Hal Jordan is putting together a team to save the galaxy! Charge your ring, it’s time to fly into this review of Green Lantern #19.
GREEN LANTERN #19
Written by: Jeremy Adams
Art and Main Cover by: Oclair Albert, Jason Paz
Main Cover: Ariel Colón
Variant Covers: Özgür Yildirim, Mario “Fox” Foccillo, Yasmín Flores Montañez
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: January 29th, 2025
Flung from the shockwave of last issue, Green Lantern #19 hurtles toward a new storyline, ever teeming with new allies, foes, and mysteries yet to be revealed!
Green Lantern #19 opens with Carol Ferris (AKA Star Sapphire), newly minted member of the Justice League, battling a creature from the depths of the Marianas trench. Ferris is handling herself just fine, but with an assist from her superhero suitor Green Lantern Hal Jordan, they quickly send the beast back to the sea. As Carol and Hal retreat to the splendor of each other’s arms, writer Jeremy Adams treats us to some fun cameos from DC’s favorite Trinity – Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
Perhaps a bit on the nose, Hal spouts a page-worth of exposition to Carol, summarizing the need-to-know information from the last issue and setting the scene for what’s to come. Despite its indelicacy, the explanation is very clear and likely necessary in a series rife with characters and lore.
In the previous arc, many of the Core Central Power Batteries – the source of lantern powers – were destroyed, leading to an imbalance in the spectrum. As a result, powers were bestowed to beings with intense emotion but no previous connection to the source, dubbed “Fractal Lanterns,” like Carol Ferris’ ex-fiance Nate Broome (AKA Sorrow). Hal invites Carol to join them on their mission to find and apprehend these Fractal Lanterns, but she insists on staying Earthside with the League, defending her decision to train among them.
Meanwhile, Green Lantern Kyle Rainer gets to work putting together a spacefaring team. Odyssey the Time Bandit, a brand new character to the DC canon, is nearly finished escaping from prison on OA and cleaning out the Lantern’s armory when she’s interrupted by Rainer. Instead of throwing her back in her cell, he offers her a spot on the roster. Their next member takes less convincing; as soon as Conner Kent (AKA Superboy) lays eyes on Odyssey, he’s smitten! Together, Lanterns Jordan and Rainer, plus Odyssey and Superboy, take off into the far reaches of space to repair the emotional spectrum and any that would further erode it.
Green Lantern #19 bridges the finale of the previous arc to the new arc, while also setting up DC’s upcoming spinoff series Green Lantern Corps #1 (on shelves February 12). With that burden of responsibility, Green Lantern #19 is understandably dialogue-heavy and light on action. But Adams’ steadfast flying on this narrative ship has earned him some leeway, and we’d be safe in trusting that this wordy detour is necessary setup for explosive revelations ahead. Rating 7.0
