Comic Recap/Thoughts: Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Volume 1: Sinestro's Law Part 1

Welcome to the next installment in my comic book journey. Bet you were all wondering what all the other Green Lanterns are getting up to. Time to take a journey up into space and catch up with Hal Jordan. This is a really long volume so I am going to break it into two parts. Again, I have never read anything Green Lantern related prior to Rebirth. I know some of the big storylines because I have a friend who is a fan of Green Lantern. I think I mentioned before having watched the movie, which is not great but did at least give me some background. The full volume I am about to cover is Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Volume 1: Sinestro's Law. It includes Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth #1 and Issues #1-7. For this part I am just going to cover the Rebirth #1 and issues #1-3.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth #1: Forged: Up in space, at space sector zero, aka, the center of our cosmos, we find the remains of the planet Oa. Oa used to be the home of the Guardians and the central precinct of the intergalactic police force, the Green Lantern Corps. Now however, it is under the control of the supreme force of order, aka, the Sinestro Corps. They named the headquarters Warworld, which is a fun name. Sinestro is looking real tired and old. His overly sexy adviser, Lyssa, is giving him a pep talk about all of creation being his now, just like the Book of Parallax foretold. Sinestro comments about Warworld no longer being an accurate moniker, because they won the war. Seems all of the Green Lanterns are M.I.A. So there wasn't a big fight or anything, just a simple take over. (I have no idea what happened to all the Green Lanterns, maybe it will be explained and maybe it won't, but I am just going to move forward.) Sinestro is pretty grumpy, but seems he has a plan to make himself all better.

On a dead world in space sector 563, we see something happening as Hal Jordan narrates. He is repeating who he is over and over. We see him being rebuilt. He looks like a computer simulation as he repeats who he is. We get a quick history of Hal Jordan. His father was a test pilot, who crashed and died when Hal was young. He grew up to be a test pilot too. A Green Lantern named Abin Sur as his dying act gave Hal his ring. At its largest, when being led by Hal, there were 7200 Green Lanterns. There were a lot of issues with the Green Lantern Corps, so to restore the good name of the Lanterns, Hal became a criminal and took the heat from the Corps. He gave up his ring and stole a prototype lantern weapon called the "Krona's Gauntlet," and ran.

While he was gone everyone disappeared? He doesn't seem to know the why, where or how. He is losing control and his powers are unstable. The gauntlet has turned him into a construct of sorts, a being of pure will. Hal thinks he is disappearing. He finds a rock that he starts to hammer. He is sure that he will be able to make everything right again. As he is hammering, we see all the Green Lanterns lost somewhere, we see the last two Guardians (except the rogue one of course, see Green Lanterns). We also see Kyle and Jessica reacting to the tremors in will.

Back on Warworld in the core Sinestro feels the tremors too. He goes down a long flight of stairs to visit his old friend Parallax (I know this is like a big bad guy in the GL universe, but he just looks like a big bug to me). Parallax has been the power source of Warworld and while Sinestro is grateful, he wants one more thing.

There is an explosion heard across the universe, we flash quickly to Indigo-1, the leader of the Indigo Tribe, Larfleeze, aka, Agent Orange, and Carol Ferris, aka, Star Sapphire. (Look I know I have used a lot of akas here but many things go by many names.) Finally back at the dead world we see an exhausted Hal, he has made himself a new ring out of his own will. He is pretty proud of himself for doing something the Guardians said only they could do. He may like breaking rules, but you put on a ring, you say the oath. One more time Hal reminds us who he was and all the work he was going to do.

Sinestro's Law Part 1: The Last Lantern: Space Sector 563, the Outer Rim, the Planet Joween, a bunch of criminals are pretty worried about someone taking their goods. Someone shows up to ruin their plans and it is none other than Hal Jordan. He makes quick work of the criminals and asks them where the Green Lantern Corps are.

At space sector zero, on Warworld, Sinestro is talking to Parallax. He monologues about how he needs to keep order. He recites his oath and places his ring on the container holding Parallax.

Back on Joween, the smugglers that Hal found tell him that one day all the green rings stopped working and they all went poof. Hal shows a moment of weakness, he actually looks like he is deconstructing. While he is pulling himself together, one of the smugglers puts a gun to his head and all Hal is thinking about is fear.

On Warworld, Soranik (Sinestro's daughter) is checking on her father. Lyssa doesn't seem to care much for Soranik, who is now the leader of the Sinestro Corps. Sornik believes that can make the Sinestro Corps a force for good. We are also told that Soranik is a surgeon who does not agree with her father much, but does want to check in on him. Lyssa tells her she doesn't need to worry though, because he is all better now. Sinestro flies out looking young and powerful. All of the Corps begin chanting his name. He silences them and gives a long speech about how he is the leader again. They are heading for a new war now, one with no end. They have the war for order to wage. His one decree is to achieve order through fear, they are now the enforcers of the universe, so they better get to it. As all the Yellow Lanterns fly off to instill fear, Soranik knows that this is bad news.

Hal is still struggling and fear is hitting him pretty hard. He blasts a hole and gets away from the smugglers. Just then, members of the Sinestro Corps show up. The smugglers tell him where Hal is and then attack the smugglers (Double cross, you get it). Hal shows up and the Yellow Lanterns are pretty shocked to see him. They tell him all the Green Lanterns disappeared, so he is all alone.

