Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #6 – Tim Sheridan, Writer; Cian Tormey, Artist; Matt Herms, Colorist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: There have been a lot of delays to get to this final issue, but it was all worth it to complete one of the best DC books in recent memory—certainly one of the best JSA stories—exactly as its creators intended. The tragic tale of Alan Scott’s first love against the backdrop of the pre-WW2 Red Scare has been utterly fascinating, and the Red Lanterns deceptions have come home to roost in the form of a Red Squadron of Crimson-Flame-empowered warriors who view their fellow comrade as disposable. Alan and Vladimir, who clearly deeply care for each other even as they’re doomed to be enemies, unite one last time to take them on, with Alan discovering the true extent of his powers and Vladimir showing why it matters to be chosen by the flame, regardless of what the Soviets want to create. It’s a great action segment—but what comes next is what’s truly stunning.
The best part of this series has been how Tim Sheridan crafts a passionate story of a man’s struggle to come to terms with himself in a world that tells him he should hate himself. There are three incredible pieces of dialogue in this issue. The first is the final meeting between Alan and Vladimir, as the two lovers pick up the pieces and manage to part in a bittersweet way, knowing that their paths will never be aligned. The second is a showdown between Alan and Hoover, as Alan delivers a blistering retort to Hoover’s blackmail that speaks to generations of LGBT people who were swept into the closet. And finally, in the present day, Alan and his son Todd have an amazing conversation that clears up a lot of questions people had about how this new version of Alan squares with the one we knew before. This isn’t just one of the best DC books in a while, it’s one of only a few big two comics that I would say is essential queer reading.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
