When we last saw the unlikely duo of Green Lantern Hal Jordan and his ex-enemy Sinestro, they were on Sinestro’s homeworld of Korugar attempting to save it from Sinestro’s ex-army the Sinestro Corps. Yeah… things were getting a little complicated. Hal and Sinestro’s plan was to shut down the yellow power battery that powers the Sinestro Corps’ rings. To do that, Hal had to actually get inside the battery but things took a  turn for the worse and it looked like maybe the pair had bitten off more than they could chew.

This issue, Sinestro discovers the fate of Hal Jordan as he continues his struggle against the fearsome creatures that he recruited for his Corps. In the end, Sinestro is captured by his own Corps and imprisoned. With his ring low on power and time rapidly running out, Sinestro fashions a last ditch effort to escape. But it seems that Sinestro may have overestimated the faith that his people have to forgive his past crimes.

I’ve had an off and on relationship with this title and it’s leaving me exhausted. On one hand, I love Hal Jordan as a Green Lantern. On the other, Sinestro is one of my favorite DC villains so having him as the central character on a title has been a fun ride. My dilemma isn’t helped by the fact that writer Geoff Johns has entwined both of their destinies into a great buddy cop tale that highlights the strengths of both characters. It’s making for a riveting read no matter which of the two Green Lanterns you side with.

DC’s decision to pair artist Doug Mahnke with John’s space opera cum buddy story was a brilliant move. Mahnke’s work is at once kinetic yet personal. He captures the emotions of the characters both in the heat of battle and in their more pensive moments. Best of all (for a Green Lantern title), Mahnke is able to do those epic scenes that are key on a book like this. (Check out the final few pages of this issue to see what I mean.)

In the end, I’m still undecided whether I like Sinestro better as a villain or an overly harsh Green Lantern but, either way, I’m along for the ride to see how the conflicted anti-heroes story plays out.

Verdict: Buy

GREEN LANTERN #4
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Cover by DOUG MAHNKE and KEITH CHAMPAGNE