Review: Green Lantern #11
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Jeremy Adams
Art: Xermanico & Amancay Nahuelpan and Kevin Maguire
Colors: Romulo Fajardo, Jr. and Rosemary Cheetham
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
Hal and company go to the United Planets to inform them about Thaaros…and it doesn’t go exactly as they plan. On Earth, Carol Ferris makes a big decision!
Positives
While the conflict between the “renegade” Green Lanterns and Thaaros ramps up, perhaps the most interesting development in the issue is the final page cliffhanger with Carol Ferris. Jeremy Adams wisely uses Carol’s history as a way of getting her involved in the proceedings on Oa. Adams has been toying with the Hal/ Carol relationship since this series began. It seemed Carol was completely happy with her current boyfriend and Hal was going to have to accept that Carol had moved on and their new status quo was going to be friendship.
With Green Lantern #11, Adams puts the focus on Carol’s desires as she forces the issue with her boyfriend convincing him to drive to Las Vegas to elope. It’s a nuanced approach to Carol as it’s clear that while Carol is saying one thing, she is also having misgivings. This leads to the final page surprise as Carol is confronted with another aspect of her past, an aspect that should prove to put her and Hal on equal footing. This should force Carol to confront the truth of her feelings. This was an unexpected though appropriate plot turn and a thoughtful examination of Carol’s character.
Positives Cont’d
It’s no secret that Thaaros isn’t automatically indicted by the U.P. Council. Though expected, it does provide the continued tension between Hal and the renegades against the U.P. One wonders if this will lead to some sort of dismantling of the United Planets. It would be a clever in-story way of resetting things for the U.P. to show up again in the future as part of a more traditional take on the legislative body as part of the world of the future Legion of Super-Heroes. The United Planets as a contemporary entity has been an awkward take since Brian Michael Bendis introduced the idea during his ill conceived and executed runs on Superman and the Legion.
Like it or not, Adams also nails the Guy Gardner back up. The art by Kevin Maguire is right on target, especially the facial expressions on Guy. This is also seen when Carol gets her surprise on the last page. Xermanico (I think) does a great job of communicating Carol’s misgivings throughout Green Lantern #11. There’s a degree of subtlety here that is achieved at a high level.
Negatives
The flashback sequence with Hal and Carol as middle schoolers plays upon the long history the characters have. Reflecting upon the childhood interest in bad boy Hal works against the more complex aspects of their relationship as adults. The final page cliffhanger injects what is needed to bring it back around to the adult relationship between Hal and Carol.
Verdict
Green Lantern #11 takes a turn into the interior of Carol’s struggle. The creative team does an exceptional job adding this layer to the storytelling by developing this subplot further setting it up for the next big part of this story. Jeremy Adams continues to be the best writer at DC Comics these days understanding the balance of action-adventure and character.
