Wow, a lot happened this volume, huh? Soranik and Kyle's start their relationship, Sodam finally gets a moment to shine by confronting his racist and xenophobic parents, and the danger on Oa escalates with a prison break from the sciencells.

Soranik and Kyle's relationship develops entirely off panel and makes their romance feel hollow, but I did enjoy the pair working through Kyle's trauma off seeing so many of his co-workers die. Soranik's job as a medical officer means she's experienced just as much, if not more, death than Kyle has, so her empathy feels entirely genuine and her recommendation to use his art to celebrate their lives instead of focusing on their deaths feels like a defining moment in their relationship, especially since their romance began after encountering a Star Sapphire who recently lost her partner.

Soranik also gets a pretty major reveal in her father being Sinestro and I'm...not a fan. It feels like someone saw they were the same species and decided they should be related to each other. It doesn't feel natural at all, and I especially don't like the retcon that Sinestro has been spying on her life all along.

I've wanted Sodam to confront his parents and homeworld since his backstory was first revealed, and the moment when they come begging him for help was absolutely riveting. We get to see Sodam express in real time how he felt growing up and it finally made me click with the character. Sodam has mainly been used as a pawn for the Guardians since being given the power of Ion, but his emotional explosion this volume makes feel like a living breathing character instead of the cold weapon the Guardians and his parents want him to be. Daxam's liberation also sets up powder keg now that all the Daxamite's have superpowers. Will these Kryptonian relatives stay put or use their new ability to carve out an empire for themselves?

The prison break on Oa and the ensuing chaos it brings is also outstanding. Theirs great action between the GLs and Sinestro Corp, and Vice's breakout did a great job showcasing the powers of a Red Lantern and how dangerous they are to everyone's constructs. The prison break also leads to Kyle and Guy having to stand up for the prisoners rights as the Guardians try to use the chaos to execute everyone immediately. You can feel the tension as the two parties clash and really shows just how far the Guardians have fallen since the Sinestro Corp War.

GLC is juggling a lot of plot threads this volume, but the book handles them surprisingly well. Pacing issues aside, every character gets a moment to shine, whether its lovers confiding in each other or veterans standing up to corruption. Some of my favorite moments in the series are in this volume and I think this book has finally proven that the Green Lantern franchise doesn't necessarily need the human characters to have riveting, emotional stories. Highly recommended!