to try absorbing power from all the different color Lanterns, a quest that will take him all over the galaxy. Green Lantern Guy Gardner will fail, then rise.
It's a pretty epic crossover series and the book covers some 16 issues over four different series and 2 annuals. It's an epic story, and it doesn't disappoint. The creatures of the third army are creepy and truly threatening. The art across the series is consistent, and that's a good thing considering all the different artists involved. Big, epic space drama.
In the midst of this, a new lantern rises. A young man accused of stealing a van and threatening to use it in an act of terrorism, but he may be exactly what the Green Lanterns need in their hour of need. Lantern Kyle Rayner decides to try absorbing power from all the different color Lanterns, a quest that will take him all over the galaxy. Green Lantern Guy Gardner will fail, then rise.
It's a pretty epic crossover series and the book covers some 16 issues over four different series and 2 annuals. It's an epic story, and it doesn't disappoint. The creatures of the third army are creepy and truly threatening. The art across the series is consistent, and that's a good thing considering all the different artists involved. Big, epic space drama.
January 15, 2016
This was a great read! Rise of the Third Army was full of mystery and action. I especially enjoyed more revelation to the newest Green Lantern, Simon Baz. The book left off with a cliff hanger I'll be sure to read about in the next Green Lantern book. Also, If you want to find out what happens when all powers of the emotional spectrum are harnessed, you'll definitely want to give this a read.
October 7, 2013
An enjoyable crossover. I am slowly warming up to the Green Lantern añd looking forward to read more of their adventures. The graphic novel itself is very well done and I wish more graphic novels by DC or Marvel were like it ( meaning they had more substance and pages).
September 24, 2015
I was super excited to read this after the first two trades, but I was a little disappointed, don't get me wrong it was good, just not as good as the first two. Hoping the next one written just by Johns will be back to the awesomeness of the first two.
Read
September 27, 2013DNF - it was bad.
September 10, 2013
"Rise of the Third Army" offers exactly the sort action soaked threat to the galaxy (universe?) that fans have come to expect from Geoff Johns over the years. A new enemy, several missing Lanterns (including Hal), one discarded Lantern, and another brand-new Lantern from earth combine with some extraordinary art to again raise the bar for the whole space opera genre.
With the release of "Rise of the Third Army," the penultimate installment of Geoff Johns' extraordinary long run on Green Lantern, it is worth taking a moment to consider just how much Johns has made that universe his own. Yes, this volume includes work by some other excellent writers (Bedard especially stands out), Johns' vision of Green Lantern has so expanded and subsumed this portion of the DC universe that it is hard to imagine it moving beyond his imprint. Indeed, I had a hard time thinking of any writer who proved such a creative force as Johns, taking an entire section of a given universe and making it wholly there own. Folks like Kirby spawned extraordinary visions that reverberated for generations, but they were wholly his creation. Others have remade a given character based on their imagination (such as Frank Miller with Batman and Daredevil). In the end, I came up with two, both on the Marvel side (Claremont and Byrne with their work on X-men that gave rise to the mutant world that at times to make up the lion share of the Marvel Universe and Starlin who reinvented "cosmic" Marvel when he took over Warlock).
Still, Johns' re-invention of the Lantern Universe is audacious for its breadth. Just consider: where once stood one Lantern Corp and Sinestro slinging his yellow ring, we now have Seven Lantern Corps (not counting black and white of course). Then, for each of these corps we have a new mythology within each of these corps we have an army of memorable new characters. Everybody has a favorite. Larfleeze can claim an army of fans. Atrocious has his loyal followers, though I doubt he'd pay them much mind. I'm a Daxstar man myself (because a cosmically-powered vengeful cat is just plain awesome). Other talented writers have already begun to play in the wide new vistas of this universe and they will doubtless be followed by many more. Either way, readers and writers both will owe Johns a vast debt. Which of course brings us to "Rise of the Third Army."
Let's just say from the beginning: "Rise of the Third Army" is rife with cosmic action and cosmic danger. Writing about this book without tripping into spoilers is a substantial challenge. I'll do my best. In many ways, "Rise of the Third Army" is very much a transitional book, rushing the Green Lantern universe (perhaps now more properly described just as "The Lantern Universe") towards the great confrontation to which it has long been building. The Guardians of the Universe, having slipped from being just arrogant into a sticky realm of ethical ambiguity, are now full on villains.
