The Green Lantern #1 // Review
After over five years absent, legendary writer Grant Morrison makes his return to the ongoing side of comic books in this highly anticipated series. With Liam Sharp on art and Steve Oliff on colors, this title stands head-and-shoulders over its contemporaries. This time around Morrison takes readers traveling across the cosmos exploring the Lantern mythos through the eyes of another log time Justice League member, Hal Jordan.
Leaving yet another very distinct imprint in typical Morrison fashion, readers are lulled into a sense of comfort only to be thrust into the far reaches of space and new frontiers for the DC Universe.
The comic master, Morrison leaves room for readers new and old to jump into this Green Lantern title, separating itself from its predecessors with the more adult themes and decompressed storytelling while still being completely planted within the established continuity. As the series picks up, readers follow a day on Earth with Hal Jordan, while simultaneously, on the other side of the galaxy, a Lantern is killed, igniting a mystery across the cosmos and bringing a new villain into the forefront with a final page reveal that will leave jaws on the floor.
During the midst of a battle within another sector of the galaxy, an alien Green Lantern is captured and murdered. Concurrently back on Earth, Hal Jordan is uncharged and uninspired finding aliens have begun to invade his city. Reminiscent of Hal’s origin, he stumbles upon a crashed Corps member and reignites his ring to join the fight once more. The juxtaposition between Hal on Earth and the alien Lantern fighting in space as they bleed into each other by the end is the crowning achievement of the issue. Morrison is able tell a cut-and-dry story, while simultaneously able to weave his higher concepts into the series.
The intricate pencils of Liam Sharp accentuate Morrison’s outlandish scripts with absolute painstaking detail. It’s a unique but fitting look for the series, adding a layer of eccentricity perfect for what Morrison requires from his collaborators. Famous Morrison collaborator, Frank Quitely, even makes an appearance with his beautiful yet ominous variant cover. The unsung hero of the issue, colorist Steve Oliff, takes Sharp’s art and uplifts it into a higher state of being. The high attention to detail and glorious colorwork allow each page to stand on its own beautifully, making the entire issue sheer eye candy.
After months of rumors and high expectations, Grant Morrison makes his explosive return to DC monthly. The combination of Liam Sharp and Steve Oliff on art completely fits the space opera nature of the title, while simultaneously working perfectly with the larger ideas of Morrison’s scripts. The Green Lantern is a must buy for fans of Morrison, the Lantern Mythos and comics in general.
