Art by: Cian Tormey
Colors by: Matt Herms, Chris Sotomayor
Letters by: Lucas Gattoni
Cover art by: David Talaski
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: December 26, 2023
Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #3 learns the male prostitutes he frequently meets are starting to turn up dead, leading to a joint investigation with the Spectre that uncovers a security breach in Alan Scott's secret life.
Is Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #3 Good?
Yes, you read that right. The murder victim found at the end of issue #1 is the first in a series of dead "johns" that Alan Scott meets in shadowy alleys or dockside venues. The mystery is proceeding, but Sheridan's desire to put Alan Scott's superhero status on the back burner is still in full effect.
When last we left Alan Scott, aka Green Lantern, we got an issue-long flashback that retconned when and how Alan received the Power Lantern. The retcon wasn't an improvement or somehow clarified the wonky details inherent in Golden Age stories. The retcon simply made Alan Scott's origin story different.
Now, we get back to the present. In one of his latest trips to the waterfront for a quick sexual encounter with another man, Alan learns one of his "regulars" is dead, and he's not the only one. Somebody is murdering gay prostitutes. When Alan starts digging into a case, he learns they all have some connection to him. Unfortunately for Alan's secret life, the JSA gets involved, but Alan finds Spectre is sympathetic to Alan's urges and helps him search for clues to uncover how the killer knows so much about Alan Scott's life. The clues lead to a surprising information leak and the killer.
To the original point, there's very little superhero action happening in this comic. Sheridan is effectively crafting an LGBTQ-themed detective noir story with colorful costumes on the side. If you swap out Flash, Spectre, or anyone else with a superhero connection in favor of period-specific original characters, almost nothing about this plot changes. If you like LGBTQ-themed detective noir stories set in the 40s/50s, you're in the right place. If, however, you picked up a Green Lantern comic to find out more about the Green Lantern side of things, you might find this lacking.
What's great about Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #3? Sheridan is developing an intriguing detective noir murder mystery that feels like it fits alongside similar works ala China Town (Thematically. Not in quality.) The puzzle pieces are starting to come together so readers can play along, which is the fun of a murder mystery.
To the original point, there's very little superhero action happening in this comic. Sheridan is effectively crafting an LGBTQ-themed detective noir story with colorful costumes on the side. If you swap out Flash, Spectre, or anyone else with a superhero connection in favor of period-specific original characters, almost nothing about this plot changes. If you like LGBTQ-themed detective noir stories set in the 40s/50s, you're in the right place. If, however, you picked up a Green Lantern comic to find out more about the Green Lantern side of things, you might find this lacking.
What's great about Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #3? Sheridan is developing an intriguing detective noir murder mystery that feels like it fits alongside similar works ala China Town (Thematically. Not in quality.) The puzzle pieces are starting to come together so readers can play along, which is the fun of a murder mystery.
What's not so great about Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #3?
If you want a superhero comic where the hero actually does more than stand around most of the time, then this might not be for you. While many may find it interesting that Sheridan presents Alan Scott as a flawed, broken, and troubled man, a lot of the problems come directly from Alan himself. While it feels like Tim Sheridan is trying to write an important and personal story here, it also feels like you could insert any character into it and get much of the same, it just happens he was assigned to write Alan Scott.
How's the art? It's great! Cian Tormey's character designs, especially for the Spectre, look fantastic. Herms and Sotomayor's colors are gorgeous, and the specific element of detective noir stories that must be done right - shadows and silhouettes - work beautifully.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Disclaimer: Weird Science DID NOT receive this comic for review purposes. We are not trying to become besties with the creators of this comic. We try our best to write honest reviews so if our scores don't match up with the rest of the "comic book press", it might be because we are not shills looking for handouts and/or retweets.
How's the art? It's great! Cian Tormey's character designs, especially for the Spectre, look fantastic. Herms and Sotomayor's colors are gorgeous, and the specific element of detective noir stories that must be done right - shadows and silhouettes - work beautifully.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Disclaimer: Weird Science DID NOT receive this comic for review purposes. We are not trying to become besties with the creators of this comic. We try our best to write honest reviews so if our scores don't match up with the rest of the "comic book press", it might be because we are not shills looking for handouts and/or retweets.
Bits and Pieces:
Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #3 is a decent detective noir murder tale. Sheridan's mystery construction is on-point, and the art looks great, but if you are looking for a superhero book that focuses on the Green Lantern part of Alan Scott, you may want to look elsewhere.
Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #3 is a decent detective noir murder tale. Sheridan's mystery construction is on-point, and the art looks great, but if you are looking for a superhero book that focuses on the Green Lantern part of Alan Scott, you may want to look elsewhere.
6.5/10
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