DC COMICS
WRITER: Peter Milligan
PENCILS: Ed Benes
INKS: Rob Hunter
COLORS: Nathan Eyring
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
COVER: Ed Benes and Rob Hunter with Rod Reis
32pp, Color, $2.99
Part of “The New 52,” DC Comics’ re-launch of its superhero comics line, is the release of comic books starring characters that previously never had their own ongoing comic book series. The Red Lanterns, who are part of Green Lantern lore, are one such group of characters.
Red Lanterns #1 (“With Blood and Rage”) opens as the Red Lanterns lead an assault against marauders in Space Sector 666. However, Atrocitus, the leader and creator of the Red Lanterns, is just not feeling the rage and believes that he is just going through the motions. What is this malaise? Meanwhile, in Small Ockdon, United Kingdom, brothers Ray and John face a tragedy that brings out the rage.
Writer Peter Milligan fashions scenes and set pieces that convincingly convey what seems to be this series dominant theme, rage. There are also odd moments of poignancy in a few scenes, but the story reads cold, lacking the heat of the hotter emotions. The art by Ed Benes (who is from the chicken scratchy school of early Image Comics art) and Rob Hunter does nothing for me. It is flat and the emotions and feelings it suggests (rage, resentment, jealousy) come across as cartoonish and fake. I’m not interested in where this series is going, although I am usually curious about what Milligan is writing.
C
September 14th
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-and-robin-1.html
FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/frankenstein-agent-of-shade-1.html
GREEN LANTERN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/green-lantern-1.html
SUPERBOY #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/superboy-1.html
