There’s a traitor within the ranks of the Corps and only one man can capture him: Hal Jordan, The Green Lantern!
It’s strange that Grant Morrison has never written a Green Lantern comic before (though the character’s appeared in his ensemble stories like JLA and Final Crisis) as they seem an obvious fit: Morrison’s all about hyper-imaginative alien, cosmic wackiness and Green Lantern offers up the perfect sandbox for him to go whole hog. So it’s disappointing that this first issue turned out to be really, really boring!
The entire opening sequence is predictably weird: a couple of Green Lanterns are battling spider pirates and a four-armed giant talking hamster – oh and one of the Lanterns is a microscopic germ! Ok, the germ Lantern is a funny idea, but… what’s going on exactly? No clue. Smash cut to Hal Jordan who’s apparently been suspended by the Guardians for Reason – I’m not a regular Green Lantern reader so I don’t know if this follows on from the previous storyline or whether this is something new Morrison is introducing – but apparently Hal is now a bum who just wanders the land like Caine??
Hmm. I was hoping Morrison would make Hal at least a semi-interesting character but, no, he remains as bland and impersonal as ever. Everything he does as Green Lantern is generically yawn-y, the premise for this first story arc is completely unremarkable and the final panel reveal of the Big Bad did absolutely nothing for me. Maybe Morrison is writing a back-to-the-original take on the character like he does for most of his superhero books, I don’t know, I never read the Silver Age stuff, but Hal’s still really dull.
Liam Sharp’s art is strong, Hal as Green Lantern looks amazing and the stuff on New Oa was cool. Hal’s constructs are disappointingly unimaginative but I suspect that’s a reflection on the character than a failure on Morrison’s part. Frank Quitely’s variant cover was absolutely stunning – god I wish he and Morrison would collaborate again soon!
I’d really hoped that one of my favourite comics writers would be able to make me like a series I’ve never been that bothered with but even Grant Morrison can’t do it – The Green Lantern #1 is a tedious and unimpressive beginning.
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