The New 52 – ‘Red Lantern: Blood and Rage’

What do you do when all you are fueled on grief and rage, but suddenly all that has gone? Red Lantern Atrocitus has this dilemma after Krona, the rogue guardian who slaughtered his home world is killed by Hal Jordan and not by Atrocitus’s hands. He is on a path of self discovery to see where his life now leads him. His troops no longer respect him, he is a changed man.

Green Lantern: TAS Review – Episode 1 & 2 ‘Beware My Power’

DC Comics track record when it comes to animation has been great. They continually blow the competition out of the water, and it goes back a long time. Marvel has had a few successes, but its rare for a Marvel show to last more than 2 seasons, where its rare for a DC show to be canceled before 4. Everybody remembers Super Friends, and Batman: The Animated Series is widely considered to be the definitive Batman series.

So with the new Green Lantern cartoon sharing the title of The Animated Series, it shows a certain confidence by the DC Universe team in their newest show. And it couldn’t happen at a better time. Green Lantern has been reaching new levels of popularity recently, but has never had an animated series devoted strictly to him. When the CG series was announced there was a lot of debate over the animation, but more were cautiously optimistic than negatively opposed. Well, the wait is over.

DC Comics Review: Red Lanterns #1 – New 52!

One of the new titles of the New 52 DC titles that I was most anticipating was Red Lanterns, so it only stands to reason that the one I was most excited for didn’t deliver to me on all fronts. That is not to say the first issue was bad, it was just average.

The story takes place in the same continuity that the War of the Green Lanterns ended in: Krona is dead and on Ysmault as a trophy of sorts to Atrocitus who has nearly lost all of his fervor due himself not being able to finish the renegade guardian himself. And his Red Lanterns seem to be able to sense Atrocitus’ wavering attitude…. Bleez in particular who seems to be a rallying point for the other Red Lanterns. We know that Bleez will have a larger role to play in the New Guardians so it will be interesting to see how things play out between her and Atrocitus in this series. Is she going to get the Red Lanterns under control for Atrocitus? It seems like their main function is just be on Ysmault looking pissed off and fighting one another. On the other hand she might just challenge Atrocitus for leadership, which seems more likely to me.

A few things were revealed about Atrocitus and his past life on Ysmault which were a pleasant and interesting surprise. We were able to see his wife and child’s death at the hands of the Krona re-programmed Manhunters. Also Atrocitus’ used to simply be called Atro. And before his planet’s destruction his occupation was as…. a psychologist. Can you imagine that counseling session? And he looked pretty scary before his family died!

Dr. Atrocitus “AND HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL MR. JORDAN?”

I give the issue a 3 out of 5 Lanterns.

The art was average and the story itself felt like nothing that deserves an ongoing series. I’ll reserve final judgment until the next couple of issues, but I’m worried about where this story could possibly be going.

DC Comics: Red Lantern Covers

As September gets closer and closer, I can’t wait for the 52 number ones to be released by DC. Almost as excited as I am for Batman, Green Lantern checks in close behind. But with the four new titles involving the Green Lantern mythos there is one that intrigues me more than the others namely because it is so much more different than anything involving the Green Lantern Corps. I talk of course about the Red Lanterns.

After reading Rage of the Red Lanterns and Blackest Night, their leader Atrocitus was sort of painted as just a mindless brute most of the time. He is the embodiment of rage after all… But once I read the Green Lantern: Brightest Day hardcover trade I had a new found liking for him. Sure he’s driven nuts by his rage but as we now know he wasn’t just out to kill people for the fun of it, Atrocitus had a vengeance in him to deal out against the Guardians who were indirectly responsible for the death by Manhunter of his home sector 666. As it turns out, it was Krona the rogue Guardian who was behind the reprogramming of the Manhunters. Now with Krona gone, where will the story of Atrocitus and the Red Lanterns go from here? Apparently we will be getting to know the other members of the Red Corps and see what drives them in their rage. Below is issue number 3 cover which shows the bizarre yet hard to look away from Bleez… showering in blood. Wonderful.

Now with cover number 2, I waited to post that one last because not only do I not know who the Red Lantern on the cover is but the cover itself is pretty unremarkable. Even though I’m excited for this series I’m still a tad bit skeptical. Only the sales will determine this one’s fate but if they keep up with the Lantern tales they’ve given us over the years I’m sure it can last awhile. Be sure to check out our review in September!

The Red Lantern Corps Is Coming…

I’m a huge fan of the Green Lantern comic series and everything involved in it. They really sucked me in with the War of Light and Blackest Night. Call me a relatively new Lantern fan, but I can’t imagine what it would be like without the other Lantern Corps of the emotional spectrum. The Sinestro Corps is undoubtedly hardcore, being the anti-thesis of the Green Lanterns. The Orange Lantern Corps under Larfleeze is a little weird, all of them being constructs that Larfleeze has consumed and used as his soldiers. But one of my favorites are the Red Lantern Corps under the leadership of Atrocitus.

DC Comic Review: War of The Green Lanterns Begins – Parts 1 & 2

*Please beware of spoilers*

Green Lantern #64-War of the Green Lanterns Pt. 1

It’s here! The newest Green Lantern event! I’m hoping this one is at least almost as good as Blackest Night, and on par with the Sinestro Corps War. And let me tell ya, the first part did not disappoint. Not one bit! In the prologue for War of the Green Lanterns we learn that Krona, a member of the Guardians’ species, and antagonist of the story, was once to be inducted onto the council of the Guardians. And he might still be there if not for his insistence that emotion is a necessary part of being a Guardian, and life for that matter. Because of this he draws the ire of the council and is arrested. It was unclear if he escaped, but the ring leader’s of each emotion are shown visions of Krona’s past where he reprogrammed the Manhunters to turn on the Guardians, and annihilate a whole sector. This sector as it turns out was the homeworld of Atrocitus, the leader of the Red Lanterns who vows vengeance against Krona and those who stand in his way.