One could argue that super-heroe comics have become terribly dark in the past little while. From a rape and ethical transgressions in Identity Crisis to the body count in "Avengers Disassembled," it seems as though the super-hero event titles from DC and Marvel have been about a more realistic kind of violence, edge and on interpretation of mature content. The newly relaunched Green Lantern seems to indicate that darker trend isn't quite so prominent as some might have thought. This is about ideals and traditions, about the white hats versus the black ones. That's not to say it's hokey, though. Johns and the artists include a more modern intensity to the action and the villains.
Hal Jordan is back among the living and has a power ring back on his finger. Resuming his life as a Green Lantern isn't a major problem (even though everyone thought he was dead), but starting over his life as Hal Jordan is another matter altogether. He's trying hard to find work as a pilot, and living in the newly rebuilt Coast City is like living in a ghost town. On top of that, he and fellow Green Lantern John Stewart discover that some unknown and now-missing entity has travelled across the cosmos to Earth, and given the color of its abandoned ship, it's not going to be all that receptive to an encounter with Green Lanterns.
The most important element in this issue visually is the notion of flight, and Pacheco captures it perfectly. The precision of the jets' rumbling rampage through the skies comes through clearly, as does the explosive nature of the crisis in the air at the end of the issue. I love the updated villain design the artist offers in this issue. It's simple, but it conveys the cold and alien nature of the figure quite well. I was at a bit of a loss as to why Green Lantern: Rebirth artist Ethan Van Sciver provides the opening prologue scene. A flashback to the Silver Age of comics wouldn't seem to call for a darker, more detailed approach than the scenes set in the present. It's not that Van Sciver mishandles the scene; it's just that his style doesn't seem like a good fit.
OK, it was a bit corny and doesn't really make sense given Hal Jordan's history. But man, Johns really nailed a great moment with a spin on a classic piece of GL dialogue. "Yellow. My one weakness." It made for a wonderfully cool and entertaining moment, and the script and art converge perfectly to get the reader to buy into Hal's new infatuation. One part of me thinks this new character is too much like Hal, that in the long term, the connection doesn't seem as though it makes much sense. But it did make for a great moment.
The more things change, the more they stay the same... and vice versa. DC has strived to resurrect the status quo from Hal Jordan's heyday, even bringing back Coast City. But it doesn't feel as though the property is taking a step back. Though the circumstances are familiar, there are also significant differences, such as the pseudo-elimination of the yellow weakness in the ring and the emptiness of Hal's hometown. Speaking of the latter, it's perhaps the one element in this issue that intrigued me the most. The idea of a thousand or so people living in a city built for millions is quite unusual, and it boasts plenty of plot potential as well. I suspect what will happen is that residents will flock back upon learning the GL they remember from years before has returned to protect the place, but I hope Johns goes in a different direction with it. 8/10
