Written by: Jeremy Adams
Art by: Jack Herbert
Colors by: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Xermanico (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: March 26, 2025
Green Lantern #21, by DC Comics on 3/26/25, sends Kyle's team to collect the components needed to build more Power Batteries while Hal returns to Earth for a surprise visit.
Is Green Lantern #21 Good?
Recap
When we last left Hal Jordan in Green Lantern #20, Hal flew off to investigate a blacksmith on a lonely planet whose life of getting picked on and disrespected erupted into rage lantern powers. Despite his best efforts, Hal was unable to get the blacksmith to calm down, leading to an explosive ending. Meanwhile, Kyle and his team of treasure-hunting misfits found a booby-trapped cavern on the surface of the Source Wall where an orb containing Source energy was kept. Kyle's team recovered the treasure, but they met the mastermind behind Sorrow Lantern's quest - Starbreaker - before they could get away.
Plot Synopsis
In Green Lantern #21, the challenge to restore balance to the Force... er, the Emotional Spectrum continues.
Kyle, Kon-El, and Odyssey battle Starbreaker for possession of the orb containing Source energy. The teams are evenly matched until Hal Jordan shows up to tip the scales. Sadly (*heh*), Sorrow Lantern gets the orb away from Odyssey and escapes with Starbreaker.
Later, all parties meet on OA to update everyone that Starbreaker is in play and decide a course of action. What's the plan? The Corps has to rebuild all the Power Batteries destroyed by the United Federation and stabilize the Spectrum before Starbreaker and Sorrow Lantern build their own. What's the next stop? Kyle and the scavenger team head into Reach territory to find Nth metal.
On Earth, Hal returns to catch up with Carol Ferris. They briefly team up to stop a mental crook called Mind-Bomber while Hal tells Carol about the rebuilding of the batteries. He hopes Carol will join him in the quest because she should be present when the Violet Battery comes online. When Mind-Bomber is captured, officers from the Department of Extranormal Operations show up to take Mind-Bomber into custody. Hal and Carol are shocked to learn longtime GL villain Hector Hammond is working for the DEO as a form of rehabilitation.
Later, Carol enlists Dove to help infiltrate the DEO and find out if Hammond's rehabilitation is on the up-and-up or if he's secretly up to no good. The issue ends with Kyle's team finding more than Nth metal at an abandoned Reach outpost and Dove confirming Hammond is up to no good.
First Impressions
I like everything that's happening in this issue, but I don't like everything that's happening in this issue crammed together. Jeremy Adams is writing his heart out, giving readers a sense of time, distance, and scale by creating multiple conflicts at once, but the focus feels scattered.
How’s the Art?
Jack Herbert steps in for regular artist Xermanico for a galaxy-hopping adventure with ring-slinging, powerful figure work, excellent character acting, and plenty of dramatic moments. It's unclear if Herbert is on this issue as a one-off or if he'll be handling art duties for a few issues, but this series is in good hands with Herbert.
What’s great about Green Lantern #21?
Again, I like the individual pieces Adams is crafting to ensure the plot doesn't feel thin or lacking in meat. Kyle's scavenger team has an important mission, Starbreaker quickly proves to be a formidable threat to the newer members of the team, and the reappearance of Hector Hammond immediately turns into bad news. It's all good stuff.
What’s not great about Green Lantern #21?
The downside is Adams's lack of focus. Starbreaker teamed up with Sorror Lantern is a galaxy-wide threat, which should require all hands on deck now that there's a race against the clock. Why is Hal spending time on Earth stopping petty crimes? Why are Hal and Carol teaming up to investigate the DEO when there are more pressing problems? Who thought putting Hector Hammond on a government team without strong oversight was a good idea?
In other words, Adams gives you a list of interesting conflicts, but they're too many and none of them are getting the proper attention their urgency level deserves. It reads as if Adams is combatting the lulls in the main story with multiple, smaller conflicts, and it's getting messy.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Green Lantern #21 scatters the Corps throughout the galaxy to scavenge components, stop bank robbers, and investigate supposedly reformed villains. Jeremy Adams's script gives you plenty of cool plot developments to hold your interest, but the plot feels scattered and lacking in focus. On the plus side, guest artist Jack Herbert's visuals look great.
7/10
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