The plot is continuing to thicken and as I am standing here awestruck, I also keep thinking of more and more questions. This issue picks up right where we left off, but also flows back into the past to see how we got here. But right now we see Sojourner seemingly wake up right as we saw her walk in on Hal in the diner he just destroyed with the black hand. A voice appears in her mind, a ring that I believe we also saw talking to Hal last issue, but this voice tells her that she exists at the green level of light and that she must be entirely without fear. She isn’t exactly sure what happened to her, but more importantly is what happened to Hal. He tells her to keep away, he can’t control the black hand it will lash out if he feels threatened. He has tried using all of his willpower to hold it back…but it just doesn’t work.
Hal then makes reference to what happened to John and Guy, and that they don’t understand the rules that makes these powers work. That’s when we flash back to Abin Sur’s first arrival to the town. We see as the cops, lead by sheriff Guy Gardner, block off and approach Abin Sur on the ground. He announces himself and says a very similar thing to what Jo heard in her head at the start, that he comes from the green lantern and exists at the green level of light and that they must be without fear. Guy tries to keep a lid on the situation and to keep the others back, but as Abin Sur raises his hand and green light begins to pour out and he claims that there will be judgement…you can understand why even Guy would pull his gun on Abin Sur here. But it was finally Jo that broke through the tension, and pointed out to them that this is first contact and their entire town has a bubble surrounding it. So do they really want to escalate a situation with a thing they don’t understand?!
As Hal and Jo are talking in the diner, Hal points out that while Jo was focused on Guy…he was focused on the crowd. He could see their faces of shock and fear with everyone holding their breaths…then laying out a sigh of relief as Guy lowers his and the other officers guns and began to talk to Abin…only for Abin Sur to judge him and seemingly eviscerate Guy on the spot. Everyone freaked out, is this what judgement is?! The other cops immediately opened fire, but the projections from Abin just sent all of their shots into the crowd. The entire time he reaffirmed that they must be without fear…all while he slashed them down. With one cop decapitated and the other one loosing their hand, John was the first to rush in to deliver aid. But Hal went for the dropped gun and went for Abin Sur…who happened to know his name!! John stepped over between Hal and Abin and talked Hal down, at the worst it will kill him and at the least it will…take his hand. Either way, as we know now something will take his hand. As John convinced Hal to stand down, Abin tells him to be without fear (also knowing his name) and then flies back up to his ship in the sky.
As we go back to the diner, Jo points out that Hal never did give that gun back. Hal remembers that he never did, and while looking at his black hand he is able to project the image of a gun in his hand. As he does it also seems like the darkness begins to take over, he brings to talk about how hungry it is for the light. That it doesn’t want to quite absorb it, but it wasn’t to overturn it…to win the argument. He mentions that it's very old and that it should have been gone, but something fed it and gave it a chance and now it’s everywhere. Could that be what Abin was judging, purging anyone that contained this fear? Hal continues to try and fight it but as his eyes turn black he also seems to relish in everything it’s telling him.
As the issue comes to an end we cut back to the past after the confrontation with Abin Sur. The gang is hanging out at “Alan Scott’s Atom Bomb Cafe & Diner,” as they discuss what to do next. In the present they mention something else happening to John, and as this issue comes to an end he mentions that he may have a way to take Abin Sur out. The final page shows John with a gold ring, I’m not sure what it is or what he thinks he can do…but I am guessing it won’t work out very well.
P.S. AB Superman #7 spoilers: I just finished reading the new AB Superman and a line stuck out to me. When brainiac spoke to the brainiac collective they looked at the readings for Superman and couldn’t believe it. They recommended that it may be one of the “adepts of OA,” and that brainiac should send inquired to the “blackstars.” WHAT?! That reminded me of a line Hal says in this issue where the describes the black hand as a dark star. Are the green lanterns not the ones in charge on OA?!