Green Lantern Corps 31 (SPOILERS)

[Retro315]

I didn't think Kryb could get any more freaky ... I was wrong. Nicely done, Tomasi and Gleason.

The Guardians review their decision on the Third New Law and settle on it. It's clarified - no inter-Lantern relationships. Relationships with people outside the Lanterns are acceptable. Organisms must breed, after all. Just no inter-office dating.

Then we get into the meat, which is really all about Amnee Pree. She spirits the baby Kryb was after back to Oa or somewhere else safe, and then charges into the sun's outer layer. Kyle has beaten the crap out of Kryb, but Kryb had a secret weapon ... a yellow baby formula that can evade the Power Ring's defenses and mind control babies. It works on adults too (we'll see if they'll be able to shake it because they're adults next issue I guess).

Cool Moment # 1: Kyle's furious punches leave glowing lantern symbols in Kryb's face.

Cool Moment # 2: The depiction of being in Kryb's control ... very lucid, very creepy. Soranik, especially, looks helpless.

Also, I don't wonder if there's a link between Kryb's "formula" and the yellow fungus that had taken control of Mogo. That'd be weird ...

Anyway, Amnee charges in like only a pissed off pregnant woman could and we cut to Sector 1746. Mongul has been reassembling himself in the care of some sort of brothel, one of his arms isn't attached yet, but it's still working over the guy running the place, who questioned Mongul's demand for free food, drink and pleasure. Foolish space pimp.

Back on Zamaron ... what with being a Star Sapphire arc ... a Sapphire named Miri (I guess they're opting not to call themselves Violet Lanterns) makes her vow to the Violet Power Battery and Queen Aga'Po sends her out to the galaxy to find true love and protect it. Who wants to take odds that she's on her way to where the true love of Amnee and Matoo Pree is in jeopardy? The love for their baby? The secret (even to them) love of Kyle and Soranik? Well anyway ... odds are Miri is going to show up next issue and help out.

The stress of the attack on Kryb sends Amnee into premature labor, but she's "ringslingin' for two" so Amnee conjures an infant construct to kick Kryb's ass. But Kyle, Natu, Matoo and the blond girl Lantern are still slaves, so Amnee is taken down.

Last page, Amnee wakes up, surrounded by zombified Green Lanterns that think they're infants ... and Kryb using her yellow ring to perform a C-Section ...

Grizzly ...

[Bevbos]

Another great issue! And loved Amnee Pree giving ol' Kryb a run for his money. Great stuff.

[Pixie_Solanas]

Interesting, but damned if I couldn't tell what the hell was going on art-wise in more than a few panels.

[Big Red Spider]

Also, I don't wonder if there's a link between Kryb's "formula" and the yellow fungus that had taken control of Mogo. That'd be weird ...

Mogo was attacked by a Sinestro core member Despotellis who is a sentient virus. The Kryb "formula" totally came out of left field for me. I thought it was going to wrap up nice and neat, but now he's turned the tables on the lanterns. I guess that's a good thing since character is so creepy he should stick around for a while.

[Retro315]

Mogo was attacked by a Sinestro core member Despotellis who is a sentient virus. The Kryb "formula" totally came out of left field for me. I thought it was going to wrap up nice and neat, but now he's turned the tables on the lanterns. I guess that's a good thing since character is so creepy he should stick around for a while.


I believe whatever was infecting Mogo was yellow, and fungus in origin. The yellow dots that were hinting at the infection were spores.

Despotellis was busy killing Kyle Rayner's mom.

[Big Red Spider]

I believe whatever was infecting Mogo was yellow, and fungus in origin. The yellow dots that were hinting at the infection were spores.

Despotellis was busy killing Kyle Rayner's mom.

Oh, okay. Either way it was a great issue. Kryb is a great creepy villian and a great cliff hanger. I was really surprised that the pregnant lantern's husband wasn't able to break his programming when his wife was pleading for him to stop. I mean, he's about to kill his own child. Not alot of character development this issue besides Kyle going over the edge, but had some really great action. The whole time I was thinking, "Kill him, kill him. It's okay to kill yellow lantern. Especially baby killers!"

[yoda510]

I actually didn't understand a lick of this until I read Retro's synopsys. You should be writing them for previews man.

