Here’s my review of the series today. Given its nature, I wonder if perhaps it shouldn’t be reviewed again by someone reading more DC stuff.

General Information

Title: Ion #1-12

Author: Ron Marz

Illustrator(s): Pencils by Greg Tocchini, Fernando Pasarin, Tom Grindberg, Paco Diaz, and Yvel Guichet. Inks by Jay Leisten, Fernando Pasarin, Greg Tocchini, Jonathan Glapion, Paco Diaz and Joe Rubenstein.

Original Publication Date: These issues cover dated from June 2006 to May 2007.

ISBN:

Cover Price: Each issue cover priced $2.99 US. Canadian cover prices dropped from $4.00 to $3.65 with issue 11.

Past comic reviews can be found here.

Premise

Kyle Rayner is involved with a few mysteries while trying to cope with his new powers.

High Point

Facing off against Grayven.

Low Point

The original solicitation text for the first issue reads as follows:

ION #1
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Greg Tocchini
Cover by Ivan Reis
Following the events of INFINITE CRISIS and the RANN/THANAGAR WAR SPECIAL, writer Ron Marz (GREEN LANTERN) returns to the character he created, giving Kyle Rayner an entirely new lease on life in a new ongoing series with art by rising star Greg Tocchini (1602: New World, Thor: Son of Asgard)! A distraught Kyle Rayner has emerged one year later, transformed with abilities that may surpass those of any Green Lantern ever. So beware his power…because his might may not be on the side of right. For a signed edition, see Dynamic Forces section of Previews.
On sale April 26 o 1 of 12 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US Edited by Eddie Berganza

In short, they warned us that this may have been related to what happened in two previous miniseries, which is where Kyle Rayner obtained his newfound powers. NOWHERE in that text does it tell you that this twelve issue miniseries would be tied into other events coming later. There are FAR more questions than answers here. Now, one could have the same complaint about Marvel’s Civil War tie-in series, but every one of them had “Civil War” right in the title letting you know what you’re in for. This doesn’t do that. I’m reading every Green Lantern title DC is publishing now, and I still don’t know what’s going on with a lot of this title. I guess what I’m saying is that the low point for me was reading something that is part of the “DC Big Picture” with 52, Countdown, and so forth, but not having been told that from the outset. Heck, the last caption in the story is “To be continued this summer in Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special!” Now, as I collect all Green Lantern titles, I was planning to pick that up anyway, but nothing in the solicitation texts for either title warns the reader how closely related they’d all be. As someone who’s not collecting those other titles, this was a frequently frustrating read. I expected a 12 issue miniseries about Kyle Rayner to be a 12 issue miniseries just about Kyle Rayner. If a series needs information from another title, there should be some kind of recap within the issue (as Marvel did on the first page of every Civil War issue) so those of us just reading the one don’t need to resort to Wikipedia to find out what the heck is going on.

The Scores

This does not feel original. In fact, the characters comment on how similar these events are to what they’ve gone through before. I give it 3 out of 6.

The artwork from Tocchini lacks a lot of detail. When Pasarin fills in, we get the detail, but we also get very stiff character poses (particularly when Kyle first looks down from his mother’s bedside, and when Guy Gardner reacts to what happens next.) When Diaz and Guichet fill in, we get the best and worst art in the series, and I honestly don’t know whose is whose. They filled in on issue 8, and have dramatically different styles. One page would look fantastic, and the next would look awful. I can’t figure out why they decided on this pair as a fill in, as it’s very disjointed. I give it 3 out of 6.

The story is often missing. We do get a lot of insight into Kyle’s transformation, his role, and how well he can handle it, but the outside forces that led to that character growth are all a part of a much larger picture that’s barely even alluded to in these pages. After the length of that “Low Point” rant, I think I’ll leave it at that. I give it 2 out of 6.

The characterization of Kyle is very well handled. He’s been through a lot, before and during this series, and we see what that has done for the way he views himself, and the way he’s viewed by the rest of the Green Lantern Corps. This portion is very well done. We don’t know why most of these things are happening to him, but we can follow what these things to do him very well. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response had its good points, but they’re outweighed by the frustration I mentioned above. Now, if I were reading all of the other titles that are running the DCU as a whole, I might have enjoyed this a lot more; your mileage may very. I give it 3 out of 6.

The flow is quite choppy, and often abrupt. The first six issues are the chapters needed to reveal Kyle’s role in the Corps. The next six can’t seem to decide if they’re the rest of this miniseries, a new miniseries leading into something bigger, or the first part of a new Ion ongoing. Throw in the dramatic differences in art (which can happen from one page to the next, let alone one issue to the next) and you’ve got problems. I give it 2 out of 6.

Overall, this was less satisfying for me than it would be for someone reading more DC titles. (My entire DC pull list includes “Green Lantern,” “Green Lantern Corps,” “Ion,” “Superman/Batman,” and “The Brave and the Bold.”) There’s just too much here that depends on outside titles. I was okay with the links to “Green Lantern,” since I’m reading that and would almost expect some connection given this character’s history, but the links to whichever titles involve Alan Scott, Donna Troy, the Monitors, Captain Atom and Tangent Comics were almost lost on me. If you’re reading enough titles to know what’s going on with the names on that list, you’re in good shape, and might really enjoy this series. I’m not in that group of readers. I give it 3 out of 6.

In total, Ion mustered 21 out of 42.