Green Lantern Corps #222 (1988)

Green Lantern Corps #222 (March, 1988)
"The Last Testament of Sinestro!"
Story - Steve Englehart
Pencils - Joe Staton
Inks - Mark Farmer
Letters - Agustin Mas
Colors - Tony Tollin
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75

Yesterday we laid a bit of the foundation for the post-GL 200 Green Lantern Corps... met the cast, sorta-kinda established their mission statement.

Today we're jumping toward the tail-end of this run, to discuss the beginning of the end for the Green Lantern Corps (for now).  This will be a major talking point during an upcoming episode of the Cosmic Treadmill... and, I'm using this as my refresher!

And now... the Trial of Sinestro!

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We open with a look at the first time Sinestro faced a Green Lantern Tribunal... that time he was stripped of his Lantern status, and banished to Qward.  We jump further back in time to learn just why he was stripped in the first place.  We know the deal by now, Sinestro abused his powers... little did he know that the much like Dick Lewis, the Guardians are always watching.

His stay on Qward wasn't quite as "forever" as the Guardians intended... and he'd be a pretty persistent thorn in the Lanterns side ever since.  Today, however, he's been nabbed and it looks as though he's going to be put on trial again.

Hal and the gang are greeted by the "Old Timer" Appa Ali Apsa who will oversee the pending trial.  The Lanterns chat a bit about the recent Millennium event... which is thankfully behind us by this point.  Kilowog does a scan and finds that there are 137 fewer Lanterns than last time he took a look... a statistic he attributes to Sinestro, and maybe a little bit Ch'p.  Worth noting that Sinestro has his tiny sorcerer Myrwhydden by his side.

After some more Millennium talk... you'd almost think Englehart wrote the thing-- oh yeah.  Anyhoo, the Lanterns finally get around to the matter at hand.  Sinestro.  They know he's guilty as all hell... but the question is, now that they've caught him, what in the world do they do with him?

Arisia is the first to pipe up with a suggestion... and it's death!  Kilowog piles on, and considering that Sinestro wiped out his entire planet, it stands to reason that he would!  There are many Lanterns opposed, and feel like a life-sentence in the sciencell would suffice... but, c'mon... do they even lock those things?  As Sinestro listens to the debate, all he can think is how pathetic these Lanterns look.

The Old Timer interjects, and presses for the trial to begin.  Apros approaches Myrwhydden and passes judgment... not nearly as dangerous as Sinestro, he will just be returned to the Sciencell.  After all, capital punishment isn't the norm for Lantern-Justice.  Hal wonders if it should even be on the table at all!

The trial is set to go... with Appa Ali Apsa preciding... Kilowog for the prosecution, and Sinestro's own "countrywoman" Katma-Tui Stewart for the defense.  Sinestro is tossed into a heavily guarded Sciencell while preparations are made.

As the trial begins, Sinestro's crimes are read aloud.  Looks like dude is responsible for the death of billions... with a "b", making it look like a slam-dunk for Kilowog.  Further cementing that, when 'Wog throws it over to Katma for a rebuttal... she's got nuttin'!  Even this appears to tickle Sinestro.

Being unable to properly defend Sinestro... or at least take the death penalty off the table, Kat lets Lantern Skirl plead the case for life.  What he comes up with is basically... Lanterns shouldn't kill, to which, Kilowog reminds him that they actually have that right in the "GL Regs"... when they have no other choice, it's a-okay to deep-six a threat.  Meanwhile, Sinestro is as cool as a cucumber.

Appa Ali Apsa closes things out, and it's time for the vote.  All of the Lanterns will beam their will into the Central Power Battery... and it will reveal the majority decision...

... and that decision is...

Sinestro is pretty incredulous to start... he knows that no matter what the decision is, the Lanterns will ultimately balk and lessen his punishment.  He's not so sure, however, when he finds himself surrounded by some of the Corps' heaviest hitters!

Sinestro starts to panic a bit... and pleads with them not to kill him, even going so far as to put doubt in their heads about what might happen should they go through with it (more on that, tomorrow).

Then, it happens.  The Lanterns actually go through with it, and... kill Sinestro.

Kilowog checks Sin's fallen body and confirms that he has passed.  Just then, Salaak barges in from the future... with a warning.  Whatever they do... do not kill Sinestro!

