The War of Dwindling Light is realized.
Creative Staff:
Story: Cullen Bunn
Art: Jesus Saiz, Cliff Richards
What They Say:
Some very unlikely allies aid the lost Green Lanterns as John Stewart and Guy Gardner come into conflict over how to find their way home.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
As we hit the third issue of the series it’s one that for many readers is the do or die installment. At some point you have to look at a new series and really evaluate whether it’s going to work for you or not or if it’s just a matter of inertia at that point. The first couple of installments of this series have been weak on information but it’s played the exploratory aspects well as the small group of Lanterns are doing their best to figure out what’s going on. A lot of it is easily figured out in a basic sense but there’s some elements to it that are unclear, such as how it happened and what the real goal is here. I like stories that are spread out a bit and given time to grow but I get frustrated when the characters just act incompetently in order to draw out events in a poor way.
Coming across Relic the last time around ends up being something that dominates here and for good reason. Like Krona, he’s someone that they know and understand from their perspective and point in time so being wary is the easiest thing to do. With the group having finally figured out for the most part that it’s not just a matter of where they are but when they are in place, it turns into something a bit more interesting now as we learn that they’re in the universe that existed prior to the current one. And that has them realizing that while they do have to be careful about the timestream itself there’s the fact that this universe has already ended from their perspective. And it turned people like Relic into something very dangerous in their own universe. The potential to try and help is there but knowing that it likely won’t alter anything keeps them in check to a degree but with the flashbacks we get from John it’s made clear that he knows helping in even small ways is a positive thing even against the overwhelming wall of bad.
A lot of this book has exposition built into it as Relic talks about the state of the universe and the diminishing supply of light that the various cultures and races use to power themselves. It’s an incarnation of what we know in our universe with the Corps and batteries but it goes to show how things are falling downward because of it being used so heavily and relied upon, which is an interesting angle to take. Mixing in some light pirates that use the combined forms of light gives it a rainbow warrior feeling but it’s all designed to showcase the larger war itself that the group is now caught up in. And as John knows, once you’re mixed up in a war in any form it’s going to be messy. That hits him quickly as he takes control of the team and makes decisions without input but also because of how others are in greater danger now because of their involvement. There’s a really amusing standoff between him and Guy about halfway through that reminds you that Guy isn’t the same hothead he’s been in his younger years and there’s a lot more to him now. Something that John understands but also doesn’t quite grasp at times. This comes at the expense of the other Lanterns, who are mostly background props in this issue, but it’s a good reminder of the changing dynamics of these two characters.
In Summary:
While I get the point of the flashbacks that are being used to John’s days as a soldier they’re also becoming a problem in the flow of the book. I generally prefer a show me not tell me aspect to most series but with the way these hit it ends up being a distraction and playing out longer than it should, even at just a page or two. At this point in the series I admit that I’m curious as to what the grand plan is here, and I have to believe that there is a grand plan because it’s a new series designed from the ground up, but I’m feeling just as lost as the Lanterns here and with even less footing since I haven’t read the main book in years to know if there’s a connection. I initially go on board since it had characters I liked and will stick with it since it’s got potential, but the book has me on a wary footing with it – especially with the fact that it goes for playing at taking down the single female member of the group here as opposed to any of the other male characters just to make it more dramatic.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: August 19th, 2015
MSRP: $2.99
