[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers.]
Writer: Sam Humphries
Artist: Tom Drenick and Miguel Mendonca
Inker: Scott Hanna
Summary
This story is called “A Day in the Life.” It is a day in the life of my favorite Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz. Yes, Simon is in here, but the main focus is Jess. She gets up, she tries to have breakfast, she catches a submarine as it falls from the sky. She saves flood victims, fixes a dam, stops a mudslide and some other stuff too. Sounds exhausting doesn’t it? You really do not know the half of it.
Positives
As I mentioned in my summary, Jessica Cruz is my favorite Green Lantern. I am not sure if Sam Humphries feels that same way, but after reading this book, I do not know how he could feel any other way. Jessica Cruz is not real. I understand. There are not any Green Lanterns flying around my home state of Michigan (I only live an hour or so from Simon, I would have seen him) nor are there any in Portland, Oregon, nor are there any anywhere, but Humphries makes me feel like they are real. How does he do this? He makes them as human as possible.
Jessica has severe anxiety. It is real. It overwhelms her and sometimes, it makes her screw up her job being a supercop of the universe. She is the most real superhero in the DC Universe. She is so vulnerable. She cries. She is sad. She is mad at herself. She fails miserably sometimes and yet, through it all, she keeps trying. She is a hero in a way that Diana, Victor or Barry can never understand. They are who they are. Literally, being Wonder Woman, Cyborg and The Flash are part of them. Take off the ring, and Jessica Cruz is still a hero because she gets out of bed every single day. As we see in this issue. Sometimes the hardest part of the day is eating pancakes. Sometimes admitting life is hard, is hard. Asking for help after catching a submarine…impossible. I love this book so much. Seriously. Sam, you are a rock star.
The art team just crushes it…Again. Shocking right? Nope. The people that Humphries has working with him must make his job so much easier. He says, “write an anxious face” Boom! Done.  How about I do you one better and show you the crap state of Jessica’s room. She sleeps on the floor. There are tiny details to show us how hard it is to be her. Brilliant. He says, “Jessica is spiraling out of control.” Boom! He literally gets a page where we have to read the words and follow the art in a corkscrew.
So, so so good.
Negatives
Have you seen the costumes they wear? They are essentially naked covered in green and black body paint. Jessica cares that Simon sees her in her jammies?  Hmm… That is hard to believe, but it is still endearing.
Verdict
I can not explain to you how delightful, honest and wonderful this book is. You should read it. If you have not read Green Lanterns before, this is the perfect time to start. This book starts a new story and the last scene sets up a pretty awesome crossover event.
