This issue is something special. It’s Benes objectifying a resurrected rape and murder victim. At first, I thought it was just his impulse, but then the issue moved on and it became clear Benes does it on purpose. It’s a little creepy. The new DC seems to be a bunch of creators you wouldn’t leave alone with your kid.

Oddly, it’s easily the best Red Lanterns issue. Milligan is able to write this female character, able to set her in opposition to the lead Red Lantern, and to do an impression of an eighties DC sci-fi book.

Benes rips off Phantom Menace for the alien planet this issue, bringing down the issue’s creativity, but Milligan has his own offenses too. In particular, he brings back the two quarreling humans. It’d be so funny if neither becomes a Red Lantern.

It’s not a good comic, but the writing’s not incompetent.

CREDITS

Higher Consciousness; writer, Peter Milligan; penciller, Ed Benes; inker, Rob Hunter; colorist, Nathan Eyring; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editors, Darren Shan and Brian Cunningham; publisher, DC Comics.

Wow, what a bargain. Nineteen pages of story.

I think Benes is suited for dumb science fiction. I mean, Red Lanterns is pretty dumb. Milligan introduces about fifteen proper nouns this issue and none of them are consequential. Worse, he doesn’t even expect the reader to remember them. He’s completely non-committal with the whole thing, which begs the question… why bother?

The flashback (I think it’s a flashback) in the issue has nothing to do with the incredibly soft cliffhanger, so what’s the point other than to fill pages?

Oh, wait, the point is to fill pages.

I suppose on a technical level, besides the endless proper nouns, the writing isn’t bad. His first person narration of the lead Red Lantern is decent enough. But Milligan clearly doesn’t have a plot.

It’s also unclear to me why the Spectre isn’t a Red Lantern, if they’re the Lanterns of vengeance.

CREDITS

Pure Rage; writer, Peter Milligan; penciller, Ed Benes; inker, Rob Hunter; colorist, Nathan Eyring; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editors, Darren Shan and Brian Cunningham; publisher, DC Comics.

Red Lanterns is DC’s family-friendly title, isn’t it?

I’d sort of heard of the Red Lanterns, but I had no idea they all looked creepy (as creepy as Ed Benes can draw—he’s pretty slick for a sci-fi comic with horror elements). I also didn’t know they hung out near a pool of blood and fought all the time.

As for the writing, Peter Milligan doesn’t commit to the sci-fi aspect. He’s bringing in these two angry young men on Earth and I assume one of them is going to end up being a Red Lantern. It’d be funnier if the kid didn’t, of course, since it would just be Milligan filling pages.

The majority of the comic follows the Red Lantern leader, who’s got some dumb name I’m not committing to memory, as he waxes nostalgically about his long-dead family.

It’s crap, but inoffensive crap.

CREDITS

With Blood and Rage; writer, Peter Milligan; penciller, Ed Benes; inker, Rob Hunter; colorist, Nathan Eyring; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editors, Darren Shan and Brian Cunningham; publisher, DC Comics.