Review: Green Lantern Volume 1 - Sinestro

When his homeworld is enslaved by his former army, the newly re-appointed Green Lantern Sinestro must seek out the aid of disgraced Lantern Hal Jordan for help in freeing his people. Together they must venture to Korugar and shut down the very power source for the Sinestro Corps.

Green Lantern Volume 1: Sinestro collects issues 1-6 of Green Lantern, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Doug Mahnke.

Geoff Johns continues to build on his legacy as the premiere Green Lantern writer by trying something a little different – re-introducing Sinestro as a hero looking to dismantle the very Corps he once created. It’s a simple yet effective premise that takes Hal Jordan’s most iconic nemesis and re-imagines him more as a flawed antihero. By 2011, when the issues collected in Green Lantern Volume 1: Sinestro were originally published, Johns had been the primary creative force behind the Green Lantern for roughly seven years. He was responsible for breathing new life into that section of the DC Universe and turned it into a veritable “franchise.” With this arc, we see him not only creating new concepts, but also undoing some of his previous work. It’s an interesting read, since it’s like a shedding of skin.

At its core, Green Lantern Volume 1: Sinestro is about two men. Plain and simple. It’s an intimate character examination of just who Sinestro and Hal Jordan are. The former is portrayed as an immensely multi-dimensional character who is clearly loyal to his people, but his past actions and “bigger picture” attitude has led many to distrust him. As a point of comparison, he is to Hal Jordan who Magneto is to Professor Xavier. Meanwhile, we see Hal Jordan struggling to find himself. Who is he without a Green Lantern ring? Can he really be happy unless he’s zipping all over the universe saving the day? Will he ever be able to settle down with his lady love Carol Ferris? There’s this brilliant sense of co-dependency between Hal and his status as a Green Lantern, one which proves he’s far more than the Silver Age cardboard cut-out many claim him to be.

Ultimately, Green Lantern Volume 1: Sinestro is comparable to Johns’ work on Aquaman from the New 52. It’s a concise, straightforward story with a small cast and plenty of great action. The character development and dialogue is on point, while Doug Mahnke’s art is superb. There is one downside though. Unlike Aquaman, this collection isn’t as easy to dive into as a casual reader. Since all of Johns’ previous Green Lantern material is canon, new readers may find it difficult to contextualize what’s going on. As such, it’s best to start with Rebirth and read on from there.

RATING: B