![]() ![]() One of the things this series has struggled with is having a stable art team. Are we really supposed to think that Jessica can contact Darkseid on demand? That the power ring has a sense of humor now Where this issue does succeed is in providing a multi-layered approach to Simon Baz Having the power ring tell Jessica that her attempt to call Darkseid went to voice mail isn’t good humor, it’s a cheap attempt to get a chuckle which makes no sense. I’m sure Humphries is a witty guy but his attempts at humor in this book are dead on arrival for me. ![]() Let the art team convey some of those emotions or express some it in dialog, just mix it up a little already. I’ve also said it before that Humphries needs to dial back the characters introducing themselves and inner monologuing so much. And then Rami’s reaction to the approach of the Dominators was to flee in panic. I’m left scratching my head that the Green Lanterns, members of the Justice League, somehow thought that the best course of action was to let Rami scan the area for bad guys rather than take him to the League for protection. However Rami is left to the distant background meditating as the punchline to sight gags until the end of the issue when he abandons what protection he has crying like Paul Revere that the Dominators are coming. Last issue Rami revealed the Phantom Ring and implored the Green Lanterns to protect them both. And then there are some technical flaws which are just plain silly. It’s a one sided affair that has no balance with action or plot development. I get the need for developing Simon but there needs to be something beside that to round the issue out more. ![]() If you’re like me and aren’t sold on the characters you may find this issue barely tolerable. There’s so much emphasis on character here that there’s little to no room for anything else. While the character work is the issue’s strong point it is also what serves as its greatest weakness. The Green Lanterns take on their next challenge, baking ![]() It does, however, seem a little too convenient that Simon thinks Jessica has proven herself so simply considering her performance so far. Here Jessica supports Simon when he’s vulnerable and seeing him open up to Jessica is a real sign that he’s moved on from his posturing when Hal Jordan first forced them to work together. That Humphries has put the interpersonal issues between Jessica and Simon is a double edged sword because even though the friction between them serves as a good source of tension and plot complication it also can become a crutch and undermine two characters who need to work together. Humphries does a great job showcasing what’s going on under the gimp mask in what I think is his best work on the series so far. Simon’s own insecurities are on full display and we learn a lot about why he’s made some of his poor life choices. So far Humphries has put major emphasis on Jessica Cruz and her many, many insecurities at the expense of her co-star and with Humphries making Baz look like a jerk so far this issue goes out of its way to humanize Simon which is long overdue. The first part of “Family Matters” is a character study piece that will be hit or miss for the reader depending on what your looking for from a Green Lantern book. With the first arc of Green Lanterns concluded writer Sam Humphries takes a pause to focus on the relationship of Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz in this week’s seventh issue. ![]()
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