Heads will roll as players change teams.
We're now into our fifth chapter of the event and finally, the main meat of the story has started.
Status-ques are dramatically altered this issue and the resistance gains a significant advantage.
What did jolt me a little is something at the very end, but otherwise it was a very entertaining and progressive issue.
Johns continues to writes Luthor in a balanced mode, but Sinestro is there in all his fearful glory.
Finch seems like the right artist again as his pencils are very good and detailed but I feel like his Sinestro isn't up to the mark. There were hints of problems in the last issue only, and they are compounded here. Sinestro doesn't look like Sinestro here.
SPOILERS FOLLOW..........
While Sinestro takes on a escaping Power Ring, Luthor and his team (along with Batman and Catwoman) take on Deathstroke's group.
Thankfully, this doesn't devolve into just a fistfight as we get to see some mind games taking place, with Luthor able to manipulate Deathstroke into changing teams and killing Copperhead.
Aside, Manta blasts Shadow Thief apart when she engages Captain Cold. I thought this was the end for her, but having seen her in another book that takes place after Forever Evil know she wasn't another casualty of this issue.
But the biggest name to fall was, yes you guessed it, Power Ring. Sinestro is enraged at the destruction of a yellow power ring and hunts Earth 3 Hal Jordan down, even as his ring berates him for being so cowardly.
Sinestro first slices off Power Ring's ring arm and it leaves him to die. Hal is able to say thank you before Sinestro reduces him to bones.
At the batcave, Ultraman searches in vain for the kryptonite ring when Grid informs him that Power Ring is dead. But it seems something bigger has happened when the ring released a pulse across the multiverse.
As Sinestro regroups with Luthor's group (where Lex and Batman are having a morality issue but Bruce is losing), he informs them he is leaving as his objective has been done. We get some information on the current status of the Green Lantern Corps, and Sinestro's contempt of their methods.
Black Adam agrees and Lex is able to convince Sinestro to stay so that he can show Jordan (the GL one) what a true leader is.
Bruce tries once more but is glared down (Johns is really taking Batman down a peg) and has no choice but to go along with Luthor's plans.
Ultraman and the Syndicate meanwhile arrive at a cliff in York, Maine. A dimensional tear (?) has appeared in his horizon.
I was overall delighted by how this has played out. Lex's manipulation, Sinestro's cruelty and Deathstoke's mercenary spirit all get moments to shine even amid the battle thoes. Batman is a bit player here and even if it's not something I like, it is something that must happen here.
This is a revolution of villains turning into anti-heroes. The shades are all at play as it takes but a moment for Slade to turn to Lex's side (and humanity's) and kill his former team-mate.
I may be on the side of angels, but don't ever mistake me for one - these words are what come to mind when I read these exchanges.
Power Ring's death was expected. He was the weakest member of the Syndicate and as Sinestro explained to Batman, if you try to fight your ring, you and your ring both become weak.
Sinestro had tried to recruit Bruce to his side before (I'm hoping Johns entire GL run is still in continuity) and his conversation here was very interesting. Bruce may be an agent of fear but he's still reluctant to give into it and thus, remains but an amateur to Sinestro's mastery.
And now for the dimensional tear! What being is coming through it? I thought that it was Darkseid (given the Villains Month Darkseid issue showing the New God raining hell on the Multiverse Earths) but it seems I was wrong.
So, who is it? I think we're about to get the first New 52 appearance of the Monitor here.
But this begs the question, how will this affect the final two issues? Is there enough space to take down the Snydicate and whatever is coming to Earth without it feeling rushed and a cop-out?
SPOILERS END...........
This was an entertaining read which progressed the event rapidly, but as mentioned above, two things were somewhat puzzling.
The art by Finch is probably his best in recent memory and Johns continues good characterization for several 'villains'.
Looking forward to what Johns brings next.
So, I give it 9 out of 10
+Some great characterization
+Finch returns to form
+The plot is paced beautifully
-The ending poses some problems
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