Written by: Sam Humphries
Art by: Robson Rocha and Jay Leisten
Publisher: DC Comics
This initial issue definitely served as a solid introduction to two unlikely heroes.
Instead of using Hal Jordan, Green Lanterns chooses to follow two rookies in the Green Lantern Corps. Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz were both normal citizens until the rings chose them out of pure necessity. The entire Green Lantern Corps. has disappeared into space, leaving Earth completely unprotected. Of course, all hell breaks loose as random citizens begin succumbing to rage in a zombie-like fashion. Fairly overwhelming stuff for the young Green Lanterns.
Green Lanterns #1 takes the story to many other unique areas and does so quite well. The “enemies” and backstory are honestly surprising, even though they reveal themselves almost too suddenly. One moment the Lanterns are searching through a barn for an unknown alien, and the next a big enemy is revealing major plot points. The story is very interesting, but it would have been nice to get a little more moments from the Lanterns perspective. Although this may be a minor complaint and much less of an issue for other readers.
The story is solid, and Robson Rocha’s art adds a nice touch. This is a grittier story, something that is reflected in the creepy red eyes–courtesy of Jay Leisten–and the almost disturbing gory moments. Rocha and Leisten go bold with the art and do an exceptional job differentiating between the various characters and color schemes. The best example of this is an explosion early in the issue. The red sky and flames stand out from the green shield projected by the lanterns and a frightening tower. It’s a powerful image that helps this issue stand out.
Green Lanterns #1 may not quite hit the highs of some other recent releases, but don’t worry too much about that. The story is a solid start, albeit one that moves too quickly at first, and it seems to be setting up one of the more interesting arcs. The art is the best part of the issue so far, but the story could definitely catch up as the issues continue.
