Can this hammer-wielding blacksmith with the power of the Red Lantern temper his temper? Find out in this review of Green Lantern #20!
Green Lantern #20
Written by: Jeremy Adams
Art by: Jack Herbert
Main Cover: Ariel Colón
Variant Covers: Stephen Segovia, Fernando Blanco, Michael Allred
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: February 26th, 2025
Green Lantern #20 evokes the delightful nostalgia of 70s comics – a self-contained story, ultra clear (perhaps reductive) story premises, and good ol’ fashioned beat-’em-up action.
The story so far…
The emotional spectrum, the force that bestows the Lanterns with their cosmic abilities, is in flux, leading to the errant and unpredictable delegation of powers to beings across the galaxy – without the usual vetting of Lantern gatekeepers. These recipients of such unwieldy power are known as Fractal Lanterns; Hal Jordan has made it his mission to find and subdue, by peace or by force, these dangerous newbies.
The cold open tells the story of the alien Erastus, a down-on-his-luck blacksmith bestowed with the power of the Red Lanterns. Propelled into rage by unfair taxes, cruel muggers, and a cheating partner, he finds himself at the mercy of his own anger, seeking vengeance on those who have treated him unjustly. Hal Jordan attempts to reason with the embattled man, but Erastus’ rage has clogged his mind.
Meanwhile, Green Lantern Kyle Rainer and his young cadre (heartthrob hero Superboy and time-traveling thief Odyssey) make their way to the Source Wall – a galactic border between multiverses, protected by the frozen bodies of all those who tried (and failed) to pass. In a thinly-veiled, loving homage to Indiana Jones, the trio traverse through an ancient, booby-trapped tomb to find their treasure: an orb of portable Source Energy – a mere fragment of the magical fiber that connects realities – to build a Lantern power battery and rebuild the Corps.
If you yourself are a fedora-wearing Indiana Jones fan, you’ll remember what happens next: just as our hero retrieves the idol, the villain surrounds them at the mouth of the temple and steals it for himself. Starbreaker (energy vampire and frequent Justice League antagonist), as well as his underling Sorrow (former beau of Carol Ferris), ambush Kyle Rainer and seek the Source Energy for themselves, ending the issue in a classic comic cliffhanger.
Green Lantern series writer Jeremy Adams seems to be having a blast writing the arc, and that attitude seeps through the page. Combined with this month’s art from Jack Herbert, the fun is palpable. The Raiders of the Lost Ark reference is just campy enough without overstaying its welcome, and the issue features a host of clever Green Lantern constructs (Sumo wrestlers, Gladiators, and more). The simplicity of the space cop procedural reminds me of bronze and copper age comic books – solid, satisfying stories that delivered. We’ve come a long way to reinvent the wheel!
