Green Lantern #22 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; Xermanico, Artist; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Jeremy Adams has two books going to explore the Green Lantern line right now, and it still feels almost overwhelming with just how many plot threads he’s juggling. This issue might be the most distinct for that, as the cast is split across the cosmos. Hal Jordan is on Earth, dealing with the return of Hector Hammond – who had apparently gone straight and was working for the DEO, but was actually performing sadistic experiments on aliens. After Hammond is taken down by Hal and Carol, Hal reads Bones the riot act and uses this as leverage to get ahold of a rare artifact that he needs – a literal key to hell. Along with some of DC’s most unique magical heroes, he descends into the underworld with some brilliant visuals – and encounters an old friend who I definitely didn’t expect to see again. This plot thread is fascinating, because it’s delivering into an era of Hal’s history that it’s rare to see revisited.
Meanwhile, across the universe, Kyle Rayner has his own mission – wrangling teen heroes Superboy and Odyssey the Time Bandit as they infiltrate a Reach home base. But what they find inside is a surprise – a bedraggled human. The reveal of who this human is turns out to be one of the biggest surprises of the run so far – a character who’s been gone for so long I don’t think anyone ever expected to see again. This plot introduces a new hero back to the story, but I’m not sure if the character is everything he claims to be, or if a darker element is pulling the strings. The villains largely take a back seat this issue, with Sorrow following Hal into Hell and Starbreaker off-panel, but there are so many interesting elements from inside and outside the Green Lantern mythos in this issue that it’s still a thrill ride from beginning to end. Can’t wait to see just how all these plots sync up together eventually.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
