- April 3, 2025
Absolute Green Lantern #1 Review
Written by: Al Ewing
Art by: Jahnoy Lindsay
Coloring By: Jahnoy Lindsay
Lettering by: Lucas Gattoni
Editing by: Ash Padilla, Andrew Marino, Katie Kubert, Chris Conroy
The Absolute Universe at DC truly is something special, and each new entry proves this more and more. Absolute Green Lantern is just the newest of the bunch to reinvent classic DC characters with a twist. At the same time, its twists are built on the foundation of what the original character was. With Batman, it was built on the idea of a mortal man using the fear of criminals to become something more. With Superman, it’s using the values instilled in him by his parents to fight for the little guy.
With Green Lantern, this is far less clear. There have been so many different Green Lanterns that the foundation is far less defined. One aspect could arguably be on display in this comic: the idea of Green Lanterns being cops in space. While I don’t love this take, in Absolute Green Lantern, you can see it in the mystery this issue has created. It’s less about the law enforcement aspect and more about Green Lanterns investigating what’s gone wrong.
This means that Absolute Green Lantern has the intrigue many may not have expected, and seemingly wrapped it in the almost otherworldly horror of space. Without going too heavy into spoilers, this first issue is the leanest in terms of actual plot compared to other first issues of Absolute DC. This isn’t to say it’s short, more so that it isn’t afraid to hold back on the exposition. It focuses more on tone and stakes rather than actually telling you what’s going on.
Absolute Green Lantern is a very different Green Lantern book from any other I’ve read, and in a good way. Whether you’re a Green Lantern fan or not, I would recommend giving this book a shot. There’s so much going on, and at the same time, I have no idea what’s going on. When put all together, this makes for an incredible start to a comic book series.
Check Out Absolute Green Lantern #1, Then Check Out SomethingCentral!
I know I say this a lot, but it always bears repeating. This is the first issue of the series, who knows where it will go beyond the creative team, but when it comes to Absolute DC, each series has been pretty great.
For more, check out the website or the YouTube channel. We’ve just published an audio story for the first time, based on the short story you can read here. Hope you like it. Like, subscribe, and have a nice day.