The point of writing a review for a book is helping out other folks who might be potential readers of a particular book. The reviews help them decide if the book is worth their time or money. That said, an imperative criteria for writing a book is FULLY READING THE BOOK. It's astounding the number of reviewers of this book who didn't even take the time to finish reading the story, instead they went on to invest their time in writing a disparaging review.



The story picks up some time after Hal Jordan's death and is told from the POV of his ill-named sidekick "Pieface" aka Tom Kalmaku. Tom had been one of Hal's biggest supporters as well as one of his closest friends but the legacy that Hal left under his wake has destroyed Tom's faith and respect in Hal and has brought about self-loathing for even trusting Hal in the first place. He spends most of his days drunk and getting into fights at bars over insulting Green Lantern.



One day, a stranger shows up with a child (who bears a striking resemblance to hal Jordan) who had been entrusted to Tom. There are no explanations as to who the mother might be. There is only a note from Hal saying, "fix it". From then on Tom embarks on a journey with the young boy, from Carol's home all the way to the JLA Watchtower and to OA. On the way, we get brief glimpses into the past and an intimate look at the relationship between Hal and Tom. But following the child, is also a creature who was created from the spirits of the green lanterns that Hal had killed during his rampant as Parallax.



It's should be pretty obvious from the reviews that the boy is not Hal's son. I'll leave it at that and not spoil the story any further. The story, in my opinion is very well written and captures the dismal feeling that Hal's death has imparted on those who knew him best, some feel sorrow while others feel betrayed and fear. We see the JLA trying to forcefully remove the ring from the boy (even going head to head with him) and we also see the the other disenchanted surviving members of the Green Lantern Corps and the hate they bear for all things Hal Jordan. Contrary to some of the reviews, the writer, Joe Kelly does not pick apart the tradition and the legacy of the character. He obviously respects the character and respects the continuity enough to keep it intact. While doing that, he manages to add a whole new event to the green lantern mythos.



The art is provided by Brent Anderson and Bill Sienkiewicz, both very well known and respected for their work. The art here is simple and the linework is sometimes messy but it suits the story. It sort of resembles the work of Neal Adams. Some of the splas pages are very well done...check out the page where Hal goes on the rampage as Parallax and you'll see what I am saying. All in all, this is a very good read and is highly recommended.