Red Lantern #3 gets right back into the swing of things where #1 left off. The three ball juggling act of origin storyline, Earth storyline, and current happenings within the Red Lantern Corps continues in this book. We know from issue #2 that Atrocitus has decided he can’t guide the Red Lanterns alone siting concerns that he would go beyond avenging injustices into personal rage. This issue picks up with Bleez regaining her higher thinking powers and confronting the people who wronged her. I really like seeing these origin stories of the individual characters. The opportunity is given for new readers like myself to jump on from the beginning of the characters story. This also works really well with the continuing storyline on earth. I can only assume that one of these characters will be inducted to the Red Lantern Corps which will be a great way to experience that part of the Red Lanterns.

Mixed in with all this is the current mission which is Atrocitus giving Bleez new information about the event that caused her such rage she became a Red Lantern in the first place. By going back to her home world and enacting revenge on the guilty we get to see how well the dynamic between Bleez and Atrocitus works. They seem to have a great way of balancing each other when one loses sight of the larger goal and I think these competing personalities create an interesting interpersonal dynamic amongst all the bloodshed.

To be honest after the second issue I wasn’t looking forward to this series as much as I had. This issue really turned me and got me invested in the characters and what their futures hold. The books continue to look really great and I think that helps. This book also includes a minor cameo from Dex-Starr which always brings a smile to my face. We still haven’t gotten a sense of what the long-term story arc is for this series, but as a stand alone book this holds up well.

Final Grade: A-