Comic Info
Comic Name: Green Lantern (Volume 4)/Green Lantern: Secret Files & Origins
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Darwyn Cooke/Carlos Pacheco/Ethan Van Sciver/Simone Bianchi
# of Issues: 7
Release Date: 2006
Green Lantern (4) #1
Reprints Green Lantern (4) #1-6 and Green Lantern: Secret Files and Origins (June 2005-December 2005). Hal Jordan is back as Earth’s primary Green Lantern. Now he’s trying to piece together his life and career since his “death” and time as the Spectre. First up for Hal is his new job at Edwards Air Force Base and an encounter with a new breed of Manhunters. Hal also is trying to help rebuild Coast City and faces his old enemies Shark, Hector Hammond, and a new alien threat.
Written by Geoff Johns, Green Lantern: No Fear (also called Green Lantern Volume 1: No Fear) is the beginning of Johns long run on the series and follows Green Lantern: Rebirth which restored Hal Jordan as a Green Lantern. The collection features art by Darwyn Cooke, Carlos Pacheco, Ethan Van Sciver, and Simone Bianchi.
Geoff Johns stars his run on the new Green Lantern with Green Lantern: No Fear (also called Green Lantern Volume 1: No Fear) and works to restore Hal Jordan back to the prime Green Lantern after his Green Lantern: Rebirth series.
Geoff Johns really sets Green Lantern up as an epic. The new series really focuses on Hal’s redemption and starts to set the path for Johns’ plans for the character. Even in this volume, Johns starts to lay the seeds for his Blackest Night series which was four or five years down the line with Black Hand’s return. With such a build up, it was hard to reach the level of anticipation that Johns hoped to reach, but it is fun to get back to these earlier collections to see how he goes about setting it up.
Green Lantern (4) #5
The art in this collection is all over the place. The series contains a short story from Green Lantern: Secret Files and Origins which was illustrated by Darwyn Cooke. I love Cooke’s art and he gives Hal just a nice wholesomeness that is usually not given to the character. The art for the Manhunters story is pretty standard fair but the final part of the story involving Hector Hammond, Coast City, Gremlins, and the Shark has some pretty funky art by Simone Bianchi. I don’t hate Bianchi’s art but it stylistically doesn’t fit in with the previous two artists (Ethan Van Sciver & Carlos Pacheco).
What really works about No Fear is Hal Jordan. I’ve always felt was the best Green Lantern, and I think it was a horrible decision to turn him into a villain. I groaned again when DC chose to make Hal Jordan the Spectre after the events of Day of Judgment. Fortunately with Green Lantern: Rebirth leading into this series, Hal is right where he needs to be with his normal smarmy attitude which combines cockiness and coolness in a perfect blend.
Hal Jordan starts his return to greatness and Geoff Johns does a great job to start it out. The series does hit a few bumps with these stories however. It feels like they could be better streamlined also I wish that the art had remained consistent through the six short issues. Green Lantern: No Fear is followed by Green Lantern: Revenge of the Green Lanterns.
Related Links:
Green Lantern by Geoff Johns—Book 1
Green Lantern: Revenge of the Green Lanterns
Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War—Volume 1