[XS23]

This was a wicked issue! That Kryb guy is really freaky and makes a cool villain. Loved how he was getting his butt kicked by a big green baby, that was hilarious.

[Superbeast]

Kryb is up there with the Corinthian from Sandman and Jodie from Preacher in terms of being genuinely creepy IMO. You really want them to suffer and lose just because they are such nasty creatures. Amnee Pree, the badass bushbaby momma Lantern, and her unborn son using the ring to tagteam against Kryb was hilarious. However why would her baby think it would look like a giant human baby? Nitpicking aside, I'm actually enjoying how this title is basically spinning plates right now with the Star Sapphire/Kryb/Mongul storylines all ongoing.

[Retro315]

I actually didn't understand a lick of this until I read Retro's synopsys. You should be writing them for previews man.

Pat Gleason's art is really ... alien. And this issue was almost exclusively crazy schizophrenic action in the fight against Kryb ... combine "alien" and "schizo" and yeah, it's easy to lose track of what's going on. Not to mention that for a sci-fi series that excels in the weirdest aspects of cosmic storytelling ... Kryb is something new and crazy. This issue was out there in the topsy-turvy, jumping around fringe.

But anyway yeah, thanks. I'm fond of funneling larger narratives into clear-cut summaries. (It hasn't been as easy to do for Final Crisis ... summarizing Morrison is like neutering it ... and so much happens that the summary is pages long ...)

[Brucey]

Did anyone in the UK manage to pick this up? Seems no stores recieved it in their shipment.....

I need my GLC :(

[Superbeast]

Did anyone in the UK manage to pick this up? Seems no stores recieved it in their shipment.....

I need my GLC :(

I went to Time Trek in Bromley to pick mine up. Only had 4 copies when I went, but they had them.

[Karl O'Neill]

Did anyone in the UK manage to pick this up? Seems no stores recieved it in their shipment.....

I need my GLC :(

Hey dude, GLC #31 never shipped to Ireland either this week which is annoying.

I need my Green lantern fix:)!

Hopefully it will arrive this thursday.

[Elitehaxxor]

Corps doesn't disappoint as usual. Been one of my favorite books since the Corps Wars, enjoying this title more than GL: Secret Origins right now. Looking forward to more Mongol, loved his arch starting at around issue 20 (I think that was it). Great stuff.

[JCAll]

The Guardians review their decision on the Third New Law and settle on it. It's clarified - no inter-Lantern relationships. Relationships with people outside the Lanterns are acceptable. Organisms must breed, after all. Just no inter-office dating.

I wouldn't count on that to hold. The first rule was that Lanterns could kill the Sinestro Corps, then the guardians turned right around and mad the second was that they could kill any enemy. The third is that they can't love eachother, the fourth could very well be that they can't love at all. Which would fit with what the Guardians have been doing lately.

[stingerman]

I liked this issue as well.

I am curious when the SS shows up, and wonder if she will be able to turn Kryb -- assuming she frees the Corps -- what will happen when they want Kryb dead?

It should be interesting!

[Retrodork]

The cliff-hanger looks a bit like a resurgence of the 'women in refrigerators' syndrome; ie, really bad things happening to women characters. I hope she survives this, and it would be damned interesting if that new Star Sapphire recruit shows up to rescue her, wail on Kryb and break the hold on the captive GLs in the process.
As for the third law, the Guardians are seriously shooting themselves in the foot with this third rule. Talk about not being able to see the forest for the trees. For nigh-omniscient immortals, they have made some seriously stupid mistakes over the years and demonstrate over and over again that their draconian methodology has never worked out well in the long run.

[Mundungus]

This issue was great! Tomasi and Gleason are my two favorite collaborators right now. I don't know who comes up with the ideas, but the little easter eggs that show up in Gleason's work always add depth to the book.

Based on last issue, I thought the Guardians were going to ban all relationships from the Corp, not just between Lanterns.

[Lupek]

I am late again, but having just read this, it was a very good issue. Kryb is a genuinely frightening villain and the scenes with Amnee Pree were terrific.

I'm missing Guy though. He is the star of the book to me.

