Review: Green Lantern Corps- Edge of Oblivion
Quick Summary
Pros: The main narrative is interesting and gets even more interesting as it goes on. The book has a great level of tension and fun. The characters are well-written. The book’s first half looks great.
Cons: Some elements of the plot feel contrived. The art in the book’s second half is mixed.
Overall: This volume is a quick and compelling adventure with an awesome group of characters. The plot starts out alright but gets dramatically better as individual characters are given a chance to shine and some unexpected elements are introduced. This creates a story filled with both tension and fun. There are a few negative aspects to the read but, for the most part, it is positive. Readers looking for a shorter Green Lantern Corps adventure may find plenty of enjoyment within this volume.
Story
Green Lantern Corps: Edge of Oblivion, by Tom Taylor, is a solid Green Lantern Corps miniseries. It puts a group of Green Lanterns in a unique situation, introduces some highly compelling conflict, and concludes with a tense and exciting finale. While this is happening, individual characters get great moments to showcase their personalities, whether this means telling a few jokes or diving into an aspect of their past. The book’s only problem is that a few places feel contrived in order to push the plot forward. Other than that though, the majority of the book is solid and ends up being an enjoyable adventure.
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The main narrative in Edge of Oblivion starts a little slow but gets dramatically better as it progresses. At first, the comic takes a bit to establish its premise and introduce the reader to newer concepts, especially since almost nothing is carried over from the previous miniseries (Review). This portion of the read is interesting but not that captivating.
Luckily, things get far better as the volume enters its second act. It is revealed that the beings the Green Lanterns have been helping are actually two Lovecraftian “World Eaters” and that the terrorists they have been fighting are actually freedom fighters. It is a fantastic twist that introduces some excellent horror and suspense into the read. Plus, it keeps everything tense right up to the book’s finale.
It also helps that Tom Taylor writes a few excellent character-driven moments from members of the Green Lantern Corps. These brief snapshots into the histories of a few characters or passionate declarations from other characters remind the reader that the GLC is not a faceless entity, it is an organization made of unique individuals with unique lives. I just wish that these moments were part of an ongoing series rather than a miniseries, so that they could build even further in the future.
My only significant problem with Edge of Oblivion is that it feels like there are a number of places where characters make illogical decisions just to move the plot forward. Marniel holds off on telling the Green Lanterns the truth until the last possible moment, which is still only done out of desperation; the World Eaters instantly attack the Green Lanterns, despite knowing they could trick them; and too many plot elements rely on vaguely explained mind control. It makes the narrative feels forced at points, which takes away a bit of its appeal.
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Art
Edge of Oblivion opens with a few great chapters. Ethan Van Sciver’s work in the first half of this collection looks as good as his work on Green Lantern-related titles always seems to look. This means that a solid level of detail and creativity is present throughout the read and that the panels flow well from one to the next.
However, in the book’s second half, the artwork is more mixed. In this portion of the read, a number of other artists take over the visuals, to the point where over a half-dozen people are working on the artwork by the end of the volume. The visual styles in these last few chapters vary radically and severely damage the consistency of this read. Plus, there are many places where the quality level randomly drops. The visuals in this book’s second half undercut the artistic appeal of the collection as a whole and leave it feeling mixed when it comes to quality.
Continuity
Green Lantern Corps: Edge of Oblivion is a miniseries that mostly continues the story from the Green Lantern Corps: Lost Army (Review) miniseries.
The story from this miniseries is mostly continued in Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 1: Sinestro’s Law (Review).
This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:
- This volume includes a preview of Green Lanterns: Rebirth #1. This issue references Simon and Jessica’s histories.
- The relevant portions of Simon’s history are detailed across Green Lantern #13-20, collected in Green Lantern Vol. 3: The End (Review).
- The relevant portions of Jessica’s history are detailed across Justice League #30-34, collected in Justice League Vol. 6: Injustice League (Review), and the Darkseid War (Review) (Reading Order) event.
- Green Lanterns: Rebirth #1 also references the events of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth #1, collected in Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 1: Sinestro’s Law (Review).