The battle for Oa continues with Lobo added to the equation. But in war, can a single man turn the tide?
Injustice 2 #64
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Bruno Redondo & Juan Albarran
Cover Artist: Bruno Redondo
Cover Colors: Alejandro Sanchez
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Letters: Wes Abbott
Publisher: DC Comics
What You Need to Know:
Oa is under siege. Atrocitus has enlisted Starro the Conqueror into the Red Lantern Corps who then begins mind controlling numerous Green Lanterns and the Guardian Sayd. Casualties continue to mount and the Conqueror damages the Central Power Battery. Lobo is recruited into the Green Lantern Corps to aid their attack and immediately goes for Atrocitus. But while this battle continues, Starro makes way for Earth with Booster Gold & Blue Beetle in pursuit…
What You’ll Find Out:
The war between the Red & Green Lantern continues this issue with a grim reminder. One man does not an army make and despite Lobo’s appearance they are still woefully outnumbered. Not only that, they aren’t even remotely coordinated. Being easily decimated by Red Lanterns & Mind Controlled Green Lanterns alike. Sinestro, despite his skills, is not the rallying force they need. Seeing this, Ghost Gardner tells Hal that despite how much he hates himself, he needs to step up as a leader. To rally the surviving Corpsmen so they have a chance at taking down the still mind-controlled Sayd. Hal does just that and the survivors fall in line, likely because they don’t have any choice otherwise. Together, they use their rings to shield Hal inside an energy construct bullet. Letting him soar faster and harder than before into Sayd. Stunning her long enough that she may be freed from the Starro Spore by the Titans.
The victory doesn’t last as Starfire is struck by a Red Lanterns energy beam. Surviving her injury, she has Wonder Girl & Superboy fly to deal with him. They are almost assassinated by the still mind-controlled Soranik but she’s stopped by Sinestro. His heroic act being rewarded with a sword construct through the stomach. Though he’s removed the spore from Soranik, his costume begins to fade showing that the wound was fatal. Soranik is distraught over his impending death but Sinestro chooses to answer her question about her mother Arin as his final words. That she had committed suicide because of him, likely a mix of his terrifying reign as a Green Lantern and possibly even his leadership of the Sinestro Corps. His final words being an apology for not being a better man.
As Sinestro breaths his last, his ring seeks a new wielder. Choosing Soranik before having an error. Glowing with power as it repeats that she already has a ring. Elsewhere, Wonder Girl & Superboy finally catch up to the Red Lantern and begin battling him. But Superboy stops when the Red Lanterns ringlets off a proximity alert. Brainiac has come and within seconds, one of his drones punches through the Red Lanterns head. Killing him instantly as we get a full view of his army and his Skull Ship…
What Just Happened?
I know it’s a trend in Injustice that when it rains it pours. But holy hell do the Green Lanterns seem to always get the worst of it. First Starro is recruited into the Red Lanterns. Then he mind controls a huge chunk of the Corps alongside a Guardian who then ravages its members. The Central Power Battery is damaged, Sinestro dies, and now Brainiac is on their doorstep.
As for the content itself, we get quite a few things. The first being that despite Lobo joining the fight, he hasn’t actually made a sudden dramatic shift in the Green Lanterns favor. He may be dealing with Atrocitus but that still leaves the remaining Red Lanterns. We see Hal return to his former glory. Freeing himself, or at the very least working around his self-loathing. Avoiding a resounding defeat despite Lobo, the Titans, and Sinestro’s assistance. Sinestro finally dies and rather sadly at the hands of his own daughter he fought so hard to protect and save. It doesn’t make up for all the horrible things he does but the death itself comes off as a callback to how he murdered John Stewart all the way back in Injustice 1. The design of the blade that kills him even being the same design albeit Green instead of Yellow.
His death, like John Stewarts, was also during one of the Green Lanterns major wars. Besides the awesome shadow over his face during his final moments, the slow degradation of his uniform really helped set the tone for the scene. You could feel Soranik’s sadness despite all the horrors Sinestro has done. That in the very end he still cared about her and his deceased wife. That he died a Green Lantern defending the universe. The final page with Soranik holding his ring was also drawn spectacularly. Giving you the sense that everyone present actually was saddened by the death. Bringing back to mind Hal Jordan’s victory line in Injustice 1 “Once a Lantern, always a Lantern”.
Brainiac’s arrival at the end is also a real kick in the gut after everything happened. We can assume it’ll take Red & Green together to deal with him but things are far from looking good. I fully expect more deaths on the horizon.
Rating: 10/10
Final Thought: Once more Injustice shows that some of its best strength comes from calling back to its past. I look forward to seeing what Brainiac has in store and if it might even take cues from the DC Universe Online comics. Namely in how he came and decimated the vulnerable Corps with ease in his mad conquest of the stars. It’s unlikely given we know the Corps are around for Injustice 2 but that doesn’t mean a vast majority of its members are going to make it through…
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