There’s been a lot of discourse recently about what exactly constitutes a “Green Lantern” project. And Absolute Green Lantern as a series can certainly come within that conversation, having taken such a radically different approach to the mythos of this iconic franchise. For many, it’s been a mixed bag early on: slow, confusing and ambitions that don’t match the execution. Recently however, the series has managed to find its footing in quite a great way, moving towards a more high-pitched thriller while still having the deeper cosmic-horror undertones ever present in the background. And Absolute Green Lantern #12 expertly continues that trajectory in the most fun way possible.
What’s finally made this series so compelling of late has been the way in which the cosmic and the earth bound stories are now finally intersecting in meaningful and thrilling ways. On the one hand, you have the mysteries of the Voice of Oa and all the anomalies wreaking havoc across the cosmos, while on the other you have the more human villainy of Hector Hammond trying to harness these powers for his own evil ends. And caught in the middle are is our titular Lantern, Jo, and her small cast of trusted friends. It’s a rapidly expanding character mythology that’s also in sync with the revelations of cosmic proportions, and right now this is the best the story’s been since its inception.
It's a Real Light Show Here
Issue #12 comes right on the heels of the last issue’s chaos, with Jo and her friends still being pursued by the Obsidian monstrosity sent after them by Hector Hammond. It’s a desperate race for their lives as Chase attempts to exploit the neural link between Hammond and Obsidian to try and buy themselves some time. It works for a little bit, but not long enough, as Hammond continues to push forward with his pursuit. This isn’t without consequences though, as Hammond continues to meddle with powers beyond his control – stressing his body and mind, but his single-minded focus to take out Jo makes him disregard the advice of his doctors, even if Carol Ferris seems somewhat suspiciously supportive of his plans.
Cornered, tired and desperate to protect her friends, Jo channels her frustrations in breathtaking fashion to use the power of green light to brutally beat Obsidian, but the monster counter attacks and beats Jo to a stalemate. Before things can heat up again tho, Hal Jordan does what fans have long been waiting for and starts showing off some nifty light tricks of his own, but there’s a definite lack of green to his powers and whole lot more…pinker. Using the power of this all-new light spectrum, Hal manages to subdue Obsidian through the power of compassion and return him to his human form of Todd Rice. With Hector’s plans thwarted and Todd Rice returned to human form, you’d think there’d be some celebration in the offing, but nope! Jo’s revisited by the Green Lantern that crashed over Evergreen (and started this entire mess). And if that wasn’t bad enough, there’s also the small matter of a certain angry bird, Tomar Re who’s found Jo and now wants her help to commit some good ol’ fashioned murdering.
Throwing Some Light on Things
I think by this point, Al Ewing has pretty much established just how radically different his retelling of Green Lantern is from its more traditional counterpart. There’s so much to this new mythos that we’re getting in snippets, but they’re still meaningful in how much they contribute to this growing mystery. There’s also this incredible sense of dread that comes with it, like every clue only makes things feel more foreboding because you genuinely don’t know what kind of cosmic terrors you’ll uncover as the lore of light unfolds. Having that constant tension run parallel to the more thrilling in-your-face action of the immediate physical threats Jo is facing works well to craft a cohesive narrative that just seems to keep firing on all cylinders.
Jo continues to be the lynchpin in this story: after all, she is THE Green Lantern. Her frustrations, regrets, doubts and entire emotional spectrum are laid raw and bare for the readers to feel. There’s really no hiding or deeper nuance to it, and it’s refreshing in a way because Jo absolutely feels like she’s backed into a corner – physically and mentally – and the only way out is to put her will into things. While yes, it can get a little grating listening to Jo whine more and more about her relationship with her ex-wife Chase, and I concede this isn’t some of the best written sections of the series, there is still a grounding element to it. The engagement ring wears – once a symbol of her commitment to her relationship, now a burden of guilt she refuses to let go of – is the focal point of her power for good reason. Because it all ties back to her to the bonds she’s willing to hold onto even at the worst of times. There’s a fun culmination of this with Ewing letting Jo REALLY cut loose against Obsidian in a way that’s more shock-and-awe than her more precise battle with Goldface, but no less meaningful. I think for the most part, Jo’s journey is still some really compelling stuff, but I’m also glad other characters are getting to share the spotlight more meaningfully as the universe opens up, so as to at least buffer some of the lesser problems when it comes to Jo’s awkward writing for her more relationship-centric problems.
