Rating: *** 1/2*

Another great issue by Geoff Johns and artist Doug Mahnke.  We pick up where we left off in the last issue with Sinestro and Carol Ferris being confronted by a bunch of Black Lanterns.  Sinestro narrates our story and talks about his friend the Green Lantern, Abin Sur, and his obsession with the prophecy of the darkness that would sweep across the universe - The Blackest Night.  The Guardians and Sinestro himself thought Abin was insane and Sinestro confesses that his biggest regret is not believing in his friend.  This is a much more sympathetic Sinestro than I’m used to.  I have a love/hate feeling when a villain is shown to have reasons behind his villainy.  I think some people are just bad and there’s no reason.  Still the back story is interesting.

The group of Black Lanterns that are attacking are lead by Abin’s brother Amon and they battle it out with Sinestro and Carol until Hal Jordan and the Indigo Lanterns arrive to assist in the fight.  Hal is upset because Indigo 1, the leader of the Indigo Lanterns, took Hal away from the other JLA heroes in their fight against another group of Black Lanterns.  Being long-time enemies, Hal and Sinestro of course end up fighting each other.  Indigo 1 interrupts their fight and talks to Sinestro about her past meeting with Abin Sur.  Sinestro wants to know what she knows of Abin, but more Black Lantern rings arrive and resurrect more of the dead.

Back in Space Sector 1313, John Stewart has witnessed the resurrection of the planet Xanshi as a Black Lantern.  Within the planet, a green light is shining and John hears a voice saying that he can help him save them.  “Them” I’m assuming means the people who were killed on Xanshi, which John blames himself for.  It’s a green light so is it a Green Lantern within the Black Lantern Xanshi?

We then see a GREAT fight between Sinestro and Mongul for control of the Sinestro Corps.  Hal and Indigo 1 try to assist, but Sinestro tells them to back off as this is his fight.  When it looks like Sinestro is about to lose, he’s able to use all of the surrounding yellow power ring light to take him out and Mongul lays defeated.  At first I thought he was dead, but Sinestro keeps Mongul in a “state of pain” in order to prevent him from turning into a Black Lantern.  When the Black Lanterns are defeated only then will he kill him. 

The reunited Sinestro Corps pledges their allegiance to Sinestro and Sinestro announces that he will be leading the coalition of all of the Lanterns Corps against the Black Lanterns.  He feels that it is his duty to fulfill the mission of Abin Sur in defeating the Blackest Night.  Speaking of Abin, he and his sister Arin arrive on the scene resurrected as Black Lanterns ready to do battle against Sinestro and all that stand in their way.  We end here.

Great issue.  The battle between Sinestro and Mongul is the highlight of the book climaxing with a big splash page of Sinestro’s yellow power ring lights acting as spears tearing through Mongul’s body.  Although Sinestro plans on killing Mongul, I’m sure he’ll escape somehow and we’ll be seeing Round II in this battle sometime down the road.

Doug Mahnke does some fine work here.  His artwork is suited for Green Lantern and his adventures.  Hopefully he stays on the book.

If you’re already reading the Blackest Night series, you’ve picked this one up already so I don’t have to recommend it to you.  Next month’s issue deals with the fight between the Blue Lanterns and Agent Orange.  Looking forward to it.