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Preview: Green Lantern: Mosaic #8

Posted on October 6, 2019 by pharoahmiles

I remember the first time I saw the movie Gremlins. I was all of 12 years old and was more than excited to watch the movie in the theater with my friends. What I did see was nightmare fuel for my adolescent imagination for days to come after. The movie would spawn a sequel that I enjoyed. It captured what was both enjoyable and frightening about the genre.

You can see the movie’s influence in pictures like Slither and Mars Attacks!. It took what was scary but sprinkled a hint of dark comedy in it. In the eighth issue of Green Lantern: Mosaic, we find Jon in the middle of a battle between some fun-loving aliens and determined humans.

We’re taken to a world where suburbia is being attacked by aliens and Chicano gangsters are under siege by these space invaders. This is where the humans are forced to call John into action. He finds out firsthand just how turbulent things are between the two factions. As John gets deeper into what is truly dividing them he finds out there are more forces at work.

Overall, an engaging issue that despite some of its dated and problematic portrayal of racial archetypes, is still fascinating as a story. The story by Gerard Jones is entertaining. The art by the creative team is beautiful. Altogether, an issue which shows how far we have come.

Story: Gerard Jones Art: Cully Hamner and Dan Panosian
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Green Lantern: Mosaic #7

Posted on September 7, 2019 by pharoahmiles

Seth McFarlane has changed television forever. He leaves fans wondering what he will do next. His show Family Guy helped redefine what an animated family television show could be, making way for many imitators. Then there’s American Dad, which was a crazier version of what the typical American family is supposed to be. As far as his live-action television ventures they’ve been hit or miss.

His show Dads was definitely something not watchable. I personally couldn’t get through a whole episode. His newest venture, The Orville, has got to be one of the better science fiction shows in recent memory. What most people thought was going to be a parody of Star Trek, feels like its spiritual successor. Within the last season, there was a storyline where a supposed alliance became a secret plan to invade and overtake, making a once-beloved crew member, a sordid villain. In the seventh issue of Green Lantern: Mosaic, John Stewart is caught in a war between two factions, where one looks to destroy the other.

We find John breaking up a skirmish between a tribe of native Americans who have been uprooted and a group of mystics who hate each other and often call him in to stop a fight. This leads him to look for a long-term solution, one that would give both parties what they want and John the peace he has strongly desired since entering this world, as he finds it out of all places, in music. As it soothes both parties but ultimately envelopes John himself. By issue’s end, John and both factions find serenity in the very thing that overtook them in the first place.

Overall, a head-trip of an issue, one that confuses but still amazes the reader. The story by Gerard Jones is smart and immersive. The art by the creative team is captivating. Altogether, a story that shows even your worst fear can be your greatest joy if given the chance.

Story: Gerard Jones Art: Dan Panosian and Cully Hamner
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Green Lantern: Mosaic #6

Posted on August 24, 2019 by pharoahmiles

As a fan of Star Trek, I have always been fascinated with how deftly Gene Roddenberry used his art form as a platform. He often left fans of the show pondering things beyond the surface entertainment. There’s a reason so many people have shown their devotion to the franchise. For good reason. The show pushed its viewers when other shows were just mindless entertainment. It often made their audience peer into their hearts and minds and subscribed to the concept that each person must do better for all of humanity.

Every franchise that came out in the 1990s made the band even stronger. As my favorites were Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Both shows gave fans a deeper look into this universe. One of the best stories to come from Roddenberry’s mind was from the original series, “Arena.” It gave viewers a battle of brute and smarts while asking what’s the reason for the fight in the first place. In a fight similar to Kirk and Gorn, we have a fight between two Lanterns, both of equal skill in the sixth issue of Green Lantern: Mosaic.

We find John as he meditates only to be interrupted by Kilowog. Kilowag has brought his recruits, Kreon and Boodikka, to train with him on Mosaic. He starts by doing a quick mind scan showing their elevated disgust for each other. As he utilizes their worst fears, and turns it against them, only for them to work together. By issue’s end, John has gotten these two to work together, proving to Kilowog, that sometimes pushing beyond their limits, is the only way you know where they truly lie.

Overall, this issue adds a layer of depth to this book. The story by Gerard Jones is reflective, intellectual, and expertly plotted. The art by the creative team is stunning. Altogether, an issue that will make readers see just how powerful this book truly is.

