War Of The Green Lanterns - Gotta Love It!

It’s been about 4 years now since I last re-visited Green Lantern and realized why I had this penchance for rings when I was a kid. Fast forward to today and after major yearly crises that has plagued OA and the rest of the DC Universe; I am still hooked and proud to be a Lantern at heart. Reading War of the Green Lanterns this month as it only came out in hardcover and compiles the entire storyline via different issues of Green Lantern and Emerald Warriors; Geoff Johns has once again won my heart and proved why he is the man who wears the DC crown.

Touted as the big crisis following the successful and my favorite GL crisis, Blackest Night and its 3 part sequel, Brightest Day, one would think that there would not be another crisis than can come close to equalling these past 2 big events. And it so happens that they didn’t have to create another villain to spin a brand new crisis that would incapacitate and affect our ring wielding friends because they already have one in their midst. And this came in the form of a renegade guardian named Krona. The hardcover 10-issue compilation collects the different runs of the storyline as it appears in Green Lantern #63-67, Green Lantern Corps #58-60, Emerald Warriors #8-10.

Having met Krona first in the 80’s series, Crisis on Infinite Earths and then have him associated with past DC events like Infinite Crisis and the 2 most recent GL crises, it was but natural that they bring him back to finally tie up loose ends with his fellow Guardians and to give Krona the centerstage attention that he so long desired. (I’m not saying, deserved either)

With Krona’s entrance, it’s also the resolution of the damage that the so called Guardians have had to answer for. From the secrets and lies that they told in order to keep the Lanterns in the dark of what they must not know and limit their knowledge to what they need to know, this war was very much a war among the Guardians themselves and not just confined to their Green “police squad”. Following the events of Green Lantern: Brightest Day, we find our hero Hal Jordan working alongside with the other members of the different corps, branded as such by the Guardians as enemies, in protecting the various emotional entities from Krona’s influence.

So far Krona has succeeded in obtaining all the emotional entities (Ion for Green; Parallax for Yellow; Ophidian for Orange; Butcher for Red; Adara for Blue, Proselyte for Indigo and Predator for Violet) and have “led” this temporary truce-bound group of lanterns to the Planet Ryut; which is in Sector 666, and homeworld of the red lantern leader, Atrocitus. This same planet where his Red Lantern, representing the emotional spectrum of rage, was formed and tragically is also site of the massacre of his people by the robotic Manhunters made by the Guardians eons ago.  According to the Book of Oa that contained a history of the Lantern Corps, the Manhunters were robots manufactured by the Guardians to ensure peace in the galaxy but a glitch in their basic programming caused them to massacre everyone on the planet Ryut and thus begin Atrocitus’ lifelong dream of exacting his revenge on the Guardians.

On Ryut, the multi-colored Lanterns fell susceptible to the Book of the Black kept by Krona and protected by now Black Keeper Lyssa Drak who once was a member of the Sinestro Corps and wielded a yellow Ring that represented the emotional spectrum of fear. The Lanterns were thus given a glimpse into the true secret that the Guardians have kept for so long. The “secret” was actually the omitted and torn out passages or journal entries from the Book of Oa and were replayed in their minds as they are strapped to the book by Black Chains for the duration of their “virtual history lesson”.

As the book shows, Krona was one of the original Guardians hailing from the planet Maltus who sought out the meaning of life; the origin of creation. 

He was a brilliant scientist that dared to question and in his result bungled his own experiment and created the opposite of all life called The Anti Universe. For this and for recognizing the existence and use of emotion to which the Guardians were totally against he was sentenced to death and was in pursuit by the Manhunters. The book further revealed, much to the horror of all that It was Krona who re-worked the programming of the Manhunters and to randomly select a world to kill; a point which he had hoped to bring across to the Guardians that he meant business. That an “emotionless” police force is not without flaws and must be corrected.

Having thus learned the truth, the Lanterns were sucked into the book, but not before Sinestro and Hal detonated their own rings and enabled Hal to be free of the chains that bound him. Which was well and good, had it not been for the arrival of several Green Lanterns lead by Salaak who were commanded by the Guardians to arrest Hal and bring him back to Oa for sanction.

Krona as this time had already returned Parallax, the yellow entity of Fear into the central battery and have begun manipulating the bearers of the Green Lantern ring thru Parallax and was havin them fight against Hal, former Guardian Ganthet (but now a self inducted Green Lantern), John Stewart, Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner.

