Green Lantern’s Infinite Frontier relaunch has John Stewart find himself in the middle of intergalactic intrigue in a strong first issue.
As DC enters the second month of its Infinite Frontier era, the cosmic side of the reborn DC Universe is explored in the relaunched Green Lantern comic book series, with Geoffrey Thorne, Dexter Soy and Marco Santucci at the helm. And weaving recent developments from the wider DCU, the Green Lantern Corps finds itself at a crossroads in the new face of intergalactic politics that leaves them enduring casualties at the highest echelons of Oa. And with this opening issue, the creative team deftly keeps a tight focus on their protagonists while delivering on the expansive, bombastic action as the full scope of the Green Lanterns’ new mission is unveiled.
Picking up from the creation of the United Planets during Brian Michael Bendis’ recent Superman run, setting the foundation for the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Green Lantern Corps and Guardians of the Universe face questions over their longstanding jurisdiction and ability to serve as the universe’s premier law enforcement agency. And as John Stewart returns to Oa as his fellow Lanterns regroup to face this uncertain future together, including Young Justice’s Teen Lantern Keli Quintela, sweeping changes are brought to the forefront for peacekeeping across the universe. And while these spacefaring civilizations come together in the name of order and justice, the situation quickly descends into chaos and violence as John and Keli realize that nothing will ever be the same for the Green Lantern Corps.
Thorne, who previously wrote the characters during Future State, is able to bring in Green Lantern’s extensive cast, with John and Keli joined by several other fan-favorite Lanterns over the course of the issue. And while balancing the title’s cast and far-reaching scope, Thorne is able to weave in plenty of intergalactic intrigue and explosive action as John and Keli find themselves in the middle of a universe at the verge of war. And even beyond the Green Lantern Corps, Thorne brings in plenty of familiar faces and developments from across the DCU taking full advantage of the rich, cosmic tapestry provided by the title’s premise.
Soy and Santucci share pencil/inking work on the issue, joined by colorist Alex Sinclair, and really provide captivating visuals from cover to cover, even during the more dialogue driven sequences. Sinclair’s choice in color palette is especially vibrant while Soy and Santucci manage to keep their panels relatively clean, even in the more chaotic set pieces in the issue. Keli almost has an anime sensibility to her design and depiction in the issue, in comparison to her more veteran counterparts, though the art team is able to seamlessly set in the darker, more garish moments in the story as the United Planets come together for their fateful decision on interstellar peacekeeping and the Green Lanterns’ place in it.
After the more psychedelically surreal and mind-bending Green Lantern run by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp, the Infinite Frontier Green Lantern relaunch is a lot accessible and conventional of a read. The creative team is crafting a science fiction superhero story set in the cosmic side of the DCU, first and foremost, and that intent is clear right from jump. The creative team takes advantage of the expansive canvas they have to work with, incorporating recent developments and the cosmic DCU’s sweeping scope to deliver an entertaining Green Lantern story with far-reaching consequences and ominous directions for the Green Lantern Corps moving forward.
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