DC really bugs me with the limp "Aftermath" stories that they push out following the open-ended conclusion of their events. These things largely come across as "afterthoughts." Shouldn't every story have "aftermath"? Do you need to manufacture a mini event to coincide with the main event?

This story, which follows last week's Green Lantern #67, doesn't do much to build upon the reawakened enthusiasm I found in that story. With the Corps literally in shambles and Sinestro wearing an emerald ring, the story potential falls flat on its face as though its shoelaces were tied together and a fire alarm was set off right behind it. The most interesting Lantern in this issue - which, mind you, is thirty pages long - is Salaak. That's right, Salaak, the Green Lantern Lapdog of the Guardians for the past however long. The biggest event of this issue is the fact that everyone is mad.

It simply boils down to a book that feels concocted simply to take advantage of a brand rather than serve any true purpose. Sure, the remnants of the Corps are fractioning off into splinter groups, but the story itself just bounces all over the place before any one scene can really get too interesting. The problem is, none of the scenes in the book really do much to make any of the characters in them compelling.

To further muddy the waters, the art doesn't let either Miguel Sepulveda or Tyler Kirkham shine through. Honestly, it gets difficult to tell which one drew which part as the art throughout the book is very plain and unexceptional. The most interesting part of the art - and not in a good way - is the apparent addition of Oliver Queen to the Green Lantern Corps. I'm not up on the identity of every single one of the seven thousand and some Green Lanterns, but I would think it'd be easier to find a Lantern to draw that is somewhat recognizable than it would be to shoehorn an Ollie Queen look-alike into the story.

It appears as though the heart of the action is going to appear in the next issue, but the scheme being schemed up by a fraction of Lanterns seems just plain dumb. Between this disappointing issue and the major disappointment of the "Brightest Day Aftermath" book, I'm just about ready to bypass any and all DC events as they are certain to bubble over into a heartless epilogue story that would be better served by being left alone. Once an event is over, DC should return the characters to their books and deal with the fallout there. Maybe then the stories would be worthwhile.