Book Review: Green Lantern Year One, Volume 1

Corinna Bechko, et.al., Green Lantern Year One, Volume 1. Burbank, CA: DC Comics, 2018. ISBN: 9781401241865.

 

Genre: graphic novels and comics

Subgenre: DC Comics, Green Lantern, science fiction

Format: e-book galley

Source: NetGalley

 

Usually I find the Earth One series from DC Comics to be pretty good. This Green Lantern volume was a bit underwhelming when compared to other titles in the series. In a not too far future, Hal Jordan works for a deep space mining company. He is disillusioned, and he remembers the days when NASA used to exist and promote the nobility of space exploration. Now, in one of the asteroids his team is mining, they find what appears to be an alien spacecraft. He finds a ring that turns out to be quite powerful. Soon he is in another part of the galaxy, where the Green Lantern Corps has fallen. It falls up to an untrained Hal Jordan and a few reluctant corps survivors to attempt to restore the Green Lantern Corps. 

To be honest, this book is a quick read, but it is not particularly memorable. The pace picks up, and the story feels seriously rushed. You can't really connect to anyone because the characters and plot are barely given any depth. It's just a rushed whirlwind. Since it is the first volume in a series, it does end in a cliffhanger. 

Overall, this felt flat and rushed. After I finished reading it, it just did not feel memorable. Long time fans of Green Lantern may be disappointed here. Casual readers hoping to get a good look at Green Lantern may want to consider other works. This is just a quick and forgettable read. For libraries, I would say this is highly optional. For me, it was just OK. 

2 out of 5 stars. 

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