Secret Origin part 5
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ivan Reis
DC Comics
Who would have thought that the best way to build towards the destined-to-be-epic Blackest Night would be in a flashback story?
When it was announced that Green Lantern was going to be doing a six issue retelling of Hal Jordan, I rolled my eyes. It’s no secret that I’m a Kyle Rayner die-hard, hell, I refused to even buy the book until the Sinestro Corps War! Seriously, I spent my formative years going on and on about how much I despised the character of Hal Jordan, so damn Geoff Johns for making him the star of one of the consistently best books on the market.
Wait, did I say that this flashback story is building to the Blackest Night? Well of course I did! Johns has managed to weave together a lot of aspects of the mythos, both old and new, to form a coherent retelling of Hal’s origin that helps to build on other established plots while taking nothing away from the characters. There is no harm to be found in retconning Hector Hammond’s origin so that the meteor that gave him his powers is Abin Sur’s ship, in fact, given how the book launched with the reveal of the US government having the ship it makes even more sense.
Johns also does a masterful job with Sinestro, remembering that while he may be the grandest villain in Green Lantern history, he was also once the greatest of them all. The similarities between him and Hal are well defined as two men who can’t help but to question their mentors, their bosses, their very existence. The two are brothers in Green, and it’s that friendship which makes what later happens to Sinestro (you know, the whole EVIL thing) that much more heart-wrenching. After reading this issue I’m not viewing him as the purple Hitler that I usually see, I’m seeing a sympathetic man who honestly believes he’s doing the best that he can.
How about the reveal of the massacre of Sector 666? Not to spoil this amazing double page spread, but now that we know exactly what happened, it’s hard to not understand why Atrocitus would feel such rage towards the Guardians. And it’s also kinda cool to see a young William Hand, and to find out that the Black Hand symbol that we keep seeing on all of the Blackest Night promotional work is his families old mortuary logo.
Geoff Johns has a quality shared by few writers in the modern era, the ability to make just about anything seem epic. Green Lantern is the best example of that. He’s revamped the entire mythos in an effort to build toward a story line that Alan Moore created by a mention twenty years ago, and none of it feels forced. He understands the characters, his pacing is astounding, in fact, there’s only one problem with Geoff Johns on Green Lantern. The book is monthly!
And what can be said about Ivan Reis on art other then amazing? I mean seriously, wow, is this guy even capable of putting out a bad issue? The characters faces register the right emotions, the actions scenes are clear and intense, and the man does a beautiful double page spread.
So what’s the final verdict? One issue left on this arc before we head back to the present to keep the build up for the Blackest Night, and for this reviewer the month long wait to read it is just too long! This is an incredibly well done book, and a must read for anybody who loves Green Lantern, or even just loves a well done story. Give this book a shot, you wont be disappointed.
And yes, that goes for my fellow Kyle Rayner fans as well. Hal isn’t that bad when you get to know him!
Rating: 9/10
