Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Green Lantern Corps #21
DC Comics
Gates & Nelson

Green Lanterns give way to the Alpha Lanterns. This issue explores one Alpha Lantern in particular. It’s a decent story, but it doesn’t utilize the greater Green Lantern universe. It felt so isolated and detached from previous issues.

This issue surrounds on the previous Lost Lantern, Boodikka. As an Alpha Lantern she drops a very severe scolding on the Green Lantern, Harvid. Harvid allowed his brother to escape. His brother is a Sinestro Corps member. Boodikka is not understanding with regard to Harvid’s conflict about fighting his brother. The strange thing about this issue is that they are fighting Manhuters. Isn’t an Alpha Lantern part Manhunter? Odd, if you ask me.

Back on Oa, Boodikka is confronted by the other Lost Lanterns. It’s clear that she is no longer down with the Lost Lanterns. She has left the reservation. She receives a new mission from the Guardians. She has to find her sector’s replacement Lantern for her deceased partner. Mixing in with this we get a strong origin about Boodikka. This is interesting, but isn’t too deep. This may get looked into more in upcoming issues.

Boodikka eventually makes her way back to her home world in search of the missing Green Lantern and things go badly. Her origin, her warnings for Lantern Harvid all come back to haunt her in the end.

Again, it’s a nice issue, but it doesn’t fully make sense to me. Boodikka is a warrior. She was brash and annoying before Hal Jordan took her hand and she was more of a pain after he took it. As an Alpha Lantern she is even more overbearing, especially in this issue. Now, in this issue she is put in the role of underdog by the end. The problem is, for me, is that she isn’t a sympathetic character. I don’t care if she got whacked. I actually wouldn’t mind it. Making use of the bigger GL universe would have made more sense here. If they had involved a second GL, in some way, that had more of a base in this title I might have cared more about Boodikka and her ultimate plight.

It’s not that I hated this issue or even this story. I actually liked the story. I just didn’t feel anything for the character involved in the story. Add in that the Alpha Lanterns are creepy to look at and this issue was a mixed bag for me. I was entertained, but Sinestro Corps War this ain’t.

3 out of 5 geek goggles.


Green Lantern Corps #21