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Red Lanterns

Red Lanterns, Volume 5: Atrocities

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The Reds have found their newest recruit: Supergirl!
Guy Gardner is hardly equipped to handle a teenaged Kryptonian Red Lantern, so he heads for Earth and hand her off to her cousin, Superman! But Superman is...unimpressed by Guy's leadership skills (or lack thereof).
But even the power of Supergirl can't make Guy Gardner's team of Red Lanterns unstoppable. Guy wasn't counting on the arrival of the deadliest Red yet: The Judge! When she makes her ruling, the fate of the Red Lanterns, Earth and an entire space sector will hang in the balance!

Collecting: Red Lanterns 27-34, Annual 1 & Supergirl 31

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 2014

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About the author

Charles Soule

1,526 books1,693 followers
Charles Soule is a #1 New York Times-bestselling novelist, comics author, screenwriter, musician, and lapsed attorney. He has written some of the most prominent stories of the last decade for Marvel, DC and Lucasfilm in addition to his own work, such as his comics Curse Words, Letter 44 and Undiscovered Country, and his original novels Light of the Jedi, The Endless Vessel, The Oracle Year and Anyone. He lives in New York.

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5 stars
115 (32%)
4 stars
165 (46%)
3 stars
63 (17%)
2 stars
8 (2%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
Profile Image for Sam Quixote.
4,820 reviews13.5k followers
November 6, 2015
Red Lanterns: mean, angry, blood-spewing idiots who’re angry and mean – but are slowly becoming more cuddly? In this volume, Guy Gardner’s Red Lanterns square off against Atrocitus’s Red Lanterns – grrr! Then Supergirl becomes a (temporary) Red Lantern - rarrr! Then there are suddenly hundreds of Red Lanterns – GRRRRAAARRR! But the Red Lanterns are all buddies so they’re gonna save everything together, yay!

So much – too much - of this chunky book is filler. Skallox and Zilius Zox go sight-seeing on Earth! Guy woos ex-girlfriend Ice unsuccessfully! A new, uninteresting character called The Judge is introduced! Supergirl becomes a Red Lantern and then turns back! Two pointless crossovers are thrown in! There’s meaningless cameos galore: Batman, Superman, John Stewart! And watch as one boring fight after another happens!

The bloated volume could have been condensed into a strong, tight four or five issue book - instead we’ve got eleven issues!! The search for Atrocitus and the nine red rings is a fine story and that alone could’ve been enough. Have the Red Lanterns focus on this rather than send them here, there and everywhere else. All that extra stuff can easily go, like what was the point of having Supergirl become a Red Lantern? None, except to fill up a lot of space - it didn’t go anywhere anyway!

I really hate crossovers because it forces you to read titles you’re not reading for a reason. So having Robert Venditti’s Green Lantern and Tony Bedard’s Supergirl comics shoe-horned into this book were unwelcome additions. Not only were they boring but they added nothing to the overall story that wasn’t already in it.

The ending was definitely the worst part as it’s really rushed and poorly put together – thrown together really! After spending scores of pages on irrelevant fluff, Charles Soule crams: Guy Gardner’s showdown with Atrocitus, major changes to the cast and series direction, and Guy’s new life in about five pages! Compare this to a useless fight between Skallox, Zilius Zox, and Shadow Thief earlier in the book which ran to more pages!

In addition to the overlong page count, the panels are packed with dialogue giving it a claustrophobic look. Soule makes sure every character has a lot to say about everything so trudging through this book is an exhausting read! When Soule does get around to focusing on the story of the Reds vs Atrocitus and his growing army of other Reds, things are good – it’s just so much of it is watered down making it less effective.

Soule writes the characters to be much more likeable than they’ve previously been presented which somehow feels wrong – they’re Red Lanterns, they’re not supposed to be about the feels! And why have Guy Gardner frequently make the point that he’s not a leader and the Reds are independent, when all he does is lead and the rest follow?

Art-wise, it’s difficult to say because there are a ton of artists contributing pages. It’s more or less consistently fine but it’s the usual story with DC mashing together an issue by having one artist draw the first five pages, then another drawing the next seven, another drawing three, and another drawing the remaining pages – multiplied by 11!

The book could’ve benefitted from Soule culling a lot of his dialogue, focusing more on the main story, and giving the finale the space it deserved rather than barrelling through it at breakneck speed. As a result, Red Lanterns Volume 5: Atrocities is just an ok book when it had the potential to be much better.
Profile Image for Shelby.
258 reviews
March 18, 2018
5 Stars because this book was amazing
Profile Image for James DeSantis.
Author 17 books1,205 followers
May 12, 2019
This was awesome.

