The Green Lantern #7 Is A Dream-Like Journey Of Discovery

The Green Lantern #7 came out last week from the dream team of Grant Morrison, Liam Sharp, Steve Oliff and Tom Orzechowski and it’s certainly an apt name for these creators on this particular issue. The whole book has a somewhat ethereal quality about proceedings right from the get go and sustains this tone throughout.
Beginning with a totally discombobulating opening and unfamiliar setting, we are met with an almost folk ballad-like narrative, warning us to ‘Beware the wizard Myrwhydden,” before the rhythmic narrator is replaced by the prose of another, and we meet an unknown alien covered in ragged clothes.
But, its not just the unfamiliar or the unknown female that keeps your perceptions off-kilter. The dark purple hues and misty colours provided by Oliff – which often seem painted on in places – only add to the dream-like quality of the whole affair as Hal Jordan has to work out where he is and how he got there. It reminded me a little of Neil Gamain’s episode of Doctor Who (The Doctor’s Wife) and when you read the book you’ll get what I mean. Only, this is even more Gaiman-like in it’s tone than that episode. That’s not to say this is Morrison’s intention, to simply ape another’s writing style. Far from it. He can do weird and wonderful too, and this is a reminder of what he can accomplish as a master storyteller with a team of creators who all seem to be simpatico with one another as they forge this outstanding run on The Green Lantern.
Hearing it will be a 24 issue series over this past weekend at Portsmouth Comic Con was only music to my ears. I’m not sure Liam Sharp’s work schedule over the next year or two would agree with me though. Not when each and every issue continues to be lovingly crafted by one and all. I simply use this comparison to highlight how accomplished a writer Morrison is, giving each issue thus far such a different feel to it. It’s magical, but it’s still most definitely sci-fi. But then, the aforementioned Myrwhydden has his links to magic from his previously, albeit limited, appearances from Green Lantern’s publishing past, and another reminder of the great lengths Morrison is going to in creating his comprehensive take on Hal Jordan, similar to what he did for Batman: taking the best and bizarre form Jordan’s career to date and creating a consistent past, present and future pathway. One that makes sense of everything that has come before for anyone to be able to step into at a ground level. A huge task, but Morrison, Sharp et. al. are certainly up to it from the evidence thus far.

Of course, if you are aware of who Myrwhydden is, then you may already be able to guess exactly where Hal has ended up, even if the clues were all there at the end of last issue. The layout to this issues opening pages is also a great piece of designing that acts as a clue too. It’s not rocket science but it’s great science fiction, which has been a real staple of this book from the get go.
Morrison has once again only added to the already rich tapestry of Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps, with Sharp creating visually memorable, not to mention stunning, characters such as Pengowirr, the bluey/green-hued female companion in this issue. It’s another exotic, entertaining, reverential issue and it’s out now from DC Comics.