Green Lantern #0 Review

While most of the other zero issues are serving to reflect on the past of its titular characters, Green Lantern #0 is instead looking at the future. Here, Geoff Johns introduces us to the mysterious new Green Lantern of Earth, Simon Baz. Happily, Johns builds a fantastic new representative of Sector 2814, constructing a stellar issue that uses the modern socio-political climate as a way to showcase Baz’s ability to overcome great fear. This issue is a triumph of not only character building, but turning a negative of the real world into an inspirational positive.

We’re introduced to Baz and his family as they are being persecuted for being Muslim in the wake of 9/11, and later, Baz himself accused of being a terrorist. This is, of course, untrue, but he falls deeper and deeper into the interrogation rabbit hole. Johns showcases Baz’s strength of character by allowing him to admit that he is, in fact, a criminal (he was stealing a car), and that upon learning the car he jacked carried a bomb on board, he had heroic intentions. Johns is able to rely on the very real climate of a post-9/11 America to let readers infer certain aspects of Baz’s younger years, leaving him ample space for a well-written interrogation scene that reveals more about both Baz and the agents interrogating him.

Green Lantern #0 is another example of Johns taking his epic Green Lantern run in a wholly unexpected direction that also serves as a stellar jump-on point for newbies. Though it’s only been one issue, I fully expect Baz – if he survives for a while, of course – to become another successful addition to Earth’s Green Lanterns. For continuing readers, yes, there’s also a brief one-page look at just what the hell happened to Hal Jordan and Sinestro in Green Lantern #12.

Dough Mahnke delivers a solid issue, and gets to explore some different territory outside the norm of his usual Green Lantern work. This is a book filled mostly with real-world situations (predominately the aforementioned interrogation scene), and Mahnke really gets to show off his knack for hitting dramatic beats and constructing solid facial emotions. Johns has an uncharacteristically dialogue-centric script, but Mahnke does a stellar job of pacing his pages so the visuals are still just as interesting as the words, where a lesser artist would struggle to make talking heads as dynamic as this.

As much as I’ve dug the buddy cop elements of Green Lantern as of late, Green Lantern #0 seems to be pushing the boundaries of the mythology much like the early days of the War of Light did a few years ago, but from a very new and very specific character-centric approach. Welcome to the DCU, Baz.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

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Think Tank #2 Review

This is grand comic booking. Think Tank #2 is really, really great. Two issues in, and this series has me hook, line, and sinker. The story, the characters, the dialogue, the artwork, all of it is terrific. Whereever this series is going, I'm going with it. Get on board with Think Tank, folks. It's a book you need to read.

The story behind Think Tank is a semi-real one. Matt Hawkins builds a believable world, and he even puts notes at the end that explain the unbelievable parts (it's scary to read how much of this stuff really exists). That's great and all, but what makes Think Tank work is David Loren. He's the kind of character that you can't stop reading about. He's conflicted, brilliant, and a total a-hole. It's hard not to love him and that's what makes this series grab hold.

It's hard to not undersell Rahsan Ekedal's artwork. You have see it; to read it. His washy grey tones give the book a near perfect flow. Ekedal delivers the goods, panel after panel, page after page. This is a colorless book that will have you seeing red blood. His careful line work is so detailed, so wonderfully rendered, that you'll never notice that the world is so grey. Even if you have no interest in this story – and you really should have interest in this story, guys – do yourself a favor and stare at Ekedal's art for a moment or two. It's worth a stare.

Benjamin has seen the original Die Hard fifty times. No joke. Follow Benjamin on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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Nariko and Sir Daniel Confirmed for PlayStation All-Stars

Nariko from Heavenly Sword and Sir Daniel Fortesque from MediEvil are the 19th and 20th confirmed characters in Sony’s upcoming brawler PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

A video distributed by GameSpot shows the two characters in action. You can see the footage below.

The reveal of Nariko and Sir Daniel mark the inclusion of every single character from the leaked data from All-Stars’ beta. Could these two characters therefore be the final reveal? It remains to be seen! But keep an eye on IGN for more information on PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale as it develops.

Colin Moriarty is an IGN PlayStation editor. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN and learn just how sad the life of a New York Islanders and New York Jets fan can be.

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PlayStation All-Stars Dream Roster: Mega Man

Ever since PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was rumored, IGN's been pitching characters that need to be in the game. Well, after the leak, it appears developer SuperBot Entertainment isn't listening. So, IGN's Podcast Beyond is teaming with IGN reader Pandamusk to create videos for the fighters we think need to be in the game.

This week, we're pitching Mega Man.

Who do you think should be in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale? Let us know in the comments below. Plus, check out our past installments...

• Heavy Rain's Ethan Mars
• Crash Bandicoot's Crash Bandicoot
• The Sound Shapes Blob

Greg is the executive editor of IGN PlayStation, cohost of Podcast Beyond and host of Up at Noon. Follow IGN on Twitter, and keep track of Greg's shenanigans on IGN and Twitter. Beyond!

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Justice League Dark #12 Review

Not too long ago, DC had a very strict rule about letting characters from the Vertigo universe interact with the regular DCU. But now that there is no distinction between the two universes, certain books are taking advantage of the new freedom to mingle. Case in point -- Justice League Dark is quickly turning into fanboy heaven for anyone who adores DC's various horror and magically tinged properties.

