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I have not had any exposure to Green Lantern before deciding to tackle the mythos via Traitor, which actually features three Green Lanterns scattered throughout different eras. So I got introduced to just how powerful the ring is, in a rather wild story involving a powerful villain's various attempts to spread the apocalypse throughout the cosmos.
The villain is Traitor, destroyer of his own planet, worshipper of destruction and genocide for its own sake. Successive Green Lanterns, with various allies--including the Atom--attempt to stop him as he tries to explode suns or fry inhabited worlds. The best part is the third episode involving Kyle Rayner as GL, kidnapped and forced into one-on-one combat with Traitor in deep space. It's a pretty impressive battle despite the fact that one of the reasons I have never really taken to Green Lantern is that he wields a ring that creates things like giant boxing-gloves or green missiles. His powers--and his weakness against all things yellow-- always seemed a bit silly to me. The scale of the fights in Green Lantern: Traitor did show me, in impressive fashion, that the ring is an awesome weapon, and that the objects created by it are merely physical
manifestations of an incredible power. Science indistinguishable from magic, as the saying goes.
Having said that, this is not a classic tale from the comics--though Traitor makes a lasting impression while being a major health hazard to three Green Lanterns and countless planets. The middle episode--featuring a lot of shrinking and innerspace shenanigans thanks mainly to the Atom, and some weird use of the green ring whether being used by Hal Jordan or the Atom--is an exercise in fuzzy-logic plotting...somewhat confusing. And I've never been a fan of Gil Kane's artwork. It seems stiff and awkward to me, while his character's faces all look as if they have the same bone structure. The earlier chapter, featuring penciller Mike Zeck's version of the Old West as disrupted by super-powered skirmishes as well as swarms of bullets, is fun to look at, if nothing spectacular. As I indicated, I was happiest with the art showing the last battle--pencils by Scott Kolins. Even that can't match the cover art for the graphic novel, done by Greg Staples, or most of the covers from the original comics, reprinted inside, by Staples, Glen Orbik, Laurel Blechman, and Alex Ross.
This served--for me--as a safe, action-packed introduction to a major DC hero. Not tied into any other DC plotline of the time...at least not in any major way...so not overly confusing, except, as I said, when planets start getting shrunk and placed inside Green Lantern's ring, where they might expand or explode, or threaten other sub-atomic planets, or--whatever, give me an outer space deathmatch instead, like the one at the end, any day.
And it was weird seeing Jean Loring before--well, that's another story. I don't want to spoil anything.
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Basic story line is that this evolving alien named Traito is destroying the universe and Green Lanterns stop him.
Fist a lantern named Starkaor battles him and gets hurt so much he dies passing his ring to Abin Sur, Abin finds and battles Traitor in the 1880's America (wild west) and traps Traitor inside his ring. (Good action, well writen, nice art)
Abin later dies and passes the ring to Hal. With the unknowing help oif the Atom, Traitor escapes the ring shrinkingthe Earth into the ring and freeing himself. With the help of Atom, hal brings Earth back to regular size adn knocks Traitor into the sun. (Gets confusing at times, action is done poorly and Hal doesn't play much of a role)
When Kyle bacomes Green Lantern Traitor returns better than ever wanting revenge on all GL's. After a simple storyline, Kyle weakens Traitor and locks him inside the core ofa planet and all is well in the universe. (Fighting Taitor is space alows for some good action, simple storyline, well drawn)
All in all I think this is a worth wild buy just to get a little more insight into Abin Sur and to see how three different lanters would battle the same type of villian.
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basically the story's about this super villain called Traitor and the different generations of green lanterns that fought him. i thought that overall the comic was good, but i must admit that hal jordan's part was really cheap. abin sur's story was interesting because it's set in the wild west. the real reason for buying the comic though is kyle's part, because kyle has all the action and creativity.
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I recently purchased this GL graphic novel to add to my collection and was deeply disappointed with the stories. I found the writing style to be somewhat childish (aimed towards a teenage/pre-teen demographic).
The concept of continuity through the intro. of a new villian in GL's rogue's gallery was good. Unfortunately, I wasted my money on this drivel. The only thing of note besides the artwork was the attractive book cover.
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When I read these issues in regular comic format, it felt too disjointed as I had to wait month to month for the next issue. With the stories not being particularyl strong plotwise, I was pretty much ho-hum about the whole series of issues. But in tpb form, for some reason the story works for me. We see the arch villain Traitor tackle Green Lanterns from past and present starting with Abin Sur to Hal Jordan and, finally, to Kyle Rayner. It's not the greatest story, but I think it's worth picking up in tpb. If anything, it's a good addition to your GL collection.
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