It’s been a long time since I’ve picked up a Green Lantern book. Let’s just say that the last run I’ve read is “The Green Lantern Corps” from 1987. In fact, I have the first 8 issues of the series is hanging on the wall behind me as I sit here and write. I am well aware that I’ve been missing some amazing work over the past few years, but the whole Lantern universe is just a little above my head, although I do love the design and concept of the character and his appearances in Justice League outings.
While I have been quiet this week with reviews –Is this Convergence thing over yet– I still needed my comic fix while I was out today, and this books cover caught my eye. Sure, that’s mostly out of nostalgia as the logo is identical to my 87′ run, but isn’t that the intention DC had in mind with this event in the first place?
So does this issue live up to the Corps storied legacy, does it finally help redeem this Convergence event, and most importantly, is it fun? Yes, sort of, damn right it is. Convergence: Green Lantern Corps #1 is the first book of this event that manged to grab me from beginning to end. Gallaher and Ellis do a wonderful job in the writing showing the great contrast between the three main Green Lanterns throughout this issue. We get a new inside look at what happens to some of the most power heroes in the universe when their powers are negated.
As the dome has cut off all of this Gotham city, the power battery left under the dome is cut off from Oa and can’t recharge the three rings inside the dome. This affects each Lantern in very different ways with Guy Gardner getting the main bulk of focus in this book. He is out of a coma caused by a bomb meant for Hal just before the dome hit, but this, coupled with the isolation is causing severe mental instability.
John Stewart is getting by helping as a foreman, but revels that he is hurting as well because of his failure to help the city, and his feelings that he was always the fall-back Green Lantern because Hal was out of action. During all of this Guy is searching for a reclusive Hal Jordan to “make friends” which essentially means he wants to kick his ass for being a douche and leaving him to be tortured in the negative zone, the event that lead to his coma.
Hal has never been able to accept the world around him and has been searching for a way to contact Oa. this of course is a futile effort that has left him with just as many mental and emotional issues as Guy. The entire book leads us to a confrontation between Guy and Hall and while we do get this, it comes of as just a tad anticlimactic. Still, it’s nice to get a Lantern book that is wholly character based with a lot focus on interpersonal relationships between former heroes.
The dome of course comes down at issues end like with the other books in this event, but Hal absconds with the only Power Battery to pick up John Stewart, leaving Guy on the cutting room floor. Sure, this is of course a total dick move, but it ties into what happens next in this original timeline with Guy going solo. In the comics he would go on to take a yellow ring and then to gain some crazy spirit animal powers –it’s as crazy as it sounds– so this buildup is pretty fun.
While Convergence: Green Lantern Corps #1 isn’t going to win any awards, the art is in the perfect style of the original timeline and the writing is quite strong. I still am not of fan of this event, but I’ll definitely pick up the next book to see how this plays out. Convergence: Green Lantern Corps #1 comes highly recommended for the Gl fan and people looking for something a bit different and is easily the best book of this event so far.
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