The Green Lantern (2018-) Vol 2

I said Green Lantern was best thing at the moment after reading first six issues aka Vol 1. I can’t say the same after reading the second volume aka issues 7 to 12 and annual. This has mild spoilers. I need to spoil a bit to explain why I didn’t like second volume as much as first one.

I liked the first volume because it was so much like old time science fiction comics. These issues are not like that. Issue 7 is fantasy. Issue 8 is weird in lets not talk about this again way. It has some of good ideas but it gets too weird. Not good kind of weird. Ninth is another fantasy issue in place where Hal’s ring doesn’t work. Issues from 10 to 12 are event with characters I have no idea of who they are with all the problems of big event comics.

I don’t care if there are characters fighting some big bad guy if I don’t know what is going on. There is multiverse with multiverse superhero group and alternative universe green lanterns. There is stoner lantern and batman lantern. There are tons of different characters and worlds are ending. It is like someone told Grant Morrison to make this as epic as possible. Then Controller Mu, the bad guy from first volume, comes to save Hal from this mess and last pages of issue 12 get back to story of first volume. It becomes interesting again.

Events in last three issues were set by Controller Mu to get Hal where he wants him. The plan could have been simpler and have less chances of Hal actually dying or get lost somewhere in other universe. Epic event level action didn’t suit the tone set in first volume.

I read comics from trades. This is where reading Green Lantern gets complicated. Second volume ends The Green Lantern (2018-) series. Story continues in three issue Green Lantern: Blackstars miniseries and from that onward in The Green Lantern Season Two (2020-). It was clear Blackstars era wouldn’t last long because it was three issue miniseries from get go. It is unclear will Blackstars miniseries be included in next Green Lantern trade. DC has released weird trades which doesn’t contain everything you need to get the mains story. Justice League Dark (2011-2015) has two trades which only has Justice League Dark issues and you need to buy other comics to get whole story. You need to buy those other comics to get the story which was in Justice League Dark and continued in other comics.

Best thing at the moment: Green Lantern (2018-)

I don’t read that much new comics. If I do prefer buying trades. That comes cheaper and I like to read more than single issue at the time. At the moment Immortal Hulk is only new comic I follow from trades. That was before I found Grant Morrison’s Green Lantern. Justice League Dark may get to that list too. I got first volume from sale but haven’t started it yet. I got first volume of Green Lantern (2018-) as single issues because it was cheaper. So I am currently at issues six waiting for second volume to be released. I know something big happens on twelfth issues and story continues under different name at least for a moment. But first issues of Green Lantern (2018-) is where you should start.

This run of Green Lantern is closer to old time science fiction comics than superhero comics. It has the feeling of old European science fiction comics. Some times it remind me old Star Wars comics I read as a kid. Some of the panels could easily fit into pages of 2000 AD. This feeling comes from writing and glorious art. Character designs are really out there. There is humanoid volcano and sapient insect species looking nothing like humanoids. Green Lantern concept allows really weird characters.

Green Lantern works as pulp science fiction because in the end it is intergalactic police force with fancy power rings. As long as Superman and others stay away from comic it can easily pass as science fiction. Having regular superheroes in different kind of superhero comics tend to break the mood of said comic. This has happened with Immortal Hulk, New 52’s Justice League Dark and Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing. Moore probably was forced to have them appear but was wise enough to downplay their impact.

My favorite issue so far is third issue which has surprisingly lot of social commentary about climate change without saying words climate change. What happens in issue should have huge impact on every character on Earth but I assume those couple days when everything was different are forgotten and never mentioned again. At least outside Green Lantern comics. It is ok because I like to think this series happening outside other DC continuity.

I really hope Grant Morrison can keep this as pulp science fiction series of intergalactic police force and Superman doesn’t appear in any issue. During first six issues there haven’t been any superheroes or super-villains whose powers can’t be explained by science fiction concepts.