Story: Gerard Jones
Art: Albert De Guzman, Dan Panosian, Steve Mattsson, and Cully Hamner
Story: 10 Art: 9.8 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Green Lantern: Mosaic #5

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team

One of my favorite movies of the 1980s is Inner Space. It was the first time I was introduced to both Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid. I was well aware of who Martin Short was, thanks to his hilarious Saturday morning show, The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley and before that when he created the same character on SCTV. The movie was one of Joe Dante’s most mainstream forays and definitely one of his funniest efforts to this day.

The movie starred Quaid as a military pilot who volunteers for a miniaturization experiment. Through a series of events gets into Short’s character which leads to him hearing Quaid all the time. He eventually seeks out Quaid’s girlfriend, Ryan’s character, to uncover the plot to steal the technology. As the best part of the movie was the many funny conversations between Quaid and Short. In a twisted version of that movie, we find John and Hal fighting it out in a mind war in the fifth issue of Green Lantern Mosaic.

We find Hal visiting John and Rose. His main purpose for coming to Mosaic is to bring Rose back with him, something that doesn’t sit well with either men. Hal uses his considerable skills to overpower John and probe his mind and brings up many of his regrets, from the lives he lost. Just when Hal thinks he’s got John down and out, he purports a gambit of his various personas, one that outmatches Hal. By issue’s end, John has beaten Hal, knowing that there is more to a fight than victory.

Overall, this issue exemplifies why years after its publication, people love this book. The story by Gerard Jones is introspective, intelligent, and expertly plotted. The art by the creative team deserves to be in any museum. Altogether, an issue that will have comic book fans want to see more introspective issues like these.

Story: Gerard Jones
Art: Albert De Guzman, Dan Panosian, Steve Mattson, and Cully Hamner
Story: 10 Art: 9.7 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Green Lantern Mosaic #4

Posted on June 8, 2019 by pharoahmiles

The Twilight Zone is one of those shows that has many imitators but very few could stack up to the original. The Outer Limits had many influences from the show, as it sought to tell its own bizarre stories. Even today, many shows teetered on the line of strange and fantastical. One such show is Room 104. It pushes the limits while remembering to tell a story.

There are also a few episodes of Donald Glover’s Atlanta, specifically the “Teddy Perkins” episode, that felt close to suspense/horror. Then there’s the spiritual predecessor of Black Mirror, which gives fans everywhere a new vision to be terrified of. As what the Twilight Zone sought to do, was not to terrify, but to provoke thought. In the fourth issue of Green Lantern Mosaic, fans find John rescuing some humans who are trapped in a television show.

We meet a young man named Frankie whose parents start to act strange, then his friend then his neighbors, all without warning. As they have been trapped in this Mosaic world on their way home, their parents become tranced by this world, as their desire to go back to Earth becomes lessened by their hosts, and only the children can see what is really going on. As what is beyond their homes, Frankie and his friends find out one night exactly what lies ahead.

Overall, a great issue that gives fans a detour of the familiar to tell a truly interesting story that is part of a bigger tapestry. The story by Gerard Jones is beautiful and enigmatic. The art by the creative team is vivid and lovely. Altogether, an outstanding issue that gives readers more than your typical Green Lantern story.

Story: Gerard Jones Art: Cully Hamner and Keith Aiken
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Green Lantern: Mosaic #1

Posted on April 21, 2019 by pharoahmiles

When it comes to comics, the big two usually makes carbon copies of each other’s characters with slight tweaking. Look at the actual names of Deadpool and Deathstroke, two characters who are universally loved by everyone who follows them. They both have the same occupation but their personalities are where the differences begin to splinter. Eventually, comic fans make their own mind up on which version is superior.

Another such “coincidence” is the Green Lantern Corps and the Nova Corps. Both are galactic space forces ensuring the safety of the universe. I never quite caught on to the allure of the Nova Corps but definitely loved the Green Lantern Corps and the various men and women who wielded the Lantern Ring. One of my favorite Green Lanterns is John Stewart, a daunting hero in his own right and one which I wished had his own book. Fortunately, he did have a series back in 1992, Green Lantern: Mosaic.

We find John Stewart as he introduces the reader to the wonders of the Mosaic world, where everything is and is not what it seems. As John protects this world, he is also very much part of it, as he reveals that his also an alien within these confines. As we find out a bit of history behind the character and the struggles he endured while on Earth. By issue’s end, this new world of his own making is more than he could ever have dreamt of.

Overall, a fascinating almost psychotropic trip that both the reader and the character go on to understand what we have stepped into. The story by Gerard Jones is enigmatic and captivating. The art by the creative team is alluring. Altogether, an excellent story which feels like Star Trek with superheroes.

Story: Gerard Jones
Art: Brian Stelfreeze, Albert De Guzman, Cully Hamner, Dan Panosian, and Steve Mattson
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy