The Green Lanterns are facing off against Magneto-ahem-I mean Polaris and it’s not looking so good. He’s crushed a car around them and sent them to the bottom of a very deep body of water. How will they get out? Is it good?
Green Lanterns (DC Comics)
So what’s it about? The official summary reads:
“THE GREEN IMPURITY” part two! Following the events of JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD, Polaris strikes! The two Earth Green Lanterns are caught between the two warring personalities of the Master of Magnetism.
Why does this book matter?
Frankly, if Sam Humphries wrote any series I think he could nail it. That’s because he’s very good at capturing the inner voice of the characters. You get inside their heads in a way that makes them feel more real and makes the story more complex on a psychological level.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Nice use of darkness.
Humphries opens this issue with our heroes in a very tight pickle and you get a sense of the danger via Simon’s anger and frustration. As his ring tells him he has insufficient willpower he continues to hammer away at the ball of cars surrounding them, which helps remind us there’s a reason this is a duo: the two Lanterns need each other. While Humphries has spent quite a few issues focusing on Jessica and her crushing anxiety it appears its Simon’s turn to feel the psychological pressure of the job. This is partly due to Polaris’ brother being woven into the story which brings back hard memories for Simon to swallow about his own brother.
Polaris meanwhile, continues to be strongly written and there’s a great sequence in this issue showing him battle his costumed other self. He wants to save his brother, but the costumed side of his personality is screaming to show the world who is the real boss. Things are building towards some real resolutions for both Polaris and Simon and it’s in part due to the strong character work concerning their relationships to their brothers.
Eduardo Pansica draws another solid issue, this time using black space to convey isolation and doom for the Green Lanterns in the opening pages. This helps enhance the threat of drowning, but also the intense fear one goes through internally. There’s plenty of cool constructs in this issue too, from a neat looking drill to a somewhat silly boardroom table complete with coffee mug. I really love how he draws Polaris in this issue. He’s filled with rage, shiny (and chrome!) and is quite scary. As the costumed figure grows in power inside Polaris’ head it’s clear a showdown is coming next issue. Pansica draws his so formidably I’m dying to see the throw down.
Sick punch dude!
It can’t be perfect can it?
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It’s somewhat unbelievable that Polaris would be listening to his costumed self when his brother is nearing an untimely death. I get that the desire for power is there, but how it can help his brother isn’t really explained. That makes the internal struggle nearing the end of the issue somewhat confusing.
Is It Good?
The best damn character development on comic shelves continues to deliver with an interesting look inside the heads of the villain and Simon Baz. On top of this, Polaris is made more interesting because of it!
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