--

This is definitely one of those issues I wish I was "there" for.  Well, "there" and "invested" I guess.  I'd have loved to experience this as it happened... just to gauge my reaction to it.  I have a feeling that this issue would've "blown up" had social media been a "thing" back in 1988.

I suppose what we start with is this issue's handling of the death penalty.  Now, I'm not equipped nor qualified to really opine on the real-world death penalty... it's a wildly contentious and conflicting concept, inside and out, and it can be, and has been, passionately debated from all fronts.

Now, it's not necessarily that the death penalty was "on the table" that really gets me about this issue... it's more the fact that characters we've followed and loved for years actually take part in "pulling the trigger".  I dunno about you, but seeing Hal Jordan (and John Stewart) as part of the "firing squad"... kinda bugged me.  It bugged me more than the fact that they were going through with it in the first place!

I couldn't see this happening today.  I'd assume that Hal and John might be "conscientious objectors" in this sort of situation.  Not necessarily putting a stop to it, but certainly not taking an active role in the execution.  This actually feels a bit more cold-hearted than when Hal snapped Sinestro's neck six years later.

We closed out with hints that should the Corps go through with this... bad things are going to happen.  Of course, Sinestro's ranting gets dismissed as the panicked words of a man grasping at straws to save his own hide.  Then... Salaak comes with tidings from the future to back up Sinestro's claim... just a few moments too late.

Sounds like a bad deal, right?  Well... I dunno, anytime you bring time-travel into a story, the stakes drop for me... big time.  I could see Salaak showing up, seeing Sinestro dead... going "Oops, my bad.", then just time-traveling again to a few minutes earlier.  Maybe that's a bit too simplistic... but it's the first place my mind went.

Overall... found this to be a pretty great and thought-provoking issue.  Sinestro's cockiness throughout was pretty bad-ass... until, of course, ya know.  The Lanterns putting on the "show" of a trial was interesting, but ultimately unnecessary.  I guess that goes to show the lengths an organization might go to in order to "cover their bases" and give the illusion of "due process".  Still have a bit of a problem with Hal and John's involvement in the execution... but, this was definitely a "net-positive" issue.  Well worth checking out... but it'll be a bin-dive.  This issue hasn't been collected nor made available digitally just yet.  Worth a hunt!

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Green Lantern Corps #201 (1986)

Green Lantern Corps #201 (June, 1986)
"Setting Up Shop"
Writer - Steve Englehart
Pencils - Joe Staton
Inks - Mark Farmer
Letters - L. Lois Buhalis
Colors - Carl Gafford
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75

Starting work on a Hal Jordan focused project for an upcoming episode of the Cosmic Treadmill... and decided to give myself a bit of a refresher course to fill in any gaps in my memory.

We're going to start with the first issue of Green Lantern Corps... which, of course continued from Green Lantern (vol.2) and ran until the end of this numbering a couple years later.

To set the table a bit... the Guardians of the Universe and the Zamarons have left to mate... leaving the Guardians' charges the Green Lantern Corps to more or less fend for themselves and find their own way.  There's also something about a "new race" emerging within the next millenn... er, thousand years.

This issue is also the first appearance of our friend Kilowog!

As you might be able to tell from the cover image above... my copy is a juuuuust a bit crumpled.  Oh well.

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We open with Lanterns Ch'p and Salaak bumping into each other on their way from their respective sectors to Earth.  They're both kinda surprised, considering they had planned to stay in their own home worlds after the Guardians split town and left Hal Jordan and John Stewart in charge.  The original plan was for Hal, Arisia, John, and Katma to operate from Earth... because "the next race" would evolve there sometime in the next thousand years... or, millennium, if you will... with the rest of the Lanterns sticking close to their home sectors.

Turns out though, when Ch'p arrived back to his home world, H'lven... he found himself attacked!  Finding this to be not quite right, he headed to his "nest"... only to find that his old squeeze M'nn'e is now married to Ch'p's old pal D'll.  It appears that this new post-Crisis H'lven is quite a bit different than the one he'd left.  Oh, also... their Ch'p is dead.  Did any of that make sense?  Anyhoo, Ch'p decides that his home is no longer his own, so it's off to Earth with him.

Ch'p asks Salaak what brings him back Earth-way... but he doesn't spill the beans.  Truth is, he just became used to being around teammates... poor dude was lonely back home.

