The Green Lantern Corps is an organization with lots of members. And every member of them has a story. An origin. How they came to be a Green Lantern.
The cover is a Keith Pollard piece.
"Apprentice"
Writer: Todd Klein
Penciler: Dave Gibbons
Inker: Dave Gibbons
Colorists: Nansi Hoolahan
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editor: Ernie Colon
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando
The story beings late at night. Multiple moons are shining down on an old house with a castle-like tower, showing this story is not set on Earth. A boy with orange skin, hair, and solid black eyes sneaks into a room, where he spies a man enjoying a good night's sleep.
(sleep)
This boy's name is Deeter. He's the young apprentice of the sleeping man. The man's name is Okonoko, and he is a member of the Green Lantern Corps. He's enjoying some rest after a day of ringslinging and protecting his sector: 1110. And his Corps-issued power ring lies on a table next to him as he slumbers.
Deeter had worked a long time as Okonoko's apprentice. He cooked, he cleaned, and he learned from his master. But what he wanted was the ring. He had seen Okonoko use the ring of the Green Lanterns, and he wanted to use it. To be a Green Lantern in his own right. And on this night, he finally has an opportunity to be the Green Lantern of Sector 1110, even if only for a couple hours.
(smirk)
Deeter does intend to return the ring before his master wakes. He puts it on and tries to make it work.
Page 89, Panels 2-4
Deeter practices with his master's ring, showing that he has the will to make the ring work. However, he's still new to it. He continues practicing with the ring, his skill growing to the point that he can at the very least create the GL uniform for himself. Unfortunately for little Deeter, Okonoko's home gets a surprise, and a very unwelcome visitor.
Page 90, Panel 3
"CANDYGRAM!"
This big fellow is in the mood for some murdering, and there's a terrified little boy here who will be an excellent victim. Deeter is scared, but the boy is no coward. He tries to use his ring to blast the intruder, but it's not working, presumably due to his fear affecting his will.
(d'oh)
The intruder grabs Deeter and tries to bear hug him to death. the apprentice can't scream, but he finds the strength to remove the ring and toss it away. An explosion erupts.
(explosion)
And another hand picks up the ring.
Page 92, Panels 3-4
Okonoko is awake, and he is not happy. Deeter ruined his beauty sleep. The apprentice tries to make an excuse, but the Lantern is in no mood to hear it.
(shut up)
His apprentice was a moron, and his place is wrecked. He tells Deeter to grab a mop and clean the mess up. As Deeter gets to work, Okonoko allows himself a small smile, satisfied that the boy learned a lesson. He holds the head of the intruder behind his back, showing the explosion killed him. The narrator implies that he is an older Deeter.
I enjoyed this little story, despite it having a couple of flaws. Mainly, Green Lantern rings really should have security features to prevent people stealing and using them, like a biorhythm reader or something like that. And I thought at that time, Green Lanterns weren't allowed to use lethal force. This was a pre-Sinestro Corps War story, after all. But then again, maybe the intruder was killed from the shrapnel of the explosion, not directly by the ring itself.
Dave Gibbons' art is spectacular. It's clean and detailed. I think he also has a strong sense of storytelling.
If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2008 trade paperback Green Lantern: In Brightest Day. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other!
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