Green Lantern #9 Review

            Written by: Jeremy Adams Art by: Xermánico Colors by: Romulo Fajardo Jr. Letters by: Dave Sharpe Cover art by: Steve Beach Cover price: $4.99 Release date: March 12, 2024 Green Lantern #9 uncovers the truth behind Hal's new ring when he crosses paths with an old friend who leads him to a failsafe and a new era for the Green Lantern Corps. Is Green Lantern #9 Good? Yes, this is better. Jeremy Adams has done his level best to get the Green Lanterns back on track after the wonkiness of Thorne's run. While the series got off to a slow but promising start, interrupted by the ill-conceived Knight Terrors, now we're hitting a stride that makes sense and promises clear potential in Green Lantern #9. When last we left Hal Jordan, his search for answers about his mysterious new ring led to a temporary partnering with Razer, the revelation that Lantern Batteries across the galaxy are being destroyed, that UP Lanterns can change colors, and that Madame Xanadu's hoodoo voodoo contains a clue about where to go next. It was a little messy and rushed, but Adams got all the info out. Now, Hal flies to South America to track down the source of his ring's power. There, he encounters longtime GL ally Tom Kalmaku and current New Guardian, who shows Hal what he's been searching for. The Guardians of OA placed a Green Lantern Battery and a new set of rings in a secret cavern deep underground to begin a new Green Lantern Corps on Earth if Oa should ever fall. Humans have an "excess of Will," according to the Guardians, so starting a new Corps on Earth with all the Earth-based Lanterns now has a place, a purpose, and a design. Hal uses his new (permanent) ring to head to Oa to warn the UP about potential rogue guardians who can shift their colors. He's captured by overwhelming numbers and brought to the Science Cells for a hearing, but he's soon rescued by probably the next GL up for recruitment - Jo Mullein. What's great about Green Lantern #9? For a while now, the Green Lantern titles have suffered under brokenness and uncertainty about the status of the Corps and the assortment of Lanterns. This issue goes a long way toward answering the current questions and "fixing" the pre-existing problems that make writing current Green Lantern stories so difficult. The answers are good. Clarity is good. Combined, Adams establishes a new status quo that's ripe with storytelling possibilities. What's not so great about Green Lantern #9? Tom Kalmaku's return feels shortchanged. If you think it's not a big deal, it's not so much that Tom is the greatest character ever who needs a dedicated series but that Tom's presence as a New Guardian should be explained more than "I did my part, so I'm going home now." What does it mean to be a New Guardian? Is there a new connection between the Green and the new Battery? Shouldn't Tom be spearheading the establishment of a new Council of Guardians? Why bring Tom in just to discard him almost immediately? It's a wasted opportunity. How's the art? Excellent. I'd be surprised to ever see a bad panel from Xermánico, so you're in good hands. The visuals pop, the acting is on-point, and the ring-slinging looks great. Backup Story If you like eight pages of Jessica Cruz talking like she's a middle school TikTok influencer from Southern California, you can skip it without missing anything. About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com , a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers. Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter Bits and Pieces: Green Lantern #9 is the issue that pays off what's been lacking in this series - meaningful answers. With a new status quo for all GLs and badly needed canon fixes, Adams is on the right track to get the Green Lanterns back to their place of prominence in the galaxy. 8.5/10