I read some of this in the Supergirl run but it read ways better here. The way Guy is able to make the Reds a INTERESTING group of people is a surprise. As a leader he puts a lot of pressure on himself to be a hero. The others follow him as you can expect from a bunch of angry grumpy guys/gals. Atrocitus is the main enemy here and while the first half focuses on Supergirl becoming part of the team, it's the 2nd half of Atrocitus rise and revenge that is most compelling part.

Listen, at this point you just expecting big ass lantern battles. This is really epic and big with tons of people trying to kill each other back and forth. The stakes are high, plenty of them die, and the fights are never dull. Guy changes from a okay character for me to one of the most interesting ones in a long time. The only negative is some of the art changes halfway through.

Overall, a great arc for Red Lanterns and easily the best. Soule really puts some good stuff out here. A 4 out of 5.
Profile Image for Sud666.
2,349 reviews199 followers
February 10, 2018
Volume 5 of the Red Lanterns finishes out the Atrocitus-Guy Gardner "civil war" for control of the Red Lanterns.

This was a fun read. As Atrocitus and Dex-Starr look for new Lanterns to add to their army, Gardner and his Reds run into a new Red Lantern- Kara Zor-El (Supergirl- Kal's cousin). Superwoman's power mated with a Red ring is trouble of an epic scale.
Meanwhile Atrocitus finds a new lantern-the Judge. I rather appreciated the Judge's story. I empathized with her. As events come to a peak- the Red Lanterns decide in return for their aid-they will now patrol Earth. Hal Jordan agrees.

The part where Skallox and Zox accompany Gardner to Earth is well done and rather amusing. I have no idea who Shadowthief is but the conflict was interesting. Skallox and Zox are a great duo and their antics do bring a smile. The rest of the book covers all sorts of drama that I will not get into. Suffice it to say it was good reading.

The artwork is good throughout the volume and complements the action packed story. So far, Red Lanterns has been a good series to read. If I have one complaint it is how quickly consequential events become nonconsequential. Witness the alacrity with which Gardner and Kara stop being Reds. See..umm the thing is..from what I've read-a red ring isn't something you can just walk away from. Unless of course you're a major character like Gardner or Supergirl. I think it was the casual nature of their "reformation" that irritated me. It's like seeing a friend who has descended into a deep heroin addiction and then viola! 24 hours later they show up with a cheery -
Heroin Addict: "what's up?"
ME: "Ummm..hey..weren't you deeply addicted to heroin? um I can see your track marks"
Heroin-Addict: "what? OH yeah..that was SO last issue. Yep. All good now. Nothing to see here."
ME: "I thought it was highly addictive and could kill you if you stop?"
Heroin-Addict: "Oh that..yeah..but I'm Supergirl/Guy Gardner..so it's not addictive, difficult nor fatal. Not to us,at least since um..we are like major characters"
ME: "Oh. Got it."

So it's silly plot devices like that, which serve to lower the overall quality of this volume. Thus three stars. Good art, good story hampered only by its lack of consequences. Still better than most of what is out nowadays.
Profile Image for Chris Lemmerman.
Author 7 books123 followers
January 12, 2015
Amazing stuff in this volume. The Red Lanterns have gone from rage fueled whiners to compelling protagonists with their own individual personalities, all thanks to Charles Soule and Guy Gardner. The opening storyline introduces Supergirl to the Reds, which is an interesting dynamic, and the crossover issue with the Green Lantern title is a nice inclusion.

Next comes a three part crossover with Supergirl herself that introduces another intriguing new Red Lantern, all the while having Atrocitus bubbling away in the background as he tries to take over the Red Lanterns once again. Atrocitus was a terrible protagonist under other writers, but Soule has made his religious fanaticism into a great motivation, and when his storyline finally explodes in the extra-sized four part Atrocities story which this volume is named for, it's for all the marbles, and it's a superb way for this volume to go out.

The artwork throughout is excellent from both Alessandro Vitti and Jim Calafiore, whose styles work very well together. The return of Miguel Sepulveda for the annual is welcome, and I always find Emmaneula Luppachino's artwork some of the most consistent and solid in the comic world, so her Supergirl issue is a treat to read too.
Profile Image for Tom.
1,230 reviews3 followers
May 20, 2025
It's a long volume, so we get about 1.5 story arcs. Supergirl becomes a Red Lantern for a little while, and that proves difficult to deal with, and then, at long last, we get the culmination of the Atrocitus vs. Guy Gardner Red Lantern civil war. And what a culmination it is. What more could you ask for than to have everyone meet up and spar with words and fists across Earth in a giant-size annual issue. I chide comics often enough for not giving satisfying conclusions to various major arcs, so I'd like to make sure to recognize when they do it right for a change.

