Comic Book Review: Star Trek/Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds #3
“Captain’s Log, supplemental. En route to rendezvous with John Stewart and the other Green Lanterns, The Enterprise has come under attack.”
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01MT9T7ZI” locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]Star Trek/Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds #3[/easyazon_link] is a wild roller coaster that will shock, amaze, and just possibly blow you away with how much is jam packed into just this one issue.
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”500″ identifier=”B01N9T3U71″ locale=”US” src=”http://boundingintocomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/61rxBN0053L.jpg” tag=”bounintocomi-20″ width=”329″]
Writer Mike Johnson and artist Angel Hernandez touch on a number of different storylines. Whether it is Hal, Carol, and the crew of the Enterprise dealing with the Manhunters, Sinestro seeking out Oa, or Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Kilowog confronting a newly awakened Kahn, it is edge-of-your-seat reading all the way through.
Johnson does an excellent job jumping between the different storylines. He builds up to a point of tension only to take us away until he builds up the tension again. He repeats this formula until we are finally left with a cliffhanger. It keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire read. It’s beautifully paced and keeps your attention all the way through. You want to know about each storyline and none of them have a dull moment. And I mean no dull moments! In fact, there are some shocking moments that are completely unexpected. They will completely blindside you.
Along with the excellent pacing and excellent storylines is some fantastic characterization whether it’s Larfleeze’s greed on full display as he talks to himself after overhearing a pair of Klingon servants or seeing Kahn’s rage escalate to levels you didn’t think possible.
The dialogue is great. Johnson expertly captures the budding relationship between Hal and Kirk. The scenes between Larfleeze and Sinestro are just pure villainy. And Khan. Holy crap, the dialogue with Khan is exceptional from explaining his new appearance to confronting Kirk and Spock. It drips with menace and rage.
Angel Hernandez’s artwork is decent. He definitely is able to convey everything that is happening whether it is a fight between lanterns or expressing a bevy of emotions with facial reactions and body language. However, there are some parts of the combat scenes that feel a little too cartoony. For example, he adds these splash effects to a whip-like choking attack; combined with the victim’s facial features, it gives the combat an almost comical feel when it’s an extremely serious life or death scene.
The page layout design is pretty standard superhero fare. He does use some different shaped, four sided polygons to spice up the action and create a kinetic feeling. Hernandez also keeps the action flowing with characters flying out of the hard lined panels – showing the true ferocity of the attacks. His use of inset panels also does a great job of highlighting a character’s emotions as he usually gives us close-ups of their head and shoulder areas.
Mark Roberts’ colors are great. It gives the book a unique look, combining almost a retro look with modern stylings. One of the stand-out points is his heavy shading and application of dark colors to Khan’s army. It makes them extremely menacing, but also completely deferential to Khan who bursts with color. It is obviously apparent they are his followers.
If there is a complaint, some might say the colors are a little flat. This is definitely noticeable when Hernandez zooms in on a ring hand and there is energy pulsing out of it; except, it isn’t at all formidable or powerful. In fact, it looks just like smoke and completely nonthreatening. However, in this same panel, Roberts is able to evoke a menacing tone by adding in white to the ring to draw your eye and showcase overflowing power. The white really symbolizes just how hot and angry one is.
The Verdict
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01N9T3U71″ locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]Star Trek/Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds #3[/easyazon_link] is the best in the series to date. The book has everything you want from a crossover superhero/sci-fi comic. There is witty dialogue, engaging action, huge surprises, space exploration, great characterization, and some solid artwork. There are just a few minor issues with the art and coloring and easily overlooked by the great story that is encapsulated within. If you aren’t already, add this to your pull list, you won’t regret it.
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