Green Lanterns TP Vol 3 (Rebirth)

by Sam Humphries

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Green Lanterns Vol. 3: Polarity from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Now that I’m fully caught up in Green Lanterns, I find myself lamenting the wait for the next volume to release. There’s just so much the Green Lanterns have to offer. The plot was intriguing, the artwork stunning (as usual), and the characters engaging.
I’ve always been a fan of the art style used in all of the Green Lantern series, and this is no exception. I love that they always use crisp art along with vibrant colors to help distinguish characters and their ability sets (the lantern spectrums). Even the non-Lantern characters get this treatment. It’s really quite interesting, and has a positive effect on the series.



Quite a lot is happening in this volume; character development/struggles, Green Lantern politics (if you want to call it that), two different plots, and a couple of different cameos. I’m actually impressed they were able to weave it all together in such a cohesive manner. Everything had a tie-in or a reason for being brought up.
Jessica is still struggling with her anxiety, a fact that Simon is getting better at understanding. He knows he won’t always be able to say the right thing to help, but it doesn’t matter as long as he’s there for her when she needs him. Slowly the two of them are starting to really work things out, both as partners and as friends. I keep thinking they’re going to cross over the line with Jessica’s anxiety, and make her annoying or dependent or something. And I keep being surprised. Jessica is stronger every issue – figuring out how to fight her anxiety, how to fight herself, how to keep going. I can’t say enough positive things about it.
Simon has his own struggles too, which I also love (though I don’t think I connect to him as well as Jessica simply because I’ve been in her shoes, so to speak, but not his). He deals with a lot of guilt about the past, as well as concerns about him not being good enough or strong enough. It’s the reason why he carries his gun around. He doesn’t trust the ring (and thus himself) to protect him when he needs it the most. To him the gun is the equivalent of a safety blanket. Growing out of needing a safety blanket is tough, but we all have to do it someday. I loved seeing Simon figure everything out and come to the realization that he didn’t need it anymore.
Again I find myself talking more about the characters than the actual plots involved. There are two major plots in this volume. The first one involves Batman. I know! Can you imagine how amazing and terrifying it would be to have the Batman asking you for assistance? I’m not sure I could handle the pressure. Thankfully our green duo rises to the challenge, and Simon actually learns a lot about himself along the way. The other plot is the namesake of the volume, with Polaris tearing the city apart in a convoluted attempt to save his brother. Things get pretty gut-wrenching really fast, especially for Simon. The situation with Polaris’ brother being sick reminds him too much of when his brother-in-law was in a coma. It gets in his head and causes him to struggle with the power that he’s normally so confident with. I actually loved the shift here – Simon had to tap out, forcing Jessica to be the strong one for them. If that isn’t proof that they’re a good team, I don’t know what is.
I was concerned from the moment John Stewart ordered Simon and Jessica to be brought to them. My first concern was leaving the Earth unprotected (you know, if you don’t count all the other superheroes running around). My second concern was whether or not they would take the time to assess a situation before recalling them. What it they got grabbed mid-battle? Would John (or whoever was in charge of pulling them back) be aware of that? It seems like a risky move to me, but then again I’m not the captain of the Green Lanterns.
I’m said that I have such a long wait for volume four, but I’m impatient like that. I feel like the series is really settling into its groove, so to speak. I can’t wait to see what is in store next - after all, the whole Rami plot hasn’t been resolve yet. I can’t imagine leaving Volthoom to his own devices for extended periods of time is a smart move.


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