Hal Jordan has met his match with his anti-matter counterpart. Before he’s beaten though, he gets help from an unlikely place. Spoilers for The Green Lantern #12 follow.
Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp’s run on The Green Lantern so far has been generally great. Sometimes Morrison’s writing falls flat, but for the most part, it has been great. Sharp’s art on the other hand has been great throughout the entire run and is often the best part of the issue. When they are both at their best, this is one of the best series running. With this last issue before the series goes a bit of a hiatus, these two are at their best, making for a truly great issue.
This issue is Morrison at his zaniest, yet still restrained enough to make sense. This issue ties up threads that began within the pages of issue #1, no matter how small. It really is excellent writing. It makes nearly everything that has occurred so far within the series matter. It retroactively makes certain things more important, and better, than they previously were. Honestly, whenever anything is able to do that, it’s incredible. It forces you to reconsider everything you’ve read up until this point, thus changing the context of the series moving forward.
The issue is also much more action-packed than many previous issues. So just to manage so much plot, as well as action, as is done in this issue, is commendable. It’s a difficult balancing act to do both, especially in comics, but Morrison and Sharp pull it off excellently here. Plus, not everything is answered in this issue, leaving room for the Blackstars series that will follow-up this issue before Morrison and Sharp move onto “season 2” of The Green Lantern.
Sharp’s art is yet again one of the biggest highlights for this issue. Highly organic, yet somehow still realistic, Sharp’s style is pitch perfect for a series set in the depths of space. He’s proved that time and time again, but somehow it’s still surprising whenever a new issue is released. His character work is nearly flawless and his designs for each new, or different, character is fantastic. There are even points in this issue that his art takes on an almost Jack Kirby-like style due to the bombastic nature of some panels, which is fantastic.
Steve Oliff’s coloring is outstanding in this issue as well. This issue isn’t quite as bright and colorful as some earlier issues of the series, but that works in the issues benefit. This is a darker, more brutal, often hopeless story being told, and the colors exemplify that. They’re bright when they need to be but, and this may be perception more than actual reality, it seems like the colors dim as the issue continues, which is perfect given the character.