A Phoenix of Blood
This issue begins in a flashback, where Abysmus delivers some painfully clunky dialogue, reiterating out loud to himself, what he told Atrocitus last issue. Two hours later.
Then this issue begins to deliver a much more streamlined and interesting storyline that would've been much appreciated several months ago. Basically the problem was the long drawn out setup of Bleez's coup. That's the main element that poisoned this series. I liked Bleez plenty, but Milligan's doing such a terrible job with her. She's just the leader of the revolution due to being one of the few Red Lanterns we actually knew. Now she's just.... Starscream. With boobs and ass that Ed Benes is all to quick to remind us of. What's that? Ed Benes isn't on this issue? HOORAY! She's still kind of sexualized, but not as bad. Though maybe that's because she barely appears in this issue.
Basically 'Jack Moore,' who has said the word 'Rankorr' BY ACCIDENT ONCE when asked his name (AND which NO OTHER CHARACTER has taken to mean his name), continues to now be the key component to making this series interesting. If his story was dragged out alongside Bleez's, the beginning would be significantly better. Instead his opening tale meandered about pointlessly since it had a foregone conclusion.
BUT NOW, the difference in Jack Moore is being highlighted, and he's bringing about a change in the corps. Well, so is Abysmus, but he's just trying to destroy them. Jack Moore is rational, but still full of rage. Is it simply his philosophical exterior that allows him to avoid being a mindless beast? Does rage HAVE to be blind directionless fury? Milligan's explored some of the deeper aspects of rage, but a lot of it was hamhanded or obvious; this is the most subtle and unexpected analysis he's taken here thus far. He's able to look rage directly in the face, be consumed by it, but not get lost in it. Are the Violet Lanterns romantic and/or horny all the time? No, they are not. So why does their counterpart need to be consumed completely? Perhaps Atrocitus corrupted his Corps the way Sinestro did, with too much personal touch. The other corps were created impartially, and that makes them more pure. Just as the loss of Sinestro is likely bringing about the rebirth of a purified Yellow Lantern Corps, so too is the decay of the Red Central Battery by Abysmus forcing a rebirth in the Red Lantern Corps. That and Jack, but the decay of the battery is what will force Atrocitus to rebuild. The eventual killing of 'Krona' at his own hands will allow him to rebuild rage without inserting his own ego. And Jack will be the model to help him reshape.
In Conclusion: 4.5/5
This series is FINALLY getting to where it should've been all along. I can still criticize the hell out of the early issues, but this one shows the true potential it had. Too bad we had to endure the snail's pace of the useless drawn out beginning, a lot of people jumped ship along the way. I almost did, but this issue
