“I’d like to show you something, Lantern Mullein…”
“Show me what?”
“Later. When we can speak more freely.”
“Oh, that’s not ominous.”
Keep reading for a review of N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell’s Far Sector #1.
I’ve fallen behind on my Green Lantern books, but this seems like a fun place to jump in. (Side note, this recap is more for people jumping in as well; folks who’ve kept up with Green Lantern will know a lot more than me.)
So far the preview description has been enough info to use as a starting spot:
For the past six months, newly chosen Green Lantern Sojourner “Jo” Mullein has been protecting the City Enduring, a massive metropolis of 20 billion people. The city has maintained peace for over 500 years by stripping its citizens of their ability to feel. As a result, violent crime is virtually unheard of, and murder is nonexistent.
But that’s all about to change in this new maxiseries that gives a DC Young Animal spin to the legacy of the Green Lanterns!
This issue has a ton of things I like: an otherworldly setting with lots of cool details, three very different alien races, a murder mystery, and a sarcastic, no-nonsense main character who isn’t afraid to admit when she’s in over her head. (Silently. To herself and no one else.)
Jo may be one of the newer Green Lantern recruits, but she’s definitely not green. (…har…) She’s confident, well spoken, and tough enough to stare down a grisly murder scene without getting flustered.
But with her internal monologue we also get to see a quieter side, where she regrets having ticked off a senior Council member, or realizes how deadly an informant is (though she’d never admit it out loud). And the one brief, unguarded moment when admits how much she loves this weird, alien, dangerous world, that was lovely.
I’ve been meaning to read some of N.K. Jemisin’s books for a while now (Kathryn has reviewed several of her novels, plus three Hugo awards is a hell of a recommendation) so I was excited about her having her own series. I really like her writing style: it works equally well with Jo’s outspoken sass, silent doubts, or quiet delight.
As for the art, I haven’t read Naomi (though apparently I really, really should) so my first look at his art was 2017’s Vixen Rebirth issue. I thought he did a good job there, but his work here is enough to put him solidly in my Favorite Artwork of 2019 collection. The colors are stunning. It’s not just the jewel-tones and gradients that are so beautiful, there’s also some great work done with glowing lines and bright points of light (and since it’s a Green Lantern book there are a lot of glowing objects, and they’re all gorgeous.)
His line work with all the different people in the book is beautiful too, especially the faces, I particularly like the @at (as N.K. writes, “pronounced at-at, don’t laugh.”) And I could go on forever about the backgrounds, he’s done such a great job with the epic scale of an alien metropolis.
Seriously, I’m kicking myself for not having seen more of his art before now. I’m kicking myself for not having read more of N.K. Jemisin’s work too. I’ll make up for it!