[Mundungus]

I'm still curious why the Third Law was only inter-Corp relationships. Though different intelligent species have had romantic relationships, I didn't think there was too much of that in the Corps. There are two Lanterns per sector and usually from different planets.

Plus, the incidents with Corp families seems to be happening off-Oa. Like Ke'Haan's and any other nameless members.

[Superbeast]

I'm still curious why the Third Law was only inter-Corp relationships. Though different intelligent species have had romantic relationships, I didn't think there was too much of that in the Corps. There are two Lanterns per sector and usually from different planets.

Plus, the incidents with Corp families seems to be happening off-Oa. Like Ke'Haan's and any other nameless members.

Emotion clouds people's logical thought process and will power. With lethal force enabled, a GL must be willing to take out any lethal threat posed, no matter the circumstances. If for a moment they are afraid to take a shot, particularly the Earth GLs who have him trapped in their rings, it gives power to Parallax and will weaken their constructs as they will not be focused. Also seeing as how Laira's expulsion and murder of Amon Sur was related to her feelings for Ke'haan, maybe they just don't want anyone else compromising their own role or concentration in a fight because of emotional attachment to their fellow ringslinger in danger.

[Karl O'Neill]

The cliff-hanger looks a bit like a resurgence of the 'women in refrigerators' syndrome; ie, really bad things happening to women characters.

jeez, Any time a writer does something or suggests something bad will happen to a female character people mention "women in Refrigerators".

I hate that term.

what about men in cupboards!

[Superbeast]

jeez, Any time a writer does something or suggests something bad will happen to a female character people mention "women in Refrigerators".

I hate that term.

what about men in cupboards!

I thought the whole WIF thing was about killing "defenseless" female characters as a plot device. As far as I can tell Amnee Pree was alive and actually kicked some serious ass before the other GLs dogpiled her.

[40footwolf]

I honestly think it sort of crossed the line.

I have no problem with that sort of f'ed-upedness...a lot of the time it's in my favorite comics...but I don't really think that a forced birth is really the kind of thing that belongs in a Green Lantern comic.

That last page really wigged me out, and that's not really the reason I read Green Lantern comics.

[XS23]

Hey, at least she wasn't being devoured by a cannibalistic mutant.

[Superbeast]

I honestly think it sort of crossed the line.

I have no problem with that sort of f'ed-upedness...a lot of the time it's in my favorite comics...but I don't really think that a forced birth is really the kind of thing that belongs in a Green Lantern comic.

That last page really wigged me out, and that's not really the reason I read Green Lantern comics.

The CCA is dead. Comics have ratings for a reason. Besides, I'd say a C-Section is a lot less nasty than the Red Lanterns vomiting their guts out or some of the dead bodies left in Kryb's wake.

The fact it wigged you out is a good thing since obviously Kryb is coming across like a nasty P.o.S. intergalactic childcatcher and you must have went "this... is is just too villainous for my comics!" which suggests you are as freaked by the situation as the Amnee Pree character.

To me if a fictional character is in a situation even you go "that's not right!" over, that's a compelling story you've bought into on an emotional level. It might not be why you read GL, but don't tell me you aren't hoping Amnee Pree is going to survive with her baby once this is all over.

[40footwolf]

Dude.

The Red Lanterns puking blood isn't on any sort of level of disturbing. It's just juvenile nonsense. Yanking a baby out of somebody's womb and then killing them is like...Tanantino-esque.

I'm not disputing that it makes her a "good" villain, but it doesn't make something too "villainous" for my comics, it's just a level of perversity that really, REALLY transcends just about any "mainstream" DC comic I've read in, like...ever.

I'm about as far from a prude as you can get-I love "The Boys", "The Walking Dead", "Miracleman", "Punisher MAX"-it's just that all of those are clearly showing you exactly what they are. If you're going to have what amounts to a gang-rape in the middle of a storyline about magical space cops, then for Christ's sake at least give us a heads-up, eh?

[Karl O'Neill]

They don't use magic, The GLC are technology and AI based. even cosmic.

Alan scott's power does come from the starheart though. which is highly magical.

[40footwolf]

I wasn't being literal, bro.

[Mundungus]

I agree with 40footwolf that it is a very polarizing ending. I let it pass when I read it, because I think that hanging the book on that note, DC knows that they can't actually depict a sick monster like Kryb from performing that, especially ON-PANEL. Next issue something or someone, like the new Star Sapphire, will intervene and save the day.

