Green Lantern (2005) #14-17

Green Lantern #14-17

Originally released in 2006

Written by Geoff Johns

Art by Ivan Reis

I had started reading Geoff Johns' run on Green Lantern not too long ago, so I'm picking up where I left off.  After an event called "One Year Later" where seemingly all of DC's books skipped ahead a year in the character's lives, Hal Jordan had been shot down over Chechnya, a Russian republic, and tortured for a large portion of that time-skip. (he had left his Green Lantern Ring back on his base, not wanting to use it as a safety net when flying a jet, which is something that he curses himself for in hindsight)  The One Year Later event was kind of jarring when it first started in this book, and I'm not sure why DC did it.

One of his fellow pilots, nicknamed "Cowgirl", is shot down over that same area, so Hal goes in as the Green Lantern to save her and face his demons.  However, in doing so, he becomes the target of the Global Guardians, Russia's Rocket Red Brigade, and a host of alien bounty hunters.  The bounty hunters were hired by Amon Sur, the son of Abin Sur, an alien that originally gave Hal the Green Lantern Ring.  Amon Sur views the ring as his birthright, and once Amon has recovered his father's corpse, he plans to kill Hal and take it, feeling that he is obviously the most fearless and courageous person in the area so the ring will naturally go to him.

In the middle of all of this, there are early signs of the upcoming Sinestro Corps. War, as Sinestro's Yellow Lantern Rings (which choose their wielders based on an ability to cause great amounts of fear) are sent throughout the universe, with one of them making it to Earth. (Batman is its first choice, though exposure to Green Lantern Rings combined with Batman's own will keep it from accepting him)  It's an event that I have heard a lot about; I have the first half in trade paperback form, though I haven't read the second half yet.

Geoff Johns' writing and Ivan Reis' artwork are solid, with the writing highlighting how ridiculous the nature of comics can be at times. (for example, Amon Sur describing how his own head was blown off in an encounter with another Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner - he still has his head now, and there's only a vague passing explanation as to why that is before the story moves on)

I'm more interested in Hal Jordan as a result of this (these issues dive into his guilt surrounding how he left his ring behind and his lack of consideration towards Abin Sur's body and family), and I'm looking forward to seeing how the Sinestro Corps. War turns out.  I can see more of the "Tom Cruise in Top Gun" characterization here, so I'm guessing that's a more modern interpretation of the character. (since in the 60s and 70s, from what little I've seen, he didn't seem to be like that)