King Arthur as a cowboy?  One of the first releases of the new Radical Publishing takes the Arthurian legend and plops it in the middle of the Old West in this five-issue mini-series retelling of the classic tale.  So how does it work?  Check out the Full Diagnosis to find out!

Caliber: First Canon of Justice #1 (of 5)
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“It belongs to the lawbringer.  Only the lawbringer can use it.”

Caliber: First Canon of Justice is one of the first releases from the new Radical Comics.  The five-issue mini-series by Sam Sarkar retells the Arthurian legend of the Knights of the Round Table, Merlin, Camelot, and Excalibur, in the Old West.

Here Merlin is a Native American shaman named Whitefeather, Arthur is the son of an Army Captain, and Gwen is a frontier woman and friend of the family.  Even Morgan le Fay has a small cameo in the first issue.

As a longtime fan of the Arthur legend I was curious, and for the price of only $1.00 it was too tempting to pass up.  The issue has style and a beautiful painted look done digitally by Garrie Gastonny and the Imaginary Friends Studios.  The stylish look of this first issue is one of its strengths.

As for the story, well…  The first time I read the issue I was confused and disappointed.  However Caliber is one of those comics that gets better on re-reading the issue.  Although I still think there’s a little too much going on here: we get a introduction to several characters, a massacre, the visions of Whitefeather, the history of the gun, a look at the Army officers various feelings toward the Indians, evil plots, and more.  All mixed together the first issue comes off a bit unfocused and unsure of the exact tale it wants to tell.

 

Issue #1 is a bit of a mixed-bag, but for patient readers, and fans of King Arthur, for only $1 you are getting your money’s worth.  Although I’m not sold yet, the art and the promise of a cowboy version of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table will most likely bring me back for issue #2.

Geoff Johns, the man who brought Hal Jordan back from both insanity and death, now takes a turn at his origin?  I should be as giddy as a schoolgirl.  So why am I not?  Although the new storyline promises new insights into the origin of the greatest Green Lantern, this first issue is little more than rehashing of storylines already told.

Updated to include issue #30

Green Lantern #29-30
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“When your worst fear happens in front of your eyes – I thought there was nothing left to be afraid of.”

Issue #29 starts “Secret Origin,” a look back on who Hal Jordan is and how he became Green Lantern.  I’m a huge Jordan fan, but I was a bit disappointed here.

For new readers this is a nice primer about a pretty complex man who could do anything when he put on the ring, and royally screw-up his life when he wasn’t flying through the air.

This issue deals with Jordan’s childhood and adolescence, the loss of his father, his stormy relationship with the rest of his family, and his washout of the Air Force.  If you think you’ve seen all this before, well, you have.  Many times.

There’s nothing new here to entice long time readers to pick this issue up, and although the story arc promises to reveal more about Abin Sur, and the circumstances of his death, and how those tie-in to “Blackest Night.” the first issue barely touches on this issue.  Only on the last page do we finally get Abin Sur, and then it’s more of tease to next issue than any larger revelation.

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“Part Two” finds Hal Jordan working as a mechanic for Arden-Air – the only company willing to hire the troubled pilot.  It also marks the return of Carol Ferris who has bought out Arden and reluctantly agrees to keep Hal on as a favor to the previous owner.

Inter-cut with these scenes are Abin Sur’s space travel to Earth in a small rocket ship.  He is searching for answers to the prophecy of “Blackest Night,” and transporting the captured alien Atrocitus along for the ride.

Unlike the Jordan story here Johns gives us something new with Sur’s conversation with his friend Sinestro, a legitimate reason for Sur to be flying a ship instead of traveling under the power of his ring, and a glimpse at the creature responsible for his death.

The issue wraps up with Jordan’s encounter with Abin Sur, his first flight as Green Lantern, and a last minute appearance by a future villain who will bother Green Lantern for years to come.  Although not outstanding, issue #30 is definitely a step up from the previous issue.

Although there’s something nostalgic the series, there’s simply not much to it for longtime readers.  If this had been the first issue of a relaunch I might better understand, but this is issue #29.  I don’t mind going back to revisit the origin of our hero, but give me something new (and which wasn’t already covered in Emerald Dawn and it’s sequel), especially if it’s going to be drawn out over several issues.  Issue #30 is a step-up as Geoff Johns shows he has something more up his sleeve, and I’m interested to see where the fall-out of the Abin Sur story will go in the next few issues.