Absolute Green Lantern #5 – Al Ewing, Writer; Jahnoy Lindsay, Artist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: It feels like this series has kept us at arm’s length since the beginning, showing us bits and pieces of Jo Mullein’s rise as Earth’s first Green Lantern and Hal Jordan’s descent into becoming the Black Hand. Abin Sur’s motivations are shrouded in mystery as well – he’s seemingly killed countless people, but it’s not clear if they’re gone at all. So this series doesn’t even really have a clear villain – until now. Because Hector Hammond is entering the fray, and bringing an oil slick of smoothness and smarm with him. Still a very normal government consultant, he wastes no time interrogating a wounded Todd Rice about what he experienced when the giant Green Lantern landed – leveraging his need for medical help against him. It’s a great example of how to make an audience absolutely hate a character in only a few issues, and it sets up his interest in this story very well.
Why did Jo and Hal wind up with such different fates? This issue shows a little more of exactly what happened when they were confronted directly by Abin Sur, and we see exactly what happens when a Hal Jordan who hasn’t excised his fear yet is confronted by the unknown. The scenes where he receives his “gift” are some of the most viscerally unsettling I’ve read in a comic in a while, and while Jo is certainly not fearless by any stretch, the way she deals with her past pain makes a very strong contrast. The ending also brings in a major new player who has undergone an evolution of his own, and the issue sets up a strong conflict – Hector Hammond has his sights on the Lantern, and those chosen by it are the only ones who might be able to open it. This is the kind of series that rewards patience, and as we get to the end of the first arc, it looks like the pace is only going to speed up from here.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
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