In an effort to make its stories more accessible to new
readers, DC recently launched The New 52, cancelling all of its existing titles
and starting 52 new series with revamped and rebooted versions of its major
characters. But how will the New 52 affect the DC universe? Will new readers
actually be attracted? Will old fans still be interested? Will the new titles
be fresh and new, or disappointing and unfaithful to the original continuity?
After buying and reading all but a few of the 52 new #1s that DC released over
the course of a month, I have set out to review some of the major ones and let
potential readers know which new titles are and are not worth reading. So,
without further ado…
Green Lantern #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciler: Doug Mahnke
Review by Samuel N. Harris
Technically, there seem to have been few, if any, continuity
changes to Green Lantern’s universe in this new reboot—but that’s because there
were some pretty major changes made to Green Lantern right before the reboot. The War of the Green Lanterns story arc earlier this year saw some rather drastic
changes in the status quo: Hal Jordan was discharged from the Green Lantern
Corps for rebelling against the Guardians of the Universe, and in his place,
the green ring chose Sinestro, formerly the Green Lanterns’ greatest enemy, to
become a Lantern again like he was before turning evil. This is what things are
like when the new Green Lantern #1
picks up.
Fans of the recent Green Lantern movie will recognize some of the same characters in this comic—most
notably Hal, Sinestro, Carol Ferris, and the Guardians—just not quite in the
same way, as Hal is no longer a Green Lantern in this issue, and Sinestro has
become one again after a long period of fighting against them. Before this
reboot I had been somewhat behind on my DC reading, so I actually still have
not yet read War of the Green Lanterns
(and I don’t know much about the story other than that, apparently, there is
some sort of war among the Green Lanterns). However, once I dove into this
issue and read up a little bit on what came before it, I was eager to learn
more, both about the details that had led to those events, but also about what
would happen in Hal’s and Sinestro’s lives now that their roles have been
somewhat reversed. It’s an intriguing idea for a story that had me curious to
find out what would happen, and this issue did not disappoint in beginning to
satiate that curiosity.
So what do you do when you are forced to return to a group
that you were once part of, but have since been fighting against? For Sinestro,
the answer involves questioning why he was chosen to become a Green Lantern
again, but reluctantly trying to fill that role. We see him arguing with the
Guardians of the Universe about the matter, but also fighting fiercely against
members of the Sinestro Corps, which he had previously led, who fight with the
evil power of fear. Sinestro does appear to be willing, if still reluctant, to
fight against the evil that he was once a part of. The Guardians suggest that
perhaps the ring chose him to give him a chance at redemption. It was nice to
see that chance explored in this issue, and it will be interesting to see
whether or not the future really does hold redemption for the Green Lanterns’ former
greatest enemy.
And what do you do when you get kicked out of an interplanetary
peacekeeping organization and suddenly sent back to Earth? For Hal Jordan, the
answer involves trying to put the pieces of his life back together—and failing
miserably. True to his frequent portrayal as an irresponsible hotshot, he’s got
no job, no money, no car, bills overdue, and relationship problems with Carol.
We see Hal struggling to make ends meet financially and trying to patch things
up with Carol, but carelessly saying the wrong thing to her in a comical but poignant
moment. He also tries to be a hero and stop a crime at one point—without his
Green Lantern ring or anything to make him more powerful than the average human—but
he ends up messing up in that situation as well. But despite his insensitiveness at
times, Hal is portrayed here as a likeable, sympathetic, down-on-his-luck
character, and he is an easy hero to root for as he faces all the roadblocks of
his new life.
Green Lantern #1
is great because it takes already familiar characters (at least, familiar to
those who have read or watched Green
Lantern before) and puts them in a new situation with an unexpected twist,
giving them room to grow and develop as characters even more. My only minor
criticism of it is that it may not be the best place for new readers to jump on—which
is what I thought DC was trying to do with this new reboot—because it relies
directly on events that have happened previously and character relationships
that have been established already, and it puts the characters in atypical
situations for them that are not the status quo. However, I still understood
and enjoyed the comic well enough without having read or known all the details
of War of the Green Lanterns, so I’m
going to go out on a limb and say that this comic is a great read for anyone
who is remotely familiar with the Green Lantern characters.
What will happen next in this new Green Lantern status quo?
Will Hal Jordan become a Green Lantern again? Will Sinestro become a villain
again? I think the answer to both questions is probably “Yes, eventually,” but
I could be wrong—you never know with comics. Sometimes things don’t always go
back to the way they were, and even when they do, it sometimes takes a while to
happen. It looks like Sinestro will be a Green Lantern and Hal a struggling bum
for at least a little while longer, and I personally am interested and curious
to see how that story plays out, and how (or if) they get back to the way they
were before. Green Lantern #1 is a
great comic with a fun story and a new twist on old characters. I look forward
to reading more.
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