Having decided that the recent chaos of the Lantern Wars proves the failure of their second army (the first being the Manhunters), the Guardians decide to raise a third. With this new army the Guardians have identified a chilling "enemy" that threatens the universe: free will. Rich irony given what powers their Corp. Only by depriving everyone of freewill do the Guardians believe that they can ensure the safety of the universe. Oh, did I mention that Hal Jordan (and Sinestro) are missing in action, nobody knowing their fate?
The actual Third Army consists of these faceless, grey monstrosities that by touch morph any sentient into another of their soulless numbers. The art here does marvelous work, and the designer of the Third Army, Ethan Van Sciver, deserves great credit for conjuring the perfect visual metaphor for the substance of this story. Mouth-less, they cannot speak. Each is the same as the next. As an individual suffers joining their army, we see terror in their eyes. Once joined, those eyes either look enraged or somehow soulless, depending. Gaps on either side of their heads reveal a green glowing brain, willpower nullified into slavery. Perfectly chilling, they allude powerfully to Lovecraft's horrors.
If the cosmic threat of the Third Army isn't enough to perk your interest, this volume also gives us Earth's newest Green Lantern, Lebanese American Simon Baz. The debate on Baz as a character will no doubt rage for years to come. For now it shows little sign of cooling. Some fans seem to appreciate the expansion of the DC universe into little-explored corners of our culture. Others will question the idea that Baz is chosen for his ability to overcome "great cultural fear" and the fact that his family isn't just suffering under the wave of post-9/11 anti-Arab sentiment - no, Baz is falsely accused of being a terrorist. The whole thing seems more than a little heavy-handed (and I found Baz vs the Justice League silly. Why does the JL become third string yutzes every time a writer feels a whim?). All that said, I will remain a proud member of the minority who isn't bothered by Baz, having discovered the problem of regular recharge, deciding to carry a gun. A gun will likely have little impact on the likes of, say, Atrocitus, I like this clever allusion to why Abin Sur was in that spaceship.
As for Baz, he points to a real unanswered question about Johns whole effort in Green Lantern ( a run of which, as you can likely tell, I am a hugevery much a fan) - the need to continually up the cosmic threat ante. Baz, you see, isn't just any Green Lantern - no, as we quickly learn, he's a lantern who can do things with his ring that were previously thought impossible. Not just any lantern, but a lantern on steroids. The same of course is true with Johns' vision of the Lantern Universe: each threat is defeated only to be replaced by a still bigger threat. The Sinestro corp is bad. Agent Orange and the Red Lantern Corp are worse. Think that's bad - here comes the Black Lanterns (and yep they're worse still). Several universal crises later, we now face Guardians out to wipe out sentience in the universe with the Third Army, so yep, that's pretty much worse still (and right around the corner, the universal threat of the mysterious First Lantern). This continual swelling of cosmic danger has made for a fun breathless read (and without giving much away, yes, there are still greater threats on the horizon!), but one wonders how long writers will be able to keep this crazy pace. Can't a Green Lantern get a break and just duke it out with Evil Star?
For all the great universe destroying threats in this volume, the writers do not neglect two of the Corps most human lanterns - Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner. I've always had a soft spot for the former and, without giving anything away, Bedard does excellent work here as part of the "New Guardians" Green Lantern title. As for Guy Gardner, he has often unfortunately defaulted into being a one-note character, but talented Peter Tomasi does a fine job filling out his personality and keeping him consistently interesting. As with the multi-titled Bat-verse, the many books of the Lantern-verse can give books like this one a bit of a disjointed feel. Still the threat of the Third Army, with its faceless, spookiness helps to keep these threads, if not tied together, at least proximate enough to remain consistently engrossing.
In the end, The Rise of the Third Army suffers just a bit from that sense of it being a transition into the next big conflict. Despite this, it is rip-roaring good read and a testament to the extraordinary expanded universe that Geoff Johns has bestowed on a corp of writers yet to come. I loved Kyle's effort to master the emotional spectrum, especially the heart breaking way he "masters" violet. Further, I'm a sucker for the range of characters that make up these corps and many receive their due in this book. B'dg (a personal favorite!) shows his metal. Salaak again proves himself to be more than a stuffed-shirt. And others... well, as I said, no spoilers. Suffice to say, if you've loved Johns' action drenched work on GL, you need to pick up this book.
