A bit more in the way of conventional supe-hero storytelling finds its way into this brief story arc, but ultimately, Winick tells yet another tale of social relevance and emotion. Winick really makes the characters' pain come to life, and it's so easy to see ourselves in their places, to see our own lives turned upside down. The importance of the issue of the acceptance of gays aside, there's a universal quality in the emotions at the core of the story.
As Terry Berg's loved ones continued to struggle with the horrible tragedy that has befallen him, his friend Kyle Rayner struggles to find a way to undo the damage. He can't go back in time -- not anymore, anyway -- but he knows people who have, and who can. The answers that Green Lantern gets to his requests are not unexpected, and neither is the persistance of his sorrow. It's all becoming too much for him to bear... so much so that he considers passing the Green Lantern torch on to someone else to deal with.
The key to the success of this story is emotion, and Eaglesham certainly pulls his weight when it comes to communicating what the characters are feeling. The extremes of emotion that come with such a circumstance are clear, and I would imagine Eaglesham had little trouble conveing those extremes. But there's a subtlety in emotion too, such as John's quiet concern as an outsider in the situation, or the Spectre's distant appreciation of what Kyle is going through. The dark atmosphere of the book suits the emotionally tortured tone, but fortunately, it doesn't cross the line into developing a sense of foreboding.
Winick has to stay true to the title character, and he's a super-hero after all. At one moment, though, he teetered on the edge of losing me. Sure, in the context of Kyle's extraordinary life, it makes sense that he'd look for a way to make it so Terry had never been hurt, but instead of relating to that wish, the emotional realism and grounded nature of the story waned a bit.
Fortunately, though, Winick wins me back with Kyle's feelings of exhaustion and frustration. We've all felt like that. We've had our moments when we've had to be strong, when we've done right and stuck by our friends and responsibilities. Everyone has a breaking point, though, and we've all felt that moment when we wished we could just walk away from everything. Winick and company communicate that feeling with crystal clarity.
