Review: Green Lantern Corps Vol. 5- Uprising

Quick Summary

Pros: The book’s first half is entertaining on its own and builds up excitement for the second half. The second half details a compelling war between powerful forces. This war remains thrilling and contains enough surprises to stay interesting all the way through. The artwork is positive in most places.

Cons: Some aspects of the book’s romance are handled poorly. The artwork is lackluster in some places.

Overall: This is a particularly enjoyable and exciting volume for the Green Lantern Corps series. It has a captivating narrative throughout, solid moments from many of its characters, and a crossover with the Green Lantern series that works out for both parties. It stumbles in a few places but, for the most part, is well-written and interesting. This volume will really appeal to readers looking for a fun and exciting take on the Green Lantern Corps.

Story

Green Lantern Corps Vol. 5: Uprising, by Van Jensen and Robert Venditti, continues the entertaining storytelling that has been present since this series began. The first half of the volume has the Corps still focused on rebuilding while also indicating that war is on the horizon. Then, in the book’s second half, this war breaks out in truly epic fashion. The entire journey from pre to post-war is fun and contains enough twists to ensure that the reader will never know exactly what is going to happen next. The only real problem is that the John/Yrra romance comes across poor in some places. However, for the most part, this is a quality read with plenty to offer. 

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The opening chapters in Uprising are excellent in moving the narrative of this series on from the previous event and building action toward the next major story arc. They have the Green Lantern Corps adopt several criminals into their rank, trading off their sentences in exchange for their service. These chapters then go on to introduce the shapeshifting Durlans, who pose an immediate threat to the Corps. In general, the action throughout these chapters is enjoyable and gives the reader the impression that something even more enjoyable is about to go down.

Then, the narrative in Uprising goes from building up a war on the horizon to depicting that war as it breaks out. This crossover between the Green Lantern series and the Green Lantern Corps series essentially details a war between the Green Lantern Corps and numerous other alien groups, all of whom are being coaxed into war by the Durlans. It is a very compelling war that sees both sides use creative strategy and intense power to try to one-up their opponent.

The best part about this war though, is its ability to constantly defy expectation. At first, it appears as if the war is a relatively straightforward attempt by the Durlans to grab power from the Green Lantern Corps. Then, it is slowly revealed that the entire war is a smokescreen designed to distract the Corps while the Durlans commit two genocides in order to advance their species’ evolution. Then, once it seems like their plan was stopped, Fatality is revealed to have been a Durlan the entire time, nearly allowing her to salvage the Durlans’ entire operation. Watching the war evolve makes the reader truly hate the Durlans and appreciate John’s effort to keep them at bay for so long. These twists also keep the narrative tense, as the reader is never quite sure what is going to happen next.

Not everything about this finale works great though. While the twist concerning Fatality’s impersonation is thrilling, it also implies a sexual assault that feels too far over the line. Then, the real Fatality’s reappearance seems to contradict previously established lore about the Violet Rings, seemingly making them more like their brainwashing counterparts in the Indigo Tribe. Also, in general, the quick way in which the John/Yrra romance breaks down is a little disappointing, especially considering how long this romance was built up.

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Art

The majority of the artwork in Uprising is positive. Bernard Chang provides some wonderful looking work in the Green Lantern Corps portions of the read. It accurately conveys emotions and action, which are two of the most critical pieces of the narrative. I also enjoyed how specific panels would shift color in order to emphasize a specific moment of emotion or action. Meanwhile, Billy Tan’s work on the Green Lantern portions of the read looks bold and dynamic. It helps make the war seem more grandiose and stand out better.

Unfortunately, there are also a few places where the visuals take a turn for the negative. Occasionally, the art style will shift dramatically and without warning. This works out well to show flashbacks in the chapter about the Durlan’s history but does not work nearly as well in later chapters. This only happens a few times but does manage to break the otherwise enjoyable consistency of the visuals.

Continuity

Green Lantern Corps Vol. 5: Uprising continues the story from Green Lantern Corps Vol. 4: Rebuild (Review).

The story here continues in Green Lantern Corps Vol. 6: Reckoning (Review).

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• Someone sent out a message as Hal Jordan and caused an explosion in Green Lantern #27, collected in Green Lantern Vol. 5: Test of Wills (Review).
• The Green Lantern’s officially ceded control of a space sector to the Red Lanterns in Red Lanterns Vol 1 28, collected in Green Lantern Vol. 5: Test of Wills (Review), Red Lanterns Vol. 5: Atrocities, or Supergirl Vol. 5: Red Daughter of Krypton.
• The events of Green Lantern Corps Vol. 5 #31-33 make a number of references to recent events in the Green Lantern series. This mostly includes the characters’ actions from Green Lantern Vol. 5 #28-30, collected in Green Lantern Vol. 5: Test of Wills (Review).
• Daxam was conquered by the Sinestro Corps in Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #33, collected in Green Lantern Corps: Emerald Eclipse.  
• Sodam Yat became host to the Ion entity in Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #17, collected in Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War. 
• Sodam Yat had previously made Daxam’s sun yellow in Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #37, collected in Green Lantern Corps: Emerald Eclipse.