Batman: Streets of Gotham #8 & Green Lantern Corps #44

Since I've got a few early classes tomorrow, I'm going to cut the small talk and get right into these two reviews. We'll start this post off with the most recent issue of Streets of Gotham, which is written by Mike Benson as opposed to regular series writer Paul Dini.

Batman: Streets of Gotham #8: Writer: Mike Benson. Pencils: Dustin Nguyen.

The gist of this issue is that some unknown party is killing several low-lives in Gotham City, which leads to Commissioner Gordon turning to Batman to figure out who's responsible. After checking out two of the bodies, Bats realizes that both of the dead men frequented the same sleazy nightclub. Upon further investigation, he discovers a picture of one of the dead men with one of the women who worked at the club. Bats decides to go undercover into the club in order to find the woman from the picture to see what kind of information he can glean from her. Upon finding the woman and setting up a "date", the two leave the club and are accosted by the woman's former boyfriend, who tells Dick that the woman will only bring him pain and misery. This issue concludes with Dick arriving at the woman's apartment just as an armed man prepares to kick the door in.

Eh. I was enjoying the Zsasz storyline, so I've got to say I'm a tad bit disappointed that nothing occurred in this issue to further that story. This issue was OK, but it's obviously a stock, filler issue to be used when the regular writer of a series is unavailable. I'll be looking forward to issue #10 when we get back to the Zsasz storyline. As for this comic, it was perfectly acceptable, nothing more, nothing less.

Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.NEVER get in Dick Grayson's way when he's on a *ahem* "date".

Green Lantern Corps #44: Writer: Peter J. Tomasi. Pencils: Patrick Gleason.

We open this issue with the battle between the forces of the Green Lanterns and their allies trying desperately to hold off the Black Lantern horde... Oh yeah, plus Guy Gardner is still a Red Lantern and is pretty much attacking everything indiscriminately! The Black Lanterns continue to focus their attack on the Central Power Battery, and actually manage to topple the entire structure. After the dust from the fallen Power Battery settles, Kyle spots Guy still cutting through the Black Lantern forces, and since it was Kyle's death that transformed Guy into a Red Lantern to begin with, Kyle decides to convince Guy that he isn't dead, and that Guy needs to let his rage go. Kyle is able to momentarily reach Guy, but before long, the red ring takes back over and Guy becomes convinced that the real Kyle Rayner is still dead, and that the man speaking to him is a Black Lantern trick, which causes Guy to attack Kyle. While this is occurring, Mogo(who had arrived near Oa last issue)decides to purge Oa, and sucks every organic being, Black Lantern and Green Lantern alike off of Oa and onto Mogo. Upon reaching the surface of Mogo, it sucks the Black Lanterns under its surface and sends them down to its core, where they would burn for all eternity... Wow, remind me to never piss Mogo off... Anyway, this issue ends with Red Lantern Guy Gardner approaching the Green Lanterns on Mogo, presumably to kill them.

As I usual, I thoroughly enjoyed this issue of GLC. While I thought the defeat of the Black Lanterns at the hands of Mogo was a little bit too neat and tidy for my taste, everything before that was top-notch. Peter has done a great job in his Blackest Night x-overs in showing the futility of the Green Lanterns when it comes to facing down their Black Lantern counterparts. If not for Mogo and to a lesser extent Red Lantern Guy Gardner, the GLC really had no answer for the Black Lantern forces. Next issue we get Guy Gardner vs the Green Lantern Corps, which should be a blast and a half!

Score: 8 out of 10.You know what? I think Guy is a much better fit as a Red Lantern then a Green one.