Green Lantern #34 – Comic Review

A new opponent for Hal Jordan has the power to convert emotions into energy. Simon Baz has also brought Hal Jordan a surprise. Green Lantern #34 offers:

• Strong Inking in the opening artwork
• Great colour choices
• An interesting villain, who’s narration shows off the effects of fear
• Ideas about consumption of resources

Inking for shadows and lines of action is particularly strong in the opening of the comic. The orange skies in these early scenes also contrast effectively with Hal Jordan’s Green uniform.

Ink shadows, and lines of motion are strong, and effectively enhance the opening pages of the comic. They make for defined, sharp, and fun artwork. They eye can follow the fight between Aga and Hal Jordan easily. The surface of this alien world where the two fight has vegetation, but with an orange sky. Washes of the colour contrast effectively with Hal’s shimmering emerald uniform.

Hal’s hair changes length between the first and second act of the comic – it’s now shorter around the back and sides. About a blade 2 length. He may have had time for a hair cut on the way back to Mogo.

While the scuffle with Aga, a new villain, is interesting, the core of the comic book is the conversation between Hal Jordan and his brother.

Aga is an interesting villain. He absorbs emotions, and converts that emotion into mass. Essentially, he’s an energy converter. The Green Lantern comic book has established the rule that emotion is energy – power rings convert emotion into physical, light energy. It’s plausible that Aga’s physiology converts emotions into metabolic energy.

Without discipline, his body’s ability can be undermined. When he encounters fear, that emotion drains his energy, and shrinks him down. A good message here.

The core of the comic introduces Hal’s brother into deep space. Simon Baz – another human and Green Lantern corps member – has transported his family from California on Earth to Mogo, which is the planet where the Green Lantern corps are based.

They have a great conversation over drinks – strong, Khundish Ale, which is sold in packs of 5.

Aga’s story arc makes a comment about the effects of fear. There is a statement about the consumption of resources in this comic book. The final pages allude to a new story arc with more answers.

While Aga’s short story arc in this issue shows that physical size can not protect someone from the debilitating effects of fear, there’s an overt statement about consumption of resources in this comic book.

Hal Jordan is stressed. Using will power to fire energy from his ring comes at a cost. Apparently, the universe has a finite amount of emotional energy, which the Green Lanterns burn up regularly with their emerald light.

Hal’s brother gives Hal some enlightenment – he says “life is consumption. We breathe, we eat, we build houses from trees.” The question is what we do with the resources we use.

The message here seems to be conservation of resources. The answer is still unclear. The conclusion of the comic seems to point out that the the problem of energy in the universe running out is not as simple as Hal Jordan thinks.

Green Lantern #34 is published by DC Comics ($3.99 USD). Robert Venditti (W.) Billy Tan, Rob Hunter, and Martin Coccolo (A.) Alex Sinclair (C.) Dave Sharpe (L.) Cover artwork by Billy Tan and Alex Sinclair.