Green Lantern #2 // Review
One month ago, Hal was getting reacquainted with everything. There was a night where he knocked out a “weirdo in hot-wired Manhunter armor” AND scared the hell out of a group of superpowered thieves. One month later, he’s getting back home to his trailer and having a “Dew of the Mountain” with Kilowog. Things aren’t going great for Hal, but they’re going to get worse in Green Lantern #2. Writer Jeremy Adams continues a fun and nuanced re-examination of the life and struggles of Hal Jordan in another chapter brought to page and panel by artist Xermanico.
24 hours. It took Hal Jordan 24 hours to go from the mailroom of Ferris Air to the cockpit. Of course...Hal’s ex-girlfriend is quite surprised to see him already piloting a private jet for her and her fiancee just a little over a day after her last meeting with him. She’s understandably upset with him. He’s not exactly being a nice guy. He’s got her fiancee locked in the bathroom of the jet. Hal’s keeping his cool, but he’s also upset about the situation. Hal’s a resourceful guy, but that resourcefulness is going to be put to the test.
Adams gives Hal a nice series of scenes. It’s a fun opening scene in Coast City two months ago. The night feels electric. It’s not always easy for a writer to bring across the fun of being a superhero and dealing with all of the crime and violence, but Adams brings it to the page quite deftly. Hal’s 24-hour journey from the mailroom to the cockpit cleverly shows what kind of a guy he is, even without the ring. The interaction between Hal and Ms. Ferris at cruising altitude shows the somewhat reckless and flawed side of Hal Jordan in a way that keeps him grounded and relatable.
Xermanico does kind of a breathtaking job of delivering a deep emotional life for nearly every character in the book. There’s great subtlety in the artist’s characterization in postures and attitudes. Hal comes across looking solidly heroic throughout the issue, whether he’s in costume, uniform, or a jacket and a pair of jeans. Carol Ferris is delicately rendered. There’s a deep tension flowing through her every panel. And though she’s clearly quite in control of everything, Xermanico manages to channel a bit of vulnerability into her around the edges of the panel.
Adams and company take a well-balanced approach to Hal and his life. He’s a sharp guy with a hell of a lot of charisma that guides the narrative gracefully from the beginning to the cliffhanger ending of another thoroughly satisfying issue. Larger concerns in and within the current plot arc will take a little while to emerge, but for now, Green Lantern is gliding quite well through all of the different angles on the life of Hal Jordan. It’s nice to see Adams taking a slow and measured approach to this particular Green Lantern.
