Art: Doug Mahnke, Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics
After spinning its wheels for a couple issues, things have picked up in the pages of Green Lantern #8. It’s a fun, rollicking adventure with surprising twists and a few ties back to the Blackest Night event. Plus, we’re getting some interesting insights into the mysterious Indigo tribe. It all adds up to a fun time.
Sinestro certainly seems to be getting the worst of it during his time among the Indigos; it’ll be interesting to see where all of this leads him. Meanwhile, Hal Jordan makes a fascinating discovery that’s sure to intrigue long-time Lantern fans. Plus, there’s some fun watching Hal try and figure out what his ring is and isn’t capable while he’s among the Indigos. It’s always a good time to see Hal have some curve balls thrown his way, and he’s getting plenty of those in this adventure. Then there’s Black Hand; we finally get to learn a little more about what’s happened to him since the events of Blackest Night.
We get a brief flashback to that event wherein Black Hand says “Life is an accident. It has no meaning.” That was part of the reason the Black Lanterns were swarming throughout the galaxy. After all, if life has no meaning, why not just snuff it out? The surprising thing is Black Hand was right; if life truly is an accident, then it doesn’t have any meaning at all. That’s a big “if”, though. I’ve never really understood the eagerness some have to embrace the theory of evolution. The fact is, that’s the scientific backing for the thinking of those Black Hand, and it’s also the perfect justification for what the Black Lanterns wanted to do. Evolution says quite plainly that life is an accident, and therefore has no meaning, and therefore it’s not such a bad thing what Black Hand wanted to do; it made perfect sense when the theory of evolution is reasoned out to its inevitable conclusions. The Bible, however, says differently. It says that life isn’t an accident; it says it was created with a purpose, and therefore life very much does have meaning. You matter; you matter to God who loves you. Determining where we came from and how we got here is about more than just science, it’s about our very reason for being. Some don’t like the idea of intertwining science with philosophy, but the truth is, especially when it comes to the issue of the origin of life, you can’t help discuss one without the other.
However, Green Lantern #8 is really more about the action than philosophical musings on life. Sinestro and Hal are in dire straits, but at the same time, they’re learning some rather intriguing things about one of the more mysterious light corps, including their surprising connection with the Green Lanterns. This “Secret of the Indigo Tribe” arc has been a lot of fun thus far; it’ll be exciting to see where it heads next.
Score: 5 of 7
A BIG thanks to Astro-Zombies for providing the material for this review. Learn more about them at astrozombies.com.
