Beware His Power in Sinestro #1
May 18, 2014 2:25 pm | Leave your thoughts
Every single time I sit down to write something I deal with fear. The belief in my own words has to overcome the fear of failure to communicate the things that I am feeling. I love writing, and I love the medium of comics so I should just write about them all the time. The problem with this has been now I am sitting in a seat of judgement, not just as a consumer but now as a critic. I have stayed away from publishing reviews that were critical because I got some feedback from the actual writers and artists that basically consisted of the response, “Sure is easy for you to talk about how bad my comic is. How many have you written?” Brian gave me a little pep talk that basically said this is your opinion, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of it. So I am going to compromise. I am going to start writing reviews that are honest assessments, good or bad. In addition, Matthew Hudson and I are now working on a comic that will start here on the site with the goal of becoming our first comic book. I will not fear failure anymore. You will get my best for better or worse. In this issue, I fear that the new 52 will not do justice to my favorite DC villain. Marvel is killing it with Loki: Agent of Asgard so let’s see if DC can keep up.
Of all the marquee names to face off against DC’s greatest heroes, few are more layered and interesting than Thaal Sinestro. Once the champion of two different corps, the former Lantern has had a rough stretch of late, none worse than the destruction of his home planet, Korugar, at the hands of Volthoom, the first lantern. Betrayed, isolated, and just plain pissed off, Sinestro returns in his own monthly to exact vengeance on those who wronged him and his people.
Given Sinestro’s place within the pantheon of comic baddies, writer Cullen Bunn does a nice job reintroducing the character to old and new readers alike. He clearly knows what makes Sinestro tick, his depiction cold and proud. Sinestro has rarely been one to be evil for evil’s sake, and that continues here, Bunn again making him a man of purpose and conviction. That conviction is tested in this debut, as we see a broken man trying to find direction after losing that which matters most. That uncertainty, that fear, is what drives the piece, as certain revelations seek to aim Sinestro back towards his fledgling corps.
Said revelations come in the form of Lyssa Drak, former Keeper of the Book of Black, and apparent henna enthusiast. Her continued descent into crazy-town has increased her dark abilities, allowing her to “see” events that will soon transpire. Her visions show dark forces moving on the horizon (apparently the universe isn’t big on days off), and also reveals something closer to Sinestro.
Turns out, not all of Korugar’s citizens perished by Volthoom’s hand. Filled with a fresh sense of purpose, Korugar’s pink protector vows to save his remaining people no matter the cost, reclaiming his yellow ring in the process. Of course, the actual saving could potentially prove difficult, as he didn’t exactly leave the Sinestro Corps on good terms. Bunn appears set to really dig into the core of Sinestro’s character, and one can only wonder what he expects to find there.
I’ve been a fan of Dale Eaglesham ever since he did Villains United, and if I liked him then, I love him now. If you’ve read Villains United (which you totally should if you haven’t), then you know Eaglesham can draw some impressively imposing bad guys. The artist does it again here, his Sinestro exuding power and force with every pore, be it wrapped in rags or fully blinged up. He gives Sinestro a real sense of gravitas, a weight and bearing far beyond your ordinary run-of-the-mill evil doer. Also worth noting is the strong color work by Jason Wright; his expansive space shots are truly otherworldly, and he somehow manages to make pink look formidable.
Sinestro is a character well deserving of a good solo series, and thus far it appears Bunn and Eaglesham are equipped to deliver. Though this first issue is fairly light in overall conflict, the cliffhanger at page’s end promises problems very near and dear to Sinestro’s (presumably existing) heart. Sinestro issue #1 is a Tupperware even though I was afraid it would be something less.
Yours Truly,
domesticateddave@gmail.com
P.S. – Here is a preview image of the main character from the upcoming web comic Leftover Army. Sarcastro is an out of work superhero whose super strength is fueled by his ability to ridicule and get under your skin.
Categorised in: Comic Reviews, Random Reviews & News
This post was written by David Griffin
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