"Green Lantern: Blackest Night" #45 Reviewed!

It didn't really reveal much as far as the overarching story. The Sinestro thing is sorta interesting but he's not changing anytime soon. Really even bringing it up just makes me think this previously unknown wife of his is going to pop back into his life somehow. If I had to put money down I'd say she turns out to be an Indigo. And if whatever happened to her turns out to be the catalyst for his desire to have a superorganized universe, then I guess her showing up could be a big deal and possibly change him. Dunno how I'd feel about a reformed Sinestro, though. 
 
As for the Saphires themselves, the whole concept just seems silver age to me. Really, a girls only pink lantern? Of course she has shallow motivations.

This issue was very "AW! Sinestro does have a heart! How Sweet! " :P

I liked this issue more then the last issue with Hal, Flash and Manhunter.  I didn't mind the fact that we didn't get any Hal (even though he's the title character), because we got a look into everyone else and even if it was jumbled it was really good. I did find it confusing when the Black Lanterns got their own version of Mogo, but I'm guessing it will come together eventually and it being Xanshi won't hurt.
 
I'm looking forward to seeing Carol going all crazy if she becomes the host of the Predator like we've seen with Ion. I love the scene with Larfleeze, best new character of 2009 for me. 
 
 People for the Production of a Green Lantern Documentary : http://bit.ly/12Sh1J

The most telling part of this issue was the opening page with John Stewart. I get they wanted to add more layers to Sinestro, which is all nice and good, but John Stewart's spread was the biggest part of this issue because of the ramifications that come from this. Clearly he is hovering above the planet Xanshi, the planet he was unable to save back in Cosmic Odyssey. 
 
This means at some point we are looking at a planet sized rumble between Black Lantern Planet Xanshi and Green Lantern Planet Mogo. Also, if I remember correctly, Xanshi was populated, which of course is why it weighs so heavily on the character of John Stewart as his greatest failure. This means an entire planet worth of Black Lanterns that need to be dealt with. 
 
Since Blackest Night so far has been mostly the greatest failures of the heroes coming back to haunt them in horribly perverse and twisted ways, it is fitting that John Stewart's greatest failure come back like this as well and it means that Blackest Night is going to get a lot worse for all the heroes involved before it gets any better. I can't wait!

I felt there could have been more to this issue.  It seemed mainly to focus on Carol and, as you said, the fact that Hal Jordan seems to be her weak point.  And not just that, but Sinestro pointing that out as well.  It was if Geoff is trying to drive home the point that Carol's only doing this for Hal and the possibility of being loved back for it.  So on the one hand, she has this strength to withstand the Star Sapphire's influence and yet, at the same time, she's still trapped by the very emotion she and her corps represent.  I really want to see Carol take this role on for herself; you know, remain capable of being an individual Sapphire and not do this in hopes of some kind of unrequited love.   
 
Also, I'm getting abit tired of there not being any development with the different corps and the members therein.  All Sinestros that were captured in previous issues were freed.  Not a single one of them was converted.  Kryb, Karu-Sil, Kiriazis - they all returned to the Sinestro Corps.  It kind of made the whole thing pointless.  And there wasn't any scenes of individual members fighting their opposite number.  If these Corps are going to be around after the Blackest Night, I'd like to see some development.  It was nice to see Carol's brief capture of Sinestro and I hope there's even more built upon that revelation.   
 
The other Corps, as I said, need more page time.  All we have here is names of the Orange Lantern Corps members and the planets they're from.   I hope they do show, in at least some detail, Larfleeze's battle with them.  I like the fact that the black rings are circling Odym waiting for someone to die, though I don't think anyone there will be dying.  The Green Lanterns on Ysmault was great with Boodika going about her own orders - one of the few moments of character and plot development in the issue.  However, once the black rings showed up, we were given the names of the Five Inversions and a ring finding Laira before the story returned to Zamaron.   Also, I really do hope Johns has plans for Lyssa Drak or else she's just a wasted character now.  And I can't wait see what he does with the Risen Xanshi.     
 
Though there are the few good things I want to see happen, overall this issue had that feeling of an overly dramatic "Why won't you love me?" vibe and suffered from too little character development where it was needed.  Other than the Corps leaders, I have no scope of or feeling for all the others involved.  As I said, all the Sinestros were freed and unconverted so this whole part of the story was pointless.  And the one Sinestro that has been converted to a Sapphire (Fatality) didn't show.  It just seems that there is starting to be too much going on for the two regular ongoing titles to cover.  I'm starting to wish they would make Tales of the Corps a new series altogether just because of the scope of this storyline.

Thought the Xanshi rise was awesome! though with the last issue when the rings were flying towards the planet, it was kinda clear as to wat was going to happen.
 
I feel for Carol, in the GL issue where we see that she's very lonely, and spends all her time alone, i felt deeply for her. i liked the issue, though i agree it wasn't the best. i am having a hard time deciding if Hal should end up with Carol or Jillian.
 
i also liked the Arin Sur thing. Sinestro's becoming my favorite villain  very very quickly. can't wait to see him battle black lantern Abin

it took someone long enough
 
i loved this issue it rocked

 That giant Black Lantern planet is pretty wicked. It makes for a nice tease. I've had that theory about the White Rings when I heard this story was going to be called Blackest Night and there were these Black Rings.
In a way, I would be kind of disappointed if the White Lanterns just come swarming in to save the day last minute. I want to see everyone overcome this trial with their own power. That story would probably be called "Brightest Day".
 
