Like so many titles Green Lantern has been in Absolute Power tie-in mode for the last few months. Though to Jeremy Adams credit, there was a seamless transition from the United Planets taking over the Emotional Spectrum to Absolute Power. That was thanks to Amanda Waller and Lord Premier Thaaros using each other to further their respective plan. That led to Hal Jordan to be forced to focus on dealing with everything going on across the Earth rather than on Oa. Let’s see how things go for Hal and company in the middle of Absolute Power with Green Lantern #15.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writers: Jeremy Adams and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artists: Fernando Pasarin and Montos
Inker: Oclair Albert
Colorists: Romulo Fardo Jr. and Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
GREEN LANTERN #15 SOLICITATION
“HAL JORDAN ENTERS THE DANGER ZONE! ABSOLUTE POWER TIE-IN!
Hal has a problem…He needs to charge his ring, but the entrance to the Power Battery is a continent away. Plus, the skies over Earth are patrolled by Amanda Waller’s modified Amazos, which leaves Hal with one choice…to ride into the Danger Zone! Don’t worry, he totally got permission to use the Batplane for this mission wink.
Plus, John Stewart’s tale from Green Lantern: War Journal spills out into the battlefield of a new struggle brewing on the horizon…” – DC Comics
REVIEW
Green Lantern #15 delivers exactly what a reader could want from the series they are following having a tie-in issue to a big event. The main story with Hal Jordan, Wally West, Alan Scott, Carol Ferris, and Jadestone furthered all of their respective character arcs. Each character arc elevated not only the individuals characters but also made Absolute Power’s story stronger.
Above all else what Green Lantern #15 accomplished was selling the concept for a Hal Jordan and Wally West comic book. Jeremy Adams did an excellent right out of the gate tapping into the uncle and nephew dynamic that Hal and Wally share. Without saying it, Hal and Wally have this family dynamic. It really does emphasize how Hal character in the DC Universe is the cool uncle. Taking Wally to Bruce Wayne’s secret island with a hidden Batcave filled with prototypes further drove that home.
This was a strong set-up to establish how Hal and Wally would be able to break into Amanda Waller’s Hall of Order. There was nothing clean about the way they broke in. They literally bulldoze their way into the Hall of Order, utilizing a Batmobile to be their tank. Causing a chaotic situation with a remote controlled Batmobile gave Wally the chance to use his own speed vehicle to get to, hack the Waller’s computer and get out without much trouble until Major Force shows up.
Major Force showing up is timed well with what we see go on with Jadestone’s identity crisis as they try to understand having morals and emotions because of it absorbing Starheart. Alan Scott does a great job showing his natural veteran instincts by taking this as a chance to help Jadestone understand it getting their own identity. This played into the way Batman defeated the original Failsafe by injecting compassion into its programming. Starheart worked in a similar way for Jadestone.
This development with Jadestone helped connect Starheart to the Green Lantern Power Battery. After saving Hal from Major Force, we learn that thanks to Starheart’s influence Jadestone suddenly felt that their purpose was to be the protector of Earth’s Green Lantern Power Battery. This connection with Starheart further connects Alan Scott with the other Green Lanterns that is hopefully be explored in the future.
Green Lantern #15 also gave us a better look at the Grey Lantern Nathan Broome power set. Utilizing the emotion of sorrow, we see that Nathan’s powers are not just energy base but can directly affect others with sorrow, as it does for Dove. It further indicates that because of the chaotic state of the Emotional Spectrum we could see other new types of Lantern Corps rise up.
This made him an even bigger challenge for Carol Ferris to overcome. This gave Carol her own unique antagonist, that while tied to Hal, does feel like it does give some foundational groundwork for her return as Star Sapphire. Carol countering Nathan’s sorrow driven attack by using love was a good use of her position as a Star Sapphire.
What’ll be interesting from here is if we will see Carol join Hal in taking on Thaaros and the United Planets after Absolute Power. Carol hasn’t always been bought into being a cosmic hero. But she is certainly needed with how few allies Hal has to combat Thaaros.
The back-up John Stewart back-up story by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos was awkward. It was awkward simply because it felt like it was forced in because there was no other place to wrap up Green Lantern: War Journal since the series was canceled before it got its proper end. John Stewart certainly deserves better because the forced nature of this epilogue story impacted how connected you feel to the story.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The main story of Green Lantern #15 is a strong tie-in to Absolute Power. From the uncle and nephew dynamic between Hal Jordan and Wally West to major developments for Carol Ferris as she makes her Star Sapphire return, there was a lot to enjoy in this story. It all drove up greater interest for what could happen next in this series post-Absolute Power.
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
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