Is there such a thing as too much lore? Especially when you’re building a new universe? That’s the thin line the creative team behind Absolute Green Lantern has had to navigate since day one, to mixed results. Lantern lore has always been one of the most fascinating corners of the DC Comics universe, and having to re-establish and recontextualize that within the framework of Darkseid’s harsher Absolute universe certainly presents interesting opportunities for storytelling. Al Ewing and company continue the trend they established in the previous issue, yet ground it a bit more firmly with our characters back on Earth.
With our human “Lanterns” now reunited within the Green Oan Lantern and at the mercy of Tomar-Re, we now find ourselves where Earth lore and cosmology collide more directly than ever before. And while Hector Hammond and his machinations are still a factor, there’s finally a sense of scale regarding how cosmically minuscule he is compared to greater space and the power struggles among the stars. On that count, and a few others, issue #14 delivers and then some, even if layering more lore on top of everything else can be a bit daunting for readers returning to this book every couple of weeks or so.
Misery Loves Company
Issue #14 starts with all our pretty little colored friends floating around inside the liminal space of the Green Lantern. Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Sojourner Mullein, along with hundreds of unnamed human souls, are floating around in the void while our speaking cast tries to figure out exactly what’s going on and how they fit into the current state of the galaxy with their new powers. John and Guy’s relationship with the Lantern and the Oan spectrum has changed enough for them to have a more muted perspective compared to Jo, who’s still in the “what the hell is going on” stage, with John and Guy’s current composure not really helping matters as they explain the current state of affairs. All they know is that the Lantern is leaving Earth and moving… somewhere fast. And Tomar-Re definitely has something to do with that.
Oh, and back on Earth, we get a brief glimpse of Cameron Rice and Simon Baz, who are still on the run from Hector Hammond’s flunkies, with a comatose Todd Rice in tow as well. So the Earth-based story is still very much in play, even as our other heroes venture further into the cosmos.
Back in the Lantern, Jo manages to get Re’s attention, who, while smug at first, quietly and calmly (at first) puts Jo’s perspective in place: Mogo, another Darkstar-empowered “Lantern,” needs to die, and the Lantern is the only way to do it. We get a little of Re’s backstory: how his world was decimated by Mogo, how his mother sacrificed her red “light” to save him, and how he used that uncontrolled power to massacre the Darkstars that hunted him. Now, he wants revenge, and he needs Jo and the souls trapped inside the Green Lantern to do it. Of course, Jo isn’t too happy about sacrificing other souls to kill Mogo, while Re is perfectly fine doing it as long as he gets what he wants. While the Darkstars’ attempt to stop the Green Lantern, Re tries to bend Jo to his will and use her to control the Lantern. But he’s about to learn the hard way what it means to underestimate Jo.
Balancing the Books
This issue in particular highlights just how much of a tightrope Al Ewing is working with when it comes to balancing the burgeoning concepts of his Absolute Green Lantern lore alongside the forward momentum of an engaging, character-driven storyline. There are some stumbles here and there, but for the most part, issue #14 in particular is a fascinating study of the triumphs and pitfalls that this approach can have. As I’ve mentioned before, recontextualizing what the audience already knows about Green Lantern mythology within this new framework of the Absolute universe is a daunting task, but it’s one that Ewing has, for the most part, developed sincerely and engagingly enough to create a meaningful read for fans so far.
Front and center in this issue is Tomar-Re, providing far more backstory than his previous appearances have given us readers. It’s an all-too-familiar “Red Lantern” backstory, punctuated with loss, grief, and rage from having your loved ones and your culture ripped away by a force of pure cosmic evil. What I find interesting is how Re feels a certain sense of guilt. Rather than seeing his mother sacrificing her power of the red light to protect him, he instead frames it as him unworthily stealing it from her and thus causing her death. It’s a very small section of the book, but it informs so much of Re’s character and the core of his anger. He’s hurting in more ways than one, and with guilt at the core of his anger, it makes for an interesting antagonist who is seeking to balance the scales but doesn’t care about how much collateral damage is involved in achieving his goals.
His attempts at brute-force manipulation and “restraint” of Sojourner Mullein, as well as using her and the power of the trapped souls in the Green Lantern as ammunition to kill Mogo, further drive this point home. Being a Tomar himself, an anomaly like Jo, there is a certain sense of initial camaraderie to be had, but there’s also very much a disdain for Jo’s wallowing in her own misery. As we’ve seen in previous issues, Re’s mantra of “Have you ever suffered?” creates a hierarchy that also attempts to dismantle the entire idea of self-pitying punishment to a large extent, even if Re himself unconsciously suffers from that same kind of guilt over the death of his mother. However, this probably would’ve hit closer to home if it wasn’t so quickly undermined by the “power-scaling” nature of the Oan spectrum, even if it is presented more in terms of perspective than logic.
