“You know why the fourth finger is the ring finger? The ancients considered it the finger of magic.” – John Stewart
After many successful months of high-quality books in the new Absolute line, we have now reached their sixth new book to debut with the first issue of writer Al Ewing and artist Jahnoy Lindsay’s Absolute Green Lantern. Ewing, whose Marvel work has been known for its unique blend of science fiction, philosophy, and emotional resonance, was a natural pick to reimagine DC’s most iconic cosmic titans. And though this issue doesn’t quite reach the heights of the previous title debuts in the line, plenty of interesting new ideas and some bold character direction are carried by a very engaging script.
The main setting for this book is the small town of Evergreen, where resides our main cast: Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Jo Mullein of Green Lantern: Far Sector, and Guy Gardner (though he is only mentioned). They are there to live in their slow-paced work lives, except for Jo, who has recently returned from Coast City to find a new direction in life. Suddenly, disaster strikes when a giant green barrier is erected around the sleepy town, and an enigmatic entity called Abin Sur observes it. The mystery becomes blurred as the narrative jumps between the present and recent past, both to its advantage and disadvantage.
Credit: DC Comics
Immediately resonating with me from the first page is the portrayal of Hal Jordan, particularly of his inner darkness that few mainline Green Lantern comics have touched upon since his days as Parallax. The focus on him on the run following a vaguely referenced incident between the arrival of Abin Sur and the present is excellent setup for the turmoil Ewing clearly wants for the character, especially judging by the violence wrought by Hal’s mysterious, uncontrollable “Black Hand.” Such a concept is already the MVP of the book, which is also conflicting given that Hal is not the main character.
Jo Mullein, an ex-cop and one of the more recent mainline Lanterns, is the star of this alternate take on the cosmic lore based on the issue’s cover and comments Ewing has made previously. Pairing such a high potential new character with the two Lanterns in her supporting corner who have most prominently headlined Green Lantern titles is a perfect way to give this iteration its own identity. One scene in which the three of them are at a diner where she deflects as Hal pesters her about why she returned to Evergreen topped off with John playing the mediator between them is A+ dynamic building. The sole problem with this is that the issue is far more concerned with setting up the big threatening mystery, and in doing so gives Hal much more to do than her, effectively sidelining her outside the diner conversation, a curious nod to her conflict with Guy, and the spectacle of the ending cliffhanger.
John is the wise one, as per usual, so there is nothing yet comparably striking about that portrayal, though him reluctantly being considered the local man of knowledge by Hal is a very fun way to subtly show off the difference in their maturity. Only major apparent change to the character history as of now seems to be that Hal doesn’t have anything to do with his piloting roots, an interesting change given that the others seem to have retained their careers, most notably John being an architect once more after mainline retconned him into being more military focused. Regardless, the character dynamics are new yet fitting for a Lantern book, however I am eager to see more in regards to Jo and what her butting heads with Hal means for the mystery of Abin Sur and just where this cast of characters will go.
Credit: DC Comics
The art, like each Absolute book so far, is unique for the line, with Lindsay clearly channeling manga in his art style. I consider the predominant use of green, black, and white an inspired choice for a book leaning into the sci-fi/horror of it all, especially evident in Abin Sur’s redesign. It is very fitting alongside Ewing’s script. And though I am very engaged in the aesthetic direction of this book, with a lot of favor toward how John and Jo are drawn, I will say that I am curious about how Hal looks somewhat inconsistent, appearing considerably younger in most panels than he does in the others. However, I imagine that has something to do with the trauma of whatever happened in Evergreen.
At best, the issue is a great exercise in plot setup and visualizing the scale and horror of a space story from Earth, while at worst, it can at times feel like it is actually the second issue based on where we begin and end. However, this isn’t strictly a big problem because the bleak tone and promising narrative concepts make this feel like a certified Ewing banger. There is a clear love for classic Green Lantern in the Easter eggs and visuals, with both the script and art presenting a nice mix of old and modern while pushing a newer character, which is the crux of what Green Lantern has always been.
And naturally, nobody seems to like Guy Gardner much, but what’s new?
Absolute Green Lantern #1 is another strong entry point into the Absolute universe, combining ideas both new and familiar to set up the mystery surrounding the massive lore revamp. Though at points it feels like it could’ve left a bigger bang for a first issue, it makes up for it with a well-established tone and clear intent for its lead characters. Although Jo feels a bit underdeveloped compared to Hal, and some starting plot elements feel absent due to the nature of the plot structure, there is more than enough potential for that dynamic to flourish in the next issue.
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