I'm also a sucker for a good comic relief character, so the fact that Soule is highlighting Zox more is more than alright with me. What a good little beach ball.
Profile Image for Wing Kee.
2,091 reviews37 followers
February 8, 2017
Very solid!

World: The art is good for the most part but is located over the place with the artist changes, Guy is not very consistent. The world building was strong and served the story well, the little piece of the Red universe is done well and gives the story context and a nice little stage for Guy and crew.

Story: Finally some traction and point. I've been saying that the series has been pointless so far and this is finally not the case. Guy makes sense in the series and he does ground the story and give the Reds a reason to exist. Sure they dial back on the rage crazy but it's good. The stories were solid and did have emotion and payoff. Solid.

Characters: Kara being here was a treat and for the time she was here it was fun. I wish we had more of her but her journey back was kinda meh and we all knew it was temporary anyways. Guy has developed well, from the bro at the beginning of Rebirth to now he's come a long way, more complex and fully formed. It's good. The rest of the Reds also were developed well and I will miss some characters.

A solid arc and finally gives a point for the series to exist.

Onward to the next book!
Profile Image for Shannon Appelcline.
Author 30 books167 followers
November 11, 2015
Soule continues to do go things with the Reds, creating interesting, deep, and tragic characters. The use of both Guy are Kara is particularly good, but the other Reds are enjoyable as well. The storyline loses its way a bit in the Judge storyline, which feels a bit like treading water, but the manipulations and machinations along the way are great, as is the final confrontation in the last four issues.
Profile Image for Adam Fisher.
3,625 reviews23 followers
January 27, 2015
WOW! That was intense! Started off great with the "Red Daughter" storyline and ended huge with a battle on Earth. Never was much of a Guy Gardner fan, but now I am for sure!
The 4 part "Atrocities" story in here is, in my opinion, one of the best New 52 has offered up so far.

High Recommend. Read this Volume!
Profile Image for David.
2,565 reviews87 followers
January 8, 2015
By the way this collection ends I'm assuming that it is the end of the series. Pretty decent book.
Profile Image for 47Time.
3,494 reviews95 followers
July 27, 2024
Drama time. Guy, Skallox and Zox go to Earth where Guy reunites with his ex Tora. Meanwhile Bleez and Rankorr look for the dead Ratchet's ring and find Atrocitus. The fights in this volume are quite spectacular.

Profile Image for Ronan The Librarian.
371 reviews1 follower
November 16, 2021
The saga of the Red Lanterns (more or less) comes to an end. What a ride! The rag-taggiest of all the colored corps, though once seen as bloodthirsty savages, have proven themselves to be more than that, and formed somewhat of a familial bond in the process. Each of the main corps members get quite a bit of characterization over the course of Milligan’s and Soule’s run, and I felt for all of them (even Atrocitus).

All of the mounting tension between Atrocitus and the Red Lantern Corps rebrand under Guy Gardner comes to a head, and implodes into all out war, with Earth as the battleground. There were a several “oh sh*t” moments in here, even sad ones, and none felt contrived.

Through and through, the Red Lanterns’ saga was bombastic, tragic, and enthralling. It also solidified Atrocitus (and the other lanterns) as a fascinating staple in the DCU, and is very much worthy of attention.
Profile Image for Shane.
1,397 reviews22 followers
March 6, 2024
I've said it before, I love the "cosmic" stuff. The more crazy-looking aliens the better. I love what they've done with the Red Lanterns, they're new to me, along with all the other colors, so while it's kinda cheesy, it does setup some cool situations. Also, I'm all for Mogo being a planet-wide intelligence, but he's no longer allowed (because, you know, I'm the person who makes these kind of decisions) to look like a green lantern pool ball. It's just too silly.

