Green Lantern #20

The Team

Writer: Geoff Johns Artist: Doug Mahnke

Green Lantern has now officially been brought to a close under the scripting duties of Geoff Johns. The legendary storyteller has been writing this comic for nearly a decade now. All eyes are currently on him watching him draw his run to a close. Does the man in question end his tenure with a whimper or a bang? The answer is slightly mixed as the writer delivers a solid final installment, but one lacking in his signature universe shattering moments. This last story is entitled the end, yet the end for Jordan and company does not seem like it is anywhere in sight. All of the characters leave this comic book with some sort of character progression. Jordan is revitalized, Sinestro shows his true color, the guardians have a new place in the corps, and nothing is the same. Watching old characters learn new tricks is the best part of this comic and Johns entire run in general.

Hal has run the gauntlet and instead of getting the break that he needs, the action hero springs into a new position. The titular GL retains the rogue personality that makes this book so much fun. Hal Jordan has been in so many different positions throughout time and space, yet he is still at his heart an explorer of the universe. This dichotomy has been played up so successfully over one hundred issues and counting. The ideas that Geoff has been culminating such as the secrets of the Guardians, come to their natural progression here. While Volthoom was an underwhelming threat to the corps, he was created to show the poor judgement of the Guardians. The first lantern is just a dull plot point in this issue and something for the heroes to punch. He still however signified the end of the current Green Lantern status quota. Almost every villain that has posed a major threat to the space police in Johns’ run has stemmed from the villainous blue midgets!

This issue is massive at a whopping 61 pages of story! Series regular Doug Mahnke comes to end the saga he spent so many years on. As expected the pages here show off the incredible consistency of Mahnke, he is a driving force on the series that makes the title fit together like clockwork. With so many characters gracing this issue, the pencils and colors make it easy to determine who is talking instantly. A plethora of artists assist Mahnke including Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, Aaron Kuder, Patrick Gleason, and Jerry Ordway. Even with all of these artists, the title still looks shockingly consistent. One final accolade of the art deserves to be given directly to the color artists Alex Sinclair and Tony Avina. The pair is in charge of rendering so many characters in lush color, and they never miss a beat here. All of the art presented is perfect for such an important issue of the series.

Although this comic lacks in plot, it has served up some of the best characters in the DC Universe. This property has such vibrant personality and portraits of new heroes and villains, that it cannot fit them all in a satisfactory way even on a good day. Characters that were integral to the story a mere issue or two ago, are thrown into the background in this final issue. Simon Baz is the favored example here as he only gets a few panels. The framing device used within the confines of the issue is nothing short of romantic. The scripter shows what he would do if given the chance to write an ending for every major character with a Green Lantern ring. That part of the landing is nailed as many of the scenes have sentimental beauty, it is with a heavy heart readers watch as the man of the hour takes the final bow. 14 full pages are given to say a proper goodbye to the writer who breathed life into an expansive mythos. The text pages are a swansong to those who have invested any amount of time and energy into this story. While this issue is not perfect, it contains many solid character moments for the different ring slingers in every part of the emotional spectrum. An ending to the franchise is given, and a new beginning will be handed to writer Robert Venditti as he takes the reigns of the title going forward. Readers should wish the up and coming talent all the best of luck, because he is going to have some massive shoes to fill!