And speaking of Jo, it’s great watching her become more embedded in the cosmology of this new spectrum. When the series first started, she felt almost entirely out of her depth, thrust into a position beyond her understanding or even her sanity. Now, seasoned by combat and hardship, Jo has more footing in this strange new world she’s exploring, even if there are aspects that continue to shock her. She’s still not in a position to take any crap from anyone, not even the vague and mysterious spiritual nuggets provided by her friends John Stewart and Guy Gardner in their latest enlightened forms.
When contrasted against the other Tomar, Re, Jo Mullein is once again faced with her own shortcomings, or at least the ones perceived by Re. While Jo weighs her personal relationships in the moment, she certainly cares about the greater good, just not in the same way as Re’s more borderline genocidal antics. And of course, even with Re having more experience with his powers than she does, there’s always the recurring theme of Jo being underestimated that lets her use her willpower to her advantage. It’s great watching her develop in this direction, and I’ve genuinely become more invested in this character as she has gone from strength to strength.
When it comes to the supporting cast, there’s also a bit more to get into. John Stewart and Guy Gardner have their own roles to play, but they’re fairly limited in this issue. John, in particular, is called out for having the golden wisdom to see what Tomar-Re’s plans entail and why they matter, yet he still asks questions that should be obvious. On the other end, Guy, who also shares a similar power set to Re, is more reserved and barely says or does anything at all, even if he has the potential to match Re. Both characters then immediately take off to combat incoming Darkstars, leaving Re and Sojourner Mullein to sort out their personal beef.
Oh, and Hal Jordan is around as well, another anomaly in the Oan spectrum, yet also a completely new light in the universe to begin with — one that neither Oa nor the Darkstars can seem to peg. It’s definitely an interesting development that’s sure to be explored later, but for now, that aspect is still kept a little vague.
Also, I’m glad that Chase and Simon Baz aren’t entirely forgotten either, because back on Earth they’ve still got problems of their own to deal with now that Todd Rice is in their care and Hector Hammond’s flunkies are still on their trail. Keeping the more human perspective is certainly necessary, and it’s given the right amount of time to remind readers of what keeps our heroes grounded back home. Al Ewing definitely manages to continue building out this brave new world, and I appreciate that the Earth-based aspects aren’t entirely forgotten, since that kind of evil, in contrast to the greater horrors of the cosmos with the Darkstars and Oans, really puts the conflict into perspective. It’s lore-building done the right way, and even if there are small stumbles here and there, for the most part, the end result is still quite exquisite.
Light It Up
Sid Kotian and Pressy continue to make this series a stunning visual treat, and this issue really goes hard in that respect. There’s a LOT of focus on light playing a key factor here, with so many color spectrums and their respective energies at work, with each character visually representing those attributes wonderfully.
Kotian does a remarkable job creating a sense of power for every character in their own respective way with very little need for words, even if there are a lot of words in this issue. Re is drawn wonderfully, brimming with rage and resentment, yet still embodying the restraint that is tied to his powers. The flashback of Re and his mother, followed by Mogo’s destruction of his home really pulls at the heart strings because of how beautifully it’s drawn, and we can really empathise with Re’s rage when he massacres Darkstars in brutal fashion as the flashback continues. Jo is also drawn as the embodiment of willpower, fighting back with the emerald energy she’s learning to embrace. There’s a lot of powerful body language at work here, and it’s great to see how comfortable Kotian is portraying that in his characters.
Pressy really delivers on this issue as well, with so much of the spectrum at to work with. Though red and green are the main orders of the day, there’s definitely subtleties to the shading that inform every character’s powers and motives. Re’s brighter, more harsh red light contrasting against Guy Gardner’s more softer “restrained” glow while using the same spectrum is to be noted. John Stewart’s golden aura is also unique in its own way, emphasizing the idea of knowledge being golden. The more you look at the panels, the more you start to see interesting interplays between colors that Pressy is working with, and that’s certainly what adds such a unique visual flare to this series.
Rage vs Will
Both visually and narratively, Absolute Green Lantern #14 is an ambitious step forward in this daunting new world that challenges everything readers thought they knew about their beloved Lantern mythology. There’s some contradictions that hobble interesting concepts and character beats, and that is disappointing, yes. But for the most part, Al Ewing, Sid Kotian, Pressy and every other creative involved with this book have managed to effectively navigate this tight rope of having enough world building without it becoming too much at the expense of everything else.
I’d definitely like to see more of the character benefit a bit more from how Re and Jo were framed and contrasted against each other in this issue. And it’s certainly made this version of Re a bit of a personal favorite character for me with how his past informs his convictions now. I’m looking forward to seeing more of him and the rest of this cast as they venture ever further into the unkown.
Final Verdict: Absolute Green Lantern #14 throws even more of a glaring light on the lore of this wild new universe while drastically pushing forward Jo and the remaining “Lanterns’” journey towards a greater cosmic conflict.