DC Comics Rebirth & Green Lanterns #31 Spoilers & Review: First Green Lanterns Dead Or Dying, But Despite Body-count Is Volthoom A Frenemy?

Spoilers, Top Story

DC Comics Rebirth and Green Lanterns #31 Spoilers and Review follow.

To get you caught up on this AMAZING journey, in the last several months of Green Lanterns we’ve seen the revelations on who the first 7 Green Lanterns were. During that time, in a modern day battle with Volthoom, who continues to look for his Travel Lantern from Earth 15.

Simon Baz (no ring-less as Volthoom destroyed his Green Lantern ring) and Jessica Cruz were somehow transported 1 million years in the past with a destiny of training the very first Green Lanterns. Unbeknownst to Volthoom, Rami the Rogue Guardian, used his Travel Lantern to create the first 7 Green Lantern rings ever adorned by the first 7 Green Lanterns.

So, to recap, with the first 4 Green Lanterns, the 7 first lanterns are:

The last one came to an surprising fate – a same issue death, the first of the First Green Lanterns deaths – leaving only 6 first Green Lanterns for Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz to train.

And then in Green Lanterns #30 (spoilers here) more death followed for the First Green Lanterns:

  • Volthoom kills Calleen in battle – the second of the First Green Lanterns deaths
  • Volthoom then kills Alitha in battle – the third of the First Green Lanterns deaths
  • Volthoom kills Brill in battle – the fourth of the First Green Lanterns deaths

A Graveyard of Light indeed.

For Green Lanterns #31 that leaves time-displaced Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz Green Lanterns alongside the three (3) remaining of the seven (7) First Green Lanterns:

  • Tyran’r of Tamaran
  • Kaja Dox of Yod-Colu
  • Z’Kran Z’Rann of Mars

As of the last issue, a ringless Simon Baz actually has been chosen by the First Green Lanterns four (4) rings as their champion.

With that, let’s dive into Green Lanterns #31.

We open in the present day with an aged Tyran’r of Tamaran and Rami the Rogue Guardian commiserating Jessica Cruz looks to have Kaja Dox of Yod-Colu assist her in helping…

…a super-charged Simon Baz vs. Volthoom.

Dox indeed attacks as does…

…Z’Kran Z’Rann of Mars who is fatally beaten by Volthoo, yet still pleads for Jessica Cruz to help Volthoom from being consumed by the emotional spectrum which has corrupted him.

First Green Lanterns body-count update:

  • Volthoom’s beating kills Z’Kran Z’Rann in battle – the fifth of the First Green Lanterns deaths

Simon Baz springs an impossible shape on Volthoom which is seemingly impossible to escape. Volthoom just wants to go home and is mesmerized when…

…his willpower manifests as the Emerald Sun?!

He just wants to go home and seems to have shaken the corrupting influence of an unfiltered emotional spectrum, but the Guardians of the Galaxy pounce and essentially arrest him and remove the Travel Lantern ring from him.

Rami the Rogue Guardian collects the 7 First Green Lanterns rings believing they are too dangerous, but cannot get Jessica Cruz’s ring; Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz reveal to be from the future with her being a First Green Lantern ring, but from the future. So, the earlier past version has been collected by Rami already. Trippy, right? #TimeTravel

Volthoom seems to know that the Guardians will destroy the Travel Lantern ring and create Green Lantern rings from them, but for some reason – in payback from Jessica and Simon wanting to help him – sends them back to the present via the Travel Lantern.

We then learn what happened after Simon and Jessica returned to past. The shrine of the First Green Lanterns was built and we know that Tyran’r of Tamaran lives to the present, but what about Kaja Dox of Yod-Colu? Well she becomes a scientist, has kids whose birthline is likely co-opted by Brainiac? Likely ancestors are Vril Dox (Brainiac Two of L.E.G.I.ON. and R.E.B.E.L.S. infamy), Pran Dox (Brainiac Three), Kajz Dox (Brainiac Four) and Querl Dox (Brainiac Five of the Legion of Super Heroes [LOSH]).

First Green Lanterns body-count update:

  • Kaja Dox grows old and dies of natural causes – the sixth of the First Green Lanterns deaths

It seems that in the present, the older Volthoom relinquished his hold on Rami returning him to control of his own body. A gesture either signifying his work was done or due to Jessica and Simon changing the past and him feeling like he owes them something.

At the same time, Tyran’r decides to retire and his ring chooses…

…Simon Baz. Now Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz each have one (1) of the seven (7) First Green Lantern rings.

The five (5) remaining First Green Lanterns rings remain unaccounted for.

As a result of giving up the ring, it appears Tyran’r would become the seventh and final of the First Green Lanterns deaths, but Rami channels the power of Simon and Jessica’s rings to save him and give him at least 1,000 more years of life.

Rami enlists Tyran’r to help him find the the 5 remaining First Green Lanterns rings before Volthoom does, but expects that 1 or more may end up on Earth so…

…sends Simon Baz and Jessica Crux home.

So…

What an amazing arc and broader story that has been built up for a year by writer by Sam Humphries. This has been epic sci-fi tale that added depth the emotional spectrum lore and even made sense of Volthoom a being that powered Earth 3’s Power Ring character of the evil Justica League called the Crime Syndicate from the Silver Age. Humphries made Volthoom a singular entity in the multiverse and it all worked.

I’m so sad to see him leaving this book, but I’m eager to see where he takes Nightwing (spoilers here) when he takes the reins of that book in December 2017. I guess Nightwing is on my pull list again.

Ronan Cliquet interior art served Humphries’ story well. The main cover by Brad Walker is gorgeous, and the best so far in this run despite me liking every cover he’s done on this series, while the variant cover by Brandon Peterson was stunning.

Overall, I give Green Lanterns #31 a strong 9.5 out of 10 only because I never give 10 out of 10’s. This is closest 10 though in my *ahem* few years of reading comic books.

John is a long-time pop culture fan, comics historian, and blogger. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Comics Nexus. Prior to being EIC he has produced several column series including DEMYTHIFY, NEAR MINT MEMORIES and the ONE FAN'S TRIALS at the Nexus plus a stint at Bleeding Cool producing the COMICS REALISM column. As BabosScribe, John is active on his twitter account, his facebook page, his instagram feed and welcomes any and all feedback. Bring it on!