Tuesday, May 08, 2018

Break's over, Jordan!


Huh, I felt like I hadn't blogged a Green Lantern comic in some time, but we looked at #200 in February. And it was even the same artist as today's book! From 1980, Green Lantern #132, "Sabotage Sinister!" Written by Paul Kupperberg, art by Joe Staton. And a nice George Perez cover!

I don't think this was a high-water point for the title, since some of the familiar bits seem worn away or used up. Hal was still at Ferris Air, but not as a test pilot, as "head of product testing." He's still working for Carol Ferris, who now knows he's Green Lantern but also seems pretty fed up with his nonsense: she makes a point of his office being on the other side of the complex, which sounds very intentional. Hal manages to get punched in the face because he hadn't charged his ring, then trapped by a yellow tarp later! All of this and a crime boss who's not afraid of GL, but is terrified of flying. Should've set up shop in Central or Gotham, then...

Also this issue: "The Trial of Arkkis Chummuck" (Written by Bob Toomey, pencils by Alex Saviuk, inks by Vince Colletta.) This was the conclusion of a three-parter; that, per the GCD, had been commissioned a couple years earlier and kept in inventory. Arkkis, like many Lanterns, received his ring when the prior ring-bearer died. However, unlike most Lanterns, Arkkis himself had killed, and eaten, the prior ring-bearer! A prosecuting GL argues "these are not the actions of a civilized member of the Green Lantern Corps," but Arkkis's defender, the brother of the aforementioned eaten ring-bearer, puts up a good counter: it would've been disrespectful to not eat him...Oddly, the trial seems to be an internal matter: some Guardians are shown, but only as watching the trial; three Lanterns reached the verdict assigning the prosecutor as Arkkis's probationary adviser. Arkkis would go on to appear here and there, but not for as long as I had thought: he was killed off in 1985's Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #1. (He would have a couple animated appearances, decades later!)

Also also this issue: an Adam Strange story, "Brain Beast" Written by Jack C. Harris, art by Rodin L. Rodriguez. As was often the case, Rann was at war; but today it was a civil war: Strange and his "Undergrounders" versus the Akalonians. The Akalonians don't look like any of the Rannians we've seen before, and were able to create a giant monster by mental projection; but Strange realizes not all of the Akalonians were warlike, some had been forced into the mental projection, and were the weak link in it. Other than the bad guy being homegrown, it's a pretty typical Adam Strange number.

1 comment:

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

Wait, wait a minute. You're telling me ol' Chummy ATE the previous Lantern user? As in he was already, dead, so why not? Damn Arkkis you scary!