@Babs said:

" Why can't Carol love being a Star Sapphire and appreciate all that it represents? You have all the power in the world and the only reason you roll out of bed in the morning is because you're crazy about this man who doesn't love you anymore? PSSHH, girl that's weak; not to mention  a bad example for little girls everywhere. "

It makes sense that she wants to help Hal. Even though she was in love with him, they still did know each other since childhood. Or it could be based on her Father's guilt from killing Hal's father. She took over her father's business even though she wanted to be a pilot. So her 'protecting' Hal could be based on her father's wish to save Hal's father. Overall I liked this issue a lot and we got to see a different side to Sinestro.

"It makes sense that she wants to help Hal. Even though she was in love with him, they still did know each other since childhood. Or it could be based on her Father's guilt from killing Hal's father. She took over her father's business even though she wanted to be a pilot. So her 'protecting' Hal could be based on her father's wish to save Hal's father. Overall I liked this issue a lot and we got to see a different side to Sinestro. "

How do you see Sinestro as a good person?  He fell in love with someone.  Everyone is prone to feeling love.  Doesn't make him a good person.  He even may have treated Arin well...still doesn't clear away the fact that he was a dictator to his people.

I didn't know Sinestro has black eyes before...

The moment with Larfleeze at the end was the best moment of Blackest Night so far.

I thought this was the best Blackest Night related issue that Geoff Johns has written. This is the first issue of this event were I finally feel that Blackest Night has a universal ramification and not just ramifications on Earth and its heroes.  And that is what this event is suppose to be but it hasn't been shown in the main book. Hopefully we see more of what happened in this issue in the main Blackest Night book
 
And I going to say this right now to the hate of some readers: I am already getting sick of the Black Lanterns. Like this issue showed there are so many characters involved in this event that have yet to appear in the main book that can make the main Blackest Night book much more interesting than having just a bunch of zombie versions of dead characters attack and kill. By showing us the War of Lights it gives more balance to all the action we have gotten so far as we see interactions like the one we got with Carol and Sinestro in this issue.
 
Great review Babs.

"Yea....they should animate this "

" How do you see Sinestro as a good person?  He fell in love with someone.  Everyone is prone to feeling love.  Doesn't make him a good person.  He even may have treated Arin well...still doesn't clear away the fact that he was a dictator to his people. "

Yeah, was about to say the same. I assumed it immediately after reading last issue, which was clear on the subject I thought. I remember wondering how they would appear as BLs.

I wouldn't call her devotion a weakness. It might actually keep her from doing things that she could of if she wouldn't be in love with hal jordan, but it also might be a attribute to her character. i mean would she be the same strong person she is now without loving hal?  just my thoughts, and yes it could be that she is xD

 
Carol Ferris: yet another example of how humans are awesome in the Green Lantern universe and aliens by and large are average to sub-par.

" I wonder who Sinestro was in love with, and I wonder if it was Hal Jordan.  That would be bizarre.   "

So the Black Lantern's have their own "Planet Lantern" now?  
 
Huh.  
 
I think this is being done to pretty much clear John Stuart's guilt over fatal mistake that has forever hung over his head. Which, personally, I think is kinda sad because I like the fact we have an Earth Green Lantern that did something terrible but them NOT having been influenced by another entity (e.g. Parallax).

" @robbiesol said:

" I wonder who Sinestro was in love with, and I wonder if it was Hal Jordan.  That would be bizarre.   "

It was Abin Sur's wife. They showed it when he was encased in the sapphire.  "

" So the Black Lantern's have their own "Planet Lantern" now?   Huh.   I think this is being done to pretty much clear John Stuart's guilt over fatal mistake that has forever hung over his head. Which, personally, I think is kinda sad because I like the fact we have an Earth Green Lantern that did something terrible but them NOT having been influenced by another entity (e.g. Parallax). "

" Why would seeing a dead planet reborn as a twisted hollow version of its former self take away John's guilt?  If anything, it's just going to make him feel worse. "

" @ASKwhy said:

" How do you see Sinestro as a good person?  He fell in love with someone.  Everyone is prone to feeling love.  Doesn't make him a good person.  He even may have treated Arin well...still doesn't clear away the fact that he was a dictator to his people. "

He only took control because he 'feared' that the planet would fall into chaos. Most of what he has done was to make the Corps. stronger and so they would survive the Blackest Night. "

" @robbiesol said:

" I wonder who Sinestro was in love with, and I wonder if it was Hal Jordan.  That would be bizarre.   "

It was Abin Sur's wife. They showed it when he was encased in the sapphire.  "

I thought that this was awesome it is a story from Carol Ferris point of view. See I see Carol Ferris as a combination of what you would get if you combind Lois Lane and Selina Kyle. Do you think that is a good comparrison. Also do you think that they are going to Kill Carol.

"This issue was very "AW! Sinestro does have a heart! How Sweet! " :P "

" @ASKwhy: No I do not I think that the two should settle there differences and declare a wedding date. That is if the writers are smart enough to do that "