Without the Corps…without the ring…without the willpower, what’s left is the Absolute Green Lantern! A mysterious alien object lands in a small Nevada town, leaving only three survivors in its wake in Absolute Green Lantern #1.
You must be without fear.
Presenting the story in a sci-fi horror lens, Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay remove the traditional epic space odyssey scope and ground it in this unknowable terror. A mix of first contact and a religious experience, the appearance of the titular Green Lantern, a celestial symbol, appears in Evergreen and immediately kills a few bikers. Akin to the monolith in 2001 A Space Odyssey, Jo Mullein, Hal Jordan, and John Stewart inspect it in shock and awe. An alien named Abin Sur seemingly chose the trio for something while leaving only one still human. Although we do not get complete answers about what happened or the plan, there are plenty of breadcrumbs to feed your imagination of what might have happened.
You must be without fear.
Opening up on Hal Jordan in the desert, he convenes with a mysterious entity that tells him he “must be without fear.” Represented as a black hole, he haunts Jordan as he treks toward civilization until a cop stops him. Keeping his left hand hidden, the cop orders Hal to show, only for it to cut to a black panel and then reveal the cop missing. The issue being titled “The Black Hand” calls to mind the horrific cosmic energy infecting Hal and the potential of the reimagined Black Lantern Corps. The notion of needing to be without fear means he can control his powers. Much like the Ancient Mariner, his corrupted hand is very much the albatross tried around his neck.
You must be without fear.
Jo, the series’s protagonist, takes a backseat due to the issue’s focus on Hal. As a former cop, she stands in a career limbo as she decides what to do next. With such an extensive focus on Hal, I wish we had more time with Jo. Like the central universe, her life will change because of a chance meeting with a Green Lantern. Similarly, John Stewart still works as an architect. However, Hal now sells collectibles, and Jo is now married to Guy Gardner. Tying the characters into such a personal web provides a standard connection for them without the existence of the Corps. I also appreciate Ewing for indicting a much deeper shared personal history for the characters, making the divergence of Hal and Jo even more striking.
You must be without fear.
Lindsay’s artistic talents diverge from those of a typical Green Lantern book as he delves into the traumatic experience of the alien invasion. He sells the contrast of normal everyday life with the horrific shift of an extraterrestrial being impacting said life. As well as serving as the colorist, Lindsay suits the book on the visuals and the emotional nature of the story, too. With letterer Lucas Gattoni, the book charts a new path for the Absolute Universe.
You must be without fear.
Focusing more on the slow-building tone of dread and the questions that will be explored in the series, Absolute Green Lantern #1 provides a starkly different take on cosmic mythology. Hopefully, Jo’s character gets explored as much as Hal’s in the next issue. Overall, Absolute Green Lantern #1 forces us to look at the dark corners of space with a terrified expression as we await what terror might land on Earth.
Story: Al Ewing Art/Color: Jahnoy Lindsay Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Read
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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