Written by: Jeremey Adams, Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Art by: Salvador Larroca
Colors by: Luis Guerrero
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Brad Walker, Trish Mulvihill (cover A)
Cover price: $5.99
Release date: October 9, 2024
Green Lantern: Civil Corps Special #1, by DC Comics on 10/9/24, brings the new Green Lantern Corps together with a mission to warn allied planets that Thaaros has a secret agenda.
Is Green Lantern: Civil Corps Special #1 Good?
Green Lantern: Civil War Special #1 begins with John Stewart flying through the skies with the construct of his late sister (Yes, it's creepy, weird, and probably unhealthy.) when the two are attacked. It's Kilowog, and he's a Yellow Lantern. Kilowog beats John easily and takes the Darkstar ring, presumably on behalf of Thaaros.
The issue gets off to a weird start. Kilowog is now not dead (not a surprise), John is still hanging out with the construct version of his sister (again, creepy and unhealthy), and the Darkstar ring has been taken because John thought it would be safer carrying it around than destroying it or hiding it somewhere nobody would ever find it. Weird.
Later, John wakes up in recovery while Hal, Guy, and Shepherd discuss what needs to happen. Hal plans to approach the council on Thanagar to warn them that Thaaros has replaced their ambassadors with Durlan shapeshifters. John and Carol agree to go with him. Meanwhile, Guy and Shepherd will head to Oa to gather intel. Alan Scott will use his ability to travel through the 4th dimension to keep the Unseeing distracted so that all this travel in and out of Sector 2814 will be possible. Before the Lanterns depart, Hal tells them about the new battery and its new guardian, Jadestone.
The setup scene essentially serves as a catchup to introduce the characters to new readers and level-set everyone on the status quo of each Lantern. The level-set is fine, although it feels like the creators are checking boxes to get all the information out.
Alan Scott keeps the Unseeing distracted by blipping in and out of the 4th dimension. However, the fight clues the Unseeing into the fact that Alan possesses the Starheart energy, which is a more valuable prize to the Unseeing than anything Thaaros is offering them.
Guy and Shepherd break into the Sciencecells on Oa and create a distraction by letting Larfleeze loose. With the guards fully engaged, trying (and failing) to contain Larfleeze, Guy and Shepherd have full access to look around.
Hal, John, and Carol make their case before a joint meeting of Thanasgarian and Rannian council members. Of course, Thaaros is made aware of the meeting before it starts, so the warning meeting turns into an ambush.
The issue concludes with the Durlan generals taking extreme steps when they conclude Thaaros is out of control, and Thaaros shows that he won't go down without making sure his enemies pay a planet-sized price.
What's great about Green Lantern: Civil Corps Special #1?
What's not great about Green Lantern: Civil Corps Special #1?
There are two areas where this special may give readers pause.
First, if you haven't read Green Lantern: War Journal, there are several developments in this issue that will be confusing because it relies on your foreknowledge of John Stewart's conflict with the Revenant Queen. You have to respect Adams and Johns for creating cohesion to bring the titles together, but War Journal isn't around anymore because nobody was reading it, so building on top of a story nobody was reading feels like a misstep.
Second, for all the buildup to turn Thaaros into a massive threat, surrounded by Spectrum-shifting lanterns for protection, he was defeated much too easily in this issue. Why on Earth would a conniving despot who went to so much effort to take over the galaxy rely on a squad of Hawkmen to defeat the greatest threat to his plans? In a lot of ways, this issue feels like a lot of cleanup to reset the board, which is not the feeling you want coming out of a double-sized special.
First, if you haven't read Green Lantern: War Journal, there are several developments in this issue that will be confusing because it relies on your foreknowledge of John Stewart's conflict with the Revenant Queen. You have to respect Adams and Johns for creating cohesion to bring the titles together, but War Journal isn't around anymore because nobody was reading it, so building on top of a story nobody was reading feels like a misstep.
Second, for all the buildup to turn Thaaros into a massive threat, surrounded by Spectrum-shifting lanterns for protection, he was defeated much too easily in this issue. Why on Earth would a conniving despot who went to so much effort to take over the galaxy rely on a squad of Hawkmen to defeat the greatest threat to his plans? In a lot of ways, this issue feels like a lot of cleanup to reset the board, which is not the feeling you want coming out of a double-sized special.
How's the Art?
The art from Salvador Larocca is perfectly good and a far sight better than the work he's turned in to Marvel recently. Larocca's costume designs, figure work, and ring-slinging action (mostly from Alan Scott) look great.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Green Lantern: Civil Corps Special #1 is an odd, double-sized issue that integrates the main plot point from the main Green Lantern ongoing and the recently canceled War Journal series to clear the board of dangling plot threads and reset the status quo. The art is fine, and Green Lantern fans will have plenty of stories to chew on that aren't interrupted by Absolute Power or any other external events. That said, this issue relies heavily on War Journal, which may leave some readers confused and feeling left behind.6.5/10
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