Green Lantern Corps, Volume 8: The Weaponer by Tony Bedard

Green Lantern Corps, Volume 8: The Weaponer Reviews

• 
  Brian

  Ending ruined it.
• 
  James DeSantis

  This was pretty decent even if it felt super rushed.
  
  The Weaponer is a powerful weapon's creator who decides he wants to exact revenge on Sinestro. Sounds like a good idea since Sinestro is basically Hitler. Except the idiot decides to take Natu as his priosner after beating the shit out of her and Kyle. This is a bad idea as Sinestro really doesn't give much of two shits about anyone but himself. This leads Kyle and his friends to rescue her but this brings a war with them.
  
  Overall, this is pretty fun. I think the characters kind of act, well, out of character at points. Also everything feels a bit rushed to lead up to the great green lantern war. So all the pieces moving to quickly to relax and enjoy the stakes. But the fights are fun, the art is great, and Kyle gets to shine a bit. So overall worth checking out for fans of green lantern. A 3 out of 5.
• 
  William Thomas

  One of the weakest stories to come out of the Brightest Day (which makes this an infant with hemophilia). The only redeeming quality is the artwork.
  
  Grade: D-
• 
  Brandt

  In the wake of the
  Blackest Night event, DC started a third Green Lantern based book called Emerald Warriors and handed the writing duties to Peter J. Tomasi, who had been writing
  Green Lantern Corps up until the end of Blackest Night. I think that maybe did this under a false premise--Geoff Johns had had a pretty successful run on the main Green Lantern title up to and including Blackest Night so why not a third Green Lantern book? They made Guy Gardner the star of Emerald Warriors (I wonder if DC editorial had it out for Tomasi) and essentially made Green Lantern Corps a vehicle for Kyle Rayner and gave writing duties to Tony Bedard, whose work I wasn't familiar with until reading his first arc
  Revolt of the Alpha-Lanterns. Now, after having read a second story arc from Bedard, I think he's saddled with the same issues that dogged Peter Tomasi during his run.
  
  The issue with the Green Lantern comics that aren't Green Lantern (the Hal Jordan vehicle being written by Geoff Johns at the time) are really ancillary to the narrative that ran throughout Johns run on Green Lantern and into Blackest Night which is essentially a Green Lantern story with a little of the Flash thrown in for good measure. The creative teams on Green Lantern Corps try their best, but everything has to feed into what Johns is doing, and so the creative teams, first Tomasi and then Bedard feel like they are going through the motions with the scraps Johns was willing to throw them. In this collection, the scraps are Sinestro, who takes time from
  Green Lantern: Brightest Day to make an appearance here. Like on the pages of Emerald Warriors (which I've read but apparently forgot to review) the big bad who will be driving The War of the Green Lanterns has been revealed--but I'm certain that this was only after it happened in the pages of Johns' Green Lantern. Again, it isn't that these comics aren't enjoyable, but I've felt the whole time I've been reading all of these Green Lantern titles that I can get the story just in Johns' Green Lantern. These side stories are good for fleshing it out (and apparently there is a connection to
  Brightest Day--yes these books are branded as such, but the "cross-over" has been tenuous at best) but ultimately they aren't necessary for what's really going on here.
  
  It's the throwaway nature of the non-Jordan Green Lantern titles that I have found disappointing. The stories are enjoyable in a "gee that was fun" sort of way, but feels like a side dish as opposed to the main course. Johns kept that all for himself. Is that a good or a bad thing? I'm sure the trees that got pulped for these trades might have an opinion on that.
• 
  Seth Abernethy

  While not the most groundbreaking of the GLC volumes, "The Weaponer" was still highly entertaining and quality GL content. Volume 8 Was the second story arc that Bedard wrote for Green Lantern Corps, and suffered only slightly compared to Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns. Critically speaking, there were a few moments that can take a reader out, such as the titular Weaponer - a being from the Anti-Matter universe, another dimension entirely from our own - makes an Earth literary reference, reversing the famous quote from Paradise Lost ("Better to serve in Heaven than to rule in Hell, he says). An odd choice, creatively, but not such a cardinal sin that it makes the story "bad". The Weaponer himself has rather questionable motives throughout the story, and his compass is very difficult to follow. On one hand, it can be argued this is a sign of detailed writing giving depth and complication to a character to showcase that things aren't always black and white, but on the other it could be argued that it was just choppy writing and they didn't know where they wanted to take the character. On a positive note, it seems Bedard absolutely understood the character of Sinestro. The yellow villain has some of the best moments in his long history here in this volume of GLC, and is truly proving to be a real threatening presence. Sinestro has come a long way from the days of the Silver Age. An unfortunate failing of Vol. 8 however was the absence of Guy Gardner, who was off in another important GL run happening concurrently. Couldn't be helped and not the fault of Bedard, but he was missed nonetheless. Overall, The Weaponer should be nobody's first Green Lantern Corps story if they're looking to get into it, but for readers who'd been following up to this point is a delight as always, and proves that even when GLC isn't great, it's not going to be bad.
• 
  Lilli W.

