GREEN LANTERN #8

[ WHERE ARE THE BARGAINS? ] 

It's not very nice to hide things. Like bowling balls or coloured rings. Hal Jordan agrees with me. Sinestro just laughs with glee. And the Indigo Tribe does a search on Bing. Just like Writer: Geoff Johns; Artist: Dough Mahnke; and Publisher: DC Comics in May 2012. Though maybe they could use Google instead?

So what’s the STORY morning glory?

Part two of 'The Secret of the Indigo Tribe', is a dual strand plot-line, which is as suspenseful as Kim Kardashian's thong. 

SINESTRO'S TALE: I am sorry to say that the pink-faced plonka, Sinestro, is in very deep doo-doo at the moment. He's in the clutches of the Indigo Tribe you see, who want to beat the living compassion into him until he can see things their way.

However, when he tries to escape from their grasp, NOK! He's as successful as a monkey taking a shave.

HALS TALE: Like Sinestro before him, Hal is also in the clutches of the Indigo Tribe. Though unlike his brash comrade, Hal manages to escape his confinement with some inadvertent help from Black-Hand, only to discover two things.

Firstly, that his successor, Abin Sur, is worshiped by this clan. And secondly, Sinestro looks very silly dressed in purple, NOK!

What is the most memorable SENTENCE OR CONVERSATION spoken in this issue?

Is it just me, or do you think that the term 'NOK!' should now be classified as a catch-phrase? At the moment I even use it in my real life, replacing it with my previous chat-up line 'Go ahead, make my day'.

And do you know what? It's more successful too! Try it and see.

What was the BEST thing about this issue?

From reading some of the previous chapters relating to the Indigo Tribe, I already gathered that Abin Sur was somehow associated with them. But I would never have guessed that they actually worshiped this dead Green Lantern! Strange, huh? Maybe Indigo-1 and Abin are related in some way? Or alternatively, she could be someone he once shagged?

What was the WORST thing about this issue?

This particular instalment of this Green tinged book, read a mite too fast for me. One minute Sinestro is fighting some ugly looking git who looks like Bane from the next Batman movie. Then Hal is talking to Black-hand. And finally, NUK-NAK-NOK! Finito.

What was the most CREATIVE thing about this issue?

STORY: Apart from the whole Abin Sur angle, there were three elements to this tale that really did intrigue me. (1) The concept that Black-Hand can regenerate emotions from with internal core. (2) That Hal could use Black-Hand's emotion to recharge his ring. And (3) When Hal saw the 'lighter side' of the Indigo Tribe messing about with Sinestro's brain.

ART: Considering that there were three inkers on this issue (Keith Champagne, Christian Alamy, and Doug himself), it didn't spoil Mr Mahnke's artwork one little bit. I especially liked his 'close up' face compositions (very intense), plus his Hal Jordan / Black Mask splash page was a blast (needs to be a poster I think).    

If you had to CAST TWO CHARACTERS in this comic book, who would they be and why?

THE UGLY LOOKING GIT WHO WAS SLAPPING ABOUT SINESTRO: Can't you just see one time James Bond villain, Richard Kiel, decked out like a seal, and ready to bash someone's head in? I can.

SINESTRO: I know that originally this surly sod was based on English actor, David Niven. But as time goes on, he's starting to look more and more like Edward Norton to me. Agreed?

If this issue had a MOVIE TAG LINE, what would it be?

Compassion Is A Wonderful Thing When It Is Drilled Into Your Brain By Some Ugly Looking Alien With No Mouth. 

If this issue were a MOVIE, an OBJECT, or a piece of MUSIC, what would that be and why? 

OK, so this tale entailed an escape, a conversion, and a surprise ending to boot. So in conceptual terms it reminds me of the Jack Nicholson flick 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'. Kind of.

FINAL thoughts...

Overall, this installment was a stepping stone tale to a bigger and grander revelation. Granted, it's put 'Sinestro's quest' on the back burner for an issue or four. But at the same time it has presented us with a few new and intriguing concepts that I can't wait to see more of.

Still too quick a read though, and need's expanding, not titivating.

MARKS out of 10? 8.5