The showdown with Dr. Skin reaches its conclusion as Kyle Rayner and Odyssey take the fight to one of the creepiest villains to hit Tinseltown. Jeremy Adams joins forces once again with artists Ig Guara and Montos, alongside colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr., to continue Kyle’s adventures as Earth’s Green Lantern. Along with the action comes a welcome dose of romance, as Jade, Kyle’s longtime love interest from the 1990s and early 2000s, returns to complicate matters in the best possible way. When your cast includes multiple wielders of the Emerald Light, an emotional roller coaster is bound to follow.
The issue unfolds in three distinct acts: the showdown, the reunion, and the date.
DC
The showdown belongs to the art team. Guara, Montos, and Fajardo Jr. cut loose with Dr. Skin’s unsettling abilities while putting Kyle through the wringer. They strike a fun balance between horror and superhero action, keeping the battle visually engaging while Adams injects enough character dialogue to maintain momentum and adds some humor. While the fight serves primarily as a spectacle to move the story forward, it delivers some memorable visuals. One detail that unexpectedly caught my attention was Kyle’s hair. Whether it was intentional shading or a hint of gray creeping in, I wasn’t ready for that possibility. Kyle can’t be graying already; my ego refuses to allow it.
The reunion with Jade is where the issue really shines. I’ve always been a fan of Kyle and Jade as a couple, and I’ve long felt Jade never received enough recognition for her time as Earth’s First Female Green Lantern. Bold claim, I know, but she officially wielded the ring beginning in Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #107 back in 1998, and her role in the franchise often feels overlooked. Different creative teams approach relationships differently, and while Ron Marz gave Kyle and Jade some memorable moments, their relationship often felt destined for heartbreak. That’s why I’m excited to see Jeremy Adams revisit these characters. Adams has done an excellent job embracing every era of Green Lantern history, and his work with Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris has been the strongest portrayal of that relationship in years. I also appreciated how Odyssey became more of a wingman than a romantic rival, avoiding a predictable love-triangle setup.
The final section, the date, serves as a charming stroll down memory lane for Kyle and Jade. Their chemistry remains intact, and the issue does a nice job of rekindling that connection while leaving readers curious about what comes next. I’m especially interested to see how Adams balances Jade’s role here with her ongoing developments in the current JSA series; great comic to read if you aren’t already. The villains introduced during these latter portions are admittedly a bit forgettable. Still, hopefully future issues will give them more room to develop and establish themselves as legitimate threats to two Lantern-powered heroes.
DC
Overall, Green Lantern #36 is a fun transitional issue that wraps up one storyline while setting the stage for another. The action entertains, the reunion delivers some genuine heart, and the setup leaves plenty of reasons to look forward to the next chapter.
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