Jeremy Adams and Zarmanico are in hell! As we saw in the final issue of Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, Phantom Stranger and Zauriel traveled to hell in search of artifacts that would help stop the misuse of the starbreaker and emotional spectrum of sadness. While there we saw some wild stuff, most importantly, G’Nort! From this cover, you know that there are youkai waiting there, so how will Hal and Spectre respond to this new meeting? “Hal Specter” was something Hal Specter didn’t bother him in the comics when Hal wasn’t in the Green Lantern, so I’m looking forward to seeing these two teams appear. Recharge your ring better as this group of characters and creative team prepares to become Hellbound!
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Well, once we start with the cover, I like the way Xermanico and Adams tease us with the question, “Another Yokai?” Just behind those words is a fierce showdown between HAL and Specter. I know these two characters didn’t leave the biggest conditions and would like to see more interactions and references in this issue, as they weren’t closed together between them. As we dive into the cartoon, the art continues at a high standard, and we love the way colors bring out the shadows, and it has a creepy vibe. The four heroes finally reach the cell with a prisoner behind them. This must be an important prisoner, as Phantom Stranger states that “only one from the top can unlock the following cells.” This is how we meet Adia, chained to their cells and look very monstrous.
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The scene returns to space for our other hero quartets, along with Kyle Rainer, Superboy, Odyssey and Dan Garrett, as new Silver Scarabs, as Kyle Rainer, Superboy, Odyssey and Dan Garrett, as they try to escape the reach. They have not only a group of angry reach soldiers chasing them, but they also have to worry about the giant mouthed space monsters ready to devour them. That monster is a very ugly sight, reminding you of one of the deep sea creatures you don’t want to know. I love the humor Adams gives Garrett when he tweets “children” while trying to survive in this group. An interesting moment between the lantern’s spaceship and Kyle’s ring appears to have caused a surge in force that helped to begin the speed of light. How that unfolds later, what does that mean for Kyle and the Ring?
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Kyle and Hal’s group can withstand the challenges while entertaining us, but Hal’s team must deal with the ghost before the conclusion. Specter is upset that Hal changes the punishment of his idea. I hope the idea was a real character in the “Hal Specter’s” series, but this new implant might be interesting. I also want to know what happens to the Spectre without a host. It was also great to see Specter go to HAL after all Unbound has become special from DC’s Jim Corrigan. I felt this “team up” was in a hurry, so I would have wanted more HAL and SPECTER to interact and some callbacks to their time. At the end of their conflict, I liked that Hal told the ghost to let his next host know “everything” before they bonded. I hope somewhere in the DCU, we can see the closure in Spectre’s story.
Speaking of closure, the idea story seems to be unfinished and you may get new lantern feelings from them. This issue brings about the chaos of the universe, the tension of the characters, and the mystery of the emotional spectrum to keep my interest.
Green Lantern #23 lights up the fuse for something big both cosmicly and emotionally. Between old ghosts and ideas like Specter, new wildcards like Adams and Zarmanico, you’re playing long games with HAL and wider lantern mythology. Kyle’s strange ring response, potential links to new emotions in ideas, and Specter’s inexplicable warnings all suggest that we’re just scratching the surface of the big things in the DCU. If hell and deep space prove to be grounded, our lanterns have passed these ordeals, but waiting deeper in the darkness may burn brighter than we have seen.
“Green Lantern” #23 lights the fuse for something
Green Lantern #23
Green Lantern #23 lights up the fuse for something big both cosmicly and emotionally. Between old ghosts and ideas like Specter, new wildcards like Adams and Zarmanico, you’re playing long games with HAL and wider lantern mythology. Kyle’s strange ring response, potential links to new emotions in ideas, and Specter’s inexplicable warnings all suggest that we’re just scratching the surface of the big things in the DCU. If hell and deep space prove to be grounded, our lanterns have passed these ordeals, but waiting deeper in the darkness may burn brighter than we have seen.
Great character balance – There are tense, dramatic moments, but beautifully balanced with humorous moments
Xermanico and Romulo Fajardo Jr. kill art as they go from hell to deep spaces featuring a collection of creepy threats along the way
Jeremy Adams has much in his books, ranging from “Hal Spector” to the new legacy of Silver Scalab. The mix and interactions of characters are amazing This series feels more than just a single character book, but I’m really taking part in Greater DCU
An introduction to ideas and the possibility of becoming a new emotional lantern adds a mystery as to what is happening in the emotional spectrum
I hope Adams gave some deeper cuts in the interaction between Hal and Specter instead of cutting them shorter
