by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

The big battle has arrived: The Green Lantern versus The Red Lantern in the penultimate issue of Alan Scott’s epic mini-series! From Writer Tim Sheridan, Artist Cian Tormey, Colorists Matt Herms and Hi-Fi, and Letterer Lucas Gattoni comes a chapter that ranks up there with my favorite GL stories of all time. Internal monologue: “That’s a pretty bold statement Matt…You better back it up.” Spoiler alert…let’s do this.

Official Synopsis:

THE GREEN LANTERN VS. THE RED LANTERN! Alan Scott and the Red Lantern come to blows! But what’s going to happen when these two ancient forces battle it out, and what will it mean for the Green Lantern?!

After months of questions, Alan Scott finally gets some answers! The Red Lantern (unfortunately) stands revealed as the love of his life, “Johnny Ladd” a.k.a. Vladimir Sokov, who also happens to be a Soviet operative and murderer. In a last ditch effort to stop his villainous counterpart, Alan did the unthinkable and recharged his ring using the energy of the Red Lantern, causing unexpected power surges and fluctuations. As he attempts to control this power, the origins of the Red Lantern continue to present new challenges for our hero, as we learn that this “ultimate power” is the only thing keeping Vladimir alive. Apparently, his government kept experimenting on him, killing him and waiting to see if the Crimson Flame would resurrect him. Although it continued to do so, we learn that there were time gaps and he doesn’t know what happened during those missing beats…

Just as all seems lost, the Emerald Flame whisks Alan away for a brief intermission to provide some critical context about his powers and their relation to the Crimson Flame. Alan receives a crash course on the “Starheart”, the mystical energy powering his abilities, and their connection to the Guardians of the Universe (geez…these guys can’t stop messing around with the Emotional Spectrum). The Emerald Flame provides more context as to why he was chosen, and the true source of Alan’s strength…WILL POWER! Despite the mystical nature of his abilities and Vladimir’s it all comes down to Willpower versus Rage. Although we get a lot of information in this sidebar conversation, Alan is left with an ominous warning that “you must convince Vladimir to join your side because…they’re coming”. We cut back to the warehouse, and Alan shares what he learned with his foe. They are quickly interrupted, and Alan and Vladimir race outside to see bursts of Red light, revealing the arrival of “The Crimson Host”, a Soviet team of Crimson Flame powered warriors. Can the Lanterns and a newly arrived Justice Society of America save the day? 

So why is Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, and this particular chapter, one of my favorite Green Lantern stories ever? The creative team has consistently crafted a journey for Alan that fleshed out some of the gaps/weaker spots in his origin story. (Editor’s Note: Have you read his first appearance recently? It’s very short and filled with…interesting choices). The additive approach from this talented group made the creative choices feel organic and respectful to his history, while crafting new opportunities for our hero and his world to shine. Issue #5 is a particularly great example of this, as the interaction with the Emerald Flame (a.k.a. the Starheart) provided some streamlined context as to the origins of his power, his connection to the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe, and the Emotional Spectrum itself. It doesn’t undo decades of stories and it doesn’t make Alan a member of the GL Corps. This chapter just further grounds his power set and story into the greater DC Universe and provides a greater connection to those around him.

With the series in general, Tim, Cian, and the team have crafted some incredibly powerful character moments, humanizing both of the ring bearers in unique ways. The action sequences are amazing (Cian and the army of colorists continue to impress at every turn), but it’s the balance between more personal moments that have really hit home. We’ve gotten to see Alan’s relationship with the JSA explored as well, adding some interesting dynamics with individual team members. I’ve never really been interested in The Spectre as a standalone character, but after reading issue #3, I would absolutely buy a book starring the character if it was being handled by this team. 

As a life-long fan of all things Green Lantern, I consider this series an absolute win. I would love to see Alan’s heroic journey continue past the next issue, and I hope this creative team receives the opportunity to do so. This unique exploration of Alan Scott’s history and the engaging expansion of the Lantern mythology make this series a “must have” for any Green Lantern fan.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5 – 5 out of 5 cosmic revelations.

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