And so, not too long after... Ch'p and Salaak arrive in Los Angeles and reconnoiter with their pals.  All but Hal are wearing new duds.  It's pretty cute, John and Katma's are matching.  It's also here that we get another dig at just how young Arisia is.  Hal's got "No Comment" on the subject... which miiiiight not hold up in court.

Then... Kilowog!  He, uh... just shows up.  This is, of course, his first appearance... and he... just shows up!  He introduces himself as, not a drill sergeant, but a genetics scientist.  When he heard what the Guardians had prophesized (that whole Millennium thing), he decided to head to Earth.

So, we've got seven Lanterns... howsabout we find ourselves just as many villains?  We shift scenes to United States Army base where Sonar, Throttle, and Blindside are trying to break in.  I know I'm shakin' in my boots.  Once inside the vault (yeah, there's a vault) they meet up with... Doctor Polaris, Whiteout, Dropded and... Polestar.  What, were the Crumbler, Lamplighter, and Javelin busy?

Looks like Polestar is being built into the "big bad" here... and mum's the word on exactly what he's all about.  Doctor Polaris wants to take the fight to the Lantern Corps... after surviving the assembly of heroes that came together during Crisis... he doesn't want to see that many good guys together ever again.

Speaking of good guys, we join Guy Gardner... who is staying on Maltus with Appa Ali Apsa... and complaining about the size of his quarters.  As luck would have it, Maltus comes under attack... Guy takes care of business... then demands a larger suite.  Well, that was worth it.

On the planet Zamaron, the Queen of the Star Sapphires, Carol Ferris returns and is surprised to find her world deserted.  Of course, we know that the Zamarons and Guardians went off to bump uglies for awhile.  She ain't pleased... and begins planning how she's going to lash out at the universe.

Back on Earth, the Lanterns start building their new citadel.  Good thing John is an architect.  Here we learn the Arisia will go by the name Cindy Simpson... and we get our first look at Ch'p and Salaak's new duds... one of which includes a bow tie.

Then... the Sinister Seven attack!  And hey, the Citadel went up pretty fast!

What follows is several (probably too many) pages of fighting... wherein the baddies get to demonstrate their powers before ultimately being overpowered by the Lanterns.

The villains bug out via a portal... and the Lanterns notice that the "guy with the funny earpieces" didn't even act during the battle.  That guy is Polestar... and we're not allowed to know his deal yet.  Anyhoo, the Lanterns realize that their time on Earth is likely to be anything but boring.

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Pretty fun issue here... really enjoyed this take on the Green Lantern Corps!

Sometimes there feel like so many Lanterns we're supposed to keep track of, that none of them really stand out.  I mean, how many tentacled, plant-looking Lanterns am I supposed to care about anyway?  Bringing this "team" down to a core seven members, really helps me to "invest" in each of them.

I've always been tickled by the strange friendship between Ch'p and Salaak.  These are two critters you'd never put together... they're just so different... but, it works!  They're so different that they kinda bring out the best in one another.  You can tell that Ch'p's going to be ch'pping away at Salaak's defenses and eventually win him over.

Keeping with Ch'p for a minute... I thought it was pretty interesting how they made it so his home world was affected by "reality setting in" after the Crisis.  I feel like we didn't get enough scenes like this.  It's not something I'd have wanted to see overdone... but, it's pretty neat in this case.  I apologize for all of the apostrophes during the synopsis... but, whattayagonnado?

The "couples" are pretty neat.  John and Arisia are a great match... a doomed one, but great for now.  I like that they chose matching uniforms for their new "look".  Hal and Arisia... it's still a bit disturbing.  Kinda feels like the girlfriend a divorced dad would bring along for visitation just to "stick it" to the ex-wife.  Hal doesn't seem to have much of an emotional attachment to her here... seems more like he's just "putting up with" her.  I guess there's only so many times a grown dude can help with his girlfriend's pre-algebra homework before he gets bored.

Then there's Kilowog!  Definitely a bit different than the post-Emerald Dawn 'wog we're all used to.  First time I read this back in the long ago, I thought maybe this was a different guy... who just looked like Kilowog.  I mean, how many nearly identical bird-faced Lanterns do we have?  Kilowog's entire race could've all looked like that... right?  Ehh, maybe it's just me.

