This chapter of the most recent Green Lanterns arc is an action-packed journey into a heart of darkness.
Jessica Cruz has been having more and more nightmares about her tragic origin. During a camping trip, she and her friends stumble upon hitmen dumping bodies in the woods. The assassins see the friends, which leads to the friends being hunted down, with Jessica being the only survivor. In the present, an alien known as Singularity Jain offers to cure our Green Lantern rookie of her fear. This leads to the alien combining her powers with Jessica to create her own reality within a black hole. Knowing that this is dangerous, the Justice League send Simon in to find his partner and close the hole. What horrors could be awaiting in this deep black pit?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
After Simon is transported into the black hole, he finds himself in a world similar to the old Power Ring. Back during the Darkseid War, this world showed off the Power Rings of the past in a dark setting. This time around it is in the forest where Jessica was hunted, but Simon still has to face the monsters of the past. Meanwhile, Jessica is stuck reliving the moment the hitmen came after her.
This issue had me legitimately worried for our Green Lanterns, despite knowing there are more issues after this. There was a sense of fear that kept following the characters throughout their journey. Simon faced several terrifying aliens without any powers while Jessica watches her friends die left and right. The amount of action and suspense go hand-in-hand in this issue masterfully. They are both tied together by the intriguing character development of not one but both Lanterns. While we see Jessica prepared to face her greatest fear, Simon has to fight fears of his own and overcome them to save her. This is all building to what appears to be a powerful emotional conclusion, and this reviewer personally cannot wait to see how our Lanterns escape.
Art:
V Ken Marion returns to illustrate the issue and, just like with the Inhuman Trafficking arc, he knocks it out of the park. Not only do we get fantastic yet creepy alien designs, but also have realistic reactions to Jessica’s predicament. The colors of Dinei Ribeiro enhance that mood by making more sickly greens and darker reds. There are times the colors tone down for the more realistic feel in Jessica’s case, which is perfect as well. You can feel the horror ooze off the page at every turn and it’s thanks to the art that matched the story perfectly.
Conclusion:
This Green Lanterns’ journey into their fears is turning into one of the best arcs of the run. The story takes hold of the reader and locks them in for the horror and the interesting characters. The art is top notch and fits the themes of the story perfectly. This is a great issue, and I highly recommend it!
