After reading Green Lantern Dark #1, there did not seem to be much room for a follow-up. The epic double-sized issue featured a fairly self-contained story that could have been left with an open ending. Before this issue, it very much felt like that was what it should have been. Having a follow-up at all felt both redundant and surprisingly limiting. Fortunately, DC does not base its decisions on my notions.
Tate Brombal, Werther Dell’edera, Giovanna Niro, and Tom Napolitano came together to create another fantastic issue. After the last issue introduced the hell that Grundy brought to this less-than-pleasant world, the follow-up offers a bit more insight into this reality. The original overtly indicated that Grundy was the largest issue with this universe, but Green Lantern Dark #2 reintroduced the idea of multiple beasts plaguing humanity. Instead of Grundy alone, the last Green Lantern has a litany of villains on her plate.
It’s refreshing to see this world grow, and its scale is worth exploring. It would be fun to see how different characters evolved to become the monsters they are here. Grundy was a great introduction to this world, but Green Lantern Dark #2 is already introducing new surprising villain appearances, and it is poised to offer more.
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These changes are not the only major shift. There is absolutely nothing traditional about this book’s art style. It weaves in horror with hope by featuring imperfect linework and biting colors. It’s messy. All of it, of course, matches the book’s subtitles. Green Lantern Dark #2 is as eternally dark as its predecessor. The character designs are incredible, and every monster looks like they walked out of a Bill Sienkiewicz book. Considering Sienkiewicz’s excellent reputation, there could be no greater compliment.
The coloring is also atypical. Like any Green Lantern comic, colors are more essential than anything else. Rather than working with an array of realistic colors, shades of green, purple, and red define every panel and page. With two of those colors representing the mark of the enemy, it’s fun to see Niro getting to play with a unique palette that few other comics could enjoy. There is also a heavy helping of black, which is only natural for a comic with “Dark” in the title.
Despite repeatedly stumbling into slow starts for the Green Lantern Dark world, Brombal certainly manages to maintain a sense of horror and scale. This issue offered readers a glimpse into the wider world and revealed more horrors to be mined. Unlike the last issue, Green Lantern Dark #2 also manages to include a hook at the end of this issue to keep readers coming back for more. After the last issue seemingly left little need for a follow-up, that is certainly an extreme improvement.
As in any book, there are some serious flaws to be found. However sweet her character was meant to be, Lunette does not always come across as a wholly enjoyable character. She is a fairly cliché character. She attempts to serve as a wellspring of hope but who instead comes across as a screeching vehicle for whatever moral the issue is attempting to communicate at any given moment. Her eternal companion, Kain, is just as one-dimensional. The two are standard archetypes of hope and despair, and neither manages to be quite as compelling as Rina.
Rina, as in the original Green Lantern Dark issue, is an excellent character. It is fascinating to see a Green Lantern without the charisma of Hal Jordan or the abrasiveness of Guy Gardner. The depressive and stubborn Rina truly feels like she reflects her era, which is something new for a Lantern. Rather than lighting the way with her will, she views her will as nothing more than stubbornness. It’s a clever bit of writing and makes her a truly unique portrayal of a classic legacy.
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Unfortunately, Rina working alongside Lunette does lead to formulaic interactions. The final confrontation between the two in this issue is certainly lacking much originality. Their argument is contrived, Lunette’s dialogue is certainly uninspiring, and their storyline is playing out fairly predictably so far. It would be nice to see Brombal throw a wrench into their interactions by subverting tropes in future issues.
As it stands, Green Lantern Dark #2 is far from a perfect comic. It can be predictable and features characters in desperate need of development. Still, the art alone is enough of a draw to make this issue worth reading. Learning more about Rina is just icing on a superb cake. Don’t come into this comic expecting it to blow a reader away, but be prepared for a fun adventure that begs for more exploration.
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