Absolute Green Lantern #17: What’s In A Name?

Sinestro has arrived, and things are only starting to get worse. As the situation grows more and more dire for Jo and her allies, help comes from the most unlikely of places.

The end of the Mogo arc brings with it a somewhat quick end to the fighting, but it is no less satisfying of an ending for what has been the most action-heavy arc of the story so far. This issue is mostly split equally between the resolution of Mogo’s attack, Sinestro’s origin, and Jessica Cruz’s origin (which is largely the same as her Prime Earth counterpart). There is also an underlying plot point of the lights seemingly working in tandem, which factors a bit into the issue’s climax when Jo and Tomar Re team up to take down Sinestro.

Al Ewing presents a third option to Sinestro’s “submit or die” ultimatum and its one built through healing and understanding. Both represent the aspects that caused both Thaal and Jessica to become how they are. Thaal’s mind was broken trying to understand the ways of the black, while Jessica sought to heal from the trauma she suffered on Earth. Ewing also goes more in depth on the naming of these characters through the eyes of Sinestro, giving those around him more depth. Names mean something here, and hopefully he will continue to explore that further.

Sid Kotian and Prassad Rao have become something of a powerhouse art duo throughout this series. Roa’s beautiful colors add more dimension and depth to Koitan’s expressive and at times visceral pencils. The “rebirth” of Mogo by Jessica is one of the best looking pages in the series so far.