That basically is the gist of the run of the storyline and I’m stopping here lest I be tempted to reveal more spoilers. Just like my favorite GL crises, The Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night, this compilation has all the action that any GL fan has come to love and expect with its own share of character introspection and plot twists. Only when I re-read this a second time did it dawn on me that Hal for all his bravado and will is turning out to be rather Machiavellian in his ways and it is perhaps in this that the Guardians have begun to fear him and regard him as a threat; that he perhaps could be another Krona in the making. But in his defense, Hal is aware of the radical steps that he has taken and in one panel, has admitted he has bitten off more than he can chew at the height of this crisis.

Suffice to say, Johns has given us another reason to love the Green Lantern Corps and what it stands for and in the process have given two major lanterns a shot of soul searching and redemption. If you like your reads action packed and unpredictable  then 

War of the Green Lanterns is a must this holiday season. And although the end certainly paves the way for the new reboot of the franchise by way of the new-52 by DC, I can only imagine the next chapter that all our favorite Lanterns would have to go through following this devastating blow of a war. No one said that war will exempt the brave and the lucky ones from being a casualty. But after this, the word “casualty” is certainly being redefined as the Corps itself is being reshaped and put into the ringer. Power up Poohzers. Time for a new beginning!

Pisces Twittascope, Friday, December 9, 2011

Pisces Twittascope, Friday, December 9, 2011

Today...I Got HIT!

Today I got hit by a jeep.

Or to be more accurate, I was side swiped. And the impact left me down on the ground in disbelief & in shock.

What was different with today?

It was another Friday where I commute because the plate number of my car falls under today & I must either comply with the rules & adjust my driving time to fit the "open window" of 10am-3pm as I'm in Makati or refrain from using my car today. Given the continuing increase in gas prices, and it being a Friday, the logical thing was to use public transportation. I wasn't rushing when I got out of the house today. In fact, had much ample travel time at my disposal. With my Ipod playing India Arie, I casually walked a couple of blocks to take the jeep that would bring me to the MRT & then down at the Ortigas Center where I worked.

Perhaps it was because I was in high spirits & feeling carefree that all I saw was what was in front of me; which was a jeep slowing down to park just across the street. Perhaps it was also my thick-framed glasses that added to the blind spot & obstructed my peripheral vision. Whatever the case I stepped down from the curb & hoped to reach the jeep in time. And that's when it happened. I was suddenly struck with a force that spun me around so fast that the next thing I know was that I was on the ground with my arms out, my glasses on the street, a throbbing pain on my right knee & the feeling of being woozy. Instantly I know that I had been hit by an oncoming vehicle that came from my left & narrowly missed running me over. The driver stopped and was asking me if I was alright. People who saw what happened equally asked how I was feeling.

In truth, I felt nothing. I knew I didn't hit my head on the curb but instead grazed & banged my knee.

But I felt nothing.

I didn't get angry at the driver and like the old man in Disney's, UP actually shooed him away even when my mind told me to get his plate number should I decide to press charges. Immediately I knew there was a lesson to be learned here. Instantly I knew I was being alerted to something. Could it be the wake up call I needed to get myself out of my own devised inertia & finally scout & go for that job that I want? Could it be a reminder as well to finish that novel I've most recently revisited?

Or is it The Universe or Dad's way (from the ethers, that is) of shaking some sense back into me; to jumpstart me back into action? Either way I consider it a lesson learned & message received. And I thank my friends who took the time to call & inquire about my well-being. Either way you look at it, life, inspite of its upsets, drawbacks, delays, demands, doldrums and whatnots is still the best experience to have.

Thank you Universe.

 Message Received.

Today...I was HIT!

Today I got hit by a jeep.

Or to be more accurate, I was side swiped. And the impact left me down on the ground in disbelief & in shock. What was different with today? It was another Friday where I commute because the plate number of my car falls under today & I must either comply with the rules & adjust my driving time to fit the "open window" of 10am-3pm as I'm in Makati or refrain from using my car today. Given the continuing increase in gas prices, and it being a Friday, the logical thing was to use public transportation.

I wasn't rushing when I got out of the house today. In fact, had much ample travel time at my disposal. With my Ipod playing India Arie, I casually walked a couple of blocks to take the jeep that would bring me to the MRT & then down at the Ortigas Center where I worked. Perhaps it was because I was in high spirits & feeling carefree that all I saw was what was in front of me; which was a jeep slowing down to park just across the street. Perhaps it was also my thick-framed glasses that added to the blind spot & obstructed my peripheral vision. Whatever the case I stepped down from the curb & hoped to reach the jeep in time. And that's when it happened.

I was suddenly struck with a force that spun me around so fast that the next thing I know was that I was on the ground with my arms out, my glasses on the street, a throbbing pain on my right knee & the feeling of being woozy. Instantly I know that I had been hit by an oncoming vehicle that came from my left & narrowly missed running me over. The driver stopped and was asking me if I was alright. People who saw what happened equally asked how I was feeling.