With the release of "Rise of the Third Army," the penultimate installment of Geoff Johns' extraordinary long run on Green Lantern, it is worth taking a moment to consider just how much Johns has made that universe his own. Yes, this volume includes work by some other excellent writers (Bedard especially stands out), Johns' vision of Green Lantern has so expanded and subsumed this portion of the DC universe that it is hard to imagine it moving beyond his imprint. Indeed, I had a hard time thinking of any writer who proved such a creative force as Johns, taking an entire section of a given universe and making it wholly there own. Folks like Kirby spawned extraordinary visions that reverberated for generations, but they were wholly his creation. Others have remade a given character based on their imagination (such as Frank Miller with Batman and Daredevil). In the end, I came up with two, both on the Marvel side (Claremont and Byrne with their work on X-men that gave rise to the mutant world that at times to make up the lion share of the Marvel Universe and Starlin who reinvented "cosmic" Marvel when he took over Warlock).
Still, Johns' re-invention of the Lantern Universe is audacious for its breadth. Just consider: where once stood one Lantern Corp and Sinestro slinging his yellow ring, we now have Seven Lantern Corps (not counting black and white of course). Then, for each of these corps we have a new mythology within each of these corps we have an army of memorable new characters. Everybody has a favorite. Larfleeze can claim an army of fans. Atrocious has his loyal followers, though I doubt he'd pay them much mind. I'm a Daxstar man myself (because a cosmically-powered vengeful cat is just plain awesome). Other talented writers have already begun to play in the wide new vistas of this universe and they will doubtless be followed by many more. Either way, readers and writers both will owe Johns a vast debt. Which of course brings us to "Rise of the Third Army."
Let's just say from the beginning: "Rise of the Third Army" is rife with cosmic action and cosmic danger. Writing about this book without tripping into spoilers is a substantial challenge. I'll do my best. In many ways, "Rise of the Third Army" is very much a transitional book, rushing the Green Lantern universe (perhaps now more properly described just as "The Lantern Universe") towards the great confrontation to which it has long been building. The Guardians of the Universe, having slipped from being just arrogant into a sticky realm of ethical ambiguity, are now full on villains.
Having decided that the recent chaos of the Lantern Wars proves the failure of their second army (the first being the Manhunters), the Guardians decide to raise a third. With this new army the Guardians have identified a chilling "enemy" that threatens the universe: free will. Rich irony given what powers their Corp. Only by depriving everyone of freewill do the Guardians believe that they can ensure the safety of the universe. Oh, did I mention that Hal Jordan (and Sinestro) are missing in action, nobody knowing their fate?
The actual Third Army consists of these faceless, grey monstrosities that by touch morph any sentient into another of their soulless numbers. The art here does marvelous work, and the designer of the Third Army, Ethan Van Sciver, deserves great credit for conjuring the perfect visual metaphor for the substance of this story. Mouth-less, they cannot speak. Each is the same as the next. As an individual suffers joining their army, we see terror in their eyes. Once joined, those eyes either look enraged or somehow soulless, depending. Gaps on either side of their heads reveal a green glowing brain, willpower nullified into slavery. Perfectly chilling, they allude powerfully to Lovecraft's horrors.
If the cosmic threat of the Third Army isn't enough to perk your interest, this volume also gives us Earth's newest Green Lantern, Lebanese American Simon Baz. The debate on Baz as a character will no doubt rage for years to come. For now it shows little sign of cooling. Some fans seem to appreciate the expansion of the DC universe into little-explored corners of our culture. Others will question the idea that Baz is chosen for his ability to overcome "great cultural fear" and the fact that his family isn't just suffering under the wave of post-9/11 anti-Arab sentiment - no, Baz is falsely accused of being a terrorist. The whole thing seems more than a little heavy-handed (and I found Baz vs the Justice League silly. Why does the JL become third string yutzes every time a writer feels a whim?). All that said, I will remain a proud member of the minority who isn't bothered by Baz, having discovered the problem of regular recharge, deciding to carry a gun. A gun will likely have little impact on the likes of, say, Atrocitus, I like this clever allusion to why Abin Sur was in that spaceship.
