Green Lantern 18 : Mystery of the Star Sapphire

After Superman and Batman, Hal Jordan's Green Lantern is my all-time favorite comic book character, and everything Geoff Johns has done with him has been fantastic. The last story arc was a great one that not only furthers the development of the Sinestro Corps, but advanced the relationship between Hal and his latest love interest. It also tied up a lot of loose ends that have been around since the beginning of this series and also set in motion the current events taking place in Hal Jordan's life. So what can Johns do to complicate Hal’s life even more and up the ante in terms of story? Bring in his ex-girlfriend Carol Ferris. This latest issue of Green Lantern opens up with Carol thirty minutes late for a board meeting. Carol Ferris late? Back in the day that would never happen; she was always on time and always the first to tear into Hal Jordan if he was ever late. However, Carol has taken to the skies herself, something not uncharacteristic of her, but something she wouldn’t do years ago knowing there was a board meeting. It’s almost as if just knowing Hal is alive has inspired her to go out herself and grab life by the horns. Of course, any regular reader of Green Lantern knows that the Zamaron rock that powers Star Sapphire is back on Earth and in search of a new host. Who better to host the Star Sapphire and go after Hal Jordan than the original Zamaron Princess herself, Carol Ferris? Now, at the end of last issue, I figured it would be Hal's latest love interest, Jillian "Cowgirl" Pearlman, figuring Carol was a figure mostly relegated to the past. There’s so much sexual tension between Hal Jordan and Cowgirl, and I figured that's where the Zamaron rock would go, while thinking it would be sweeter to bring back Carol Ferris and her past alter ego; Geoff Johns and I were on the same page: While he may always have a number of women in his life, there has to be one who equally balances Hal. Once it was Carol Ferris. Now it is the equally skilled pilot, Jillian Pearlman. The two have been through quite a bit, and Cowgirl is turned on to Hal even more knowing he is Green Lantern. As much as I love Carol Ferris, I have become quite fond of Cowgirl. She’s pretty close to being the female version of Hal Jordan and in terms of being in a relationship, she is his equal. They definitely have put themselves out there for each other also hold back, so why not add even more tension and bring in Hal’s ex-girlfriend? A beautiful development. Getting back to the story, Star Sapphire/Carol Ferris rips into the bar looking for Hal and finds him with Cowgirl. Now it's no secret that Hal Jordan gets around, but this moment was pretty classic. There’s of course Hal, the sexy southern babe and hotshot pilot Cowgirl, and the super-powered, super-hot, possessed ex-girlfriend. That’s quite a predicament we find Hal in. Super-powered or not, Cowgirl doesn’t back down from Star Sapphire and is ready to fight back. In a great Hal Jordan moment, he emerges from the rubble of the bar as Green Lantern simply stating “there’s enough of me to go around". Now this is the Hal Jordan I always knew: the arrogance and the confidence I know and love. But wait, there’s a twist! This Star Sapphire is seeking out the perfect host body that the chosen Hal Jordan desires. Through that body Hal is supposed to impregnate the Star Sapphire so that the Zamarons can breed. Complications arise in the fact that Carol has married and has seemingly gotten over Hal, so who next can Star Sapphire find as host through the woman who Hal desires? A blond Star Sapphire? My guess at the end of last issue comes true, as Carol's body is freed in order to make Cowgirl the latest Star Sapphire. Nice twist, Geoff Johns. Daniel Acuna, fresh off of the fantastic Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, steps in to provide the art this month. Acuna does a fantastic job with this issue of Green Lantern and really captures the abilities of Hal’s ring and also captures each character in flight very well, my only complaint is Hal's hair: it looks like he just stepped out of the shower and let his hair dry that way. With the upcoming onslaught by the Sinestro Corps, it seems fitting that “Tales of the Sinestro Corps” find their way into the back of Green Lantern. For those who don’t know the total history of the Sinestro Corps, it is a relatively new idea, but it is also wilder and much more organized than simply a bunch of renegade Green Lanterns. I personally love the idea and think that it is about time Sinestro got his upgrade to major, major baddie he is shaping up to be. The Sinestro Corps is definitely shaping up to be a huge event that will not only involve the Green Lanterns but the DC Universe as a whole.