Green Lantern: Sinestro (Comics) | Review

The 2011 re-launch reshaped the entire universe with the New 52 but Green Lantern stayed mostly untouched. Writer Geoff Johns (Blackest Night, Brightest Day) continued his acclaimed run with barely a hiccup, yet the opening storyline still managed to shock longtime readers.

Sinestro, Hal Jordan's greatest enemy and former mentor, gets drafted back into the Green Lantern Corps while Hal loses his ring entirely. This role reversal creates immediate tension and unexpected character depth. Johns turns what could have been a gimmick into genuine exploration of power, redemption and addiction.

The result feels fresh despite continuing established continuity, making it accessible for new readers while rewarding those who followed previous work. This role reversal creates immediate tension and unexpected character depth throughout the volume.

The Guardians of the Universe make a stunning decision that opens the volume with immediate shock and controversy. They reinstate Sinestro as a Green Lantern despite his years as their most dangerous enemy. The choice is unanimous except for Ganthet, who sees the disaster coming but gets overruled by his fellow Guardians.

Meanwhile, Hal Jordan struggles with civilian life after getting expelled from the Corps for being too reckless. Without his ring, he's broke, unemployed and falling apart. His addiction to being Green Lantern becomes painfully obvious as he can't pay rent and no one will hire him.

The contrast between their situations drives the opening chapters brilliantly. Sinestro wears the green ring with contempt while Hal desperately wants it back. Johns uses this setup to explore how the power ring seduces its wielders and what happens when it gets stripped away from someone who built their entire identity around it.

Sinestro discovers his former Sinestro Corps has betrayed everything he stood for and enslaved his homeworld Korugar, turning his vision into brutal dictatorship. He slaughters a former team member, establishing that his methods remain ruthless even with a green ring on his finger.

Realizing he needs help to liberate Korugar, Sinestro returns to Earth with an offer Hal can't refuse. He creates a mock Green Lantern ring by siphoning power from his own, effectively making Hal his servant. The ring works perfectly except Sinestro can shut it off or control it anytime, which becomes a source of tension.

Their forced partnership works because Johns understands both characters intimately. Sinestro sees Hal as reckless and shortsighted, while Hal views Sinestro as an arrogant dictator. Yet they need each other, creating genuine friction that elevates every scene they share together.

The mission to Korugar delivers spectacular action as the unlikely duo faces the entire Sinestro Corps head-on in battle. Sinestro built a failsafe into his yellow Central Power Battery years ago. If a Green Lantern breaches it, the entire Corps gets shut down instantly, which becomes their only path to victory against overwhelming odds.

Their plan works, incapacitating the Sinestro Corps while freeing the enslaved population. But Korugar's leader Arsona makes clear that Sinestro will be their enemy if he returns. The children may view him as a savior but the adults remember his dictatorship too well to forgive.

Sinestro hauls his former Corps back to Oa as prisoners and sends Hal back to Earth without a Power Battery to charge the ring. This betrayal is classic Sinestro, reminding readers that redemption doesn't come easy. Hal reconnects with Carol Ferris and their relationship starts working once he stops obsessing over Green Lantern.

The volume ends with ominous developments on Oa. The Guardians announce they're freeing the First Lantern from the Chamber of Shadows to lead their Third Army. This sets up the next major storyline, showing Johns was already building toward bigger events beyond this arc.

The storyline features a sub-plot where Sinestro visits Ogoro and enlists Starstorm, a former nemesis turned suicidal derelict. They track down Lyssa Drak, who delivers a prophecy about the Third Army and First Lantern's return, planting seeds for major future conflicts.

Artwork by Doug Mahnke (Batman: Under the Red Hood, Black Adam: The Dark Age) elevates every page of this collection. His detailed pencils capture the cosmic scope while never losing sight of character expressions. The cross-hatched shading adds edge to terrifying alien designs, making the Sinestro Corps members look menacing.

Action sequences flow smoothly from start to finish with smart panel layouts. Mahnke excels at depicting willpower constructs with creative designs that feel both functional and striking. His work on Hal Jordan shows a man barely holding it together through subtle facial expressions.

The final chapter features guest artist Mike Choi, whose style differs noticeably from Mahnke's approach. Choi's work is proficient but makes Hal and Carol look like teenagers rather than adults. The shift feels jarring after five issues of consistency, though Choi handles the quieter character moments with appropriate tenderness.

Johns's writing remains the volume's greatest strength. His characterization of both Hal and Sinestro feels layered and authentic. Hal's struggle with losing the ring mirrors addiction, showing a hero who defined himself by his power and now faces existential crisis without it.

Green Lantern: Sinestro succeeds as both a continuation of Johns's acclaimed run and a soft re-launch for new readers jumping aboard with the New 52. The role reversal premise could have been pure gimmick but Johns mines genuine character depth from forcing Hal and Sinestro to work together against their will throughout the story.

The connection to future events makes this essential reading for anyone following Johns's larger mythology. The Guardian's descent into authoritarianism begins here, setting up Wrath of the First Lantern. Without this volume, later developments lose significant context.

Doug Mahnke's artwork consistently impresses with detailed alien designs and kinetic action sequences that never sacrifice clarity for spectacle. The single weak point is Mike Choi's final chapter, which feels visually disconnected from everything that came before despite being competent work on its own merits standing alone.

This volume proves Johns hadn't run out of ideas despite years on the title. Making Sinestro a Green Lantern again refreshes the dynamic while exploring themes of power and redemption. The intimate focus on two characters feels more engaging than cosmic war stories.

Green Lantern: Sinestro kicks off Geoff Johns' acclaimed New 52 run and sets the tone for Hal Jordan's turbulent new beginning. The storyline is collected in Green Lantern Vol. 1: Sinestro– available in paperback and hardcover editions from DC Comics, as well as digitally on Amazon Kindle, ComiXology and DC Universe Infinite.