  Another okay volume, I think Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns was better, minus the repeated story. I feel like the reveal of Soranik as Sinestro's daughter was skipped? I don't remember her ever admitting it to anyone and now everyone knows? Seems like a wasted opportunity for some drama. The actual plot was fine. Wish we could've gotten more of a confrontation between Kyle and Sinestro, or even Soranik and Sinestro. More John also would've been cool. What was Firestorm doing there, he didn't contribute anything, he didn't even fight Sinestro. Just felt tacked on; and took away from his story in Brightest Day. Yay, another big crossover next!
• 
  Sean

  Another new villain is introduced and is part of Sinestro's backstory and its done really well. The Weaponer is smart, strong, and has a compelling reason for his actions. Seeing the Corps have to be creative to fight a war without breaking a truce was interesting. The ending and subplot involving the next arc were really good. Tyler Kirkham's art is sketchier than most GL artists but it worked well. Overall, another very good read.
• 
  Chuck Ventura

  Similar to Bedard's last trade, this is a pretty good story that continues the GLC adventures. Doesn't measure up to Tomasi's run, but still gets the job done.
  
  GLC has to fight The Weaponer while simultaneously defending him and his people from the Sinestro Corps. This is made even more difficult because there's been a truce where the GLC can't use their rings against the Sinestro Corps, which leads to disastrous results.
• 
  Evan

  I liked this storyline! Tony Bedard takes over for Tomasi, and I don't like his work quite as much, but The Weaponer plot is plenty entertaining. I like Soranik Natu with a gun. Why does Firestorm show up though ? He’s my least favorite part of Brightest Day by far.
  
  Also I don’t think I’ve said this anywhere but John Stewart is nothing to me. I just don’t think anything interesting has happened with him this entire saga. What a bummer.
• 
  Richard

  A decent Kyle Rayner showcase and it provides more insight into Sinestro’s relationship with the Antimatter Universe. It starts off pretty exciting but then fizzles at it’s rushed finale. It also functions as an awkward Brightest Day tie-in with the white energy and the weird inclusion of Firestorm.
• 
  Drew

  Enjoyed the back story with Sinestro and his fight with Rayner.
• 
  Ivy

  5 🌟
  
  The Weaponer kidnaps Soranik Natu to get Sinestro to see him.
• 
  Russell Pearce of Sector 2814

  If a Fallout side quest could be made into a graphic novel this would be the result.
• 
  Nathan Grozan

  3.5
• 
  Will Brown

  The plot is rushed and doesn’t fully explore its premise, a real shame because I like The Weaponer and a “Cold War” between the Green Lantern and Sinestro Corps is a really interesting premise.
• 
  Sebastian Rodriguez

  Divertido todo lo del weaponer, pero ese final fue muy malo, no solucionaron nada y metieron a firestorm a estorbar otra vez
• 
  Dean

  Action packed, explores the truce between two Lantern Corps' - not very deeply. The extension of the universe learning about Qwardians was interesting.
  Nice art and colouring.
• 
  Christian Kotsur

  Green Lantern is one of those sub par heroes for myself, I have never been able to engage with the character. However I found myself completely sucked into this volume and finished it within a sitting. Lots of action packed sequences and gorgeous artwork. 4/5
• 
  Wing Kee

  I good start and a wonky finish.
  
  I really like this arc when it started, it played with a lot of history and also had some nice character dynamics but yeah the end is a bit too convenient for my taste.
  
  World: The art is great, I liked the power of the rings, the constructs and the facial expressions. This is a story that is about emotions and the facial expressions needed to come through in the art and it did, great stuff. The world building here is great, it calls back to the lore of Sinestro and his ring and it also deals with the current status of Sinestro and Natu so yes it was wonderful world building. The pieces that they use and also the new pieces of the Weaponer and his relationship with the Thunderers was very interesting. Impressive.
  
  Story: I really liked the start of the story, the pacing of it was great, the ratcheting of the pressure and the dialog of the Weaponer and Natu, they really made this arc have weight and consequence. I especially love the art and the subtle dialog between Kyle and Sinestro when he brings him the news. However the end was a bit too abrupt and convenient for my taste, but I kind of understand. The story pushed the characters into a hard place and I think this is the only solution that made somewhat of a sense. It's good but yeah the end annoyed me.
  
  Characters: I really liked the background of the Weaponer is fascinating and his arc is wonderful. I really liked the call backs to the canon of these characters. I also really liked the arc of Natu, Sinestro and Kyle for this tale. There are pieces here and there that are great to give small little development that will pay off in the next arc. It's good, that's why I love these GL stories, because characters matter.
  
  I liked the book it was fun and was exactly what I like about the GL universe. Wonky ending but other than that highly enjoyable.
  
