Green Lantern: Earth One
Written by Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko, with art by Hardman The latest in the Earth One imprint finds Harold Jordan down on his luck and hungry for adventure. Gone are the days of exciting extra-planetary exploits... or so he thought, until he happens upon one the most powerful weapons in the universe.
The ring of a Green Lantern takes Hal to the far ends of the galaxy, encountering all manner of odd individuals but very little character development. Don't get me wrong, our hero has an arc, the problem is just that most of it seems to take place before the book begins.
Hal's typical progression in other books or adaptations is that his time in the space police, that is the Green Lantern Corps, softens his arrogance and selfishness, making him a humble hero to all those in need. This does kind of happen, but he's about two thirds of the way through it by the time his 'macrocosmic' misadventures get started.
Getting back to the odd individuals in this graphic novel, I enjoyed the alternate takes on staple GL characters, Kilowog and Arisia. Arisia in particular has a forthright attitude and really captivating aesthetic. Although she's not in it as much as I would have liked, she definitely makes a strong impression.
I was quite on board with a lot of the deviations to the pre-existing lore: the time setting, the standing of key groups, the way the villain(s) were used.
Something else I noticed was how cinematic the book was. When we see Green Lantern on screen again, this book is crying out to be used as inspiration. Another thing it's calling out for is a follow-up. I don't want to spoil anything but this tale feels like just the beginning, and I'm more than ok with that.
Green Lantern was my first exposure to the Earth One brand of self contained retellings of classic DC stories and although I found some faults, I have to say, I was delighted by it. An excellent choice for long-time fans and newbies alike.
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Written by Kyle J.
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