As for Baz, he points to a real unanswered question about Johns whole effort in Green Lantern ( a run of which, as you can likely tell, I am a hugevery much a fan) - the need to continually up the cosmic threat ante. Baz, you see, isn't just any Green Lantern - no, as we quickly learn, he's a lantern who can do things with his ring that were previously thought impossible. Not just any lantern, but a lantern on steroids. The same of course is true with Johns' vision of the Lantern Universe: each threat is defeated only to be replaced by a still bigger threat. The Sinestro corp is bad. Agent Orange and the Red Lantern Corp are worse. Think that's bad - here comes the Black Lanterns (and yep they're worse still). Several universal crises later, we now face Guardians out to wipe out sentience in the universe with the Third Army, so yep, that's pretty much worse still (and right around the corner, the universal threat of the mysterious First Lantern). This continual swelling of cosmic danger has made for a fun breathless read (and without giving much away, yes, there are still greater threats on the horizon!), but one wonders how long writers will be able to keep this crazy pace. Can't a Green Lantern get a break and just duke it out with Evil Star?
For all the great universe destroying threats in this volume, the writers do not neglect two of the Corps most human lanterns - Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner. I've always had a soft spot for the former and, without giving anything away, Bedard does excellent work here as part of the "New Guardians" Green Lantern title. As for Guy Gardner, he has often unfortunately defaulted into being a one-note character, but talented Peter Tomasi does a fine job filling out his personality and keeping him consistently interesting. As with the multi-titled Bat-verse, the many books of the Lantern-verse can give books like this one a bit of a disjointed feel. Still the threat of the Third Army, with its faceless, spookiness helps to keep these threads, if not tied together, at least proximate enough to remain consistently engrossing.
In the end, The Rise of the Third Army suffers just a bit from that sense of it being a transition into the next big conflict. Despite this, it is rip-roaring good read and a testament to the extraordinary expanded universe that Geoff Johns has bestowed on a corp of writers yet to come. I loved Kyle's effort to master the emotional spectrum, especially the heart breaking way he "masters" violet. Further, I'm a sucker for the range of characters that make up these corps and many receive their due in this book. B'dg (a personal favorite!) shows his metal. Salaak again proves himself to be more than a stuffed-shirt. And others... well, as I said, no spoilers. Suffice to say, if you've loved Johns' action drenched work on GL, you need to pick up this book.
May 12, 2021
Muito distante do que eu imaginei que fosse. Algumas situações são boas outras não foram satisfatórias para mim e outras são irrelevantes.
Se uma pessoa está na sala e alguém toca a campainha de sua casa. O que é melhor? Mostrar a pessoa caminhando por todo o trajeto até o portão para atender a pessoa ou simplesmente mostrar a pessoa atendendo diretamente o portão após ouvir a campainha, sem mostrar ela andando por todo o trajeto? -- Óbvio que a segunda opção.
Se tem algo que odeio nos quadrinhos são esses eventos que reúnem quadrinhos de vários personagens. Fica algo inchado e que não parece ter foco. A história fica transitando pra lá e pra cá entre os personagens e não foca em uma narrativa. Isso não é um problema desta história, mas praticamente de todos os eventos nos quadrinhos. Há poucos casos que usam deste artifício e realmente funcionam.
Nesta história, a única parte que conseguiu prender minha atenção foi Green Lantern: The End. Se você se encaixa na história da campainha que contei, então leia somente a parte do Lanterna Verde desta história. Provavelmente algumas coisas ficarão sem contexto, mas e daí!! Não precisa!! Você é inteligente!! Eu não tenho que ler tudo só porque a DC quer.
Anos da indústria de quadrinhos e eles sempre caem nos mesmos erros. O que custa criar uma história fechada em formato de mini-série. Quantidade não é o mesmo que qualidade.
Se uma pessoa está na sala e alguém toca a campainha de sua casa. O que é melhor? Mostrar a pessoa caminhando por todo o trajeto até o portão para atender a pessoa ou simplesmente mostrar a pessoa atendendo diretamente o portão após ouvir a campainha, sem mostrar ela andando por todo o trajeto? -- Óbvio que a segunda opção.
