Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5: Battle for the Heart

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5 picks up with Alan consumed with the fiery rage of the Red Lantern’s Crimson Flame as his confrontation with his long lost love boils into its breaking point. With the secrets revealed and Alan’s life on the line, this series breaks the mold of typical superhero tales, opting to keep the stakes close and personal. Without the fate of existence hanging over the heroes, Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5 continues to excel in its depiction of love, loss, and acceptance as Alan finally gets to let all his internalized rage out.

The only bad thing about Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5 is that it was delayed and did not come out sooner. This book has been one of, if not the best miniseries that DC is currently publishing. Equal parts action, drama, and real world commentary, Alan Scott: The Green Lantern excels in its use of the Green Lantern lore as a backdrop for its deeply personal story. A lot of what is discussed in Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5 comes from Alan’s insecurities throughout the beginning of the series. Many of his thoughts, forced repression, and his desire to be accepted are shared within the Red Lantern’s own story. These two work as perfect parallels for one another, with the narrative through line being the world around them not accepting them for being gay. This extends beyond the Russia VS United States conflict and becomes an issue that humanity faces across the board. Yes, the backdrop of this all is that aforementioned conflict; however, the pain and lack of acceptance has proved to be universal.

Writer Tim Sheridan also does a fantastic job in tying Alan Scott’s origin up in a nice bow, as to highlight who the hero is, why he is selected to be The Green Lantern, and what that power even stands for. This has become THE definitive series for the character, ironing out all of the complicated continuity that has preceded this. This series as a whole is like the scene at the end of Zero Hour where all of the different Hawkmen merge into one, but in this case it actually is thoroughly explained and makes sense. This is also done in a way that requires no prior knowledge of the subject matter to understand, giving this book a unique opportunity to appeal to new audiences.

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5 is also where artist Cian Tormey really gets to let loose, with the action being dialed up to an eleven. Because the plot is so personal and full of pathos, this action feels warranted and deserved. It is not just Superman fighting the villain of the week, but instead it is metatextual Alan fighting the part of himself that he has been forced to hide his entire life. By the issue’s end, Tormey reintroduces the Justice Society of America in a way that truly feels triumphant. Almost like the stellar first volume of Tom King’s Batman run when the Justice League arrives, Tormey and Sheridan remind readers that this is a larger world, and it’s time to embrace it.