Green Lanterns #35 comic review: Bolphunga The Unrelenting

In issue #35, the two Green Lanterns take on a foe familiar to old comic readers in Bolphunga The Unrelenting.

If there ever were a character Tim Seeley could take on and make such a light, fun, and troubled monster, it would be Bolphunga The Unrelenting. The loud, overconfident villain is a perfect representation of what every average person attempts to do. Over exaggerate accomplishments to a point where everyone starts to believe you.

The perfect writer for an incredibly fun character was set to turn this storyline into an entertaining spin. Since Seeley took over Green Lanterns, the underlying story would be about the planet Ungara and the refugee species in the Molites, who seem to cause a political strife, will follow Simon and Jessica.

But in issue #35, an old foe of John Stewart comes right at the end to cause havoc.

Jessica and Baz just trying to be somewhat normal.

Finding a balance between being an intergalactic policing agent and a normal human on earth is difficult. With Jessica landing a job that puts her in a vegan kitchen, she is trying to convince her manager to promote her to waitress, a position she yearned for in the last issue. As she attempts to find her words and the courage to ask for the promotion, Bolphunga is causing a disruption.

While Jessica is fighting off the space goon, Simon is waking up from a night spent with Night Pilot. She blows him off, claiming that their shared night was a one-time thing. Simon is still without a job, as his background is preventing him from finding any legitimate work outside of the Green Lantern corp. He is contacted by Jessica and sets his sights towards earth.

Bolphunga The Unrelenting commenter of strange analogies.

Bolphunga’s arrival on earth looks intimidating. Carlo Barberi draws an incredible looking villain with a massive body. His costume contains some skeletal aspects on the torso and sholders. His red and black armored suit complements his reddish-orange, scarred face well. The massive grenade looking objects around his waist shows his mercenary mindset.

The most notable aspect of Bolphunga is his analogies. It’s his trademark, almost like Etrigan’s rhyming.

My personal favorites are “I, who urinated upon Mogo’s face for months and laughed!” and “as strong as a Denebrian Dozer bull”.

Bolphunga is easily defeated by the Green Lanterns, and admits that he is not the great thief he claimed to be. He goes into detail about his sentence in prison brought upon by John Stewart, and how he was beaten for attempting to snitch for a plea deal.

Someone named Singularity Jane offered him freedom in return for becoming a hit man, but his target is his father, Boff The Unkillable.

Boff is released from Bolphunga, and even with his weak and frail look, he demeans his son with every chance he gets.

It’s a hilarious way to make the reader feel sympathy for the dopey alien criminal. He explains his danger with Singularity Jane to the Lanterns, but arrest him per John Stewart’s request.

Meanwhile…In Ungara

It seems the plan for an overthrow is starting to gain traction. The dead high officer, who was a traitor, was found in the alley-way. Vigiles Te tells Regent Vok that the body was covered in an alien gel. This gel was planted on the body to frame the Molites, and cause political unrest.

Next: TMNT/Ghostbusters II #3 review

It seems that the Lanterns will have to decide within a grey area in Bolphunga, while also monitoring a potential coup in Ungara. Seeley is keeping this great run entertaining, and Green Lanterns is looking like a cornerstone title with some fresh-faced characters.

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