The Green Lantern: Season Two #11 – Grant Morrison, Writer; Liam Sharp, Artist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: In the middle of two months of Future State, this is the only main-line DC book publishing—the first of its final two issues. It seems like an outlier, but in many ways it’s not. This issue seems to be Grant Morrison’s meta musings on the eventual transformation of the Green Lantern franchise. Hal has had an amazing run as the lead Green Lantern going back about fifteen years now, but in Infinite Frontier it seems like others will take the lead. Morrison has chosen to work that into the narrative, with the Young Guardians looking to craft a new Corps that trends away from the cowboy Lantern and towards new faces (including, in her very first main-line appearance, Jo Mullein). Anyone who’s ever been pushed into retirement or fired as politely as possible will recognize Hal’s conversation, so his decision to take some leave and head off somewhere he feels some peace is very relatable.
Of course, Hal’s definition of peace may be very different than most people. Rather than heading back to Earth, he chooses to head to a planet of myth and magic to team up with some warriors caught in a nearly endless battle for the throne against a host of magical enemies. This shows Hal’s biggest strength and weakness—rather than being a traditional “space cop,” he’s always been more of a roguish adventurer looking for his next battle. He represents a bygone era of heroism, but this issue shows that the ultimate responsibilities he’s avoiding will always come looking for him. The cliffhanger, which seems to reveal the ultimate villain of this run, comes a bit out of nowhere but that’s kind of to be expected with Morrison. He never shows his cards until he absolutely has to. With twenty-seven of twenty-eight issues released, I still have no idea how this is going to end—but I can’t wait to find out next month.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
fantastic issue. Gonna miss this team, character and series when it’s done.