Green Lantern Corps: Recharge Review

Green Lantern Corps: Recharge TPB
Writers: Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons
Artist: Patrick Gleason
DC Comics

Green Lantern Corps: Recharge is a great sci-fi superhero comic. This collection is also a good starting point for readers interested in exploring the sci-fi corner of the DC Universe.

Written by Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons, with art by Patrick Gleason, this mini-series explores the rebuilding of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force. Governed by a race of powerful little blue midgets – the Guardians of the Universe – the Corps seeks out a single individual per sector of space to act as a peacekeeper and superhero problem-solver. Armed with a green power ring that manifests the ring-bearer’s will, this individual is the one creature – because let’s face it, this is space and not every race can easily be defined – in the sector who acts without fear.

Earth, in sector 2814, has four Green Lanterns assigned to it. Which, considering the overwhelming number of crisis events that pop up on Earth alone, seems reasonable. However, at the beginning of this series, two of these veteran Lanterns - the brash and cocksure Guy Gardner, and the powerful and artistic Kyle Rayner (both personal favorites of mine) – are mysteriously recalled to the planet Oa, home world of the Guardians. Upon arrival, they quickly become recruited as teachers and mentors for an expanding number of trainee Lanterns from across the galaxy.

It doesn’t take long before Lanterns start dying and suns across the galaxy disappear. Soon our veteran Lanterns are paired up with new recruits and sent to investigate. Enemies are found and fought, while an even larger threat looms in the background.

I was happy to see that this story wrapped up nicely in this one volume. I think even without a great deal of background knowledge, the casual comic reader can enjoy this series. The writers use multiple new recruits to act as points-of-view for the reader, shepherding us into the world of the Green Lantern Corps.

Patrick Gleason does a tremendous job with the art and covers for this series. There is plenty of detail in every panel, and the space settings really allow him to tear loose with his imagination. It’s almost as if he himself is wielding a power ring – imagination brought to life.

Interesting side note: I was actually able to meet Patrick – a friendly dude - at a comic book convention a year ago. I even managed to pick up a piece of original artwork featuring the Green Lantern, Guy Gardner. I’ll try to get a picture of this awesome drawing up on the blog tomorrow.

All in all, if you are in the mood for a good sci-fi action story, pick up Green Lantern Corps: Recharge. You can find it on sale here at Amazon.com. And if you enjoy this collection, the mini-series continued into an on-going series, of which the first collection, Green Lantern Corps vol. 1: To Be A Lantern is also now available. (I own this collection, but have not read it yet.)