Green Lantern #56

Oh Lordy, but I loved this issue so.

We begin with look at the fantasies of Hector Hammond. And let me just say that Doug Mahnke's version of Hammond is MOST disturbing. In a wonderful way of course. In his dreams, Hector is the one with the ring, fighting off a deformed Hal, and saving Carol...until he's rather rudely awakened by the literal cold shower, administered by some sneering guards. But it never pays to be rude to Hector Hammond, as he ends up getting some help from an unexpected source...mainly the disembodied voice that we've been hearing for a while.

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Hal is having a nice conversation with a rather charming local sheriff, who isn't too happy with the crime spree that has broken out ever since Larfleeze moved in. Oh, and could Hal possibly get his wife's pink flamingo back? Not to mention his squad car. I'm rather delighted by the portrayal of the sheriff, who looks like...a real person! Plump, balding and an adorable cop mustache, he's completely believable.

Hal's search for Larfleeze leads him into the woods, bedecked with colored lights, and various orange constructs and a veritable MOUND of stolen stuff. This is about the point in the book where I began to lose it, and started snickering uncontrollably. Hal asks Larfleeze relatively politely, all things considered, to get the hell out of town. Larfleeze however, has other plans. He LIKES it here on earth, and he has made a HUGE discovery. Santa Claus! He's planning to rake it in, and there's nothing that Hal can do to talk him out of it. Interestingly enough, Sayd is nowhere to be found, as she's on a...mission.

Hal iS interested in exactly how Larfleeze managed to imprison his entity, known as Ophidian the Tempter in his lantern, as this is knowledge that could come in quite handy in his search for the rest of the emotional entities. But just then, who should show up, but our Pal Hector! AND, he manages to snaffle the orange lantern to boot! The ensuing battle between Hal, Larfleeze and Hector is simply amazing...and hilarious.

In the middle of all of this, we do make a brief jump to Nanda Parbat, where St. Walker is paying his respects to the former Question, while accompanied by the current Question, Renee Montoya. It's a rather poignant moment. I like St. Walker. He's just so...so NICE! And the Hope entity also shows up.

Back at the ranch, Hector manages to swallow the orange lantern...with surprising results! The Ophidian is freed, and he's mighty pissed.

This was just a great book this month. It's funny, and fast paced, and lots of exciting things happen, and the artwork is simply stunning. There is SO much going on in practically every panel, that it is worth the time to simply go through and LOOK at it after reading it, in order to get all of the sight gags. Even the pink flamingo shows up.

It doesn't have Guy in his underwear, but what the heck...it's STILL fabulous!