Review: Green Lantern #4
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writers: Jeremy Adams and Peter J. Tomasi
Art: Xermanico and David Lafuente
Colors: Romulo Fajardo, Jr. and Tamra Bonvillain
Letters: Dave Sharpe and Rob Leigh
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
Hal has to call on friend Barry (The Flash) Allen for some help which leads to some personal introspection and a nice appearance by Carol Ferris. Oh, and Sinestro is there too!
Positives
Jeremy Adams seems to be reminding readers of Hal’s friends and enemies as he gets back in the swing of things. Seeing Hal and Barry is wonderful. It takes readers back to the Silver Age origins of Hal and Barry in the right way. And, while it’s just the action, Hal and Barry get into an insightful conversation about Hal’s personal life and on-again/ off-again history with Carol. Barry gives him some sound advice and it will be interesting to see how it plays out in future issues of Green Lantern.
It’s easy to tell that Jeremy Adams enjoyed writing Barry Allen in this issue. Adams references his engagement with Iris and ties it into Carol’s significance in the issue. Barry remembers his times with Carol in the past and has a friendly reunion with her that ads to the emotional complexity of the issue. Still, how are Barry and Iris not married if he remembers them being married? Just what happened in Barry’s history? Oh, wait, this is a Green Lantern review….
Sinestro proves to be more than just the villain as he apparently has a real reason for getting of of Earth and back to Korugar. Sinestro has been characterized with a lot of different aspects in the last 20 years or so, he’s not simply a villain, although he can be easily be the villain. From his perspective he is definitely the hero of his story. It almost feels like Hal will have to help him at some point in this run, which is an intriguing proposition.
Positives Cont’d
Xermanico’s art is a great fit for this series. It has the right amount of expressive quality while also manifesting exciting super-hero action. There are some close ups that highlight Xermanico’s draftsmanship, as well as wide angles to make the stakes impactful.
Peter J. Tomasi and David Lafuente begin a new back up series in Green Lantern #4. This introductory chapter has a lot of potential especially with the reveal on the last page. (Not worth spoiling that in a review!). It may tie in to Sinestro’s comments in the lead story, but either way the basic idea shows that there is A LOT of possibilities with the myriad of Lantern Corps in the DC Universe. A writer like Tomasi can see that and has jumped on it here.
Negatives
Not anything in this issue to speak of, but I am reminded of the inconsistency in titles during the “Dawn of DC.” While Green Lantern is definitely taking Hal back to basics, Adams isn’t ignoring what’s come before. He’s working in current continuity and referencing what’s necessary while also acknowledging the events of the past. How Hal got here is part of the story. Some “Dawn of DC” books don’t seem to be able to do this effectively. Green Arrow is doing a good job on this front, but the writers of Hawkgirl and Power Girl don’t seem to understand the character or the substance of the respective characters’ histories and personal development. Green Lantern is pushing forward, while Hawkgirl and Power Girl seem to have regressed to an earlier stage. This has led to questionable themes and outright mischaracterization. Perhaps, more editorial oversight would help. Adams clearly doesn’t need that.
Verdict
Green Lantern #4 improves a bit from last issue with a nice character focused issue that introduces some problems for Hal that should be addressed in coming issues. Adams presents concerns that impact both the heroic and personal side of Hal’s life while also showing how both sides are connected. The back up story is worth checking out, as well, as it suggests a lot more to come.
