Green Lantern Annual 2021 #1
Written by: Ryan Cady
Art by: Sami Basri, Tom Derenick
Colors by: Hi-Fi
Lettered by: Rob Leigh
Publisher: DC Comics
I know I said just last week that I’m getting more excited for annuals and one-shots as of late, and that holds true this week with Green Lantern. There’s a lot of interesting portions to this issue and unfortunately some parts that miss the mark.
This issue explores Jessica Cruz’s decision on whether she’ll join the Sinestro Corps after the events of the previous issue. Which had me excited because it sounds like an amazing and fitting story for an annual issue. A deep dive into a formative decision for a character I’ve come to really enjoy reading. But while there are sections of the book you feel like you can see Jessica naturally contemplate the decision, in the latter half some of the character responses feel exaggerated in order to force her decision. I do appreciate that these reactions aren’t the direct cause of her choice, but a means to showcase reflection and what Jessica does best.
While I’m already a fan of Basri’s work from his run on Harley Quinn, he does a tremendous job on this title with motion and action that takes this book to another level. The opening pages with the confrontation between Sinestro, Lyssa, and Jessica are so fluid, I caught myself darting between each panel and admiring the sense of motion that Basri captures. The shift to Derenick’s pages is near seamless, as there’s a great shift in heavy yellows to greens that works really well. And it helps to contrast the Green Lanterns from the Sinestro Corps. Though some of the expressions may be a bit exaggerated, the attention to detail is excellent, Derenick adds in little flourishes of green and yellow light with each character’s movement and makes excellent use of character expression to help build to the ending’s reveal.
While not without its hiccups, this issue was a fun read and there are some great actions scenes that are designed really well. If Jessica Cruz has become one of your favorite Lanterns, you should definitely give it a read as it pairs nicely with the Green Lantern #6 issue out this week as well.
Art by: Sami Basri, Tom Derenick
Colors by: Hi-Fi
Lettered by: Rob Leigh
Publisher: DC Comics
I know I said just last week that I’m getting more excited for annuals and one-shots as of late, and that holds true this week with Green Lantern. There’s a lot of interesting portions to this issue and unfortunately some parts that miss the mark.
This issue explores Jessica Cruz’s decision on whether she’ll join the Sinestro Corps after the events of the previous issue. Which had me excited because it sounds like an amazing and fitting story for an annual issue. A deep dive into a formative decision for a character I’ve come to really enjoy reading. But while there are sections of the book you feel like you can see Jessica naturally contemplate the decision, in the latter half some of the character responses feel exaggerated in order to force her decision. I do appreciate that these reactions aren’t the direct cause of her choice, but a means to showcase reflection and what Jessica does best.
While I’m already a fan of Basri’s work from his run on Harley Quinn, he does a tremendous job on this title with motion and action that takes this book to another level. The opening pages with the confrontation between Sinestro, Lyssa, and Jessica are so fluid, I caught myself darting between each panel and admiring the sense of motion that Basri captures. The shift to Derenick’s pages is near seamless, as there’s a great shift in heavy yellows to greens that works really well. And it helps to contrast the Green Lanterns from the Sinestro Corps. Though some of the expressions may be a bit exaggerated, the attention to detail is excellent, Derenick adds in little flourishes of green and yellow light with each character’s movement and makes excellent use of character expression to help build to the ending’s reveal.
While not without its hiccups, this issue was a fun read and there are some great actions scenes that are designed really well. If Jessica Cruz has become one of your favorite Lanterns, you should definitely give it a read as it pairs nicely with the Green Lantern #6 issue out this week as well.
A Look Inside
