Written by Corinna Sara Bechko
and Gabriel Hardman
Art by Gabriel Hardman
Published by DC Comics
The Earth One series of graphic novels were intended as a gateway to new readers. Superhero origins stripped down to their basics and set in a modern world. Stories not bogged down by continuity.
While putting together the first Superman movie, Richard Donner was aiming for “verisimilitude”, the appearance of being true or real. That’s what most of the Earth One novels have been aiming for.
Green Lantern: Earth One Vol. 1 lived up to that goal.
A pretty basic Green Lantern story. It felt like a science fiction story told in a near future setting.
Green Lantern: Earth One Vol. 2 swings in the other direction.
Instead of a simple story building on the previous volume, it jumps ahead. If you are already familiar with the Green Lantern mythos, you may enjoy seeing these familiar characters in a slightly different setting.
If you only know Green Lantern from Earth One: Vol. 1, you’ll be lost.
Vol. 2 sets up the stage by having Earth emissaries negotiating with an alien race. The negotiations go sidewise. Earthlings are taken hostage. It’s up to Harold Jordan as Earth’s Green Lantern to rescue the hostages and avoid intergalactic war. All the while untangling the conspiracy to start a war.
While Vol. 1 left us with Jordan having just returned to Earth having just received the ring, Vol. 2 already shows us an experienced Green Lantern.
While Vol. 1 had the feeling of a fresh retelling of an origin story, Vol. 2 feels like just a generic Green Lantern story. There was no new angle to Hal (excuse me Harold) Jordan. There wasn’t anything new about the Guardians. They made John Stewart a Yellow Lantern, but the idea isn’t expanded upon.
One is left wondering, if the idea behind Earth One, is to have a modern, fresh retelling and you end up telling just an average Green Lantern story, then do the Earth One Graphic Novels serve a purpose?
With so many other great Green Lantern stories, Earth One: Vol. 2 feels without purpose.
