Green Lantern Corps No. 56
The Corps are in a rough position, trapped in the clutches of Qwardians, as Earth's mightiest lanterns, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner, can only watch helplessly as their comrades are quickly becoming prisoners of war.
The Weaponer, their enslaver, is a villain of the most epic proportions. With an arsenal full of the universe's most dangerous weapons, he alone has the power to hold the Emerald Warriors in his malevolent grasp. However, The Weaponer has made a fatal mistake: he has upset the master of fear, and Sinestro isn't one to take offenses like these laying down. This issue's brawl between the Qwardians and their obnoxiously yellow opponents is a graphical phenomena. Tyler Kirkham and pro-inker Batt produce a stunning battle that drips off the page, as the rings of Oa paint the skyline in a haunting amber and emerald mix.
Stewart's stalwart performance in this issue radically changes the outcome of the fight, and, with the arrival of Sinestro to the battlefield, the Qwardians need it. For those looking to study up on the current lives of the lanterns before the movie hits theaters later this year, this story arc is a great place to start.
The Amazing Spider-Man No. 652
Since becoming the sole writer in issue No. 648, Dan Slott has produced a spectacular comic week after week. "The Amazing Spider-Man" is humorous in nature, yet thrilling enough to keep every reader's Spider Sense tingling the entire issue, and this week is no exception.
As Spidey confronts a cohort of insect-related villains, his near-perfect life generally goes from good to bad at the end of every issue. Besides the run-of-the-mill superhero acts found in every other comic, Slott writes about the web-slinger's home life in a beautiful way. Covering everything in Peter Parker's life from his new job to his new love interest and Aunt May's recent marriage, Slott writes a comic that is impossible to put down.
This issue, while a little too J. Jonah Jameson-heavy for most, plots a fantastic vision for the next few comics in the series. This comic's conclusion is an absolute cliffhanger, as both Colonel John Jameson's and Spidey's lives are put on the line as a recent Horizon Labs astronautical venture goes asunder.
This series is in great hands, as all iterations of this extraordinary comic should be on every comic book reader's pull list.
Jurassic Park No. 1
As 2010 fades into the sunset, publisher IDW kicks off a new year of ink-endowed goodness with what should have been a triumphant return to a '90s staple with Jurassic Park. Sadly, IDW forgot about the two driving factors that made the series a fantastic prehistoric adventure: Steven Spielberg and some sort of actual plot. Without one of these, the series would fail, and without both, this issue is just an abominable excuse for a comic book. This issue, subtitled "The Devils in the Desert," is more reminiscent of a parody of Spielberg's classic work than an additional story arc. Writer John Byrne has a repertoire of comic book writing worthy of pantheon status, yet the dialogue in this issue borders on idiotic. The suspenseful tone that Byrne sets in its opening pages morphs into a sad attempt at a Western thriller, as dinosaurs don't even make a substantial appearance until the issue's closing pages.
This comic is an absolute catastrophe. A prolific writer, plus the greatest dinosaur movie of all time, should equate to a memorable comic experience, yet "Jurassic Park No. 1" disappoints on all accounts.
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