First off, the cover above, by Jahnoy Lindsay, is gorgeous. With Jo Mullein’s lime green glow against Tomar-Re’s crimson red and John Stewart’s sun-yellow flare, it’s the perfect, colorful opener for what’s inside.
Absolute Green Lantern #7, titled “Meanwhile, in the Dark,” is an intense chapter that slams the Green Lantern Corps’ traditional moral code right up against the brutal philosophy of the Blackstars. Writer Al Ewing, artists Jason Howard & Riley Rossmo, colorist Iñaki Azpiazu, and letterer Lucas Gattoni team up to deliver an issue packed with high-stakes action, with some deeply unsettling cosmic philosophy mixed in for good measure.
The action kicks off when the Blackstars demand the surrender of three “subversives” (referred to as the Cultists of Oa) from a Green Lantern-controlled planet, J586. The core of the Blackstar’s twisted cosmic justice is the Law of Qard: if a planet ignores the law, the sin of one becomes the sin of all. When the planet refuses to hand over the individuals, the Blackstars unleash the destructive power of Mogo, completely wiping out the world and seven billion sentient lives.
The Green Lanterns, including Arisia Rrab, are quickly overwhelmed as the Blackstars deploy a Black Hand “Weaponer,” who is this universe’s version of Kilowog. The battle is fast, tragic, and bloody, with multiple gory action scenes. Just when things look their worst, Absolute Tomar Re arrives and unleashes the power of the Red Level of Light. He reveals that the Red Power is traditionally defensive, granting strength and control, but requires such displays of restraint to achieve that; it’s never taught as an attack method. Tomar Re’s twist is that he bypassed the restriction entirely by confirming he doesn’t restrain himself at all. His unrestrained power immediately shifts the dynamic in a significant way, and let’s just say Kilowog is going to be needing some major repairs.
The issue spends as much time on its philosophical conflict as it does on the action. It repeatedly contrasts the Oan concepts of understanding and enlightenment with the Blackstar philosophy of “Will,” which they describe as the Black Star that powers the universe. This worldview is ultimately architected by the Controller of Mu, who closes the issue with some mind-bending cosmic pronouncements.
Visually, the dual artists deliver two distinct styles, which are brilliantly unified by Azpiazu’s powerful color work. The pages burst with chilling cosmic contrast: the desperate, fading green of the Lanterns against the deep purple and black of the Blackstars. At the same time, Tomar Re’s shocking red energy injects a sense of visceral danger and raw aggression.
Absolute Green Lantern #7 is a powerful chapter. It not only establishes the terrifying stakes of the Blackstar threat but also lays the groundwork for a new, unrestrained kind of hero in Tomar Re. However, the issue isn’t perfect. Reading this felt like a slow burn because the entire Lantern lore is being reconstructed. The color spectrum is essentially being created from scratch, and what used to work in the main universe simply doesn’t apply here. A lot of this new lore comes across as confusing, high-concept philosophy that requires you to really lock in to understand what Ewing is trying to say.
Plus, the Blackstars are clearly bad, and the Green Lanterns are still good, but where do the Red Lanterns stand? We don’t know yet, and the final cliffhanger throws another twist into our understanding with an evil Yellow Light user. All that is to say, come into this issue with an open mind, because while it’s a powerful story, the heavy world-building makes for a rough reading experience.
‘Absolute Green Lantern’ #7 Review: “Meanwhile, in the Dark”
Absolute Green Lantern #7 is a powerful chapter. It not only establishes the terrifying stakes of the Blackstar threat but also lays the groundwork for a new, unrestrained kind of hero in Tomar Re. However, the issue isn’t perfect.
