Double-Sized Issue Reviews!

Green Lantern #1 by Jeremy Adams & Phillip Kennedy Johnson

*This article contains spoilers for Green Lantern #1 (2023)*

Hal Jordan is back on Earth! After who knows how much time has gone by, Hal has returned to Coast City—and his first stop is Ferris Air. Of course, Carol Ferris wants nothing to do with the former Emerald Gladiator. She’s moved on. She has a boyfriend. She is not denying her intense love for Hal Jordan. 

In this post-Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths story, the Guardians of the Universe have vanished and in their place are the United Planets—an organization started by Superman that will one day create the superhero team: The Legion of Superheroes. Hal Jordan, a known person with authority issues, has a huge problem with the new leadership. 

Hal is furious at the United Planets—they reassigned the “Earth” lanterns to different worlds out of sector, while simultaneously quarantining all of Sector 2814. Hal should be suspicious, if not for his hard-headed attitude getting in the way. Earth is left vulnerable. No guardians. No lanterns. No intergalactic representation. 

While Hal’s ring was seemingly left powerless after leaving the Corp, an encounter with Steel Fury—a villain with access to a Manhunter suit—accidently charges Hal’s depleted ring. Once again allowing him to be Green Lantern. Though, for how long we do not know. 

With Grant Morrison’s The Green Lantern (2019) run long completed, it is left to wonder what happened to the lore they created. To the ring being alive—what does the lack of power mean for her? Does she exist in this story? Or is that to be overlooked? What about her love for Hal?

In the backup feature, John Stewart reunites with his mother, telling her he’s done with searching. He’s on Earth to stay. Though he manages to avoid mentioning he is no longer a lantern. 

This setup reminds me of the 1990s, following Emerald Twilight when the Earth lanterns had to find other ways to be heroes as the central power battery had fallen. John Stewart became a Darkstar—Darkstars were another intergalactic police force. Guy Gardner became “Warrior”. It makes me wonder if new identities will be picked up again. If the lanterns are out, who will John Stewart become? Who will Guy Gardner become? 

In the second backup story, we see an old Guy Gardner and another lantern—we’re to believe they’re from another time and another universe. This lantern corp does not have a central power battery. Instead, they have a green flame. Sound familiar? The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, got his powers from a green flame. Will our earth’s lanterns be connected to this power source instead?

Overall, an interesting start. Though, I feel this issue was not as action packed, and did not create a strong aesthetic emotion in the reader. I hope the coming issues will really make me feel something. 

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Rating: 3/5 Stars. While we got a feel for Hal Jordan, it did not feel like an action packed first issue. That is fine when taking a different approach to a character, but Green Lantern deserves more. 

Suggested reading: 

Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight (1994) See how Hal Jordan destroyed the Green Lantern Corp! Then read how John Steward and Guy Gardner grew afterward! 

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