Bin Fodder: Ion – Guardian of the Universe

Welcome to this week’s installment of Bin Fodder!  Today I’ll be reviewing the Ron Marz DC Comics adventure Ion – Guardian of the Universe.  I chose Ion for this week’s review for a number of reasons.  Clearly, it being a Ron Marz story is a huge influence, but additionally it’s because Ion is a Green Lantern story.

 

Anyone familiar with DC Comics knows that the Green Lantern franchise is incredibly far reaching and impactful across the entire DCU.  In the standard timeline there have been four Earth based (Space Sector 2814) Green Lanterns: Guy Gardner, Jon Stewart, Kyle Rayner and Hal Jordan.  Hal is absolutely the most famous, well known and controversial of the Green Lantern corps members from Earth.  But Kyle has always been an interesting character to me, and that’s where Ion comes in.

 

The story is a romp through the emotional rollercoaster that is Kyle Rayner’s life and time as Green Lantern.  It could be argued that Kyle’s run as a Lantern has been the most tragic.  For starters, he never got any formal training because he was given the last existing ring in a moment of sheer desperation as Parallax was finishing his plan of annihilating the GL Corps.  Additionally, Rayner has had several women in his life murdered or killed in the line of being a hero.

 

Since his indoctrination into the corps at a time of their most need he became the last living Lantern.  All the power of the GLC was given to him and after a time he was able to gain control of and focus this power to reignite OA and bring back the essence of the Guardians and through them, the Corps proper.

 

Ion focuses on Rayner’s place in the Green Lantern Corps.  He is at a crossroads, feeling lost and unsure of himself, Kyle is back on Earth at a retreat of sorts.  He goes to a place for artists, up in the mountains, where he can be away from the rest of world and focus on his work.  This, of course, doesn’t last.  A Thanagarian bounty hunter comes after him which causes Rayner to head off-planet in search of understanding.

 

What turns out to be the case is Kyle (or at least we think it’s Kyle) has been rampaging around the galaxy causing problems: like destroying fleets of civilians and attacking other Lanterns.  Evidence to support the fact that it’s Kyle is the fact that he keeps having blackout moments where he’ll wake up and not know where he is.

 

The Guardians are, of course, well aware of the situation and what is really going on.  Because of this and their need for constant secrecy they forbid any Lantern to help Rayner.  Killawog, disagreeing with their decision reaches out to Hal Jordan for help.  Jordan tracks down “Kyle” and it’s through this interaction that the truth is discovered.

 

What that truth is?  I won’t ruin the surprise for you, but the twist is solid.  I would expect nothing less from a Marz book.

 

Ion gets a solid A from me.  The story is strong, intriguing and constantly kept my interest.  Marz leaves Rayner in a place where writers for years to come would build off the groundwork he laid.  I definitely recommend the read.

 

Check back next week when I take on another new title!

 

For now…

 

This is your Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off.

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