Egad! There are a whole lot of interesting things going on in this issue, some of them quite amusing, and some just a little mindboggling.
We begin with Sinestro and Atrocitus hot on the trail of the Rage Avatar, which they track to a prison in Montana. Putting Atrocitus and Sinestro together is...and interesting combination. But they do manage to keep from eviscerating each other, although Atrocitus does lose it when he comes across a bunch of murderers, and engulfs them in bloood or fire or whatever it is that he engulfs them in. Sinestro, finds this all to be QUITE amusing, picturing the look on Hal's face when he finds out what Atrocitus has done.
Hal in the meantime, is hanging out on Zamaraon with Carol. He can't believe that she's going to go ahead and assume the position of Queen, and...as usual...tries to make it All About Hal. Carol is apparently keeping the Predator as something of a pet,which Hal doesn't like at all. That's ok, the Predetor doesn't like Hal either. When Hal starts to press Carol, she finally has enough, and tells him that she'll be coming home when her job is finished, and oh, by the way how's Cowgirl?
Carol rocks.
In Michigan, a fourteen year old girl has disappeared. Turns out it IS the worse possible situation,she's been kidnapped by some creep...but it's ok because she forgives him. Unfortunately for him, the Hope entity Adara shows up, and well...All Will Be Well.
Larfleeze is having some trouble dealing with the loss of his Lantern, and the poor schlub who was possessed by the Predator last issue, picks exactly the wrong time to bring up some of the things that he saw in Larfleeze's heart. Larfleeze can be such a comical character that it is easy to forget that he's actually QUITE dangerous...as Abraham Pointe finds out. Fortunately for him, Hal shows up and tries to rein Larfleeze in. When Hal gets a bit sanctimonious, telling Larfleeze that he can't cross the line, Larfleeze points out...rather accurately...that HAL is the one crossing the line all the time by even working with such people as himself, Atrocitus and Sinestro.
Before Hal can say anything, St. Walker shows up, all happy and giddy, because Adara has risen. On Oa, Salaak is wondering why Hal hasn't shown up with any prisoners for the science cells. Voz and Larvox point out that maybe Hal is just taking some time off, but Salaak isn't buying it. Oh Salaak, I love your curmudgeonliness.
St. Walker is all thrilled about Adara, Hal is less so, since she IS only a kid. She does instill a bit of hope in Larfleeze about his family, and then she stuns Hal by telling him that HE has hope too...but he's afraid to show it.
Wait...Hal AFRAID of something? Say it ain't so!
And...just then, Barry shows up, and he's not particularly happy about the company that Hal has been keeping. THIS is going to be very interesting.
The art is gorgeous of course. I find it rather amusing that Hal just seems to be along for the ride, as it were, everyone else is making things happen, and he's trying to ride herd on this very disparate bunch of misfits while chaos is going on all around him. Knowing Hal, something is going to blow up sooner or later. Probably sooner.
Fabulous.