Comic Info
Comic Name: Green Lanterns
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Sam Humphries
Artist: Ronan Cliquet/Carlo Barberi/Julio Ferreira/Daniel Henriques/Eduardo Pansica/Robson Rocha/Matt Santorelli
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2017
Green Lanterns #24
Reprints Green Lanterns #22-26 (July 2017-September 2017). Simon and Jessica have been Green Lanterns for a while…but that doesn’t mean that they’re ready for the Corps! When they are pulled off Earth to Mogo for training, they learn that they are going to have to overcome their deepest fears if they hope to be the heroes that the Earth thinks they are. Unfortunately, Volthoom’s secret plot is beginning to unfold and the possessor of the first Ring has set his targets on how to get his life back.
Written by Sam Humphries, Green Lanterns Volume 4: The First Ring is part of DC Comics’ Rebirth series. Following Green Lanterns Volume 3: Polarity, the collection features art by Ronan Cliquet, Carlo Barberi, Julio Ferreira, Daniel Henriques, Eduardo Pansica, Robson Rocha, and Matt Santorelli.
While I somewhat disagree with the basic concept of Green Lanterns (I realize “teamwork” is cool in concept, protecting the universe and having the risky move of forcing two Green Lanterns to work in unity), the book still is a fun read propelled by two interesting characters. While the characters have pretty much been on their own since the start of the book, this volume works to tie them in a bit tighter to the Green Lantern Corps mythos.
The Green Lantern Corps were “missing” when the Hal set-up Jessica and Simon with their situation and this is kind of a necessary thing. I hope that it helps to shore-up their power problems (and I’d still like them at least to have their own Lantern before the 24-hour charge together aspect becomes a problem). With the destruction of Simon’s ring at the end of this story, I’m sure that it will be a problem.
Green Lanterns #26
The story also moves the Volthoom aspect forward with Volthoom inhabiting the body of Rami. It expands on the origin of Volthoom and works to make him more of a tragic character than a simple supervillain. The Guardians of the Universe have always been rather shady in their actions and this is just another aspect of it. There is a lot of gray and more rounded villains are generally better.
The story is starting to set up the “First Seven” a new team. Throughout the collection the original holders of the first rings (made from the Travel Lantern) are introduced and their origin is explored. It is sometimes hard to conceive the “universe time” of Green Lanterns and the time period being covered and to go back to the beginning of time. You have characters who are eons old mixing with characters that are just blips on their time radar…that idea would interesting to explore.
Green Lanterns 4: The First Ring continues to keep the series moving. The comic is pretty traditional based in its story and telling. Green Lanterns is what it is…a fun little superhero team-up book. This volume feels more like a filler for the next volume and a lot more set-up (though I am glad to have the Green Lantern Corps reinstated with Simon and Jessica). Green Lanterns 4: The First Ring was followed by Green Lanterns 5: Out of Time.
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