Green Lanterns 1: Rage Planet

Comic Info

Green Lanterns #1

Reprints Green Lanterns:  Rebirth #1 and Green Lanterns #1-6 (August 2016-November 2016).  Hal Jordan has been called into space and left Earth in the protection of new Green Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz.  Simon is a former Guantanamo Bay detainee that is trying to prove himself as a Lantern to the world.  Jessica suffers from agoraphobia and fears leaving her apartment.  They must work together if they hope to succeed.  When Atrocitus and the Red Lanterns target Earth for something called the Red Dawn, rage begins to spread over the planet and the new Green Lanterns will have to face their first challenge on their own.

Written by Sam Humphries and Geoff Johns, Green Lanterns Volume 1:  Rage Plant is a continuing title coming from DC Comics’ Rebirth storyline.  The issues in the collection were released biweekly and featured art by Ethan Van Sciver, Ed Benes, Robson Rocha, Jay Leisten, Tom Derenick, Will Conrad, Jack Herbert, Neil Edwards, Tom Palmer, Keith Champagne, Rob Hunter, Mark Irwin, Vincente Cifuentes, Marc Deering, Eduardo Pansica, and Julio Ferreira.

Of DC Comics’ mainstays, Green Lantern (the Hal Jordan version primarily) was always one of my favorite characters growing up.  He wasn’t Batman and he wasn’t Superman, and I liked his power…plus, anyone could be a Green Lantern.  Here, that theory is put to the test and that is shown here.

Green Lanterns #5

Fortunately, DC had the wisdom to introduce both Jessica and Simon earlier so they aren’t constrained by origin issues.  The series picks up immediately and starts going.  The Red Lanterns (introduced during Geoff Johns run as part of the Lantern spectrum) always seemed a bit goofy to me with blood pouring from their mouth and “spouting rage”, but I’m glad they chose them over a classic Sinestro/Yellow Lantern scenario.

The biggest problem with Green Lanterns is a logic problem.  While it makes for interesting stories to have Jessica and Simon tied together, it doesn’t seem like the best way to protect Earth which is the ultimate goal of a Green Lantern.  The mere fact that both Jessica and Simon have to be together to charge their rings would cause potential issues and this ignores that both Lanterns are rookies.  With the Guardians “missing”, it would technically be hard to train new Lanterns, but this doesn’t seem like a real world solution.

Green Lanterns is a fun light read with two interesting leads.  The series in that sense is political, but Green Lantern has always been a more political comic from its early days when Hal was teamed with Green Arrow, and the introduction of John Stewart, an early African-American superhero in comics.  I like that this title has the potential to be both topical and inclusive in that sense.  Green Lanterns 1:  Rage Planet is followed by Green Lanterns 2:  The Phantom Lantern.

Related Links:

Green Lanterns 2:  The Phantom Lantern

Green Lanterns 3:  Polarity

Green Lanterns 4:  The First Ring

Green Lanterns 5:  Out of Time

Green Lanterns 6:  A World of Our Own