First of all, let me start out by saying that all I know about the Green Lantern is what can be seen on the Justice League cartoons. I’m not a huge fan of space-related comics simply because they’re so fantastical and far removed from reality that I have a hard time getting emotionally involved in the plot. I can count on one hand the number of space comics that I enjoyed and didn’t feel like I was being punished by reading them.
Sinestro Corps was an interesting venture for me because I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. The $4.99 price tag certainly was a gamble, but I’ve been craving something by Ethan Van Sciver so I decided to take the plunge.
The art was the most enjoyable aspect of the comic. Every page was filled with huge visuals that remind me of the summer blockbusters that I love. I felt like a kid looking at the coveted Toys“R”Us big book of toys that comes out at Christmastime every year. It really was that good. Ethan Van Sciver took his time with this comic and it shows.
Van Sciver’s art is very detailed and realistic looking. Another thing of note is that there are plenty of backgrounds. A lot of comics seem to skip out on including them, and I really stop to take notice when I see them done well. Each page has plenty of details – even on the ones that take place in deep space. It’s truly amazing and worth picking up just for the art alone.
I also feel compelled to give some props to the colorist, Moose Baumann. He really added pizzazz to the comic. I mentioned that the comic looks like it’s a summer blockbuster, and his work really is a huge part of that. Sciver’s art combined with Baumann’s coloring gives you a visual sensory overload. Kudos to both on a job well done!
There’s a slight learning curve while reading Sinestro Corps, but once you read ten pages or so, you start to get into it. Not a whole lot of time goes into explaining why I should fear this great menace or what exactly he has against the Green Lanterns, but that’s pretty much a typical complaint in regard to DC Comics. There’s a small background story that tells you some of Sinestro’s past, but even that doesn’t tell you how he came to hate the heroes so much or how he suddenly got the power he’s using to cause trouble. Despite that, Johns is able to get the mood and point across that he’s a huge threat now and that’s all you really need to know.
The biggest complaint I had with the book was the assumption that the reader knows why all of these characters and events are something to fear. I still felt like I needed a crash course in Green Lantern mythology to really get the story. Toward the end, there are several major reveals and it’s implied that they’re a huge deal, but I found myself asking, “Who is that and why is he so important?” I could tell these things were important and would be moving to the hardcore fan, but to a newb like me, it all went over my head like that baseball I could never catch in little league. To fans who follow these characters, I have no doubt it would be very enjoyable and filled with “Oh shit!” moments.
The dialog was decent and I didn’t feel like I was reading cardboard cutouts from the 70’s like I normally do when I read over the top space stories. All of it flowed and felt natural.
Overall, I enjoyed the comic but I don’t think I’ll be following the story on a monthly basis. If the art on subsequent issues of this story are drawn by Ethan Van Sciver, I feel fairly certain I would pick up the trade paperback. If it were not for the amazing art, I’d consider the price to be a little steep. I highly suggest you keep your eye out for Ethan Van Sciver in the future, because he certainly caught my eye today!