Green Lantern #32: The Big Question

Hal Jordan’s whirlwind tour of Earth continues in Green Lantern #32. Unlike recent issues, though, Adams revisits larger concerns–specifically, Kronus. Adams doesn’t linger on him too long, but he provides a nice reminder that there are greater concerns and that Hal’s trip to Earth does have a purpose.

Green Lantern #32’s larger story is a romantic night between Hal and Carol–or at least an attempted one before hero/villain shenanigans get in the way. The dialogue between Hal and Carol is flirtatious, almost to the extreme. But Adams shows just enough restraint to keep it fun rather than syrupy. Though Carol’s appearances in Green Lantern have been limited, Adams always does a good job balancing their interactions with hints toward Carol’s continuing growth and development, whether in this title or another.

The battle with Cupid is somewhat perfunctory. It very much reads as though Adams felt like Green Lantern #32 needed action. Using Cupid is very on the nose for a romantic evening. While the fight does make it easier to forestall the answer to a critical question, there is a sense that Adams wasn’t comfortable simply having an issue carried 100% by its characters.

Montos and Fajardo Jr. are well suited together. Montos employs very subtle shading, sometimes looking like little more than scribbles as they emphasize movement and add layers to clothing and background. Fajardo Jr.’s coloring is soft though not faded. The color contrast is effective but not overly sharp.

Two major exceptions to this coloring style are Hal and Carol’s constructs. They are exceptionally bright relative to the rest of Fajardo Jr.’s work and jump off the page. In these instances, they overwhelm Montos’ conservative shading choices.

A drawback of this more subtle shading is that Hal and Carol’s costumes (especially Hal’s with its large black fields) have a lack of depth and dimension. Cupid feels three dimensional whereas the two heroes repeatedly don’t.

That criticism is of little consequence when considered in the larger context of Hal and Carol’s romantic evening. Montos very effectively communicates feelings via their expressions. That same subtle shading works quite well here. It is just enough to convey emotions, especially the happiness both characters radiate early in the issue.

Sharpe’s sound effect work fits in nicely with Fajardo Jr.’s coloring in this issue. In the more intense moments, those few that really jump off the page thanks to Fajardo Jr.’s coloring, Sharpe’s work reinforces the action.