DC Metal fans get out your notepads, because Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps are about to do a dive into the Dark Matter storylines! Oh, and freaking Orion shows up for fun too!
So what’s it about?
The official summary reads:
“FALL OF THE GODS” part one! Ancient hunters awaken across the cosmos to end Highfather and the New Gods! Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps draw the line between gods, but that won’t stop the body count as the most powerful deities in the universe go to war.
Why does this matter?
I’m not sure there’s a writer as good as Robert Venditti when it comes to big blockbuster style storytelling right now. This story gets very cosmic, with some shout outs to the New Gods and a tie-in to an upcoming Scott Snyder story with DC Metal.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Whoa.
Rafa Sandoval draws this issue with colors by Tomeu Morey and inks by Jordi Tarragona and, yes, they get the epic nature of the story visually correct. The opening page, which opens on a vast unknown area of the universe, draws you in with some psychedelic color work and a scope that’ll get you interested. From there the story shifts to a Green Lantern that knows things, a team up between Hal and Kyle, and some New God style action. Seriously, there are full page splashes that’ll make you grip your seat just a little tighter.
In a stellar double page layout (with the word BOOM making up the panels) the art team went all out with cosmic bubbles throughout to bring in the Kirby vibes. Along the right side of the BOOM (which takes up nearly the two pages), there’s some panel work that shows the intensity of Orion and the confusion the Green Lanterns are in. It’s a great double page as it instantly shows the Green Lanterns are in over their head and Orion is just a badass.
Venditti writes a strong issue that draws you in on two levels so as to ramp up the tension throughout: there’s a Green Lantern who know things about Metal (which somehow ties into some massive godlike powers) that entangles our familiar Green Lantern heroes. Also, Orion adds a cool element to the issue (and I’m pretty sure he looks a bit different here too) with Venditti putting him in a tension filled life or death moment. Maybe Venditti has a future writing a show like ER because it gets intense when it comes to Orion’s health.
Is this an official tie-in?
It can’t be perfect can it?
The only issue I had with this one is a somewhat forced interchange between Stewart and Guy as they profess their bro-love for one another. I’m not sure why this had to come up at all and seemed out of place given what is going on around them. Maybe Venditti is establishing their connection now so that when one of them gets killed (just guessing!) it’ll matter later? Eh, it just feels misplaced here.
Is It Good?
If DC Metal is this big and epic sign me up for all the issues. The creative team is imbuing Kirby levels of awesomeness!
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