The relaunch Hal Jordan needed.
Like Green Arrow, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps proves that it's possible to completely revamp and refresh a comic without changing writers. DC Rebirth has served as exactly the fresh start Robert Venditti needed to refocus his Green Lantern run and course-correct the story of Hal Jordan. Things are looking up in a big way for this franchise.
With the recent Rebirth one-shot bridging the gap between the previous Green Lantern comic and this new series, Venditti is able to dive headlong into his new status quo. What's most impressive about this issue is the way it manages to juggle so many balls at once. On one hand, it serves as a great solo spotlight for the resurgent Hal as he finds himself the lone Lantern in a galaxy controlled by the Sinestro Corps. Coming off the character's less than memorable DC You status quo, this feels much more like the classically bold, defiant Hal readers know and love. But on the other hand, this issue is an equally great showcase for the Sinestro Corps and their inner workings. If we can't have a Sinestro-centric comic anymore, this is the next best option.
Visually, this issue is a slight downgrade from the Rebirth special, but that's to be expected given that Rafa Sandoval is taking over from Ethan Van Sciver. Perhaps Sandoval's pages don't boast the same intricate levels of detail as Van Sciver's, but Sandoval is quickly and easily settles into the Green Lantern universe. He delivers plenty of exciting action sequences and bold shots of Lanterns in action. He expertly juggles the hopeful underdog tone of Hal's scenes with the sinister back-stabbery of the Sinestro Corps material. The worst that can be said about Sandoval's art is that he has problems rendering long hair. Some female characters look as if they have giant, amorphous blobs attached to their heads.
The result of all of this is that the series succeeds both as a solo vehicle and an ensemble book. It stacks the deck against Hal and his fellow Lanterns in a big way, but it also sets the stage for them to emerge triumphant. This is the Green Lantern book we've needed for a long time - one that can tell epic stories without feeding into the constant crossover cycle, and one that can properly build on the foundation left by Geoff Johns. The fact that so much about this book feels like a return to 2013 shows that DC is willing to fix what went wrong after Johns ended his run.
The Verdict
The Green Lantern franchise had fallen on hard times, particularly over the course of the past year. Thankfully, this new series quickly and gracefully wipes the slate clean. This issue manages to shine a light on Hal Jordan as he begins his quest to restore the Green Lanterns, and it succeeds equally well in exploring the rise of the Sinestro Corps. Any fans who might have drifted away from Green Lantern lately would do well to give this series a look.
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