Review: The Green Lantern: Season Two #11
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer:Â Grant Morrison
Art:Â Liam Sharp
Colors:Â Liam Sharp
Letters:Â Steve Wands
Reviewed by:Â Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
The Young Guardians send Hal on what they anticipate to be his last mission, stop the Ultrawar and the invading race of Golden Giants. This takes him to Athmoora and he’s again Sir Hal of the Green Lamp!
Positives
The most interesting aspect of The Green Lantern: Season Two #11 is the “offer” made to hal by the Young Guardians. They have decided that he alone can stop the invasion of the Majistry, the race of golden giants we’ve seen before in this series, and after he ends the Ultrawar…he’s retired. He’s retired because he’s too individualistic. He follows his own mind and sometimes doesn’t do what he’s asked to do.
The concept of Hal being forced into retirement is quite intriguing. Even in the moment before he leaves, his ring seems to also have freewill. In an issue of The Green Lantern: Season One, we got an intimate look at the relationship Hal has with his ring. That’s what we are getting a taste of and it’s easily believable that after Hal completes this mission he “retires” but doesn’t turn in his ring because the ring won’t leave him.
Once again, Liam Sharp’s art is outstanding. There’s a lot of painted work that is just lush and gorgeous even if it’s sometimes in a dark setting. And, it doesn’t diminish his ability to communicate with excellent facial expressions on the characters. Sharp has found a way to develop himself to another level, and it’s simply breathtaking.
Negatives
Like many of Morrison’s scripts, he just drop the reader into the middle of something at the opening of the issue. It takes a little while to get one’s bearings, not everyone immediately remembers that we’ve already seen Athmoora. It’s a little unsettling at first. Â
It’s strange to see the Young Guardians’ demise be on the horizon already. One hopes that it’s simply not a ruse to return everything to the status quo with the old Guardians in charge by the end of issue #12. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing for Morrison to put all the toys back in the box, this series has the feel that there will be some lasting changes to Hal/the Green Lantern Corps by its end.
Verdict
The Green Lantern: Season Two #11 sets the table for the finale next month. Morrison has connected the dots along the way so that Hal is at a showdown with the Majistry and a crossroads with the Young Guardians. Sharp’s art continues to be stunning, though it almost feel like this crossroads should’ve come earlier in the series so that it could be developed and explored.
