Archive for the ‘LanternCast’ Category

Issue three of Darkstars:  “A Little Help From My Friends” written by Michael Jan Friedman, penciled by Larry Stroman, inked by Scott Hanna, lettered by Bob Pinaha, colored by Juliana Ferriter, and edited Brian Augustine.  This issue is cover dated December 1992 and according to Mike’s Amazing world of DC Comics, this issue was released on November 3, 1992.

 

        We open in the kitchen of attorney Carla White.  She has the news on and we hear a report about the Allen Pharmaceutical drug bust of the night before.  Police say that Allen Pharmaceuticals have been the headquarters for the Loco drug ring.  Unconfirmed sources even identify the involvement of aliens.  This gets Carla’s attention.  The report includes that Frank Pappas, Carla’s client has been charged with directing and financing the operation.  This surprises Carla.  Carla leaves the room as a report that one of the aliens was on the humans side and that alien’s name was Darkstar.

 

        We now go to an interlude in space.  We catch up with the fleeing being from the previous issue.  He has come across a Darkstar cruiser.  The being reports that he is being pursued by hostile entities.  The captain of the Darkstar ship questions the assertion that the beings are hostile.  While this discussion continues the crew of the Darkstar ship discovers that the pursuers are traveling without a ship.  The pursuers fire on and destroy the Darkstar ship.  The pursued being continues his run but he remembers another hope a green warrior who comes from a green world.

 

        In orbit of earth, Colos, Flint and Mo discuss Colos’s orders.  Colos gives his backstory including the first mention of a race called the Controllers that set up the Darkstars.  Colos gives a backstory of the Controllers.  Their first theory was that they could insulate their own world from the scum of the universe.  After about a thousand years, they discovered that they could not be just reactive.  They decided that they had to meet the problems at the source and to do that, they created the Darkstars.  This way the Controllers could still keep their hands clean while they send agents to do the hard stuff.  Flint notices that this is not an endorsement of the Controllers.  Colos just says that it is not.  Colos became a Darkstar for himself and what he could accomplish.  Colos admits that he doesn’t tell this story to anybody, he has plans for Flint and Mo.  He is allowed to pick two local deputies to help him in his patrols.  He offers these positions to Flint and Mo.

 

        Prigatz contacts Colos.  He has another assignment.  He is to hunt down an escaped prisoner only known as G-111 but he calls himself Evil Star.  Evil Star was originally apprehended by the Green Lanterns on earth.  Evil Star is returning to earth for a rematch.  Since the Green Lantern Corp is in disarray, the Darkstars need to deal with Evil Star.

 

        We learn that G-111 was denouncing his identity as Evil Star.  The problem though rests with his henchmen, the Starlings.  The Starlings were activated and they stole the Star-Brand which gives Evil Star his powers.  When the Starlings arrived at the prison, G-111 stole a cruiser and escaped during the ensuing chaos.  We see that G-111 is the being we have been visiting the previous issues.  Prigatz tells Colos about the destruction of the Darkstar ship.  Colos has two hours and forty-four minutes to outfit and train his new deputies before Evil Star arrives.

 

        Carla walks into her father’s office.  This is the law firm that Carla works for.  She questions her father on Frank Pappas.  The father heard rumors about Pappas but it is not their job to incriminate their clients.  Carla questions the decision to defend Pappas in the first place.  Carla quits her position just as Pappas calls her for legal advice.  She just tells him to drop dead and walks out of the office.

 

        Pappas is meeting with some aliens.  The aliens question Pappas about the events of the previous night including the Darkstar raid.  Pappas says that he needs a new lawyer as his old one has quit.  The aliens now decide to minimize their dealings with Pappas in the future.  They are throwing him to the dogs.

 

        The three Darkstars are in training in the skies of Dallas when they see G-111 ship and the Starlings enter the atmosphere.  The Darkstars move to intercept but are attacked by the Starlings.

 

        G-111 realizes that Green Lantern is not on earth as he would have tried to stop him by now and the Darkstars proved to be no match for the Starlings.  G-111 looks at the Star-Brand and says that he could jettison it before it takes control of him.  But that power must not be wasted, it must be exercised, he must become Evil Star and we see Evil Star in the last full page spread.

 

        Okay, I see why I should care about this blond alien running from these strange pursuers without ships.  I did not know that this guy is Evil Star.  I admit I do not know much about Evil Star but I find it interesting that the Star-Brand actually appears to be the the evil influence, however G-111 did seem to don the mantle of the Star-Brand willingly in the end.

 

        This was not a good showing for the Darkstars power.  One Green Lantern was able to defeat Evil Star and his Starlings but three Darkstars could not take the Starlings.  It was interesting to hear that a Darkstar could deputized two locals to join his patrol.  I know Mo is homeless from Issue 1 but Flint is a police lieutenant.  Does this mean that Flint is no longer a cop but has been promoted to space cop?

 

        I do like the scenes with Carla in them.  She really is naïve in her understanding of Pappas but it is good to see that when she finds the truth, she acts on it.  The only thing is that it appears her story arc is leaving the Darkstars as her only connection to the main ongoing plot was Pappas and now she has quit the firm and is not longer representing Pappas.  I hope to see more of this character in the future.