Se tem algo que odeio nos quadrinhos são esses eventos que reúnem quadrinhos de vários personagens. Fica algo inchado e que não parece ter foco. A história fica transitando pra lá e pra cá entre os personagens e não foca em uma narrativa. Isso não é um problema desta história, mas praticamente de todos os eventos nos quadrinhos. Há poucos casos que usam deste artifício e realmente funcionam.
Nesta história, a única parte que conseguiu prender minha atenção foi Green Lantern: The End. Se você se encaixa na história da campainha que contei, então leia somente a parte do Lanterna Verde desta história. Provavelmente algumas coisas ficarão sem contexto, mas e daí!! Não precisa!! Você é inteligente!! Eu não tenho que ler tudo só porque a DC quer.
Anos da indústria de quadrinhos e eles sempre caem nos mesmos erros. O que custa criar uma história fechada em formato de mini-série. Quantidade não é o mesmo que qualidade.
September 29, 2021
"THER IS A REASON NO ONE HAS WIELDED ALL SEVEN COLORS AT ONCE. YOU WONT BE THE FIRST TO TRY, AND YOU WON'T BE THE FIRST TO FAIL."
- Arkillo to Kyle Raynor.
So much happening here. Four related titles with largely divergent characters tackling a singular issue of four seperate fronts. What is the issue? The Guardians of the Universe have gone completely insane. Their logic-based personal denial of emotion has led them to conclude that the problem with the universe is free will and they will correct this by making an army as heartless as they are and sending them out assimilating all sentient life. Well, the Lanterns aren't having it.
While it's kind of a long read, as it covers four titles, it never got stagnant for me. There's just so damn much happening:
- Hal Jordan and Sinestro are missing, still dealing with Black Hand (from the last Green Lantern trade);
- Stewart, Gardner and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps are engaging the Guardians directly;
- Kyle Raynor and the New Guardians are on a quest to master all seven colors, which allows its user to use the power of life (the only power which can stop Black Hand);
- Atrocitus' Red Lanterns have their own problems with their depleted power battery when the Third Army strikes, but Atrocitus has a desperate solution.
This book leads directly into the Wrath of the First Lantern which also covers all four lantern titles.
- Arkillo to Kyle Raynor.
So much happening here. Four related titles with largely divergent characters tackling a singular issue of four seperate fronts. What is the issue? The Guardians of the Universe have gone completely insane. Their logic-based personal denial of emotion has led them to conclude that the problem with the universe is free will and they will correct this by making an army as heartless as they are and sending them out assimilating all sentient life. Well, the Lanterns aren't having it.
While it's kind of a long read, as it covers four titles, it never got stagnant for me. There's just so damn much happening:
- Hal Jordan and Sinestro are missing, still dealing with Black Hand (from the last Green Lantern trade);
- Stewart, Gardner and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps are engaging the Guardians directly;
- Kyle Raynor and the New Guardians are on a quest to master all seven colors, which allows its user to use the power of life (the only power which can stop Black Hand);
- Atrocitus' Red Lanterns have their own problems with their depleted power battery when the Third Army strikes, but Atrocitus has a desperate solution.
This book leads directly into the Wrath of the First Lantern which also covers all four lantern titles.
January 11, 2021
This is a fairly weak entry for Geoff Johns, who revitalized the Green Lantern franchise for DC. However, it's a lot of world-building with surprisingly little payoff at the end.
The Guardians of the Universe have a gone a little mad, and have determined that free will is the real problem afflicting everyone and so they create "the Third Army", which consists of people (and aliens) reduced to mindless drones. The phrase "resistance is futile" comes to mind.
The art is very good and the story, for the most part, is solid. I love the redemptive arcs that both Simon Baz (the newest GL) and Guy Gardner both go through in the course of the plot. I'd definitely recommend reading if you're a diehard GL fan. Otherwise, perhaps try Blackest Night or Brightest Day for more of Johns's work.
The Guardians of the Universe have a gone a little mad, and have determined that free will is the real problem afflicting everyone and so they create "the Third Army", which consists of people (and aliens) reduced to mindless drones. The phrase "resistance is futile" comes to mind.
