Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #9 Review

There’s been a big shakeup for Hal Jordan and it was bad timing considering the Green Lantern Corps finally made it back to our universe. With Hal MIA and the Yellow Lanterns changing their ways what’s the worst that can happen? Starro, that’s who! Is it good?

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #9 (DC Comics)

So what’s it about? The full summary reads:

“BOTTLED LIGHT” part two! The Corps is trapped in the Xudarian capital with a foe that suppresses willpower! And—Starro strikes!

Why does this book matter?

Robert Venditti and Rafa Sandoval are a good team as they’ve made this series feel big with the action, but intimate when it comes to character work. Venditti has made the vaunted history of Green Lantern feel new and fresh with its own dramatic and intricate mysteries. Time to see how Yellow and Green can come together.

Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?

Get some!

It’s clear this second issue in the new story arc is focused on two storylines, the first being how the remaining Yellow Lanterns will coexist with the Green Lanterns even though most of the Green Lanterns hate their guts, and Hal’s current journey from what appears to be death. This issue advances both storylines well and both stories deliver two very different but important aspects of the Green Lantern powers. Not only do readers get the big action packed stuff with plenty of constructs taking form, but a deeper more meaningful showing of how Green Lantern’s light comes from the willpower of the user. When you have Hal floating around turning into sheer willpower you’ve got yourself an intriguing story element.

This issue certainly ends with a cliffhanger, two in fact, one which reveals a big science fiction-ey new threat that raises the stakes for the Green Lantern Corps, but also an old character who will assuredly mix things up for Hal. Multiple characters get the chance to be the hero too, including the wonderfully weird looking Rot Lop. It’s also nice to see how John Stewart and Soranik reluctantly bond in the face of battle.

Artist Sandoval doesn’t disappoint with cool looking constructs and a visceral and moody spiritual world explored. Rot Lop looks all kinds of weird and it’s nice to see an alien that’s not freakish scary, but something that could actually exist. The Starro masks also have a nice weirdness that adds a layer of dread whenever they appear on the faces of their victims.

It can’t be perfect can it?

My only gripe with this issue is the visual that accompanies something Rot Lop does to stop the Starro parasites

. It looks trippy and digitally made by Sandoval, but doesn’t convey what is actually happening very well. Thankfully it’s explained, but the visual doesn’t do the actual action justice.

Green and Yellow Lanterns kinda hate each other.

Is It Good?

If you like Green Lantern, or used to read the series at all, you must buy this book. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps is a showstopper of a series that shouldn’t be missed. There’s plenty of action, mystery, and science fiction goodness to make this worthy of anyone’s pull list.