This arc should be called "Rise of Simon Baz, the cool new Green Lantern." Creating new likable characters isn't an easy task. Geoff Johns made Simon Baz likable from his first appearance. Seeing him here, we really get to see what makes him tick. There may be some questions still as to why he was chosen to be the bearer of the ring but he's showing he truly is worthy of it. Johns and Doug Mahnke make an incredible team in delivering high octane Green Lantern action. This issue is a great mix of action, story development, humor and shocks. Hal Jordan is one of my favorite characters and it'd be nice to see more of him but Baz is making his way to being great in his own way. Whenever we get a new issue of GREEN LANTERN, it's a great week. You'll dig the entire issue but wait until you see the last page... Read Full Review

After "Blackest Night" many fans seemed to believe that the best days of "Green Lantern" had passed and jumped ship, waiting for the next guy to come along. However, Geoff Johns is still going strong. With new additions like the Third Army, the First Lantern, and Simon Baz, there seems to be no end in sight. If you're one who loved the early days of John's run but have since fallen off the wagon, you owe it to yourself to come back and see how things are going. Read Full Review

Green Lantern has been plodding along as an excellent book for a long time now, but this issue rockets up the quality just one more notch as Johns does what he does best. It's just a damn shame that this story couldn't have been told outside of the Rise of the Third Army crossover, so that it would be missing that annoying little niggle in the back of the mind that something more should be going on other than the deeply emotional and endearing journey that our main character has gone through in only his first few months of existence. Read Full Review

The final pages of Green Lantern #16 prove that Simon Baz is no temporary replacement; for a while, I was worried that Baz was more of an experiment that could be ended as quickly as it was started. Of course, that could still be the case, but Simon's inclusion in the upcoming Justice League of America coupled with the fact that the Green Lantern Corps really hasn't ever had a problem with there being an inordinate number of Lanterns from Earth points to his being around for a while. With "Rise of the Third Army" coming to a close next week, and "Wrath of the First Lantern" coming next month, I'm sure the Corps will be needing all the firepower it can get. Read Full Review

A great showing for the latest addition to the Green Lantern family. You may not be sold on him as a superhero yet, but perhaps more importantly, you'll be sold that he's a good man. Read Full Review

I've been saying it all along, but Simon Baz's introduction is spectacular so far. He's a very cool, very layered character. Johns has been fantastic on Green Lantern since he started all those years ago, and it's reassuring to see that he can really bring his A-game when introducing a new Green Lantern all his own. I really, really hope Simon Baz sticks around for the long haul. The story was good, but not great. Like I said, the art dragged it down, whether it was just underdrawn in the opening pages or downright sloppy in the latter pages. And while it was a very inspiring scene in the hospital room, it didn't really pack the emotional wallop that Johns wanted. We don't know Nazir and we barely know Simon and his sister, so seeing the man brought out of a coma isn't all that powerful. The stuff with B'dg teaching Simon about his Power Ring, however, is fantastic. Read Full Review

Ultimately, this comic does have its hiccups, particularly with the disconnect between the verbal and visual action, making it feel more like an illustrated stage play than a fully realized comic. But the ideas here are strong " Simon Baz is strong. He's a character that already anticipates that people will not like him, will brush him aside, will call him a usurper, and then acts on his own accord, regardless of who approves. That's Green Lantern material in my book. Now let's just see if Johns can keep the pace going. Read Full Review

Improving, but, still, for a flagship title, this the smallest vessel in the fleet. Read Full Review

It cant be said enough how impressive Baz has been as a GL. I remember when Sinestro and Hal were "killed" and I was very worried that this was a terrible move to make. I had faith that Baz would be a decent enough replacement and that things would not get too boring, but I never expected the last few issues to be quite as impressive as they have been. This is pretty much a perfect jumping on issue due to the recap that I mentioned earlier. If you have avoided this title due to the current lack of Hal Jordan, then I think this issue may just change your mind. Read Full Review

Artist Doug Mahnke does a solid job this time around, delivering effective pages that look as good as they have since the start. What drags some of the pages down is the coloring. While most are great with the soft Lantern energy glow, the details on Simon's masked face are lost in a void of blackness. Aside from that, Mahnke merges the grounded real-world elements with the space-squirrel B'dg holding a book bag. I enjoyed B'dg's presence immensely, if only because, in the face of all this drama, he reminded me of how fun Green Lantern can be. Read Full Review

Overall I really liked this issue because it finally takes us in a direction that I have been waiting for since Baz's debut. A good story combined with great art can only be a winner. Read Full Review

The main Green Lantern title seems to have had very little to do with the Rise of the Third Army and more to do with being Simon Baz 101.  This issue wraps up most of his background details in a very satisfying manner and sets the stage for the newest Green Lantern's involvement in the Wrath of the First Lantern.  As much as I've enjoyed the introduction to Baz I will be very honest and say that I sorely miss seeing Hal and Sinestro being center stage.  There may be more room in the Green Lantern universe for another Earth man, but there isn't enough room in three titles to do them the justice they deserve.  Four out of five lanterns. Read Full Review

Artist Doug Mahnke does a superb job, as always, particularly in his renderings of Baz and his unconventional costume design. The coloring also adds a lot of cool sci-fi flavor to the mix, which fuels the imagination. It is this sense of wonder that had been missing from the title as of late and what made this issue work so well. With the addition of B'dg and an exciting new Green Lantern, I'm even more invested in this title than ever. I only hope that Hal and Sinestro aren't gone too much longer, as I feel they are still very much relevant to this book. Especially Hal, as I've been following him loyally since Green Lantern: Rebirth. As it stands, even though this issue didn't work for me as a conclusion to Rise of the Third Army, I'm still very satisfied in the direction it takes us. Read Full Review

This has probably been one of the better issues since Simon got his ring, he learned a bit about the ring and all, and showed us that him having it really does make some sense. It just wasn't enough to really pull me in and make me care. Read Full Review

Green Lantern 16 has accomplished making Baz a fun character to read.Hopefully one day he will be as successful as Kyle Rayner or other lanterns. I would recommend this issue to new readers simply becauseBaz isnt developed enough that a new reader would struggle with thebook. However if youve never read the series once, its still adramatic jump to get into the series, so be aware. Read Full Review

With Rise of the Third Army having reached its conclusion and Simon Bazs character well-established we can now look forward to the next big storyline for this title; Wrath of the First Lantern. Who exactly is he and what does his presence mean for the Corps? I cant wait to find out. Read Full Review

"Green Lantern" #16 in some ways sums up the title as a whole, post-"New 52" restart. This is no longer essential reading, but it's still a pleasant enough comic. Maybe once things settle down we'll get a bit more punch to the comic as a whole. For now, it continues to hit the middle of the road; there isn't much to drag you in if you weren't already reading, but there's also nothing to push you away. Read Full Review

Why DC pasted the Rise of the Third Army banner on this book is beyond me. This issue barely mentions it and this arc has been an origin for a new character. Be that as it may the new character is a copy of several others characters rolled into one. It remains to be seen if he has any sticking power. This issue concludes his origin and Johns delivers an entertaining but average story. Read Full Review

This issue features Simon Baz. If you're a Simon Baz fan this one's for you. ;)