Anyway, I'm actually starting to like Guy Gardner (even though his name is "Guy Gardner" and besides his new handlebar mustache. Also the inclusion of Super Girl was pretty cool and "the Judge" was pretty terrifying. I think the thing that makes this series the most interesting is that they're all a little "evil" or at least really rough around the edges. Gives a totally different feel than the goody two shoes green lanterns.
Profile Image for Daniel Kovacs Rezsuk.
180 reviews7 followers
August 27, 2020
Overall I liked Charles Soule's take on the concept of the Red Lanterns being this intergalactic biker gang trying to legitimize itself as law enforcement with Guy Gardner (my favorite character from DC's Green Lantern line of comics) at the helm. It's written well, the cover to cover storytelling in each issue/chapter is pretty solid. What drags the volume down is Supergirl, who's been shoehorned into the series in a way that doesn't add much to the story and doesn't have any meaningful resolution in itself either, yet it successfully breaks the flow of the issue to issue storytelling. New 52 comics between 2011 and 2015 were notorious for these unwarranted crossovers that harmed individual series and Red Lanterns is a very good example for this. Also, the art is pretty uneven throughout. Still, I consider Red Lanterns to be one of the better GL spinoffs of the Geoff Johns era.
Profile Image for Alex.
717 reviews11 followers
July 23, 2023
A bloody civil war! Paying off threads left by vol 4, as well as a guest appearance by Supergirl, this second half of Soule's run is great. Several reds shift their allegiances in the brewing war between Atrocious and Guy, as well as double crosses. Even a good few moments of humor, especially the one at a crucial story point. Red Lanterns really do demolish what it builds up, as is the nature of comics, I don't think they've been this good since. There is some fat here, a few issues not landing as strong as they should, but they aren't all winners, plus this might be only time a annual issue actually factors into the ongoing narrative.
Profile Image for Sean.
4,238 reviews25 followers
July 20, 2024
Its crazy to think the worst cast and premise for this era Lantern books is the best DC produced. And, its not great. While this does boast possibly the best character work on Guy Gardner, the book is still just okay. As usual, DC editorial collects it in the strangest way (too big and too many storylines). Added to that you get introduced to new characters that don't always matter. The inclusion of Supergirl is decent but her conclusion is either terrible or just terrible because its not fully collected here. They are ranged from amazing to serviceable. Overall, this book is about Guy that part is fantastic. That's the main takeaway.
Profile Image for Michael Giuliano.
189 reviews15 followers
May 10, 2017
4.5/5
I know that, technically, Soule would go on writing Red Lanterns until issue 37, but this here feels like the proper stopping point of the run. Everyone's arcs come full circle, every situation that was introduced was resolved, and we get a nice ending for things all around. Doesn't mean that I'm going to avoid reading the next tpb that follows, but I'm going to assume it'll be pretty hard to top.
Profile Image for Pranit.
234 reviews
October 25, 2020
A well deserved story for the red lanterns. I feel there’s more to those than meets the eye. This was a good arc where the red lanterns were a perfect mixture of bad guy underdog. A few sacrifices made but hopefully Atrocitus is gone for good. I didn’t really liked the whole arc of Judge although it seemed good just right at the beginning. That would be the worst thing ever to happen to the red lantern corps other than Dex-Starrrrr 😑
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Beelzefuzz.
717 reviews
May 4, 2017
Ok, so I am pretty sure they are writing garbage in the other GL books to make people want to buy this one because it is finally good. I never thought a Red Lanterns book would be my favorite. Technically this is a Guy Gardener book now, but I have never liked him much before either, so this was a great surprise.
Profile Image for Paweł.
452 reviews5 followers
January 11, 2018
Okazuje się, że Atrocitus przeżył, a Guy teraz musi liczyć się z zaprzysiężonym wrogiem, który zdołał już wylizać rany i szykuje się do rewanżu. Co prawda ten rewanż wychodzi mu słabo, więc Atrocitus niczym obrażony dzieciak zabiera zabawki i cały piasek ze starej piaskownicy do nowej.
Część tomu to crossover z Supergirl, który już był zawarty w jej tomie.
Profile Image for Jacob Shaffer.
226 reviews1 follower
September 30, 2025
If you read New 52 main series Green Lantern and said “whatever happened with Red Lantern Supergirl?” Here she is! It’s great. Great storyline, fun time spent with fun characters.

The Judge is great; great origin story, under utilized character.

And then we get our hearts broken a lot in this volume. 5 star collection, Charles Soule’s work on the Reds is debatably the best.
Profile Image for Charles Hamel.
89 reviews1 follower
September 25, 2019
That was pretty great! An all-out battle between the old and the new, things start getting back to normal, overall, a great book.
Profile Image for Robin.
620 reviews30 followers
January 10, 2021
Un super volumebqui aurait pu (et peut être dû) conclure la saga red lanterns. J'attends de voir le 6 mais ca va être dur de faire mieux.
Profile Image for Dani.
113 reviews1 follower
March 22, 2022
really fun exploring a new character for me while seeing kara's journey with her emotions through the help of the red lanterns
Profile Image for Dean.
1,039 reviews5 followers
October 25, 2024
The fight with Atrocitus finally happens here. It's good, the build up is fine.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews

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