Comics Review: Green Lantern #26 "The Alpha Lanterns, Pt. 1" (Spoiler-Free!)

Green Lantern 26
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Mike McKone
Inks: Andy Lanning, Marlo Alquiza, and Cam Smith
Editor: Eddie Berganza

(Writer's note: Yes, this issue is now a week old--I'll be better about reviewing just-released books in the future. Just bear with me, as I just picked up THIS book, along with all my books from last week, YESTERDAY. Also, though this is the solicited cover for the issue, this actually turned out to be the cover for Green Lantern Corps/Sinestro Corps Secret Origins)

I've said it to friends and other comic book fans on many occasions, but since this is a new blog, I'll say it again: Geoff Johns is one of the most compelling writers working in comic books today. For those that don't know, Johns is currently writing Green Lantern, Action Comics, Booster Gold, and Justice Society of America, all published by DC Comics, and without reservation I recommend each of those books to anyone not currently reading them. What makes his books compelling is his gift for nailing down a particular character's voice--when we, as readers, are in the character's head, hearing their thoughts, the voice we hear rings true, no matter if the character is as familiar as an old high school friend, as Kal-El (Superman) or Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) may be, or completely new to us, as Booster Gold will probably be. After all, the subtitle on Booster Gold is "The Greatest Superhero You've Never Heard of!"


image courtesy of www.ign.com

This past year in particular, Green Lantern has been a showcase for Johns' gift for voice. "The Sinestro Corps War" event, which ran through the summer in Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps,and the Tales of the Sinestro Corps specials, garnered praise from fans and across the industry for being a model for how event comics SHOULD be handled, with a strong, character-driven, action-packed story contained within a small number of books and relatively few tie-ins. If you ONLY read Green Lantern or Green Lantern Corps, you still had all you needed to enjoy the story--the additional pieces provided richer characterization and backstory to the various "heavies" in the story, some of the scariest villains in the DC Universe. Each chapter of the "Sinestro Corps War" in Green Lantern began with us, the readers, inside Hal Jordan's head, with the words, "My name is Hal Jordan. I'm an officer in the Green Lantern Corps, Sector 2814." The next sentence would often bring us right into the action, as seen through Hal's eyes, the eyes of a man who has overcome great fear, who has been at different parts of his life a daredevil test pilot, a superhero, a host to the Spirit of Vengeance, and one of the most powerful antagonists in the universe, capable of rewriting reality according to his whims. There's a glib bravado in his voice, but it's sobered by harsh experience and awareness of duty. Hal's is a steely voice, a voice you instantly like and hope to hear in a time of crisis.



And Johns nails it perfectly. He has nailed it perfectly every time, since he helmed Hal's return in Green Lantern: Rebirth, through every issue of Green Lantern leading up to "The Sinestro Corps War." It's Hal's voice that guides us through the stories, makes us care about what happens, keeps us reading and counting the days until the next issue, and of course, the credit for that belongs completely to Johns.

Now, with issue #26, a new chapter begins in the aftermath of the Sinestro Corps War, and while Hal Jordan continues to be a prominent voice in the story, Johns gives us a taste of another voice, just enough to tell us we'll be hearing a lot more from him in the stories ahead. Fans of the Cartoon Network show Justice League Unlimited will be pleased to know that voice belongs to someone familiar: John Stewart, another officer in the Green Lantern Corps, and Hal's partner in this series. Stewart has been an important figure all throughout Johns' run on Green Lantern, but to my knowledge this is the first time we as readers are granted interiority into his thoughts--it's the first time we hear his voice in a narrative role, and it's another credit to Johns that the voice is clearly distinct from Hal's. He's a character with a complicated history, one he hasn't completely left behind, and "The Alpha Lanterns, Pt. 1" seems to foreshadow that Stewart's history will come to the forefront in the near future. I, for one, can't wait to see more.



This wouldn't be a complete review without mention of the art. Let me start by saying this: Mike McKone is VERY good. Previously I really enjoyed his work on Teen Titans, and missed his style on that book when he and Johns left that book with issue #48. His treatments of character's faces and bodies are tempered with a realism that grounds the work--expressions and postures feel genuine, and you're never looking at someone in a panel and wondering, "Why the HELL are they posing like that?" At the same time, he completely capable of pulling off the big splashy pages, like the two pages posted above. It's all GOOD ... but I still found myself missing Ivan Reis' GREAT work. Reis is someone else whose name will sell me a book, almost regardless of what it is, so it's a tough act to follow. I'm not sure McKone's more-grounded style is the best fit for a space opera-style book like Green Lantern, but its definitely good enough to warrant the benefit of the doubt.

And just who are "The Alpha Lanterns"? Well, no sense in giving that away. (Told you this would be Spoiler-Free!) Just pick up the book. Better yet, pick up "The Sinestro Corps War" issues, and enjoy that to the full, and THEN pick up this book, and enjoy watching the pieces begin to fall into place for the next great epic story that will no doubt unfold in the coming year's issues. You won't be disappointed.

More recommended reading from Geoff Johns:

Green Lantern Vol. 1: No Fear

Infinite Crisis (Superman (Graphic Novels))

Teen Titans Vol. 1: A Kid's Game