 

        Now for the Controllers.  This is the first time we hear about the Controllers in this series.  What we hear is not very positive.  They seem to be selfish really only interested in their own safety and security.  It is only after a thousand years that they decided to expand their reach but instead of going out themselves, they deputized other aliens to die for them.

 

        Colos, the main Darkstar we see does get a positive characterization.  He is altruistic and really wants to do good.  He is not a Darkstar for the Controllers but for himself.  It make me wonder about the others.  Are they as altruistic as Colos or are they Darkstars because of the Controllers.
        This was another enjoyable issue and I want to start grading these issues like other podcasts and reviews so I will use a scale of 1-5 power rings.  I give this issue a 4 out of 5 power rings.  See you next issue.

Chad returns with another episode featuring the historic Green Lantern/Green Arrow run from legendary creators Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams! This time around we’re talking Harpies, Gorgons, Amazons, Wizards, Aliens, and other dimensions! The common thread? Feminism! Yeah, we’re confused too. Listen in! Please leave a voicemail at 708-LANTERN!

Music – ‘Everything Has Its Point’ by Rival Schools.

Download the episode HERE!

Our editing program is giving Chad a run for his money, so, in an effort to provide you with SOME Green Lantern talk, we present to you some “lost” recording from last year! That’s right! Listeners Daoud and DeWayne joined Mark and Chad for the annual Christmas episode that never came to be. But the audio still exists and it’s not just inane rambling! There’s SUBSTANCE to be had! So listen in and we’ll see you next week! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

Download the episode HERE!

Issue 2, Darkstar Rising, written by Jan Michael Friedman, penciled by Larry Stroman, inked by Scott Hanna with lettered Bob Pinaha, colored by Julianna Ferriter, and edited by Brian Augustine had a cover date of November 1992 with a release date of 10/6/1992 (Mikes Amazing World of DC Comics).  We open where the last issue closed.  Colos has arrived on the scene as Lieutenant Flint is thrown through the window.  Colos catches him in midair and lands next to Mo.  Colors questions Flint who tells him about the Loco drug and this place was identified as the distribution point.  Flint is concerned about the other officers still in the building as they do not know what they are up against.

 

            Colos crashes through the window and attacks the creature that threw Flint out earlier.  During this fight, one of the human drug dealers tries to run away.  He is tackled and beaten by Flint until Colos stares him down.  With the arrival of Colos, Flint’s focus shifts from warning his men to mopping up the place.   During this conversation, Mo notices something in the doorway and yells look out.  Just then laser fire erupts out of the door at Colos, Flint, and Mo.  One of the other drug dealers is blasted and Flint goes for a gun.  Colos warns him off saying that his bullets will have no effect on these perpetrators.  Colos blasts them with his palm masers and as a result pushes them through a wall.

 

            Elsewhere, Carla is leaving from dinner with Paul, a pro bono lawyer who works for the homeless.  Paul says that when they were in law school, Carla had principles and morals and now she works for the likes of Frank Papas.  Carla believes that Papas is a business man who may not be entirely honest.  Paul tells her about the Loco drug and that Papas is the head of the operation.  This drug is directly affecting the homeless in Dallas.  Paul apologizes for being harsh with Carla and Carla asks if he wants a cab.  Paul says he cannot afford a cab and walks off.  We are left with Carla just watching and possibly thinking about their conversation.

 

            Back at the distribution point, Colos is dangling an alien upside down over a roof.  Colos is after what he calls the big birds.  The alien acquiesces and tells Colos where the big honchos are located.

 

            Now we get a cosmic.  Interlude scene.  A person is flying a ship and we get an inner monologue.  This being just wanted to be left alone but he was discovered and now they are hunting him.  We see that his is being followed by what looks like beings flying through space without a ship.  We do not see these people and we do not know who is hunting this guy.

 

            Back on earth, Colos is flying with Mo and Flint presumably to the head honcho’s hideout.  From the air they see what looks like the shipping depot for the drug.  They land and Colos immediately breaks into the warehouse.  The aliens open fire on the three as the leaders including Papas run off and the alien leader pushes a button.  We see that a couple of giant robots come out and attack.  Colos counter attacks thinking he will not have too much trouble destroying them as he has dealt with this weapon before.  He is wrong as he is dealing with an improved model.  Flint pulls his gun and Mo also pulls a weapon and open fire on the robot to give Colos some breathing room.  Colos now with a second assault is able to take down the robots.

 

            After the battle the three now enter Colos’s ship and Colos opens a com with Administrator Prisatz.  Colos reports that the mission to bust up the Loku ring was accomplished with the help of the two earthers with him in the ship.  Colos however reports that the job may not be completed as there are a number of off worlders still on earth and a continued presence may be required.  Prisatz agrees with him that a Darkstar should be assigned to earth’s sector and that Darkstar should be Colos much to his chagrin while a smug Flint and Mo looks on.

