Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #31 Review and **SPOILERS**

What’s Your Vector, Hector?

Writer: Robert Vendetti 

Penciller: Patrick Zircher 

Colorist: Jason Wright 

Letterer: Dave Sharpe 

Cover: Ethan Van Sciver and Wright 

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: October 25, 2017

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

You know what this issue is? The conclusion to a two-part story! That is cause enough for celebration. Support shorter story arcs! Champion the “one and done!” Of course, it doesn’t say whether or not the story sucks, you have to read my review of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #31 to find that out. But we can still be jazzed about a two-parter! Yeah!

Explain It!

My best friendships began as fights. Grade school chums were initially bullies whose respect I earned by refusing to die. In junior high, when the fights can be most savage, I made a lifelong friend with a girl that absolutely kicked my ass. This is the way we communicate, the way we size each other up as young people. There’s more to be said about a kid that takes his lumps than the one that hides from conflict all day. It’s sort of like this with superheroes, at least in the modern age: they always seem to fight upon meeting one another. And, of course, there are always devious mind-control plots and brain transferences that can excuse future squabbles. So it is right that Superman and Hal Jordan team up with one another, after Superman handed Hal his ass last issue.

Having heard Hector Hammond’s telepathic plea, Clark and Hal show up on planet Krolotea, where little yellow gremlins have Hammond restrained. They start flinging around the imps pretty handily, then one enacts the God Brain, using Hector Hammond’s expanded cranial abilities to throw a Black Mercy on our heroes. Hal finds himself back in a reconstituted Coast City, hanging with his family and smooching on Carol Ferris. Of course, Hal figures out it’s a fake reality because he’d rather be a bad-ass jet-making Green Lantern fighting machine! Clark also snaps out of his dream-reality, though he mentions having seen his mom and dad. The Koloteans, smartly, surrender. Hector Hammond still kills ‘em, though.

They restrain Hector Hammond at S.T.A.R. Labs and Clark and Hal bro-hug…and that’s pretty much it, frankly. The ending is a somewhat touching moment where Hal is about to knock on Carol Ferris’ door and stop his foolin’ around, but then John Stewart calls him away to an emergency and…well, the knock doesn’t happen. Pretty quick issue, but I was fairly satisfied. This two-part story was okay, developed Hal a little beyond the one-dimensional gung-ho bonehead I’m normally making fun of. The art felt a little less strong this issue than in the last, particulary during Hal’s Coast City reverie, but it was far from anything bad. Taken as a whole the last two issues make up a pretty decent story about superheroes not being complete assholes to each other. Go figure!

Bits and Pieces:

A fairly pithy story is enhanced by some nice visuals and strong character work. I like it when superheroes get along, so sue me. Not a bad couple of issues, a neat little story that expands Hal beyond the gung-ho jackass we normally get.

7/10