In truth, I felt nothing.

I knew I didn't hit my head on the curb but instead grazed & banged my knee. But I felt nothing. I didn't get angry at the driver and like the old man in Disney's, UP actually shooed him away even when my mind told me to get his plate number should I decide to press charges. Immediately I knew there was a lesson to be learned here.

Instantly I knew I was being alerted to something. Could it be the wake up call I needed to get myself out of my own devised inertia & finally scout & go for that job that I want? Could it be a reminder as well to finish that novel I've most recently revisited?

Or is it The Universe or Dad's way (from the ethers, that is) of shaking some sense back into me; to jumpstart me back into action?

Either way I consider it a lesson learned & message received. And I thank my friends who took the time to call & inquire about my well-being.

Either way you look at it, life, inspite of its upsets, drawbacks, delays, demands, doldrums and whatnots is still the best experience to have.

Thank you Universe.

Message Received.

For Heaven's Eyes Only - Secret Histories Book 5

We all know or have heard of the expression, NO Rest for the Wicked. But perhaps a tad of that was forgotten or could be reworked for this novel, as there is certainly No Rest for the Ones who faced the Wicked! In this case, the new bad in the continuing Secret Histories series by award winning author and my fave, Simon R. Green.

Last we saw our hero, Edwin Drood, he was stabbed and left for dead in Book 4, From Hell With Love, after confronting the accursed Immortals who infiltrated the ranks and the family of Droods to assassinate their leader, the Matriarch. Although they were also successful in storming Castle Frankenstein to battle down the Immortals with the help of Frankenstein’s spawn, it was finally time for Eddie to get some peace and quiet.

But peace and quiet were not exactly what he had when the book opens up with a scene in a ghost dimension, or  Limbo, and has Eddie running up and down a cold, glass-frosted, and desolate looking Drood Hall. He’s all alone and hasn’t found a living soul to talk to except finding and talking to members of his family who already have died or those foes or friends that he has dispatched and died from the service of protecting the world from supernatural bad-asses, as that’s what the Drood Family does.

The Droods, all clad in their indestructible and retractable, Golden Armor, are our defense against the supernatural horde who want to lay claim to the world that is ours. In Limbo, Eddie encounters someone telling him, and alluding to it successfully, that his parents are actually alive. And of course, Eddie being the hero of our tale, never really was dead, as his girlfriend, the powerful witch Molly Metcalf comes into Limbo and brings him out.  Although he was nearly dead, he wasn’t quite so as Molly had the initiative of transporting his heart elsewhere; to a secret location and thus he couldn’t be killed. Dear reader, this was also a trick that Molly did in Book 4 when I thought she was a goner. I know, spoiler! Me bad.

But moving on, Book 5 continues on the mayhem and doubt instilled in the previous book and brings in a new malevolent force slated to create havoc in the world, by way of a Satanic conspiracy. The need to know who’s behind it and how deeply the organization has infiltrated the British and other governments of the world in preparation for the much touted, Great Sacrifice; once revealed was shocking enough to make me shake my head in disgust. Disgust, not from the writing or plot points, but for what it entailed for its success. Ah, Green, you still amaze me with each book outing.

Suffice to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this 5th book and urge anyone to not read it in random order but to start where it all began. From new characters like powerful telepath, Ammonia Van Acht, Charlatan Joe, Lady Damnation, Indigo Blue, the adorable spirit named Poof that finally has revealed itself and guards the Drood Library, to other noteworthy recurring and revealing characters like the Drood lovers Roger Morningstar and Harry Drood, the novel offers the same witty dialogue, repartee and snappish remarks between Molly and Eddie and also between other members of the Drood clan make this another classic Drood read for me.

Just when I thought Book 3 tired and burned me out early and left me for a revitalized reading, Books 4 and 5 certainly did that. And with another cliffhanger to top all endings, I fear that I may have to wait too long for the next book to come out next year. And because this is the supernatural James bond adventure that we have all come to enjoy and love with each release on the life of a Drood, Book 6 is aptly titled, Live and Let Drood.

Frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Where’s my Martini?

Shaken…not stirred. Please.

For Heaven's Eyes Only- Secret Histories Book 5

We all know or have heard of the expression, NO Rest for the Wicked. But perhaps a tad of that was forgotten or could be reworked for this novel, as there is certainly No Rest for the Ones who faced the Wicked! In this case, the new bad in the continuing Secret Histories series by award winning author and my fave, Simon R. Green.

Last we saw our hero, Edwin Drood, he was stabbed and left for dead in Book 4, From Hell With Love, after confronting the accursed Immortals who infiltrated the ranks and the family of Droods to assassinate their leader, the Matriarch. Although they were also successful in storming Castle Frankenstein to battle down the Immortals with the help of Frankenstein’s spawn, it was finally time for Eddie to get some peace and quiet.

