This story is still hindered by its foundation in so many other stories that came before it that aren't covered sufficiently here with exposition, but man, there's no denying that Geoff Johns isn't building a fascinating mystery with cosmic overtones. There's a real sense of doom and crisis looming over the characters here, and the tension is communicable from the characters to the audience. Ethan Van Sciver's detailed but dark art is a major factor in the success of Johns's efforts to establish that suspenseful mood. Most of all, though, what I enjoyed about this issue was that Johns surprised me, having led me to believe that one character was responsible (inadvertently or otherwise) for what was going on when another waited in the wings.
In the ruins of Oa, something stirs and erupts in a stunning display of green energy, shooting off into the cosmos. Guy Gardner's body continues to fight against its alien composition, his humanity reasserting itself. In the desert, Kyle Rayner lies broken and pained, but he refuses to use his power ring to heal himself. He's discovered there's a price to be paid for using the green energy, and he soon finds himself the target of another wielder of Green Lantern's light. The Justice League, concerned over recent events, confronts the spirit of Hal Jordan, but it's a different Green Lantern who proves to be a threat.
Based on Van Sciver's work on this series, it seems to me that he'd be a great horror genre artist. Don't get me wrong, he handles super-heroes well, but there's a darkness and intensity in his work here that seems well suited to more grisly fare. I'd like to see him team with comics industry horror king Steve Niles for a project. Kilowog has never looked more alien than he does here, and the line art and the colors combine perfectly to convey the explosive nature of the action throughout this issue.
One of my favorite aspects of Johns's script is how he incorporates small but significant character information in the midst of the dialogue and action. For example, John Stewart's monologue about how to take down a formidable enemy incorporates his expertise as an architect. The script still doesn't include enough background information for new readers, but the plot and atmosphere are strong enough to overcome that weakness.
Johns achieves a nice balance between a cosmic sense of crisis and the emotional turmoil that's been such an integral part of the Hal Jordan character and those around him for the past couple of decades. Kyle Rayner's scenes are the most compelling; Johns's script really drives home just how much pain he's in and the will required to resist the urge to use his ring to make that pain go away. 7/10
