Customer Reviews

Green Lantern: Brother's Keeper

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 1994 Judd Winick (the writer of this comic series as represented in this graphic novel) was one of the featured cast on MTV's "Real World". He wrote a very moving (and much awarded) book called "Pedro and Me" based on his friendship with his HIV positive roommate on the show, Pedro Zemora.

Why is this relevant to this Green Lantern comic? Because Mr. Winick has a gift for taking the complex and making it accessible. For writing a comic book that deals with issues, but stays in the genre, and more importantly - stays true to the characters already established.

The story arc in this graphic novel concerns one of gay-bashing and its handled excellently, with no easy solutions and no cliched answers. The emotions are real.

Visually, the pages pop with very well done art and ink, but it is the combination of the strong imagery with the polished and thoughtful writing that make this novel stand out.

Try this graphic series - you'll be introduced to a much overlooked and very human superhero (The Green Lantern) and still be entertained with a well written and thought provoking (but not preachy) story.

Starts out unevenly, middle section very moving, ending predictable. Rayner is just filling time for Jordan. It's alright.

The first half was decent, and the only reason I gave it the stars that I did. It was a nothing-special Green Lantern story, worth reading at the library if you've nothing else to do. The art was really what helped the book along here.

To say the second half was disappointing would be an understatement. Quite honestly, it was simply a poor comic book. I understand the author's purpose here - to give insight into Green Lantern's vulnerability and to comment on faults in our social structure (namely, homophobia and bigotry). However, the actual exectution of said goals was where the author flopped. Brother's Keeper was perhaps one of the most preachy, dogmatic stories to ever reach the pages of a comic book. Winick's attempts to portray GL as all-too-human and emotional made the character into a whiny child. He was willing to bring untold consequences upon others to go back in time just because his friend got hurt, and nearly threw a temper tantrum when Batman and the Flash forbade him to do so. (Subsequently, he too resorts to brutality, but it was passed off as okay because it was retaliation.) It all seemed more like pedagogic propaganda than social commentary.

If you're looking for some Green Lantern, or even a story with a touching Aesop's moral, your money could be much better spent.

Basic Storyline: The first third of this comic starts off decent. The entire city is driven insane by a guy named Brainwave, who can posses people and make them see things. Brainwaze takes over Alan Scott and using Alan's powers he and Kyle battle it out for a while. Finally Brainwave decides that he got a bit of the revenge he wanted and leaves. The rest of the comic is about Kyles friend and how he got beat up nearly to death simply for being [...]. Kyle then finds one of the attackers and brakes his wrists until he gives up the names of the other two guys. However that isn't enough, Kyle wants to go back in time to stop it but the Justice League won't let him. Kyle then decides to go off into space and vent his rage by blowing up a few astroids. While doing this he is met up by Hal Jordan (Spectre)(thats his on the cover by the way). Kyle then returns to Earth to comfort his hospitalized friend. After leaving the hospital Kyle and Jade (his fiance, Alan Scott's daughter), leave Jon Stewart (now a green lantern for the second time) in charge of protecting Earth while Kyle and Jade go off to see other worlds for a while.


Thoughts: Over all the story isn't bad. It's more fo an emotional story on how you can have unlimited power but you cant change the past no matter how bad it was. Similar to Hal Jordan and Coast city, but no where near that extreme. Well drawn, but it could have used more action during the second half.

This story arch had it all. A horrible incident that brought out very real and moving emotions that left you to find you were getting angry along with GL, just as you were getting saddened too. The story even brought in Hal Jordan, the popular GL of past and John Stewart, a popular past character as well. Overall, I think the most poignant moment was when Kyle found out about the beating as his girlfriend came into the room with a phone crying. It may be paneled images, but the tension of the moment was conveyed perfectly. Overall, the best storyline of the year in DC Comics as far as I am concerned.

I would categorically name Brother's Keeper one of the greatest super hero graphic novels ever. As an avid Green Lantern fan, I realize my slight bias, but in my humble opinion, super hero comics are at their best when the god-like protagonists "return to Earth" - when they most clearly display their sense of humanity. Brother's Keeper forces us to confront one of the most pertinent and difficult issues of the modern era: animosity towards homosexual individuals. Through superb writing and memorable illustrations, this graphic novel weaves a powerful story of love, loyalty, vengeance, and yes, hate. The concluding message is one of both hope and despair (a difficult accomplishment for any creative work). After I turned the last page, I felt prouder than ever to be a comic fan. The comic book has well and truly evolved into a respectable literary medium. And, of course, it was great to see GL's return as one of DC's primary social advocates.

In 1994 Judd Winick (the writer of this comic series as represented in this graphic novel) was one of the featured cast on MTV's "Real World". He wrote a very moving (and much awarded) book called "Pedro and Me" based on his friendship with his HIV positive roommate on the show, Pedro Zemora.

Why is this relevant to this Green Lantern comic? Because Mr. Winick has a gift for taking the complex and making it accessible. For writing a comic book that deals with issues, but stays in the genre, and more importantly - stays true to the characters already established.

The story arc in this graphic novel concerns one of gay-bashing and its handled excellently, with no easy solutions and no cliched answers. The emotions are real.

Visually, the pages pop with very well done art and ink, but it is the combination of the strong imagery with the polished and thoughtful writing that make this novel stand out.

Try this graphic series - you'll be introduced to a much overlooked and very human superhero (The Green Lantern) and still be entertained with a well written and thought provoking (but not preachy) story.