Overall... had a good time with this one, though the fight scene did drag a bit... and even became somewhat repetitive, using the same gimmick a couple of times.  That said though, I think this is an important issue for Lantern-fans... and there's definitely fun to be had here.  This issue is available digitally.

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Superboy #154 (1969)

Superboy #154 (March, 1969)

"Blackout for Superboy!"

Story - Frank Robbins

Pencils - Bob Brown

Inks - Wally Wood

Letters - Ray Holloway

Cover Price: $0.12

Now, who could resist a cover like that?!  Does what happens inside even have a hope of living up to that image?

Let's find out...

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We open with Superboy on his "predawn" patrol, during which he finds a troubled fisherman just about to go over one of Smallville's numerous waterfalls... truly the town with everything!  He rescues the old codger who, in turn, lambastes the Boy of Steel for nearly costing him his favorite fly rod!  Ehh, can't win 'em all.  You'd think he'd be more annoyed that Superboy didn't just save him and his boat... which is now just a pile of wet splinters.  Either way, it would seem that this might be going according to the old man's plan.

Superboy returns home to grab an hour of beauty sleep.  Thanks to his super-metabolism, he can get by with just the one.  I didn't think he needed to sleep at all, but I guess he's still a growing boy.  Anyhoo, he is awakened by his alarm clock... and when he opens his eyes... it appears as though his heat-vision involuntarily kicked on!

Fearing the worst, Superboy clenches his eyes shut.  After regaining his composure, he decides to give opening them another shot.  When he does... he winds up melting his bed post!  Could this mean that Superboy no longer has control over his amazing powers?!

Shortly after, Ma enters the room.  She heard Clark's alarm go off, and wonders why he didn't get up.  Upon surveying the damage, she lashes out at him for his "destructive impulses"... which, I mean... has Clark been anything but an angel?  I mean, when he's not being affected by Red Kryptonite or anything.  Clark explains the situation, and she rushes off to grab Pa.

Clark asks his folks to guide him downstairs into his cellar-lab so he can plan his next move.  Luckily, this happens to be the Silver Age, where Superboy has a closetful of robots in his likeness.  If he needs to remain "voluntarily blind" for awhile, he wants to make sure nobody realizes that Superboy is missing in action.  Then... he worries that his robots might be suffering the same "power control atrophy" that he is.  Turns out, from the looks of it... they are!

And so... in order to not incinerate everything he looks at, from this point on, Clark (Superboy) Kent will be... blind!  He fashions a pair of darkened specs out of lead... at least this way he can open his eyes.  He won't be able to see, but, at least he won't be clenchin'.  He borrows Pa's cane (from his old leg injury), and he's off to school.  He explains that due to an injury in the lab, he mustn't expose his eyes to the light for at least a week... which, ya know... isn't the craziest excuse.

During class, Clark is overcome, Daredevil style, by his other senses.  His heartbeat becomes the only thing he can hear, and while attempting to break his focus, Clark accidentally rips the corner off his desk!  This definitely gets the attention of Lana Lang...

... thankfully, quick-thinkin' Clark decides to (literally) suck all of the air out of the room, kayoing his classmates for a moment, while he rebuilds his desk... then, as they're all coming to, cracks a pencil in two to explain away the noise Lana had heard.  Aye yai yai.

We shift scenes to the office of Dr. Dento... you'll never guess what he does for a living.  Anyhoo, there have been a great number of fender-benders in Smallville on this day (a whole three), which is somehow due to Superboy being "off duty".  I mean, how does this town not just burn to the ground every time Clark takes a nap?!  Anyhoo... it's made plainly clear that Dr. Dento was actually the crotchety old fisherman from the beginning.

We join him on his next fishing expedition wherein he demonstrates what his favorite fly-rod can do.  It can, uh... set the fish on fire as it comes out of the water.  So, if you ever wanted to eat an entire fish without cleaning it, Dento is your man.  He recounts what had happened that morning.  Turns out, when Superboy "rescued" him, he affixed a second Superboy insignia to his outfit... through which, he could see everything that Superboy was seeing.

So... the game is up then?  Dr. Dento must know that Superboy is really Clark Kent, right?!  Well, not really... he just used this device to make Superboy think that his heat-vision was going out of control.  Ya see, it wasn't Superboy who melted the alarm clock... it was Dento!  What an idiot.

