GREEN LANTERN #153
"You Can Never, Never, Never Go Home Again..."
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Dale Eaglesham
Inks: Rodney Ramos
Colors: Moose Baumann
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
Editor: Bob Schreck
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Now this is the sort of things I was expecting from Judd Winick's Green Lantern. This issue is about people, not powers, and that ultimately makes for more compelling storytelling. The writer doesn't treat Kyle Rayner as a secret identity, but as an average guy living an average life... wit some extraordinary bits lingering around the periphery. And judging from the cliffhanger and media coverage of the next issue, we can expect even better things from this book next month.
Kyle's invited to his high-school reunion, and of course, he brings along his model/actress/super-hero girlfriend along. The real purpose of the trip, though, becomes clear: this is the first time that Jen has met Kyle's mother, Maura.
Though most of his figures tend to look a little too "super-hero-y," Eaglesham does an excellent job of bringing out the strengths of Winick's script, and those are the emotions of the three main characters. Kyle's awkwardness and pain, Jen's empathy and Kyle's mother's pride and guilt are all quite clear on their faces. The one aspect of the art that didn't sit well with me were Moose Baumann's colors during the reunion scenes. All of the characters are bathed in blue tones. I realize he's probably trying to convey the darkness and odd lightning of the dance hall, but it just doesn't work.
I didn't attend my high school 10-year reunion. Had no interest in it. I keep in touch with the few friends from those days with whom I'm close, and that's enough for me. Winick's depiction of just such an event certainly makes me feel good about that decision. The reunion scenes are hilarious, as Winick taps into the universal sense of disappointment, discomfort and disdain that can arise from such events.
Mind you, despite the story title and the cover, this issue isn't really about Kyle's high-school reunion. That's just the catalyst for the real story: Kyle's confrontation with his mother on a couple of emotional issues. Kyle brings two sides of his life -- his family and his lover -- together for the first time, and he finally makes the move to confess a secret he fears will be painful for her to hear. The storytelling rings true, despite the fantastic circumstances in which the title character often finds himself.
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