Written by Keith Giffen & Gerard Jones
Art by M. D. Bright; Romeo Tanghal; Albert De Guzman; & Anthony Tollin
Compilation Cover Art by Alan Davis; Mark Farmer; & Dave Stewart
Original Cover Art (Issues # 1-6) by Mark Bright
SUMMARY:
Released by DC Comics in 2003, this 144-page paperback compilation reprints 1991’s six-issue sequel mini-series. Individual issue titles are: 1. “The Powers That Be.” 2. “Balance of Power.” 3. “Power Play.” 4. “The Will to Power.” 5. “The Price of Power.” and, finally, 6. “The Power and the Glory.”
Set prior to the epilogue of Emerald Dawn I, Hal Jordan’s guilty plea for a first-time DUI conviction sends him to a maximum-security prison for ninety days. Short-handed on veteran Green Lanterns, the Guardians of the Universe assign a resentful Sinestro to continue Hal’s training. Sinestro’s new protégé, therefore, will have to sneak in and out of prison overnight for the foreseeable future.
Accused for killing his first cellmate, Hal’s in-house legal caseworker is none other than Guy Gardner. Further complicating matters is that: 1. Hal must trust his subsequent cellmate, Willie, with his emerald secret; and 2. An incarcerated bank robber that Green Lantern recently captured has also deduced fellow inmate Jordan’s masked identity.
Accompanying Sinestro to his home world of Korugar, Hal is mortified at how Sinestro has condescendingly subjugated his own race into worshipping him under the precept of maintaining ‘order.’ Korugar’s rebellious Katma-Tui, with backing from the alien Khunds, ignites a planetary revolution against Sinestro, and by extension, a sympathetic Hal. The young Katma mistakenly deems all Green Lanterns must be blowhard tyrants like Sinestro. Before being forced to flee together, the two Green Lanterns briefly turn on each other.
Accompanied by Sinestro, an overdue Hal returns to prison, only to find a vile mass uprising. Guy Gardner is among the hostages, as the bank robber demands Hal’s power ring. With Sinestro’s help, Hal must contain the murderous riot. The Guardians send their robotic ‘Fists’ to Earth to apprehend the now-rogue Sinestro. On planet Oa, Sinestro is on trial by the Guardians for his vast abuses of his Green Lantern oath. Hal and another pivotal witness may ultimately sway Sinestro’s fate. The finale presents a different glimpse of Emerald Dawn I’s epilogue.
Note: The Emerald Dawn II mini-series was released after Jordan’s second solo monthly had already begun in 1990.
REVIEW:
Unlike Emerald Dawn I, this second prequel’s prison-heavy storyline actually lives up to its superb visuals. Though imagining Hal as an ex-convict before joining the JLA is a dubious stretch, Keith Giffens & Gerard Jones’ inspired storytelling makes up most of the difference. As Robert Greenberger’s introduction points out, juxtaposing Hal’s conscientious yet uneasy reaction to prison life against his new mentor’s own political evils is an intriguing notion worth exploring.
In particular, Hal’s initial relationships with Sinestro, Guy Gardner, and, to a lesser degree, Katma-Tui are honed with extra polish. Along with small yet helpful contributions from Carol Ferris, Kilowog, and Tomar-Re, Hal’s revised backstory (despite the contrived prison angle) scores an impressive ‘flashback’ for the Green Lantern franchise.
Still, the real MVP of Emerald Dawn II belongs to its art squad. Their work (i.e. the cover images) are top-caliber for that time, which makes for a complete Green Lantern package. Regardless of whether or not DC has since retconned this storyline, Emerald Dawn II delivers a remarkably good read. It serves up a welcome ‘prequel’ for Hal Jordan fans prior to delving into something like 2004’s Green Lantern: Rebirth.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
DC Senior Editor Robert Greenberger presents a single-page introduction. Inexplicably, artist Mark Bright isn’t credited, full-page reproductions of his covers are included.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