But peace and quiet were not exactly what he had when the book opens up with a scene in a ghost dimension, or  Limbo, and has Eddie running up and down a cold, glass-frosted, and desolate looking Drood Hall. He’s all alone and hasn’t found a living soul to talk to except finding and talking to members of his family who already have died or those foes or friends that he has dispatched and died from the service of protecting the world from supernatural bad-asses, as that’s what the Drood Family does. 

The Droods, all clad in their indestructible and retractable, Golden Armor, are our defense against the supernatural horde who want to lay claim to the world that is ours. In Limbo, Eddie encounters someone telling him, and alluding to it successfully, that his parents are actually alive. And of course, Eddie being the hero of our tale, never really was dead, as his girlfriend, the powerful witch Molly Metcalf comes into Limbo and brings him out.  Although he was nearly dead, he wasn’t quite so as Molly had the initiative of transporting his heart elsewhere; to a secret location and thus he couldn’t be killed. Dear reader, this was also a trick that Molly did in Book 4 when I thought she was a goner. I know, spoiler! Me bad.

But moving on, Book 5 continues on the mayhem and doubt instilled in the previous book and brings in a new malevolent force slated to create havoc in the world, by way of a Satanic conspiracy. The need to know who’s behind it and how deeply the organization has infiltrated the British and other governments of the world in preparation for the much touted, Great Sacrifice; once revealed was shocking enough to make me shake my head in disgust. Disgust, not from the writing or plot points, but for what it entailed for its success. Ah, Green, you still amaze me with each book outing.

Suffice to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this 5th book and urge anyone to not read it in random order but to start where it all began. From new characters like powerful telepath, Ammonia Van Acht, Charlatan Joe, Lady Damnation, Indigo Blue, the adorable spirit named Poof that finally has revealed itself and guards the Drood Library, to other noteworthy recurring and revealing characters like the Drood lovers Roger Morningstar and Harry Drood, the novel offers the same witty dialogue, repartee and snappish remarks between Molly and Eddie and also between other members of the Drood clan make this another classic Drood read for me. 

Just when I thought Book 3 tired and burned me out early and left me for a revitalized reading, Books 4 and 5 certainly did that. And with another cliffhanger to top all endings, I fear that I may have to wait too long for the next book to come out next year. And because this is the supernatural James bond adventure that we have all come to enjoy and love with each release on the life of a Drood, Book 6 is aptly titled, Live and Let Drood.

Frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Where’s my Martini, shaken…not stirred. Please.

Trese - Book 3- The Best of the Lot!

To say that I was expecting a good read from my continued foray into the supernatural world of Alexandra Trese & her ghoul-fighting righthand Twins is an understatement. In fact, it was an awesome read! 

Expecting another series of paranormal vignettes stitched together with creative storyline by Budjette Tan & sharp depictive drawings by Koji Baldisimo plus the promise of more clues & hints to questions that loyal readers have wanted to be answered were just some of the expectations that greeted me when I started book 3.  But when I saw that it opens with a murder & in walks Anton Trese into the scene with our heroine, I knew that this was not just another book to be added onto the series, but rather was the beginning of a history lesson; one that should not be hurried.

At first seeing Anton Trese alive with no preamble whatsoever, it initially got me confused but having trusted the material so far, I owed myself as a reader to be led into the journey. We immediately pick up that this is a prequel and see that Alexandra has always been into the family business. And at 16 she had promise & held her own supernatural ground when enemies come knocking. But in the course of the reading, Alexandra along with her father uncovered the presence of the Bukidnon god of war, Talugbusao, connected in a series of murders. On top of that she must take care of its accursed progeny & face 3 trials to prove her worth as a champion, being the 6th child of the Trese line.

I don’t want to say a lot and give too much detail about the plot but let me just go out on a limb and say that Budjette has certainly brilliantly and cohesively weaved a tale that brings everything full circle in this 3rd book and like my favorite Tv show, Charmed, their 3rd season, as well as Book 3 of Trese provides the best writing of the series so far. With much care, not to mention creativity, in presenting Alexandra Trese both as a new player in the supernatural community and one who doesn’t shirk away from responsibility, I hope that Budjette has fully accepted that his responsibility to us the readers is to continue to give us amazing Trese adventures with each book outing while celebrating the culture that is ours; that is Filipino.

Fans of the Kambal will have a lot to cheer about in this one. I know I did! (And loudly too while reading).

More power Budjette and Kajo. May you always be inspired to equally inspire us all. If you love art, it will love you back.

Now off to…..work….and with Book 4 in tow. hehe