The penultimate issue of Green Lantern Dark is finally here, and Green Lantern Dark #6 continues its journey into abject darkness. After months of pushing Rina Mori and her friends into the depths of depravity, last issue finally introduced a sense of pervasive hope in the world. Yet, just as Rina finally manages to bring light back to New England, Tate Brombal, Werther Dell’Edera, Giovanna Niro, and Tom Napolitano bring her back down to earth.
Where the fifth issue largely explored the ever-growing bond between its six protagonists, Green Lantern Dark #6 was designed to tear it apart. Fulfilling the promises from last issue, this book dives headfirst into hell on Earth, which is especially impressive, given that every previous issue has already explored a living hell.
For the first time since Green Lantern Dark #1, Lunette’s purpose as a symbol of hope actually felt genuinely effective. Garr’s horror at her sudden illness feels genuinely effective, as it is hard not to grieve for her right alongside him. Tate Brombal’s willingness to sit with those emotions is what has allowed this book to feel tragic without feeling so grimdark that readers roll their eyes and look away. It is a careful balance, and Bromba pulled it off perfectly here.
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Unfortunately, not everything in this issue is entirely effective. Kain, Lunette’s one-note brother, is hardly the most surprising traitor, after all. While the book paints his betrayal as a major plot twist, it should not shock any readers at all, given that he has spent the entire book’s run railing against the Green Lantern. It makes the issue less stirring when every character in the book should have seen it coming about five issues ago.
The other betrayal in the issue, however, is utterly perfect. It’s difficult to see it coming, but hindsight makes it feel like an absolute inevitability. While the second traitor has been somewhat listless for several issues now, Green Lantern Dark #6 brings their character right back to the forefront, where it certainly belongs. It’s worth pausing after reading that devastating page, if only to sit with that initial reaction to the Green Lantern’s newest tragedy.
The twist that Rina may be drawing strength from Lunette is also fascinating, because a case can legitimately be made in either direction. It may not perfectly match the pre-existing Green Lantern lore, but this is a book that features a ghostly version of Batman, who also happened to fight Merlin. It’s Elseworlds for a reason, and that dimension makes this an even more effective read.
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The writing is not the only draw for this book, of course. Werther Dell’Edera’s artwork remains unsurprisingly extraordinary. The sketch-like quality helps to bring a sense of chaos to the world, which only makes it more difficult to ascertain the in-universe reality from Desdemona’s manipulations. The two-page splash is even more effective, as Dell’Edera’s stunning bonfire mixes lightning, shadow, and classic flames to create a truly unique atmosphere.
This is a truly effective issue that manages to draw emotional ties to characters who have previously felt stagnant. Even Kain, who has never been especially interesting, had his moments here. This also presents a fairly long read, as it is difficult to quickly skim through the issue, which is something that other primarily action-based comics can suffer from.
Even readers who struggled to enjoy previous issues should give Green Lantern Dark #6 a shot. It is exactly what a penultimate issue for a miniseries should be, as it manages to bring about a perfect climax. While Green Lantern Dark #7 certainly has a ridiculous amount of ground to cover (especially with the plot twist at the end of this issue), this was a perfect way to prepare readers for one final journey into Rina’s personal hell.
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