By Johns, Pacheco, Van Scriver, Cooke & Bianchi (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-204-9
Following on from his bombastic return in Green Lantern: Rebirth (978-1-84576-131-8) this volume recounts the further adventures of Hal Jordan, troubled test-pilot and inter-galactic policeman, in a series of short tales that reintroduce some of his oldest foes whilst re-establishing him as a major star in the DC firmament. Collecting issues #1-6 of the current monthly comic book with the addition of pertinent sections of Green Lantern Secret Files and Origins 2005, all the stories are written by Geoff Johns, and the eagle-eyed among you can probably pick up his first hints and plot-markers for both the Sinestro War and Final Crisis epics to come.
‘Flight’ is illustrated by Darwyn Cooke, providing some additional character-building flashbacks whilst fixing Hal’s current place in the hierarchy of GL’s currently on Earth. The eponymous ‘No Fear’ introduces the sexy rival jet-jockey Jillian “Cowgirl†Pearlman, the sub-plot of the slowly rebuilding Coast City (razed by the space-tyrant Mongul and now a new town seemingly incapable of attracting residents) and sees Hal’s new employers messing around with very dangerous alien technology that leads to an all-out battle with a new breed of robotic Manhunter, courtesy of Carlos Pacheco and Jesús Merino.
Ethan Van Scriver returns for the next chilling yarn as paralysed psychokinetic Hector Hammond and the super evolved predator The Shark find themselves victims of alien meddlers, before the dead and very unhappy Black Hand returns to genocidally stir the mix, lavishly rendered by Simone Bianchi, all ably assisted by inker Prentiss Rollins.
Green Lantern has always been a lynchpin of the DC universe and whilst these action-epics won’t win too many new readers, they do successfully provide the faithful readership with high quality superhero fare.
© 2005, 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.
In Rebirth, GL was recast as a bona fide champion of the truth down deep in the heart, justice all the way down, and …, whatever. The real thing. Then the new story line opens with him engaging in some kinky anonymous sex. Ohh kehh, whatever DC wants…
I just had such high hopes for the mythic recapture of Hal Jordan. Guess not.
I know what you mean. In these tricky modern days sales and tastes seem to dictate that all modern characters have variable personalities and ethics. It also means that all challenges become personal too, and that heroism is the result of a grudge not a need to defend the weak of just do the tight thing
I’m joyously wading through a bunch of Showcase Presents at the moment, and even though the Schwartz Silver Age heroes are supposed to be plot not character driven, it’s crystal clear that writers Broome and Fox had a complete handle on each one.
Barry Allen, Ralph Dibny, Katar Hol, Adam Strange, Ray Palmer and Hal were all completely different decent guys: so much so that stories could be constructed around their idiosyncracies. Flash or the Atom would never create a fake monster to get out of a romantic tangle like Hal did in “the Leap Year Menace”. Weisinger’s Superman though… he loved “teaching Lois Lane a Lesson”…