  Onward to the next book!
• 
  Jessica

  I've recently spent some time catching up on the pre-New 52 GLC trades, and although I've enjoyed all of them, this one is probably my favorite for several reasons:
  
  - Great characters
  The Weaponer is a fantastic character, and I was impressed with how much depth Bedard was able to give him in such a limited amount of time. His motivations are clear, and his actions make sense given the circumstances. He might be a bad guy, but I was pulling for him, which made the ending even sadder. It was also great to see Soranik Natu, Ganthet, Kyle, and of course Sinestro in action again. With the exception of a rather pointless cameo by Firestorm, this was a great cast of characters.
  
  - Excellent artwork
  Dear Tyler Kirkham-- Please come back to Green Lantern: New Guardians. I miss you. That is all.
  
  - Fun story
  This was a technically a Brightest Day tie-in, but aside from a few references to the event, it works very well as a stand alone story. It's not as complex or over the top as some of the other GLC trades, but it delivers an engaging story with lots of action and some genuinely great character moments. If you're looking for a serious Brightest Day tie-in you'll probably be disappointed, but I hope you'll give it a chance and enjoy it for what it is-- a ridiculously fun GLC story with a few ties to Brightest Day.
• 
  Kevin

  This is solid story about an old ally that Sinestro betrayed coming back for revenge. The Weaponer forged Sinestro's original power ring with the promise that Sinestro would help his people. So, the Weaponer kidnaps Soranik Natu, Sinestro's daughter, and girlfriend of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner. The battle ensues from there as John Stewart, Ganthet, Boodikka, and Hannu face the Weaponer, his people and the entire Sinestro Corps to get Sora back.
  
  This was a much more interesting storyline than the Alpha Lantern stuff, but fell a bit short of the main story. This is partially due to the somewhat forced Brightest day tie-ins that really have little to no place in this story. They could have been taken out and the story would have been better for it. In there place I would have like to see some more growth from Sora and Kyle. We did get some interesting ideas about relying on weapons to fight your battles, but I think there were some glimmers of character growth that could have been taken farther. That said, I do like the Weaponer and I can't wait for him to return, hopefully as more than a grunt.
• 
  M

  The Green Lantern Corps finds themselves caught in the crossfire in this Brightest Day installment of their self-titled series. The Weaponer from Qward, who crafted Sinestro's first ring, seeks revenge on the former Lantern for his planet's disgrace. With Sinestro's daughter held prisoner, Kyle Rayner and the Lanterns must battle the ever-prepared Weaponer to free their Lantern comrade, then side with him and the Qwardians against an invasion force of the Sinestro Corps. Tony Bedard's attempt to craft a ringless duel between the Green and Sinestro Corps feel like another DC mandate, designed to keep things complacent while a larger event is put into motion. Even worse is the sudden allegiance shift by the Weaponer, who opts to abort his vendetta and join the Sinestro Corps instead. Though the Weaponer's harnessing of White Lantern energy is unique - and brings in guest-star Firestorm for an issue - it remains an unsolved MacGuffin. Lantern fans looking for a great use of weaponry and imagination should look elsewhere for their fix.
• 
  violetDelights

  I like the weaponer character, he's at least a little interesting, and I like that Sinestro's ring's origin is taken further. That's about it though for positives.
  
  Soranik becomes a damsel in distress, the Green Lantern Corps and and Sinestro Corps fight each other, circumventing a supposed truce between the two by not actually using their rings. Kyle lampshades the ridiculousness of it, but that doesn't justify the ridiculous premise.
  
  Very little character development. Overall, this did feel like a filler storyline, not much in the way of consequences to the canon except that the weaponer joins the Sinestro Corps.
  
  I also wasn't a fan of the art.
• 
  Kyle

  The worst of all the GL Brightest day tie-ins. I simply can not believe that the events in this collection will amount to anything in the grand view of the GL story arc. A waste of Sinestro's time.... One of the greatest of the DC super villains, and a set up with so much potential (he's going to save his daughter!); but, nothing gets played with... No ret-con, to character growth, nothing insightful to his personality whatsoever! And then there's a Firestorm cameo!!!! Über-lame. Über, über-lame. 2/5
• 
  Nicolas

  I'm usually not too crazy about theses Corps books, but this was actually really enjoyable. I thought the Weaponer was a cool character, and I much prefer Kyle to Guy as a protagonist.
  
  We discussed this series in our Green Lantern spotlight over on the All the Books Show:
  https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
• 
  Matt Sabonis

  Bedard's Corps run is a lot better than his New Guardians run has been, and he introduces an interesting character here. I love the expansion on backstory that gets introduced, and he uses the tension between Rayner and Sinestro to great effect.
• 
  TJ Shelby

  I'm honestly shocked by the number of 2 and 3 star reviews that this has received. I really enjoyed it. I'm also very impressed with Tony Bedard. This is a brilliantly carved story focusing around the Weaponer of Qward who forged Sinestro's original yellow ring for him.
• 
  Shannon Appelcline

  Another solid GLC story that pays good attention to its massive cast. The return of the Qwards and the Weaponeer is certainly the high spot. When the Sinestro Corps show up, the whole attention to the colors of the rainbow gets a little old.
  
• 
  Scott

  I really liked the Weaponer storyline and the Weaponer as a character is way cool! One of my favorite story-arcs so far in the GL Corps books.