Green Lantern: Fractured Spectrum #1 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; V. Ken Marion, Artist; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: We get a double dose of Jeremy Adams this week, as the Green Lantern writer also kicks off his new arc in this one-shot. The plots building since the first issue have mostly been resolved – Thaaros has been defeated, and the United Planets have taken their boot off Oa’s neck. Now, all the Earth Green Lanterns and more have headed to the planet to place the new central battery, with several taking on new roles in the process. Jessica Cruz seems to have become the de facto leader of the Lanterns as the Guardians take a step back, while the android Jadestone has found new purpose as the powerhouse bodyguard of the central battery. There are also some very nice new character beats, like the growing friendship between Ellie and Keli. But there are also dark clouds gathering – including the mysterious effect of the Fractured Spectrum, which is allowing people to generate spectrum-like powers out of nowhere.
And then there’s Nathan Broome, the hapless fiancee of Carol Ferris who was left at the altar when Carol and Hal reunited. But he didn’t drink his sorrows away – he embraced them, being transformed into a twisted anomaly Lantern who can corrupt the emotions of everyone around him. When he pays a visit to Oa’s most sacred library, he puts the strange little librarian through hellish torments before getting his hands on one of the most important artifacts in Green Lantern history. Sorrow, as he’s come to be called, is one of the more intriguing recent GL villains – a thoroughly ordinary person who embraced his pain a little too much and became a monster. The visuals on him are also fantastic, and V. Ken Marion really shows off his skills with some of the creations this issue. One of the biggest strengths of this issue is how it lets the Earth lanterns finally play off each other, and it’s a great new start for this series.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
