Geoff Johns’s final “Green Lantern” issue featured dozens of fan-favorite characters and creators who helped made the writer’s nine-year run on the title, one of DC Comics’s best runs of the 2000s. (Artwork property of DC Comics)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Warning! Spoilers are ahead!
Geoff Johns wrapped his nine-year Green Lantern run with a bang!
This massive tale featured the conclusion of the “Wrath of the First Lantern” storyline and showcased the future of several of the franchise’s key characters.
Before readers had the chance to see if Hal Jordan survived his long fall off the Dead Zone, Johns took the audience to a future where we learned that Hal Jordan’s tale was the key to keeping the Green Lantern Corps alive. In addition, Johns also took us on a quick Green Lantern 101 that explored the classic Silver Age origin, Hal Jordan’s turn to the dark side and the crucial stories from Johns’ nine-year run.
Afterwards, the Bookkeeper transported readers back where both Hal and Sinestro were at their lowest. Luckily, for our heroes, two surprising sources of power, gave them boosts of power to help them against Volthoom.
Some of the best surprises in the finale came in the form of an all-star artwork team that included penciler Doug Mahnke, inkers Christian Almay, Keith Champagne, Tom Nguyen and Mark Deering and colorists Alex Sinclair and Tony Avina. Past Green Lantern collaborators Ethan Van Sciver, Jerry Ordway, Patrick Gleason and Ivan Reis also returned to the title to contributed to the celebration.
From seeing multiple fan-favorite lanterns unite against Volthoom to the return of the Black Lantern Corps with their surprising leader, the Green Lantern art team delivered incredible moments throughout this astonishing finale.
In addition, Johns gave readers unexpected but fantastic moments including Sinestro controlling Parallax, Hal’s reunion with his father in the Dead Zone, Nekron’s brief resurrection and the Guardians getting their just deserts at Sinestro’s hands.
Of all the memorable dialogue that Johns written in the Green Lantern series, it was Hal and Sinestro’s final exchange that will strike a chord to longtime fans:
Sinestro: Before I release Parallax, I will use his power to take me far from here. I will leave you forever. But before I do….You were going to ask me a question, Jordan. Long ago, when we were trapped on Ysmault and we both believed we’d die. But you never did. What was it?
Hal: Were we ever truly friends?
Sinestro: That’s the tragedy of all this, Jordan. Hal. We’ll ALWAYS be friends.
Hal and Sinestro’s final exchange marked the end of an era in many ways. It was the “final” time that the two adversaries would work together and Geoff handing the Green Lantern franchise to the next generation of creators, who have the difficult task in following in Johns’s trail. A+
You can definitely see your enthusiasm in the article you write.
The arena hopes for even more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to mention how they believe.
Always follow your heart.