Green Lantern Corps: Peter J. Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin, Scott Hanna, Gabe Eltaeb, Dave Sharpe

I converse with various DC Comics writers and artists over on Twitter every now and then. I like to think I’m being a liaison. But really, I’m just grateful. Now, there are times when this book, or Batman and Robin, is just so fantastic that I really wish Peter J. Tomasi was active on Twitter so I could reach out to him - like I do others - and let him know how much I enjoyed his work.

This whole Alpha War thing, with John’s sentencing, has kept me on the edge of my seat every single issue. I never know which way it’s going to go. Are they going to find him innocent or guilty? How are they going to sentence him? Is Guy planning on fighting the Alphas or breaking John out? What are the Guardians going to do in their efforts to manipulate the Corps? There are so many outcomes. So many roads the story could take. And the most thrilling part? I’m not one iota in control. I just grab my lap bar and hang the hell on.

I liked this series when it first started. The beginnings of the Keepers story was really good. I admit to faltering a couple times, but you know what? Overall, this title has had a really great run so far. I was hard keeping it out of my Top 10 at the time. It’s definitely a contender for the next round of Top 10 (yeah, keep your eyes open for that in the next couple of months!).

Everyone in this issue is playing their character to the letter. It’s great seeing Guy, in his new status, conferring with the Guardians while the Alphas decide the manner of execution. It was great seeing him interacting with John just before Kilowog intervenes. Even the Guardians continue to eschew responsibility for everything going on, and go on warping their Corps into the time bomb that’s going to cause the Third Army soon.

Pasarin’s art…oh, good lord, how I love Pasarin’s art. I wish Green Lantern were his to draw too. It’s so detailed, and the constructs are always top notch. You want to see how good Pasarin is? Check out that huge full-page splash of Kilowog’s construct busting through the wall above John and Guy. That whole page is ecstasy. A feast for your eyes. The detail and the scale of it is unbelievable. I almost missed that page because I mistook it for an ad.

Even in the huge crowd scenes at the Tribunal and such, Pasarin remembers to draw alien shapes in the audience. And Hannu? Look at the awesome closeup of Hannu on page 3. Incredible.

I’m still incredibly anxious to see where this goes, what’s going to happen next. Will the Guardians intercede? Will this be the hammer stroke that forces their hands to shut down the Corps? I just can’t wait!

Green Lantern Corps #10, the verdict: If this book somehow falls out of continuation because DC Comics makes yet another bonehead cancellation decision, I will cry. For maybe a week. I won’t be able to overcome a mindless tragedy such as that. Just imagining a world with one less Tomasi-written book, or without a monthly dose of Pasarinonin (an addictive drug I’ve just made up using his name), is a dark and cold world indeed. Green Lantern Corps continues to be one of the strongest of the GL family books DC is offering. And, thanks to the over-arcing story that ties in with most of the other titles, it’s seeing a boost in sales. Hopefully other people discover the addiction to Pasarinonin so that, after the arc, they still want more!

(Photo Source: Comic Book Movie)