Jeff Lemire continues his exploration of Tim Hunter in this issue as Books of Magic becomes the latest Vertigo inductee. The twist is that Tim Hunter has neither the books nor the magical ability any longer. Lemire reveals more about that situation while playing up the mystery of just what role Hunter will play in the series and who will wind up possessing the books.

Elsewhere, our heroes are divided into two camps, as some head to Slaughter Swamp and others to Felix Faust's Peruvian temple. There's some entertaining character interaction to be had now that the focus is more intimate. Perhaps the juiciest scene is the one where Constantine reveals what dark secret ties him to Zatanna. Their relationship, always an entertaining one in any continuity, looks to be taking on a new dimension in the New 52. Coupled with a bit of back-story for the troubled Dr. Mist and more scenes involving the mysterious foe guiding the conflict, and Lemire's character work drives this issue forward.

Mikel Janin's work remains pretty strong even after a year. Issue #11 suffered because the CG elements were often too obvious and the characters too stiffly posed, but issue #12 rebounds to an extent. And regardless, the ethereal mood and vivid colors are always present to provide the series with its signature style.

Unfortunately, Lemire doesn't end this issue on the resounding, definitive note I was hoping for given the Zero Month gap that's coming up. Still, there's no reason not to be excited for the continuation of this ongoing story in October.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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Invincible #94 Review

It's a sign of how large the Invincible universe has grown that the book can feature both Mark Grayson and his replacement, Zandale, and yet both characters are little more than guest stars in this issue. And it's a testament to how well Robert Kirkman has fleshed out some of these secondary characters that the relative absence of the Invincible family is barely felt.

More than ever, this has really become Robot and Monster Girl's story. With so many other heroes busy or out of commission, it's these two that are leading the fight against the resurgent Flaxans. Issue #94 also relies even more heavily on flashback sequences to their extended time exiled in the Flaxan dimension. Kirkman focuses a great deal on the evolution of their romance over the course of hundreds of years. Readers have known for a while where the two characters end up, but it's nice to finally see the journey that brought them to this point. This material generally works very well and adds an extra layer of emotional resonance to what would otherwise be another big, bloody battle for the fate of Earth. The problem comes at the end of the issue, where Kirkman drops a twist that is just a little too soap opera-y for my tastes.

Both Ryan Ottley and Cory Walker handle their respective sections well. Ottley has never been a slouch when it comes to epic action, and his various battle scenes are a feast of visual delights. Walker is arguably the standout artist this month, however, as he tackles most of the key emotional moments in his flashback scenes. It helps that colorist John Rauch is able to add more depth and richness to Walker's pencils than we've seen in his previous work. I'll probably never be happy with the odd, shimmery quality to Rauch's skin tones, but he does plenty right with this series as well.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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Who Should Voice Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy?

Ever since Marvel Studios confirmed that they were making a Guardians of the Galaxy movie for a summer 2014 release, fans have naturally been speculating who should play the characters on the big screen. But no member of the sci-fi team's been more talked about than Rocket Raccoon, the Guardians' walking, talking and ass-kicking alien animal.

The character's been brought to life recently in both an episode of The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! animated series as well as in the video game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (voiced in both versions of British actor Greg Ellis). While it's certainly possible that Ellis could also be hired to voice Rocket Raccoon for the live-action feature film, it's probably more likely that Marvel will hire a more recognizable actor to voice the role.

Will the movie retain the recent Cockney-accented version of Rocket Raccoon or will he talk like an American tough guy instead? We've assembled a list of candidates we think would be good for the role. Have a listen to their voice samples below and then cast your vote in our poll!

Ray Winstone

This stocky, razor-voiced character actor is known to you for his roles in The Departed, Sexy Beast, Beowulf, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Proposition, and Hugo.

Jason Statham

Just imagine Rocket Raccoon kicking ass as he speaks with the voice of the star of The Transporter and The Expendables.

Bob Hoskins

This is certainly a long shot seeing as how Hoskins recently retired from acting due to ill health, but if Marvel could lure him back for just a voice-over role that would be great. Hoskins was one of the screen's first and foremost Cockney blokes to breakthrough in leading roles.

Tom Hardy

Before you go off on a Bane-sized rant about this idea, may we remind you that Hardy's raspy British accent is one of his most distinguishing characteristics? We imagine his Rocket Raccoon sounding less like Bane and more like Bronson:

Ian McShane

Imagine ... just imagine ... Rocket Raccoon voiced by Al Swearengen. Check out this more work-safe sample of McShane's pipes

Robert De Niro

De Niro's been lampooning his tough guy image for awhile now, and is no stranger to genre fare (Rocky & Bullwinkle, Stardust) or voiceover work (Shark Tale), so why not let him go from Raging Bull to Rocket Raccoon?

James Gandolfini

Tony Soprano ... in space. You're welcome.

Ron Perlman

Who the hell doesn't love Ron Perlman? This baritone-voiced badass from Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy would be a great pick to voice Rocket.

Willem Dafoe

This Spider-Man and John Carter actor's gravelly voice is one of his trademarks, and he could bring a real personality to Rocket Raccoon.

Vin Diesel

He's the voice of The Iron Giant. He's Riddick. He's fast and furious, just like Rocket Raccoon. So why not?

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