What I've noticed with Tomasi is that he doesn't do the, "THIS CLIFFHANGER WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS!"

During the Ring Quest arc, there was an issue where the team was left in the throes of Mother Mercy. You knew they were going to make it out in one piece or another, but how? They haven't ended on pure shock factor or senseless revelation. Every issue ends with the characters painted into a corner that we have to wait a month to find out how they get out of it.

Amnee Pree left helpless while Kryb prepares to cut out her baby is a polarizing, but strong emotional hook for readers to come back next issue to make sure Amnee and her baby are okay.

[Karl O'Neill]

Sorry, but i have to respectfully disagree again.

See below for Polarising. if one person is complaining or 2 people in this thread suggest WIR how the heck is that Polarising?

it would make sense if 10 people said it, and 10 people didn;t agree. but so few have suggested it.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Polarising

[Superbeast]

Dude.

The Red Lanterns puking blood isn't on any sort of level of disturbing. It's just juvenile nonsense. Yanking a baby out of somebody's womb and then killing them is like...Tanantino-esque.

I'm not disputing that it makes her a "good" villain, but it doesn't make something too "villainous" for my comics, it's just a level of perversity that really, REALLY transcends just about any "mainstream" DC comic I've read in, like...ever.

I'm about as far from a prude as you can get-I love "The Boys", "The Walking Dead", "Miracleman", "Punisher MAX"-it's just that all of those are clearly showing you exactly what they are. If you're going to have what amounts to a gang-rape in the middle of a storyline about magical space cops, then for Christ's sake at least give us a heads-up, eh?

You equate a C-section to gang rape? Really? What midwives have you watched? :eek:

[XS23]

I don't see anything wrong with that scene. Nothing is happening to her yet, and she'll most likely be rescued next issue (at least, I hope so). It's not any different that the cliffhanger with the train bearing down on the damsel in distress scenarios of old.

[Mundungus]

Sorry, but i have to respectfully disagree again.

See below for Polarising. if one person is complaining or 2 people in this thread suggest WIR how the heck is that Polarising?

it would make sense if 10 people said it, and 10 people didn;t agree. but so few have suggested it.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Polarising

I can't speak for everyone, or that there are probably many people who read GLC that don't frequent forums that might have found the ending polarizing. It is a very strong ending that not everyone might have felt comfortable seeing. Base it on assumption, then. If two people on this forum feel that it was unsettling, then it's possible that other people might feel it, too.

[40footwolf]

You equate a C-section to gang rape? Really? What midwives have you watched? :eek:
Look at that last page again. She's being restrained against her will. Kryb is about to tear open her womb and take her child from her, which is in effect a penetration. The way everyone looks, too, like they're having fun with it, and the way Kryb is almost obsessed with her body give it the air of exactly what it is-a rape.

It's subtextual, to be sure, but that doesn't make it any less screwed up.

[Superbeast]

Look at that last page again. She's being restrained against her will. Kryb is about to tear open her womb and take her child from her, which is in effect a penetration. The way everyone looks, too, like they're having fun with it, and the way Kryb is almost obsessed with her body give it the air of exactly what it is-a rape.

It's subtextual, to be sure, but that doesn't make it any less screwed up.

I don't see rape. I see forced C-Section. Removing a child and forcing yourself on someone sexually to me are quite different. Maybe I just haven't watched enough tentacle related anime or Klute recently but I don't see any rape subtext.

[Mundungus]

Maybe it's birth rape. Forcing the birth of a baby against its due date for one's own pleasure.

[40footwolf]

Maybe it's birth rape. Forcing the birth of a baby against its due date for one's own pleasure.
I'm not saying that you're saying that jokingly, but I will say that if you are, it's probably more likely that that's something that exists than you think. I saw sexual overtones in that scene, and maybe I'm reading into it too much, but I don't think I am.

[XS23]

I'd say it depends on one's interpretation. I didn't think rape when I saw that page.

[Karl O'Neill]

This is what villains do guys! I have a pregnant girlfriend and yet this still didn't bother me in the least.

The Godd guys always win:)