The art is very good and the story, for the most part, is solid. I love the redemptive arcs that both Simon Baz (the newest GL) and Guy Gardner both go through in the course of the plot. I'd definitely recommend reading if you're a diehard GL fan. Otherwise, perhaps try Blackest Night or Brightest Day for more of Johns's work.
April 12, 2020
I really enjoyed this one, it was definitely a solid read. So the premise of the story is that the Guardians have gone made with power and made an emotionless army using “the first” Lantern’s power to wipe away free will in the universe. I haven’t read many Green Lantern comics but I always thought the Guardians were supposed from what I’ve seen them in. I’m assuming their morals are very loose. So the story of the third army builds up across the Four Lantern books, all of which have their own plot lines. It kind of reminds me of the Death of the Family Batman event where the books have their own stories going on that are connected to the event then come together at the end. I liked this approach, the plot lines for the books I wasn’t reading weren’t hard to follow either.
June 20, 2021
The individual pieces are interesting, getting to see characters from across the color corps and those bits of the story are nicely balanced.
Though, gotta say, there's a lot of problematic elements in Simon's story.
He's an interesting Lantern, but the whole 'He's a terrorist! But, not really.' is clunky and having the other minority characters in the story be the ones to call Simon out, feels really tone-deaf.
The biggest problem is that the big arc is the Guardians are up to something...again.
Johns reused versions of that story in nearly ever big GL crossover arc and it feels a bit tired at this point.
So, I loved the individual stories, but the big arc felt blah and I started to skim, whenever the Guardians showed up.
Very pretty art though.
Though, gotta say, there's a lot of problematic elements in Simon's story.
He's an interesting Lantern, but the whole 'He's a terrorist! But, not really.' is clunky and having the other minority characters in the story be the ones to call Simon out, feels really tone-deaf.
The biggest problem is that the big arc is the Guardians are up to something...again.
Johns reused versions of that story in nearly ever big GL crossover arc and it feels a bit tired at this point.
So, I loved the individual stories, but the big arc felt blah and I started to skim, whenever the Guardians showed up.
Very pretty art though.
March 19, 2018
A great romp in the Green Lantern Corps and their many members not to mention the other colored Lanterns (which I am always a fan of). Apparently after some light researching this is the second (?) to last part of a long saga. Still even not knowing the events of the past books I was able to get into this and know enough to be invested in the story and its characters. I think I might go back and read the past collections to get a better understanding of what is happening.
Anyways give it a shot but I do suggest doing some research and figuring out which book his saga actually stats with and going from there. Of course I can't attest the the qualities of those other collections.
Anyways give it a shot but I do suggest doing some research and figuring out which book his saga actually stats with and going from there. Of course I can't attest the the qualities of those other collections.
July 6, 2022
The first big Lantern event of the New 52 arrives and its a mixed bag. The big bads aren't a surprise if you've been reading the Lantern books up to this point. However, their actions don't make a ton of sense and The Third Army is underwhelming. This event is leading directly into the next event and I'm more excited by it than this. The standout sections to me were the Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps titles. Both Simon Baz and Guy Gardner excelled. The Red Lanterns title was pointless and continues to disappoint. The art had highs a lows but was good for the most part. Overall, a solid crossover that has a ton of moving pieces.
August 21, 2021
This was very very good. Payoffs from GL: New Guardians were great, the arch of Guy Gardner was excellent, Has Jordan didn't muck things up, and we see the birth of an Arab-descent Green Lantern.
Also, B'DG is the man! And Atrocitus comes through in a bit way.
I wasn't a fan of GL: NG's annual - mostly because Kyle's not in it - but that was the only low point in the set for me.
Recommended that you read up to this point and then experience the culmination of all that
Also, B'DG is the man! And Atrocitus comes through in a bit way.
I wasn't a fan of GL: NG's annual - mostly because Kyle's not in it - but that was the only low point in the set for me.
Recommended that you read up to this point and then experience the culmination of all that
May 30, 2022
Another amazing Geoff Johns book! The artistry and story were great throughout. I do wish it had more Simon and Kyle and less Guy Gardner though. He just irritates me for some reason. I really enjoyed Kyle's journey to become a white lantern and the ongoing struggle with the third army. I was expecting more of a final battle but the cliffhanger has me looking forward to the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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