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Overanalyzing Anime
Blog Owner & Lead Writer
Green Lantern: Earth One, like the Earth One stories that precede it, serves as both a retelling & reimagining of the Green Lantern mythos. Vol. 1 of the story focuses on space pilot Hal Jordan after he stumbles across a derelict alien spacecraft on an asteroid within our Solar System.
I've always had a great deal of respect for the Earth One series - and have always made an effort to recommend them to anyone who's a fan of DC. In this particular pocket universe, we see Hal Jordan reimagined as a astranaut pilot, instead of in his usual role of an aircraft pilot. In a modern depiction of his origin, it would make more sense that he would be someone who worked in space, as opposed to flying planes on Earth. I do wonder, though, what year it is in this particular universe. Other Earth One titles have focused on modernizing heroes so that they exist within our familiar world - the idea of, "what if Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman appeared, for the very first time, today?" This story deviates from the aforementioned method in lieu of showing us a glimpse at (what I imagine to be) the not so distant future. It's not as though I particularly have an issue with this - I'm all for stories that revolve around futuristic worlds - but it is a distinct deviation from previous titles in the Earth One series.
Switching back to the story itself, I have to say that I really enjoyed the approach they took in regard to the idea of the Green Lantern Corps. and the role they played within the universe. Introducing us to a universe wherein the Green Lanterns are no longer the self proclaimed police of the universe, but are now no more than a legend; those that do wield the rings are not bound to their duty as a protector of their particular quadrant, and instead use the rings however they see fit - whether it's for good, or evil. It's definitely a welcome change. I look to these particular series' for distinct changes to the established norm; I read because I want to see something new, and this definitely fits the bill.
But, with that being said, as much as things change, they still mange to stay the same. For example, while there are an abundance of new characters introduced throughout this volume, there are still a slew of familiar faces from the world of the Green Lantern series. While not all of these characters inhabit the roles we're used to seeing them in, it's still nice to see some familiar faces during our heroes journey.
Another thing I want to mention is the way in which the rings operate. Normally, rings are semi-sentient and when a Lantern dies, the ring will search out another person who inhabits the trait of said Lantern Corps - whether it's Will, Rage, Fear, Love, etc. This story turns that around and makes it so that anyone can be a Green Lantern if they're lucky enough to stumble upon a ring. I liked that, because as cool as the idea is that you would be chosen for the Lantern Corps., it's equally interesting to have it be that anyone can possess the ring if they have the ability to take it from a Lantern. It adds a level of stakes that wasn't there before and it's something I definitely appreciated while reading it.
Now, for all the good this story has to offer, there are still some aspects that didn't really work for me. For one, I felt that too much time was spent focused on building this particular universe, and not enough time was spent on the titular hero. I felt like, through the course of the story, I learned more about Hal Jordan's main companion than I did the man himself. While many of the more heroic feats came down to Jordan's skills, I still felt that his character was rather underwhelming in comparison to everything else that occurred.
I can't be too upset at that, though. Unlike other Earth One series, this story had a significant amount of world building that it needed to accomplish. Compared to the other Earth One titles, which vehemently stay - literally - grounded to Earth, this one dealt with an entire galaxy. Not only that, but the Green Lanterns are a collective of individuals with powers, and while we see the story through Hal's perspective, the other characters still have to have their time to shine (see what I did there?) as well.
All in all, Green Lantern: Earth One is a decent introduction to this universe. As we look to the future of the series, I hope that we get a more in depth look at who Hal Jordan is as a person, and, now that he's returned home, how he will use his new power to help his own planet. I can definitely see the next volume being superior to this first one, if for no other reason than the fact that they won't have to spend as much time on exposition and world building, and instead can use the extra time to get to know Hal and this version of Earth better.
My rating: 8/10
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