REVIEW: ‘Future State: Green Lantern,’ Issue #2

Future State: Green Lantern #2 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: “Dead Space” is written by Josie Campbell, illustrated by Andie Tong, colored by Wil Quintana, and lettered by Dave Sharpe, while “Recon” is written by Robert Venditti, illustrated by Dexter Soy, colored by Alex Sinclair and lettered by Steve Wands.

The issue contains part 2 of the “Lost Lanterns” storyline, which features a powerless John Stewart battling the warlike Khunds and revealing the truth to them about the “God in Red.” ‘Dead Space” features Keli Quintana-better known as Young Justice’s Teen Lantern-and the massive Green Lantern planet Mogo are trapped in the middle of space when the Green Lantern power battery fails. Finally, “Recon” sees Hal Jordan using the remaining energy in his Green Lantern ring to power a ship and travel to Oa to discover what happened to the Guardians of the Universe.

“Lost Lanterns” ends on a triumphant cliffhanger thanks to its creative team. Thorne has a clear affinity for Stewart as a character and shows that even without a Green Lantern ring, his will to do good burns brighter than ever. Thorne also provides a sharp twist regarding the Khunds and their “God in Red,” which ties to another cosmic element of DC’s mythology; longtime DC fans will hopefully be pleased with this development. Raney gets to design all kinds of crazy sci-fi concepts, including a new glove that Stewart wears toward the end and an otherworldly design for one of DC’s Fourth World characters. Rounding out the story is Atiyeh’s bold color palette, featuring vibrant reds for the Khunds and dark green fatigues for Stewart (as a possible nod to his time in the U.S. Marine Corps.)

“Dead Space” is a story that’s equal parts hilarious due to Keli and Mogo’s interactions and horrifying due to both Lanterns being stuck in eternal night. I haven’t read much of Keli’s apperances, but Campbell writes her as an energetic yet endearing figure. Tong previously illustrated a Green Lantern series with Green Lantern: Legacy, and he has the chance to tackle one of the biggest Lanterns-literally-with Mogo. Mogo feels massive in nature, often dominating entire panels that he’s in; compared to Keli, who is small and wiry, this is yet another difference between this unlikely pair. Quintana plays bright green against midnight black, capturing the divide behind light and dark that the story utilizes.

“Recon” essentially acts as a prelude to the upcoming Green Lantern relaunch in March and ends with a rather intriguing cliffhanger. I appreciate that Venditti and Soy essentially bring Jordan full circle by having him traveling through space like his predecessor Abin Sur did, and the nods to other Future State stories-particularly Superman: Worlds of War-was a nice touch. I also like how Sinclair makes the interior of Jordan’s ship look like it’s perpetually glowing green and leaves a blazing green trail in its path.

Future State: Green Lantern #2 explores the Green Lanterns in DC’s Future State universe, putting the spotlight on each Lantern and what they mean to certain fans. With Thorne and Soy set to board Green Lantern in March, I hope they continue to push the Green Lantern Corps into a bold new frontier.

Future State: Green Lantern #2 is available now wherever comics are sold.