Written by Geoff Johns.
Art by Carlos Pacheco; Ethan Van Sciver; Jesus Merino; Moose Baumann; & Rob Leigh.
Cover Art by Carlos Pacheco; Jesús Merino; & Peter Steigerwald.
SUMMARY:
Entitled “Airborne,” DC Comics released this premiere issue for July 2005. Hal Jordan’s legendary origin as Green Lantern is briefly replayed. Having regained his role as Green Lantern in Green Lantern: Rebirth, Hal (aka ‘Highball’ to his flyboy buddies) now seeks out his past life as an U.S. Air Force pilot in Southern California.
Reuniting with old military colleagues and his brother, Jim, Hal lives in a bachelor pad in the partially-rebuilt Coast City. Among the new supporting cast introduced is fellow high-risk pilot and Hal’s potential love interest, Captain Jillian “Cowgirl” Pearlman.
Hal and John Stewart’s investigation of a mysterious, yellow-hued alien starship abandoned in Earth’s orbit gives them an ominous vibe, with little else to go on. A homicidal alien threat arrives at the outskirts of Edwards Air Force Base, evidently seeking out mysterious cargo stored aboard a military transport carrier. After Hal’s explosive rescue of Jillian’s crashing experimental jet, he realizes the jet’s engine is of extraterrestrial origin.
Notes: Though the image is not available here, the variant artist is Alex Ross. The Ross artwork subsequently appears as the collection cover for Green Lantern, Volume 1: No Fear. Lastly, this premiere issue launches Hal’s third ongoing series.
REVIEW:
First, it should be stated that Geoff Johns’ six-part Green Lantern: Rebirth is a creative grand slam brilliantly reversing two decades of DC’s mishandling of Hal Jordan (i.e., from post-Crisis milquetoast to DC’s pathetic answer to Darth Vader to a lackluster Spectre in search of redemption). As for this immediate sequel, the series opener hits more of a triple, if not a home run. Johns, in that sense, sustains most of Hal’s newfound momentum, but this initial salvo is by no means extraordinary reading.
The issue’s art squad deserves kudos for its excellent visuals; suffice to say, Hal’s long-awaited return merits such slick quality. Getting back to Johns’ storytelling, he smartly begins weaving multiple plot threads without giving anything away too soon. Johns’ energetic inclusion of pilot and military lingo adds welcome credibility making Hal’s prior military life that much more believable. Still, as much as fans can appreciate Johns’ business-as-usual approach, Issue # 1‘s plotting is not particularly memorable.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The “DC in Demand” column includes thumbnail cover reveals for: Birds of Prey # 82; Teen Titans # 24; Batman Villains Secret Files 2005; and Green Lantern # 2.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6½ Stars