 

            This is the second issue of this series.  It carries on from the first.  I liked the action in here as we see a little more of a Darkstars power and weapon set.  I do believe that so far I see this group as inferior in power set to the Green Lanterns but at this time there were not many Green Lanterns in the DC Universe.

 

            I liked the use of Flint and Mo here.  They do not cower at the power of the aliens and their machines, they legitimately help Colos in his fight against the villains in this issue.

 

            We see a glimpse of Carla in this issue with one scene but I feel it is a good character development or a lead in to a change in her story arc.

 

            My big question is the cosmic interlude.  Who is this guy we are seeing and who or what is after him and more importantly do we even care.

 

            I am still enjoying this comic and I am looking forward to the next issue.

This isn’t going to be an actual issue review, since Chad and I will do that once we get to the February books, but I wanted to write a few words about my reaction to Telos #5.

 

While it is always good to see classic Parallax back and he looks really good in this issue, the way he is written continues to bother me.  Jeff King wrote Parallax this way back in the final two issues of Convergence, but since Parallax wasn’t in those issues much, it wasn’t as big of a problem for me.  But Telos #5 makes it pretty clear while King must like Parallax, he really doesn’t understand him.

 

His Parallax is pretty much a petulant child who always acts out, constantly throws the simplest of insults out towards others, often is just a minute away from killing someone and seems incapable of thinking beyond the moment.  If Zero Hour showed us anything, Parallax was certainly capable of thinking big picture.

 

Parallax, while more unstable and volatile than Hal Jordan, still possessed all the strengths that made Hal a great character.  He was able to cross the line when necessary, but was still driven by his amazing will and his desire to do the right thing,  I have yet to see much of that in Parallax since his return to the DCU (Post-Covergence).  Plus, this Parallax acts and talks like he is simply stupider than Hal Jordan.

 

Hopefully Green Lantern #50 will give us at least a version of Parallax that closer resembles the original.  I definitely don’t expect Telos #6 to deliver that based on what I just read.

 

-Mark J. Marble

 

Hal Jordan gets an important lesson in the nature of duality as he and the Spectre confront the ultimate example of it: Two-Face! Can Harvey Dent live without Two-Face? And can Hal Jordan live without the Spectre? Take a listen and you might just find out! All that, plus Rebirth speculation, Toy talk and more!

Give us your feedback and future episode ideas at our voice mail 708-Lantern!

Download the episode HERE!

 

Life moves pretty fast around here, and if you don’t stop and listen to us once in awhile, you may miss something. Like a current issue review episode! Mark and Chad turn around and put out YET ANOTHER one! This time covering the 3 Lantern titles from January! All of this and LISTENER FEEDBACK! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

Download the episode HERE!

 

Mark and Chad kick things off this episode with their first current issue review segment of 2016! This time we talk Hal’s family reunion, Sinestro’s desperate plans, the finale of the Star Trek/GL crossover, and the end of the Lobo series! Then we wrap up with a healthy dose of affirmation in the form of LISTENER FEEDBACK! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

Download the episode HERE!

DC recently, kinda, announced a new relaunch event for the summer called ‘Rebirth’. So Mark and Chad went into breaking news mode and pulled up a couple of mics to discuss what this news means for the DC Universe and Green Lantern in particular! Listen in! Be sure to chime in on our voice-mail at 708-LANTERN!

Download the episode HERE!

I was originally going to write a bigger piece to go with Chad’s post, but I decided to do this smaller standalone instead, especially since we do plan on posting an episode about DC’s “Rebirth” in the next few days.

 

Relaunching the DCU without a reboot makes little sense to me.  So as soon as I heard about the rumor, I figured it was going to be a reboot, even if a soft one.  Just keeping the status quo and giving us yet another wave of number one issues would probably accomplish nothing.  Especially when one considers the luster has pretty much come of the “New 52” brand as a whole these days.

 

When DC confirmed the news and released the “Rebirth” banner, besides adding to the reboot not just relaunch speculation, it also hinted at something else.  Green Lantern fans (and Flash fans too, to a lesser extent) know the term means something special to them, since it helped turn around the struggling GL book and helped launch an entire brand or franchise of books that catapulted Green Lantern to the top of the DCU, in relevance, popularity and sales.  It also has a direct link to the creators of both previous rebirths: Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.

 

Considering Johns’ role at DC and WB, for DC to call an event “Rebirth” and Johns not be a major force behind it, if not THE force, would be mind-boggling.   With Convergence bringing back the entire multiverse last year and with the “Rebirth” of the DCU this summer, it definitely seems that the New 52 is about either go away or be modified into some sort of amalgam with the previous DCU or maybe be combined with several others.  If Johns is the architect of this reboot, then hopefully it will also have positive ramifications for the Green Lantern books, since the franchise clearly needs something to breathe some life into it. 

 

Despite Robert Venditti and Cullen Bunn’s best efforts, the pendulum has not been swinging in the right direction for a while now.  It makes sense that, whether it is a relaunch or reboot, DC take this opportunity to shake up the direction and the creative teams across the board on all books that are doing as well as they would like or expect.

 

-Mark Marble