The April solicitations came out before I woke up today (damn nocturnal hours) and the Internet is abuzz with a sigh of disappointment.
April is an ending month. Infinite Crisis Ends on April 19th. Seven Soldiers ends on April 5th. 52 doesn't start until May. Wonder Woman doesn't relaunch, neither does The Flash or JLA. These solicits are well into the OYL story, but they can't give much away witgout giving away these endings. I think it's fairly natural to feel a certain let down for this month's solicits.
Basically, for new stuff we have Checkmate #1 and Ion #1 on April 26th. The very next week after Infinite Crisis #7, which heavily implies that their storylines depend on events in that book.
ION #1
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Greg Tocchini
Cover by Ivan Reis
Following the events of INFINITE CRISIS and the RANN/THANAGAR WAR SPECIAL, writer Ron Marz (GREEN LANTERN) returns to the character he created, giving Kyle Rayner an entirely new lease on life in a new ongoing series with art by rising star Greg Tocchini (1602: New World, Thor: Son of Asgard)! A distraught Kyle Rayner has emerged one year later, transformed with abilities that may surpass those of any Green Lantern ever. So beware his power...because his might may not be on the side of right. For a signed edition, see Dynamic Forces section of Previews.
On sale April 26 • 1 of 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US Edited by Eddie Berganza
There's a bit been made of it on Comic-Bloc and on the Newsarama thread that the book is solicited like a maxi-series ("1 of 12") but it states its an ongoing. I'm not sure what to think about that.
As you may have learned from James, Ron Marz is already dropping hints for the nature of the Ion series. He's very careful about what he says about Kyle, but he has no problem ruining the ending of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. (To his credit, he left Citizen Kane out of this.)
"I will tell you that due to events in the Rann-Thanagar Special, Kyle finds himself with quite a bit more power as his disposal. But adjusting to all that power is ... problematic."
"When the series opens, it is indeed 'One Year Later'. Kyle's been through quite a lot, and he's trying to put his life back in order. He'd like nothing better than to have time to paint and get his head together. But events transpire that won't let him do that. Something happens that pulls him back into space."
Which all begs the question, what happened to make him still so upset a year after the event? Kyle generally recovers easily.
The first Green Lantern story I ever read was Green Lantern #91, which is a story about Kyle getting tortured by Desaad, and flashing back to the day before where Donna had up and left him. Marz had a fondness for flashbacks and dream sequences that entire run, actually. It's very possible this first storyline is set during the One Year gap, and we open with Kyle reflecting on the events of the past year, or even relating them to another character.
And there's a clearer version of the cover, but I still don't think it's the final product. You can see Guy and John in the background, though. Everybody who's ever been and Earth Lantern is standing there behind him. Fairly symbolic.
But I'm still wondering, why cover the face?
I like this thought of a "sacrificed" humanity of Kyle's part. Especially when you think about he's usually seen as the most "human" GL of all.
ReplyDeleteAs for the covering of the face, well, the idea of being physical disfigured still could hold water.
But how about THIS idea I just thoguht up. If Kyle's not always going to be on the "side of right", perhaps the mask is meant more symbolically as him being the "executioner" of the Guardians. You kow, someone to do the "dirty work" that they don't allow themselves to do.
That would not only play into the mask covering his face and not being on the "side of right" thing, as well as the "sacrificed humanity" and how he is still part of the GL Corps in some fashion.
You know, the more I think on this, the more I'm liking it.
... Is it April yet? ;)
I'm excited about this as well. But I have to say... I don't think Kyle "recovers easily" at all. He still hasn't gotten over Alex, after all...
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to Kyle, I don't think you can get over something like that.
ReplyDeleteAs for an ending month: I generally enjoy them. I am very much looking forward to this ending month - I not only get to see some endings, but I can save money to buy Showcase volumes!
Martin's right, that was meant to always be witrh him. But he still did recover. I base my idea of Kyle's resilience on the Alex thing. He might still bear the scars, but he was not distraught for weeks afterwards. He was sad, but could still handle things. He coped so he could live day-to-day life and even get another romance, even though he still misses her so much that all other girls he goes for are just like but with powers. He's sad, but he's not still "distraught."
ReplyDeleteThis sounds (and looks) like a year after the fact he still can't even cope with the event enough to get through the day. He's still adjusting one year later. That's trauma.