Green Lantern #23.3
Written By: Charles Soule Art By: Alberto PonticelliAn offbeat grim spectacular, Green Lantern #23.3 is a real treat. Soule and Ponticelli prove that Black Hand could hold a series of his own, based on their wonderful balance of dark comedy and horror.
This isssue doesn’t waste time by re-examining Black Hand’s origin, but smartly reveals his powers by becoming “re-reborn” as the charming narration from Soule suggests. Soule builds upon Hand’s powers, in a chilling sequence where he learns to control a virus in a living being to kill, and reanimate, their entire body.
In an unexpected zombie-apocalypse turn, Soule manages to make a bleak future seem light, as we oddly cheer for Hand and his platoon of zombies. A standout moment comes from a cop who reiterates how their zombie-killing training has come in handy.
The rough and scattered pencils from Ponticelli fit the re-animated and dishevelled Black Hand. The double page spread of the riot feels straight out of Hobo With A Shotgun, having that same quirky sense of doom. When Hand brings the cockroach back to life, Ponticelli pencils a chilling look of awe in the character’s face.
Green Lantern #23.3 is a special moment in the life (or afterlife) of Black Hand, as Soule and Ponticelli craft a whole new tone and skill set for the character that elevate him to new levels.
