Green Lantern: Geoff Johns, Renato Guedes, Jim Calafiore, Alex Sinclair, Sal Cipriano, Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy

The very first thing you’ll notice about this issue is whoa artist change. It’s a near complete gear-change from Mahnke’s usual style, I think, except for the overabundance of detail. Lips, for example. Sometimes it looks really great, like Black Hand - he looks good in practically every panel he’s in. Sinestro looks strange, but I guess it’s nice to see him finally looking more like an alien. But, overall, I’m not totally digging the art change.

Hal and Sinestro find themselves in the Coast City cemetery among dozens of risen dead, the work of Black Hand. When they start attacking, they know what needs to be done to defeat them: green + any color = dead zombies. This would’ve been absolutely fine if Sinestro were still heading his own Corps, but nope…he’s Green now, and together he and Hal are ineffective in stopping the horde. That is…until Sinestro accesses his yellow lantern from its pocket dimension.

The two reluctant partners have seen a lot together these past issues…and it looked like they were finally starting to grow as a team. Apparently, that all changes in this issue, when they argue more, accuse each other more, and Sinestro even feels no remorse at all for almost chopping off Hal’s arm. This seems like it’s going backwards to me, and I wasn’t appreciating that. I was actually really liking Hal and Sinny getting along.

Meanwhile, the Guardians are revealing more of their plot to destroy not just the Green Lantern Corps, but all of the lantern corps. They’re evil little bastards, and - while it appears as though they will have their moment of victory - it seems as though this title, and the GL universe, is headed toward the downfall of the Guardians and not the Green Lanterns. Either way, it’ll be fun to watch.

There’s a sudden switch in art over to Calafiore, who’s style is much more “comic booky” and more animated than Mahnke and Guedes, and I actually enjoyed his sections more…even though some panels still look a little strange. One day I’ll praise the art in this title, I know it. Until then, I have to settle for sub-par pencils, and amazing everything else.

Green Lantern #12, the verdict: Things are really starting to cook in this title. It’s been a helluva journey, and it now becomes obvious that it’s all been seeded and hinted at way back in the “Brightest Day Green Lantern” title. That’s cool to see, in hindsight. I love what “Blackest Night” did for this title and the DC Universe, despite the heroes we lost. This Rise of the Third Army thing is still intriguing and, like I said, I can’t wait to see the smurfs get their comeuppance. Hopefully we’ll see more consistently excellent art by then.

(Photo Source: iFanBoy)