Hal Jordan, however, gets to take a frontal role once more after having slept through a good chunk of the last few issues since the whole Evergreen incident and the teeny tiny Blackhand business. There’s some flashbacks between Hal and Jo with some genuinely enlightening conversation that kind of shows us where Hal’s head was and is at in the present in comparison. The Hal of the past – content with his sedentary and unremarkable life in Evergreen, flippant to the lives and hardships of his friends – versus the Hal of the present – connected to a cosmic spectrum beyond his understanding, but one that has opened him up to the real depths of fear and love that he couldn’t reckon with before – are such interesting character arcs to follow. And this really comes to fruition when Hal embraces a far different light source than Jo (and his traditional self) and the idea of the Tomar, of the “anomaly” in the spectrum. It’s a surprising full circle moment that comes from a complete inversion of this character that readers have loved and adored for decades – a new interpretation that still embraces so much of that classic energy but flipping it in such a fun exciting way. Hal Jordan really was such a standout in this issue, and I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing where this goes after his latest power boost.
Finally, the remaining characters all hold up their end exceptionally. Hector Hammond is still deliciously evil to the point of comedy, pushing the boundaries well past breaking in his hunt for Jo. Readers are already seeing the consequences of Hammond messing with forces beyond his understanding, and it’s great seeing that even the foreboding messages of the Voice of Oa are being ignored by Hector, so I’m hoping to see some severe comeuppance soon in that front. Carol Ferris subtly working her own angle as she keeps encouraging Hammond’s dabbling in unknown cosmic forces is also very compelling in the short amount of time we see her, and I’m still curious to see where she falls in the equation with Hal and the new powers he has (considering their traditional history in the mainline universe). Finally, Chase and Simon also have small but meaningful roles in this issue, with a little more revealed about Simon’s mysterious curse, while Chase holds her own against Obsidian and uses her smarts to exploit the creature’s weaknesses. All in all, by the end of the issue when you think everything’s sorted for a bit, Ewing hits readers with the weight of the greater mythology, with both the Green Lantern and Tomar Re returning in tandem. So there’s definitely the tantalizing promise of things to come and I think that’s what’s making this book so compelling of late: that meaty hook at the end of almost every issue that’s just keeping readers itching for more.
A Spectrum of Spectacle
Jahnoy Lindsay, Sid Kotian and Pressy continue to stun with their unique mix of colorful and gritty antics across the pages of Absolute Green Lantern #12. This issue in particular has a great matchup of slower human flashbacks and some really fast paced eye-catching action across the board. The line work in both these circumstances feels right, with the artists alternating styles to give the necessary weight to each emotion or punch as needed. There’s a really great sequences where Jo just goes all-out against Obsidian in a show of force that feels appropriately epic and is certain elicit a good number of “god damns” from readers. Similarly, a longer six-panel page flashback of Hal and Jo talking is drawn with so much heart and emotional resonance that it just feels so natural and compelling, even though it might be one of the more mundane visual sections of the book. From Hector Hammond’s cartoonish frustrations to Hal Joran unleashing his latest powers, there’s a good mix of emotion and action captured for every character in cool yet meaningful ways that just resonate well with the scrip Ewing is going with. And of course, when the more ominous cosmic stuff rears its ugly head alongside the more grounded drama; the artists give that feeling of dread the perfect visual weight with their framing and line work.
The colors also play a massive role in fleshing out the impeccable line work. Lindsay’s colors across the series have really emphasized the titular nature of this project, and it continues to do so as the mythology keeps revealing more of itself. Hal Jordan’s latest transition to another member of the power spectrum is given a hopeful and compassionate energy, even though there’s still visual undercurrents in the color work that point to something more sinister. Jo’s raw green energy working to brutal effect against the shadowy solid mass of Obsidian is a great contrast between light and dark tones. And by the end of the book, it all comes to a head with even more energetic shades joining the fray. Absolute Green Lantern #12 is a visual spectacle in its truest form, yet it maintains a striking visual identity that set it apart from the rest of the Absolute DC titles in such a fun yet distinct way.
In Brightest Day…There’s Blackest Night
While Absolute Green Lantern #12 may have brought some closure to an immediate threat against our heroes, there’s no stopping the terrors of a wider cosmic universe from coming. Hector Hammond’s plans may have been foiled now, but there’s no doubt he’ll be coming back more driven and crazed than before. Hal and Jo may have unlocked greater power than before, but their power is now matched by the sheer weight of a metaphysical force of horror that is far beyond their comprehension and even sanity.
There’s a lot to unpack and so many questions to answer, but Al Ewing and company have kept the journey fast and engaging while these are drip-fed to the audience. And that’s a good thing because it keeps readers coming back for more. With each new revelation, you’d expect hope, but all there is is an underlying feeling of dread. And much to my delight, that’s very much so by design.
Final Verdict: Absolute Green Lantern #12 is a visual feast that keeps the pace fresh, the cosmic dread ever present, and leaves enough of the right questions to be answered later on so that readers are itching to come back for more.