Written by Steve Englehart
Art by Joe Staton; Mark Farmer; L. Lois Buhalis; Bob Lappan; Pete Costanza; Carl Gafford; & Anthony Tollin
Collection Cover Art by Joe Staton; Bruce Patterson; & Allen Passalaqua
SUMMARY:
Released by DC Comics in 2010, this 144-page collection reprints Green Lantern Corps # 201-206 from 1986. With the conclusion of Green Lantern # 200, Hal Jordan & John Stewart were demoted into an ensemble title.
In DC’s immediate post-Crisis on Infinite Earths era, the Guardians of the Universe have departed to another dimension. With the Green Lantern Corps dividing its forces now however it wishes, five alien Lanterns (Katma Tui; Arisia; Ch’p; Kilowog; & Salakk) opt to join John & Hal on Earth. Beyond setting up their team logistics, the seven Lanterns must repel threats from Dr. Polaris, Baron Tyrano, Sonar, and Black Hand. While Ch’p, Kilowog, and Salakk adapt to Earth’s customs to varying degrees, the youthful Arisia hides her romantic crush on Hal. The Lanterns also tangle with Ch’p’s most diabolical adversary.
On the abandoned planet, Zamaron, a corrupted Carol Ferris makes a cameo as Star Sapphire, as she contemplates vengeance upon Hal, John, & Katma Tui. On planet Maltus, Guy Gardner intends to desert the remaining Guardian, Appa, and two of his fellow Lanterns to pursue his own interests. The issue titles are: # 201 – “Setting Up Shop;” # 202 – “Turf;” # 203 – “The Diabolical Doctor Ub’X;” # 204 – “Young and Innocent;” # 205 – “Bad Reputation;” and # 206 – “In Deep.”
REVIEW:
This sample of Steve Englehart’s mid-80’s Green Lantern run readily justifies why the series was soon cancelled. Englehart’s generally kid-friendly work meets mid-80’s standards, but his middling storylines aren’t close to Hal & John’s better adventures. By consolidating seven Green Lanterns (eight, when you count Guy Gardner) into one title — the equivalent of squeezing them into a single elevator, the ensemble concept waters them all down. It’s pretty evident, from revisiting these particular stories, that DC shafted the Green Lantern franchise amidst the company’s various post-Crisis reboots.
Smarting from losing Carol Ferris, Hal’s Ferris Air sub-plot make sense, but Englehart doesn’t explore it much. Getting mauled multiple times, John appears the wimpiest of the group. Katma Tui is given far too little to actually do while Arisia’s ongoing sub-plot is simply icky. It’s cringe-worthy when Hal correctly rejects Arisia’s crush by pointing out she is still a teenager — yet, he still condescendingly nicknames her ‘Honey.’ Inexplicably, no one (not even John) chastises Hal for sending a naïve Arisia potentially mixed signals.
Considering Carol’s impact on Hal’s life, Star Sapphire is somehow reduced to a single scene. Guy Gardner’s sub-plot adds little, if anything, short of making Englehart’s fractured approach seem even more cumbersome. As for Ch’p, Salakk, & Kilowog, they are fine leads for some back-up stories, but too much screen time further sabotages how mighty all Green Lanterns supposedly are. Case in point: pitting a makeshift tag-team of Dr. Polaris, Sonar, and some ultra-forgettable super-powered henchmen (or even an insipidly-scripted Black Hand by himself) as fair opposition against multiple Lanterns strains any whiff of plausibility.
Unlike the weak storylines, the art squad’s sufficient visuals hold up fairly well today, particularly with DC’s nice production values. Still, it’s not enough to compensate for the underwhelming story content permeating Tales of the Green Lantern Corps, Volume 3. In somewhat pitiful fashion, even mid-80’s nostalgia can’t save the Green Lanterns this time.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
A table of contents spells out each chapter. The full-page covers for Issues # 201-206 are included. The cover artists are: Joe Staton & Bruce Patterson (Issues # 201-202 & # 205-206); Luke McDonnell & Bruce Patterson (Issue # 203); and Joe Staton & Rick Magyar (Issue # 204).
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 4 Stars
