It would probably be fair to say this title is the result of editorial dictates more than anything else. The decision was made that the directions taken with Green Lantern stories in general, and with Hal Jordan in particular, were a mistake. People didn’t want their favourite Green Lantern to be a mass murderer turned wraith of God. Of course, those “people” didn’t include everyone. Many liked the three Green Lanterns chosen subsequent to Jordan – Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Kyle Rayner – and did not want to see the return of Jordan at all.
So Johns, Van Sciver, and company were given a wonderful opportunity to potentially disappoint everyone! That they have largely won over the fan base speaks of the strength of this mini. Of all the ones being released this year, Rebirth had the greatest potential to inflame the fanboys. Jordan is a mass murderer. Sure he has been trying to redeem himself, but can someone really come back from genocide? The obvious solution was to shift the blame away from Jordan as Parallax to just Parallax. The question was “Is Johns up to it?” Could he really write a convincing reversal of over a decade of storytelling?
Fanboys being fanboys, there will always be some dissenters (and they will shout louder than their numbers suggest). Johns has some fun putting their criticisms in Batman’s mouth, and the response of proponents in Jordan’s
Batman: Do you expect me to believe this? That you were influenced? Possessed? Is that what Parallax was? An outside force that...
Jordan: I don't expect you to believe anything. And quite honestly, I don't care.
The deserved consensus is that if Jordan had to come back, then Rebirth has done a terrific job of making it happen. And Johns and Van Sciver have not been insensitive to the fans of other Green Lanterns. This isn’t just Hal Jordan’s return, this is the return of the Green Lantern Corps. Everyone gets their moment to shine. Van Sciver really does a fantastic job of visualizing this, with each member of the team is given a unique signature in the use of their Lantern powers. I particularly liked the three pages in which they recite the Oath. The whole story turns into a big celebration of all things Green Lantern.
I have never been a regular Green Lantern reader, but Hal Jordan has always been my favourite. Though as a Batman fan this mini gave me ample reasons to be sceptical. Batman always seemed a little too angry, though given both Jordan’s actions under Parallax’s influence and his role as a member of the Power Pack, I could see why Batman would be drawn as an antagonist.
Johns will be staying on for the relaunch of the Green Lantern title itself and Dave Gibbons will anchor Green Lantern Corps: Recharge in September, so the coming year is likely to be a very good one for Green Lantern and DC science fiction fans.
