REVIEW: ‘Future State: Green Lantern,’ Issue #1

Future State: Green Lantern #1 is written by Geoff Thorne, illustrated by Tom Raney, colored by Mike Atiyeh, and lettered by Andworld Design. It is published by DC Comics. The book also contains two backup stories, focused on Green Lanterns Jessica Cruz and Guy Gardner. The Cruz story is written by Ryan Cady, illustrated by Sami Basri, colored by Hi-Fi, and lettered by Dave Sharp. The Gardner story is written by Ernie Altbacker, illustrated by Clayton Henry, colored by Marcelo Maiolo, and lettered by Steve Wands.

In the main story, the Green Lantern Corps have been mysteriously depowered across the universe. John Stewart, alongside his fellow Lanterns Salaak and G’nort defend the planet of Shaar from the Khunds, who seek to raze it in the name of the God in Red. Cruz’s story sees her attempting to stay one step ahead of the Sinestro Corps, while Gardner’s story features him becoming the unwitting messiah to a pair of dueling alien races.

The main story is chock full of all the action and danger one would expect from a sci-fi epic and that’s a benefit of the creative team involved. Thorne is no stranger to writing superhero fiction, having served as the story editor for Marvel’s Avengers: Black Panther’s Quest and writing episodes for Ben 10: Ultimate Alien. Thorne’s take on Stewart is a warrior hardened by loss, yet still able to lead his fellow Lanterns into battle and protect the innocent. Raney’s designs for the Lanterns feels ripped from sci-fi franchises like Mass Effect and Flash Gordon, with Stewart trading in his Green Lantern ring and uniform for a flaming sword and a green vest. Completing the picture is Atiyeh’s vibrant color palette, with Salaak’s bright pink skin and G’Nort’s shaggy fur standing out. The Sharrians and Khunds are also identifiable by their sea blue and ruddy pink flesh, respectively.

The backup stories featuring Cruz and Gardner also manage to be highly entertaining-and quite emotional, where the Cruz story is concerned. Cady digs deep into Cruz’s head, with her inner thoughts showcasing how she deals with fear. Even though the Sinestro Corps outnumbers her 3-to-1, she still manages to face them head on and even gets the better of them. Basri brings the same expressiveness he did to books like Harley Quinn, whether it’s Jessica’s face scrunched up in concentration or Lyssa Drax’s haughty sneer. Hi-Fi briefly uses black backgrounds for certain panels to make characters-especially Jessica-the center of attention. And to top it all off, the story ends with a massive cliffhanger.

Rounding out the trio of stories is Gardner’s tale. Much like Thorne, Altbacker is an animation writer and his plot feels like a lost episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series. Out of all the Green Lanterns to foster peace between warring races, the last one you’d pick is Guy Gardner-which makes the story work all that much more. Henry and Maiolo perfectly depict the passage of time on the planet, with Gardner growing a beard and wearing a lime green cloak. (I do appreciate that even without their rings, the Green Lanterns still choose to wear their signature color.)

Future State: Green Lantern #1 is a sci-fi smorgasbord, with tales featuring fan-favorite Lanterns in a strange and often hostile universe. This was a great start to Green Lantern’s Future State adventures, and I can’t wait to see where the next issue takes things.

Future State: Green Lantern #1 is available wherever comics are sold and through Comixology using our affiliate link.