Green Lantern Corps #2 Review

When we last left the renewed Corps of Green Lanterns in Green Lantern Corps #1, John Stewart led a team of Lanterns, including Sinestro, to Tamaran to stop a surge in Fear energy created by an acolyte of one of the Tamaranian gods. John and his team fought a yellow energy construct in the shape of a god while Sinestro taught the acolyte how to use will to control her fear. The issue ended with the Corps accepting a Tamaranian recruit and John Stewart accepting his next assignment to aid the displaced refugees from a destroyed Thanagar.

Plot Synopsis

In Green Lantern Crops #2, the team finds more than they bargained for when they arrive at the ruined remains of Thanagar. John Stewart leads Kilowog and Razer (now a Green Lantern) as escorts for Shayera, aka Hawkwoman, to assess the damage. When they arrive, they find more than Thanagarian refugees waiting. 

Atrocitus and his group of former Red Lanterns helm a ship in orbit. The ship emits a drilling laser to crack the planet’s surface, looking for a special prize. What are they looking for? Atrocitus has come to steal a stockpile of Nth Metal.

John and Shayera infiltrate Atrocitus’s ship. Inside, they find Atrocitus strapped Zilius Zox to the engine to siphon off his Rage energy using Nth Metal conduits. On the planet’s surface, Kilowog and Razer spy on the former Red Lanterns and witness the uncovering of a massive Nth metal mass buried deep underground.

The issue ends when Nathan Broome, aka Sorrow Lantern, arrives to claim the Nth Metal for himself. The whole operation goes belly up when the underground cavern collapses, revealing the center of Thanagar is a planet-sized egg made of Nth Metal.

First Impressions

Green Lantern Corps #2 is a significant improvement over issue #1. Morgan Hampton’s tale takes the destruction of Thanagar, which should be a big deal, and makes it even bigger with a surprising twist at the end. It’s not a perfect issue, but I like where this story is headed.

How’s the Art?

Fernando Pasarin and Oclair Albert produce a pretty darn good set of visuals. You get a quick but satisfying bit of ring-slinging, the character designs are on point, and the big reveal on the last page is both epic in scale and implication.

What’s great about Green Lantern Corps #2?

The final twist is the highlight of this issue. The reveal that the heart of Thanagar is an Nth Metal egg is just wild and curious enough to dream up all kinds of possibilities, as long as the creators can pay it off.

What’s not great about Green Lantern Corps #2?