The opening sequence of this comic is just amazing. We have the genesis of the Red Lantern from pure rage and hatred, thus setting the stage of what will be one of the key ingredients in the Blackest Night story arc. This issue can be read as the prologue to the Blackest Night get into Hal’s state of mind as Sinestro is to be executed and he pays his last visit to his once friend and mentor. Unbeknown to Hal Jordan, the Guardians are prepared to do something unexpected with Sinestro. The Guardians have a traitor in their mists which will cost many Green Lantern lives. Sinestro’s death feeds the Red Lanterns and the creation of the Blue Lantern Saint Walker.
The Blackest Night story arc is complex and rich. I’m sure that it would help to be immersed in the Green Lantern lore to understand all the complexity that DC writers have built into it. As a casual reader I’m finding that discovering the Green Lantern through reading the Blackest Night is extremely rewarding.