Green Lantern # 31

Hal Jordan makes his first visit to Oa and encounters the rest of the Green Lantern Corps. in this re-telling of the Green Lantern origin. There are several changes to the original story, many of them clearly intended to set the stage for the coming "Blackest Night" storyline. So we learn about Sinestro's relationship with Abin Sur, encounter a still-human Hector Hammond and discover that a killer alien is still loose on Earth.

Despite the dark mood of the story, this issue is a lot of fun. Watching Jordan resort to punching his superiors again is hilarious, especially since it doesn't work this time. Still, the way Jordan adapts so readily to his new outer space duties is inspiring. It boosts the character's standing in the comics world, the way he handles things so confidently instead of being filled with doubt, misgivings and introspection. He truly seems to be born without fear-- in the best way.

One problem is that the story is getting very close to becoming weighed down with all the attempts to 'retroactively' connect all the old Green Lantern characters together. We have Sinestro, Hammond, Ganthet, Kilowog, Sector 666 etc., all suddenly tied up in one big plot. Next thing we know, we will find out that Tatooed Man is Guy Gardner's illegitimate brother.

The art, while not as detailed as previous issues, is actually better looking. It has a bright freshness that does not become bogged down by the huge cast, the complexity of the settings or the weirdness of the aliens. If DC Comics really needs an artist for their big crossovers, maybe they should take a long look at Reis-- if George Perez isn't available.