At the same time at the fringe of the cosmos, beyond charted space there is a green crack in space and a large explosion. Pouring out of that crack we see many Green Lanterns. We see Guy Garner and John Stewart and Hal's pal Kilowog. The Green Lanterns are back!

Sinestro's Law Part 2: Recon: Out in the uncharted territories of our cosmos on the sentient planet Mogo, the Green Lantern Corps are in bad shape. They are so far out in space that even as one of them dies, the ring cannot scan for a replacement. They are down to 399 Lanterns. They are trying to get back up and running. John has taken over the role of leader.

John finds Guy punching out his feelings on a bag. Guy wants to know why they aren't out being the police of the Universe. John points out they are low on manpower, are basically lost, and have no means of communicating. Guy still wants to do something, anything. John does have a mission for him. He sends Guy out on a potentially suicidal recon mission.

Back on Joween, Hal and the Yellow Lanterns are having it out. Hal is not happy to see two Yellow Lanterns playing cop. So he beats them up and hopes they will talk to him and tell him just what the heck is going on.

On Warworld, Sinestro is pretty dang happy with himself. Lyssa is praising him while Soranik sulks in the background. She approaches her father and he sends Lyssa away. Soranik is pissed that her father used her. She asks why he waited so long to be revived. He tells a long story about how her greatest fear is to never reconcile with her father. She tries to punch him. He admits that in reality, he knew that the universe would never have accepted he had changed. So he let himself get weak, knowing she would take over and try to turn his empire into something good. He is glad that she got the Sinestro Corps in the door, now he can take back over and create order. Just then his ring gets a message that a Green Lantern is on Joween and it is none other than Hal Jordan. He doesn't believe it, but his ring shows him Hal's face. Sinestro is not happy. Soranik is pretty happy with this turn of events.

Sinestro tells the Yellow Lanterns to pull back. Hal is still beating one up, asking about the warehouse full of Satan's Toolboxes. The Yellow Lantern doesn't know anything, just tells Hal that all the Green Lanterns are gone and now Warworld is in the place that was their headquarters. Before he can get any more information it looks like he is swallowed up by Parallax. (I think it is a construct of Parallax?) The Yellow's report they have captured Hal. Sinestro calls them idiots and for good reason, because Hal busts right out of the construct. The Yellows decide that maybe running off is a good plan. Hal is in hot pursuit.

On Mogo, John is telling Guy the game plan. They will stay in the same place for 24 hours to let him go on his recon mission. John tells Guy to just do recon, no intervening. Guy is probably not listening. They wish him good luck and he heads out. John and Kilowog both know he will get in trouble, but he is the one Green Lantern who is too stubborn to die.

Hal is busy chasing the two Yellow Lanterns. He pops down into a city on what I think is a different planet, only to find everyone is terrified. With good reason, there are a lot of Yellow Lanterns and they appear to be kidnapping people.

Sinestro's Law Part 3: Innocents Lost: On the sentient planet Mogo, most of the Green Lanterns are working on repairs and John cannot get ahold of Guy. While John is worrying about Guy, we see a quick shot of Guy looking a little roughed up and about to fight some more.

Hal is now in space sector 563 on the Planet Chall'enn. This planet is a world of peace and prosperity, but is currently being raided by the Sinestro Corps. They are stealing people by putting them in yellow bubbles. The people are calling to Hal to save them and a Predator looking guy basically tells Hal to bring it. Hal actually tries to de-escalate, asking them to just let the people go. Predator guy tells us they are collecting strong people for their fear engine. Hal says he'll go with them but the people broke no law and should be let go. Of course Green Lanterns aren't to police anymore so the Yellow's point out they can do whatever they want. Hal assumed they would answer that way, so he basically creates a ton of hammers and frees all the people himself and sends them running off, right before all of the Yellows descend on him.

Back on Warworld Sinestro is receiving some visitors. This group, called the Sacrament, is there to help with the fear engine thing that was mentioned before. Soranik overhears her father talking to the head guy about the Corps gathering up all the people needed to power it and that they also got all the goods for the ceremony that will be happening soon (I assume). Seems the Green Lanterns had hunted down the members of the Sacrament forcing them into hiding. Now they are happy to work together with Sinestro. (Super creepy cult vibes from these guys.)

Hal is doing pretty well against the many Yellow Lanterns (I think he counted 12). Then of course more show up. Hal is still winning, but the Predator guy tells us about how the Sinestro Corps are out gathering up people from everywhere (we see cuts of this happening while Hal is still fighting them). All the fear that is in the air is giving all the Yellows more power. The tides begin to turn and as more and more people are taken, the fear grows and Hal begins to lose the fight. It still takes a really long time and a lot of fear before they finally take Hal down.

This will be the end of part 1 of this recap. I think 8 issues just makes for a little too long of a post. I will have part 2 up later this week though. I hate to leave you all hanging for too long. Hal is sure having a rough time. I guess the whole universe is. I am going to save my favorite line for the next post and a few more thoughts I have regarding what Hal is now and what a universe run by fear really means. See you all soon!

Later this Week: Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Volume 1: Sinestro's Law Part 2

Last Week: Green Lanterns Vol 1: Rage Planet

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