Anyhoo... later that night, Superboy decides to call in his Super-Pet Krypto to act as his seeing-eye dog.  Well, that stands to reason, right?  Together they save a bridge from collapsing... however, Superboy's shades do not go unnoticed.  Superboy's apparent blindness is front page news the next day!

Dento reads the news and is conflicted.  He now must turn his attention toward getting rid of Krypto.  Meanwhile, at the Kent House, they watch the news report discussing Superboy's blindness over breakfast.  This leads to Superboy picturing himself as a panhandler... from which we get our amazing cover.

After sobbing for a bit, Superboy decides... screw it, he's gonna face this thing head-on.  This gives us an amazing quote from Pa Kent.  "Now you're talking like the Son I'd have wanted... if we could have had our own!"  I mean, what?  What a clumsy statement.

Anyhoo, Krypto tugs on Superboy's cape... which gives him an idea.  He asks Ma for some "harmless dye"... because Krypto is going to be his seeing-eye dog in his civilian life too!  Ya see, he's doing this to throw people (well, Lana) off the scent that he really is Superboy.  I'd wager that this would only strengthen their case!  Oh well, what do I know?

We rejoin Dr. Dento as he puts his plan into action.  He, get this, synthesizes a rod of Red Kryptonite... and hides it in a (tasty) dog bone.  I'm not sure which part of that sentence was dumber.

Later that day, Dento starts terrorizing a dog.  Like, seriously, he starts whipping her dog house.  This, of course, brings Krypto to the yard... and he chases a heavily-padded Dento away.  The tortured mutt offers Krypto the K-infused bone... and away the Boy and Dog of Steel go.  Suddenly, Krypto goes nuts... and starts flying off toward space, leaving a blinded Superboy just hovering.

At this point, Superboy realizes he's got to risk it all... and open his eyes!  Naturally, nothing happens.  Superboy beans Krypto with a tiny chunk of meteorite to get him to spit out the Red-K Bone... and everything's cool.

Krypto begins sniffing around Superboy's chest... and bites the extra "S" insignia off.  They return to Dento's yard... and haul him off to the police.  Who's gonna fill all'a Smallville's cavities now?!

We wrap up the following morning with Lana reading the news that Superboy can see again.

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Well this was a lot of fun!

It's not often I get to read something this ridiculous... and I mean that in the best way possible.  Superboy... blinded, and yet... still trying to keep up the ruse on all fronts.  I mean, he was "blind" for what, a day?  But he still went the whole nine yards in covering for both of his identities!

I suppose we can start dissecting this issue with what stuck out most to me.  By around the third page, Dr. Dento should have been able to deduce that Superboy is actually Clark Kent.  I mean, the "fly rod" was "seeing" through the "S" insignia, right?  Doesn't matter if Clark's eyes are open or closed in that case... he should have seen Ma and Pa Kent... the Kent house... Superboy's cellar lab... the whole thing!  Instead, his sole focus is... making Superboy keep his eyes shut?!

I mean, Dento definitely saw the Superboy robots... right?  Otherwise, how could he have made it appear as though they were going out of control too?  While on the subject... wouldn't Ma and Pa have seen that the beams weren't coming out of the robot's eyes?!  Ehh, whattayagonnado?

I guess we can discuss how impractical a pair of lead specs would look... but, really... why?  We'll just accept it for what it is.  We are, however, going to discuss the Red Kryptonite rod for a second.  If Dr. Dento has the ability to synthesize Red-K at any time... why hasn't he just done that?!  Why didn't he slip some Red-K into Superboy's costume rather than the silly extra insignia?  Why not keep working at it, and eventually crack the code on Green (or even Gold) Kryptonite?!

Yeah, I realize I'm poking holes in a half-century old story that was meant for kids... but, what else am I gonna do with my mornings...

With all of that said... this was a ton of fun, and looked pretty great!  Hell, the cover on its own is pretty spectacular.  You could definitely see how it might attract a kid's eye from the newsstand... heck, I bought it simply based off the cover not all that long ago!  That's definitely part of the "comics magic" that is missing these days.

Overall, if you come across this one, I'd definitely recommend grabbing it.  Unfortunately, it hasn't been collected nor made available digitally at the moment... but, it's certainly worth a bin-dive... even for the cover alone!

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