I don’t know if Geoff Johns is trying to appeal to horror fans with “Green Lantern Volume 2: The Revenge of Black Hand,” but he’s doing a great job infusing a bit of the genre into the latest storyline. How can you go wrong mixing Green Lanterns, zombies, and shape shifting creatures that suck the life out of whatever living thing they touch? As far as I’m concerned, you can’t!
“Green Lantern Volume 2: The Revenge of Black Hand” collects issues 7 through 12 and the first annual of the New 52 run of the monthly title. It serves as the gateway into the “Rise of the Third Army” event being heavily promoted by DC Comics right now.
Hal Jordan and Sinestro find themselves working together again to solve a crime which takes them to the Indigo Tribe’s homeworld. The inhabitants worship Abin Sur and use their rings to control the will of evildoers. The two Green Lanterns run into the Black Hand, who’s been “pacified” by putting on an indigo ring and become a member of the Tribe.
Meanwhile, the Guardians of the Universe have decided to eliminate their Green Lantern Corps. They seek out the First Lantern to create a new army devoid of free will. Their rationale is that an army without free will can’t make the choice to be corrupt.
Writer Geoff Johns is on a creative roll right now. How he successfully balances the Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Justice League monthly titles with his regular duties as Chief Creative Officer for DC Comics baffles me. The story line for “Green Lantern Volume 2: The Revenge of Black Hand” is complex enough by itself to make someone reread it a couple of times to take it all in. There’s a whole lot going on in the pages of this book and it makes for an entertaining ride.
The art for “Green Lantern Volume 2: The Revenge of Black Hand” is handled by Doug Mahnke, Ethan Van Sciver, Pete Woods, Renato Guedes, and Jim Calafiore. Each one of them brings their own unique flavor to the book. My favorite panels are the more horror-oriented ones found in “The Revenge of Black Hand” and “Annual” sections of the collection. They feature chilling illustrations of zombies, morphing creatures, and Guardians with their skin bubbling up.
Nine pages of variant covers are included in this volume as bonus material. Each one is presented without any sort of typography. They are beautiful examples of each artist’s handiwork and would look wonderful framed and mounted.
“Green Lantern Volume 2: The Revenge of Black Hand” is a fine example of writer Geoff Johns’ intricate storytelling. Masterful artwork that brings to mind the classic images of EC Comics at times gives this an extra allure for fans of horror. This definitely piqued my curiosity and left me wanting to dig deeper into the “Rise of the Third Army” story arc.
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
“Green Lantern Volume 1: Sinestro” Graphic Novel Review
Does the ‘Green Lantern Extended Cut’ Live Up to Its Name?
“Red Lanterns Volume 1: Blood and Rage” Graphic Novel Review
