Sinestro #4

By Cullen Bunn, Rags Morales, & Jason Wright

Sinestro #4 continues the adventures of Sinestro and his band of Yellow Lanterns following the slaughter of the Guardians. Sinestro searches for a new meaning for his life, starting with regaining control of his Corps, and the loyalty of his daughter.

Issue #4 introduces the Paling, a band of aliens looking to destroy all forms of emotion across the Universe (sound familiar? It is). The concept of these villains rivals that of the Guardians, although these guys pose much less of a threat. This issue was descent in a lot of aspects, like the characterization of Sinestro, the action scenes were engaging, and the art was spectacular. However, the villains were particularly weak; both in character and in threat, and the hype of the cover promised more than the cover could deliver. Cullen Bunn knows this character inside and out. When reading the thoughts of Sinestro you’d think he’s been writing in Sinestro’s head for years. The supporting characters are diverse and likable. It’s nice to see the inclusion of others as opposed to the story being solely focused on Sinestro, which could get old fast.

Rags Morales (Identity Crisis, Action Comics) has proven his skill as an artist’s time and time again. He continues his tremendously talented work here in Sinestro. Morales is an artist who brings a large varying set of skills, proving that there is really no scene he can’t capture and no situation he can’t create. In Sinestro #4 we see action, excitement, and intimate moments, all represented greatly through his art. He knows the mechanics of poses and placements in a shot not allowing for anything to appear awkward or out of place. Morales’ facial expressions have always been one of the highlights of his art. It is proven here that this book could be filled with plain shots of faces and still be considered visually entertaining. Space and extraterrestrial planets look beautiful in this comic, and a lot of the credit goes to colorist Jason Wright whose colors have an almost painted quality to them. Colorists on Lantern-related books deserve just as much credit as anyone else considering the challenges that come with all the colors, shades and reflections of light. Wright and Morales’ talents combine to make a great looking comic much like all Lantern books.

Although the cover is a little misleading and the defeat of the villains was less than spectacular, Sinestro #4 succeeded in its art and presentation and was successful in drawing readers into the mind of Sinestro and how he views himself, his allies and his battles. This series has proven to be a great expansion of the Green Lantern lore that is sure to thrive for a long time.