[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artists: Ronan Cliquet & Hi-Fi
Summary
After detaining Singularity Jain in the last issue, it was revealed that Jessica Cruz may have made a deal with the evil lawyer to get to the truth of what she fears. To finally learn the identity of the people who killed her friends.
The Justice League are on site at Jessica’s home where a literal black hole has formed and swallowed up the house with Jessica inside. Simon brings Jain to the site so that they can question her as a team. With Wonder Woman’s help they learn of the deal. But even Diana can’t resist Jain’s corrupting voice for long and they muzzle her.
Meanwhile, Jessica is reliving her memories of the day she took her best-friends out on a hunting trip. A chance for Cruz to show off her Forestry Management degree and hunting skills. She has willingly, according to Jain, entered into a black hole to be trapped inside her memories and relive the day that her ex, her best friend, and child-hood friend are shot and killed when they stumble onto two killers hiding a body.
Unable to penetrate the forces guarding the black hole, Cyborg calls Constantine for advise. He takes Baz aside and tells him that none of the league members can get through, only Simon. So now, he must enter the black hole, without his ring, to rescue her from her worst fear. Upon entering everything is dark green but dead, Simon can’t understand until he sees who waits for him.
What is left of Power Ring from Forever Evil wallows in the dimension telling Simon that this isn’t a trap set by Volthoom, but a realm of Jessica’s own making!
Positives
Above all else in this issue, seeing Jessica Cruz smiling, happy, and in her own element among the greenery is amazing. She’s just a normal girl.
Further the character of Singularity Jain is interesting from a psychology point of view. She is directly narrowing down the point at which Jessica’s anxiety disorder started and is able to pinpoint the event. While the character takes this knowledge and twists it to control people, the ability itself is a wonderful idea to help people with anxiety disorders, or any other mental health issues for that matter.
Cliquet also does a great job of rendering the world. Cruz’s memories are brightly lit and happy looking, with her feeding a chubby squirrel. The real world is dark and distorted with a purple aura radiating from the black hole that distorts the building around it. The use of direct sunlight, rays coming from a signature of light are interesting as well.
Cliquet and Seeley use bursts of sunlight 4 times in this issue. The first time is with a burst of blue light appearing behind the shadowy faces of the killers in Jessica’s memories. The next two are when Constantine appears to illuminate the situation that the JL can’t figure out. Behind Baz as he prepares to enter the black hole is the next time, after he understands what must be done. The final time is when Jessica and her friends see the body being dumped, a plume of light flares beside them.
Most interesting is that the first light, behind the killers faces is blue, not white, making it distinct from the others, as though Jessica isn’t remembering it properly, instead changing it.
Negatives
There are no negatives worth mentioning in this issue.
Verdict
Green Lanterns #45 is a solid issue that delves deep, literally, into Jessica Cruz’s memories and strikes at the heart of who she is today.
