“In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night.” Surely you know how it goes by now. Geoff Johns, the man who, for better or worse, launched “Green Lantern” into a best-selling comic franchise, spawning merchandise, movies, and cartoons, brings his universe spanning epic to a close. Does his finale recapture the glory of ‘Sinestro Corps War,’ or does it die with a whimper, a vestigial piece of comic book history? There’s only one way to find out! (Other than by actually reading the book, of course)
Written by Geoff Johns
Illustrated by Doug MahnkeIt’s the final battle against the First Lantern and the Guardians in this, the extra-sized finale of Geoff Johns’ historic run on the title! Plus, don’t miss a special retrospective on Geoff’s run on GL!
It’s no easy task, ending a story that is nearly a decade in the making. The fact is, you aren’t going to please everyone. Even the most loyal of fans can be let down by a disappointing or lackluster finish. With “Green Lantern” #20, Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke, and a cadre of guest artist, deliver what few comic book runs are able to, and something Johns himself has struggled with over the course of his 9 year run, a definitive ending.
The past few months have not been kind to “Green Lantern.” The ‘Rise of the Third Army,’ a story Johns had been building to for over a year, was essentially a backdoor pilot for Johns’ biggest pet creation yet, the Green Lantern Simon Baz. The follow-up ‘Wrath of the First Lantern,’ meandered through the ancillary Lantern books, rehashing themes from ‘Blackest Night,’ while “Green Lantern” chugged along, belying the fact that the series finale was but a few issues away. In some ways, this is very similar to the way LOST felt leading up to its finale a few years back. With just one episode/issue to go, how can everything possibly be tied up in a satisfying way? Well, like LOST, Johns cheats a little, in that this final issue is actually the size of three issues.
Indeed, featuring over 60 pages of story, this issue feels like a blockbuster event, with page after page of Johns’ trademark, splash page reveals. Not since ‘Blackest Night’ and ‘Sinestro Corps War’ before it has “Green Lantern” felt so bombastic, and artist Doug Mahnke deserves a lion’s share of the credit. For four years, Mahnke has defined the asthetic of the Green Lantern universe. His brief hiatus from the series the past couple of months pays off heavily, as Mahnke clocks in at over 50 pages of art. This huge canvas gives Mahnke room to really stretch his artistic might, with several splash pages, double page spreads, as well as pages densely packed with panels. Mahnke draws hundreds of characters in this issue, from all throughout Johns’ run, and does so with George Perez level of detail. While some pages don’t quite work as well as others (it’s hard to make a page of Mogo going Death Star look anything other than static), there are far more hits than misses, and several moments are sure to go down as iconic scenes in comic book history.
Jumping in for the issue’s epilogue is a who’s who of past Lantern artists, including ex-“Corps” artist Patrick Gleason, Cully Hamner, “New Guardians'” Aaron Kuder, Jerry Ordway, and icons Ivan Reis and Ethan Van Sciver. Not all of these cameo appearances succeed in evoking nostalgia. For instance, Hamner and Ordway’s pages lack the typical level of polish seen from these artists, and Gleason’s work look considerably different than the style used in “Green Lantern Corps.” However, most of these contributions do their part to highlight the series’ rich artistic legacy.
While comics are a visual medium and that aspect deserves to be thoroughly explored, the primary concern of most is whether or not Johns delivers a satisfying conclusion. While there are a more than a few predictable plot points and a deus ex machina or two, Johns lays all his cards on the table, flexing his full might as Chief Creative Officer, to deliver a book that feels quite unlike anything else in the New 52.
Continued belowQuite indulgently, Johns throws rebooted continuity to the wind, delivering an issue that feels like the proper end to a story that predates the New 52 by 7 years. The number of continuity nods, in jokes, and cameo appearances in this issue is staggering, even by typical Johnsian standards. There are references to everything from Guy’s time in “Justice League International,” to Dave Gibbons’ “Green Lantern Corps,” and to every major “Green Lantern” story of the past decade. However, it’s not an exclusive club, as Johns gives a succinct, three page recap that gives new readers a crash course in his Green Lantern school, allowing anyone to jump in and take part.
There are a number of unanswered questions coming into this finale. While some are left dangling (sorry, Cowgirl and Sodam Yat fans), Johns finally dishes the dirt on a few lingering plot threads. However, it’s the questions that fans didn’t expect to be answered that make this finale unique among corporate owned comics.
Due to the never ending serialization of mainstream super heroes, their stories can never truly end. Nevertheless, Johns has titled this issue “The End” and, rather cinematically, shows us the future fates of each key player in the “Green Lantern” mythology. Some might see this as yet another bullet in the list of indulgences Johns allowed himself over the course of the run. Some may balk at the idea of a definitive end point for these characters, one that will likely be white-washed by the next big reboot or even by the incoming creators. However, it’s worth noting that Johns has left a bigger mark on Hal Jordan and his supporting cast than perhaps any other creator in the history of the character. In light of that, it seems fitting to see Johns put the period on this sentence, even if it’s not meant to last.
The most important aspect of the “Green Lantern” finale is that it stays true to the core of the series. Hal’s relationship with his father and with Sinestro have always been a major part of Johns’ run, and they take center stage here, adding a heavy dose of emotion to this action packed brawl. Themes of overcoming fear, being true to one’s emotions, and second chances are crucial aspects of the Johns’ epic, and they are present to the very end.
To be honest, it’s hard to assign a number rating to a book like this. Technically, the book has a few faults. In addition to ones already mention, the pacing is quite rushed at times, even with the larger page count. Johns packs in as much plot as some miniseries, and several story beats could use room to breath. Also, the First Lantern, whose history and motivations have been sketchy from the start, is almost an afterthought, disposed of as quickly as he appeared just months ago.
However, it can be argued that this issue, and this entire arc, hasn’t really been about Volthoom anyway. This is Johns finishing his story the way he wanted. At the risk of reading into things too much, the First Lantern shares a lot of interesting parallels with the reality altering Pandora and the New 52, which Johns also had a heavy hand in. There is precedence for this sort of thing, as Johns has previously toyed with metatextual commentary through characters like Superboy Prime. Just as Green Lantern will inevitably beat the First Lantern, in a metatextual way “Green Lantern” has overcome DC’s relaunch, transcending corporate mandate and several tropes befalling licensed characters, to tell a full and concise story.
The LOST comparisons keep coming. Like that groundbreaking series, Johns’ run on “Green Lantern” started strong, taking the (comic book) world by storm. After reaching monumental heights, many fell away from the series, citing all manner of reasons for the decline in interest for the once critical darling. Both went on to become increasingly indulgent and at times quite cyclical. Just as LOST stayed true to its themes, and provided a beautiful bookend with Jack’s opening/closing eye, “Green Lantern” comes full circle with the idea of rebirth. In the end, not every question is answered, and the series will likely polarize fans for years to come. However, the very fact that folks are going to be discussing “Green Lantern” for years to come, really says it all.
Final Verdict: 9.3 – Buy. It’s the end of an era, as Geoff Johns brings his story to an emotional and thematically pleasing close.
