“Do you know why the fourth finger is the ring finger? The ancients thought it was a magic finger.” – John Stewart
After many successful, high quality books with the new absolute line, we now reach their sixth new book and debuted with the first issue of the absolute Green Lantern by writer Al Ewing and artist Jannoy Lindsay. Known for his incredible work, Ewing, known for his unique blend of science fiction, philosophy and emotional resonance, was a natural choice to rethink DC’s most iconic cosmic Titan. And while this issue doesn’t get much to the heights of previous title debuts, many interesting new ideas and some bold character orientations are carried by a very appealing script.
The main setting of this book is the small town of Evergreen where our main cast lives. They are there to live in their slow, working life, except for Joe, who recently returned from the coastal city to find a new direction in life. Suddenly, a disaster arises when a huge green wall is built around a sleepy town, and a mysterious being called Abin Sur observes it. The mystery is blurred with the story jumping between the present and recent past, both its advantages and disadvantages.
Credit: DC Comics
What resonates with me right from the first page is the portrayal of Hal Jordan in his inner darkness, especially since his time as parallax, that the mainline green lantern comics have barely touched on. Following the vaguely referenced incident between Abinsal’s arrival and the present arrival, his focus on the run is an excellent set-up for the chaos he clearly wants from the character, especially judging by the violence born by Hal’s mysterious and uncontrollable “black hands.” This is also contradictory given that this concept is already the MVP of the book, and that HAL is not the main character.
Former cup and one of the most recent mainline lanterns, Joe Murraine is the star of this alternative take on cosmic lore based on the cover and comments of this issue. Pairing with such a high potential new character and two lanterns in her support corner, which has the most prominent headline Green Lantern titles, is a great way to give this iteration a unique identity. One scene with the three of them in the diner biases when Hal frightens her about why he returned to Hal Green. The only problem with this is that this issue is far more concerned with the setup of a hugely threatening mystery, and in doing so gives her far more than she does, effectively bystanders outside the conversation, a mysterious nod to the confrontation with the man, and a sight of a cliffhanger with an end.
John is still relatively unsurprising about his portrayal, as he is as wise as usual, but he is reluctantly regarded as a man of local knowledge by HAL, a very enjoyable way to make their differences in maturity appear subtle. At this point, only a major change into the character’s history is that HAL has nothing to do with his pilot roots. This is an interesting change considering that others seem to hold onto a career, especially John is once again an architect after Mainline has focused him more militarily. Anyway, the character dynamics are new and yet worthy of the lantern book, but Joe and her batting head mean the mystery of Abinsal and where the cast of this cast goes.
Credit: DC Comics
The art, like each absolute book ever, is unique to the line, with Lindsay clearly channeling the manga in his art style. I consider the main use of green, black and white as an inspirational choice for books that lean on all of its sci-fi/horror. Very suitable along with Ewing’s script. And while I’m very engaged in the aesthetic direction of this book, I have a great favor with how John and Joe are portrayed, I think I’m interested in how HAL looks rather younger on most panels than the other panels. But I think it has something to do with the trauma of what happened in the evergreens.
At best, this issue is a great exercise to visualize the plot setup and the scale and fear of the universe story from Earth, but at worst, it can feel that it is actually a second issue based on where we start and finish. But this is not strictly a major issue. Because the dark tone and promising narrative concept makes this feel like a certified Ewing Banger. Easter’s eggs and visuals have a clear love for classic Green Lanterns, pushing new characters, the heart of what Green Lanterns have always been, whilst both the script and the art present a lovely mix of old and modern.
And of course, no one seems to like Gardner very much, but what’s new?
Absolute Green Lantern #1 is another powerful entry point to the absolute universe, combining new and familiar ideas to set the mystery surrounding a massive revamp of lore. At the point, I feel that I might have left a bigger bang for the first problem, but that makes up for it with a well-established tone and clear intention for its protagonist. Joe feels a little less developed than HAL, and I feel that there are no starting plot elements due to the nature of the plot structure, but there is a good chance that that dynamic will flourish in the next issue.
“Absolute Green Lantern” #1 runs to the ground
Absolute Green Lantern #1
This is yet another powerful entry point for the absolute universe, combining new and familiar ideas to set up the mystery and horror surrounding the revamp of the massive lore accented by Janoy Lindsay’s inspired fitting visuals.
Ewing embraces the inner darkness that Hal has always had in a very enjoyable way.
The character dynamics, especially between Joe and Hal, have many possibilities.
Lindsay’s art fits the tone of the story
The fear premise of the universe is undoubtedly fulfilled.
Joe feels somewhat undeveloped as the book’s apparent protagonist, but she isn’t without potential species.
In point, the plot structure feels as though it is a second problem rather than the first, depending on how it lays the foundation for mystery.
