Green Lantern Corps Issue #54

 

“Sinestro vs Rayner/ The Weaponer, Part 2” 

Writer: Tom Bedard

Pencils: Tyler Kirkham

Inking: Batt

Sinestro’s an ass. It’s folly to think he’ll help anybody but himself. Even faced with his daughter being in mortal peril, he seemingly could care less; Kyle Rayner confronting Sinestro says as much…with his fist. That’s how Green Lantern Corps #53 ended: with Rayner delivering a hook to Sinestro’s jaw. But did it wake Sinestro up? To the point where he’d actually help is daughter/ Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend Sorinik Natu?

I you say “yes”, you obviously don’t know the enslaver of Qward very well. Sinestro steadfastly refuses to help Rayner. They actually have a bout of old-school fisticuffs.

Battling without his Power Ring quickly nets a yield from Rayner, and he again begs Sinestro to help. Obviously Sinestro’s answer hasn’t changed from when Rayner asked it the first time and trading blows certainly didn’t help Rayner’s cause much, I’m sure.

Soranik Natu awakes to find herself in the keep of The Weaponer. The Weaponer recalls a story of how he forged the Yellow Power Ring for Sinestro, feeling that Sinestro was a just person to help. Even admiring Sinestro somewhat.

Obviously things don’t turn out so peachy as Sinestro would enslave the people of Qward years later and command them to fuel the Yellow Lantern Corps with weapons to fight the greenies.

For his hand in creating Sinestro’s ring, The Weaponer was banished, and has lived in exile ever since. Plotting his revenge on Sinestro and trying to reclaim the dignity he once held in society being his only solace.

Revenge can only go so far. But the Weaponer’s name is just, as he’s found something to counteract the effects of a Power Ring. 

Guess you haven't heard? I'm kinda a big deal!

I was wondering how the Green Lantern Corps storyline was going to circle back to the Brightest Day story arc that is clearly written on the cover. Yet up until the last issue we’ve seen nothing that connects what’s transpiring on Earth—especially when it comes to the White Lantern and the various entities that are running loose.

What the Weaponer briefly mentions is what brings everything together, in a way that even he doesn’t know. It seems that The Weaponer stumbled upon a fragment of the White Lantern. Going as far to graft it to a shield and wield in to service his plans.

Having such power in his hands could make the Weaponer a powerful villain, if he is a villain at all! Regardless, Rayner calls upon his fellow corpsman to help him fight for his girlfriend—a heroic premise, but The Weaponer seems like a worthy match for a host of Lanterns. Luckily that’s what he’ll get.

Learning about the fate of Qward is a slightly intriguing story. But I would’ve loved to see a good fight scene between Sinestro and Rayner across a few pages. Alas we get a boring fistfight that leaves a reader very disappointed. The next issue will certainly boast more action, there’s little doubt to that, but it would have been nice to see Rayner and Sinestro tangle a little. Like the good ol’ days.

Since this is a short story arc not all individual issues will be “hold your breath,” reads. Most comic readers temper their expectations anyways so getting little bits and pieces per comic isn’t a new thing. Brightest Day seems like a marathon, not a race.