“You only like bad guys!”

The Green Lantern: Season Two #9 released this week, and for anyone who’s been waiting for more straightforward issue, this is the one for you.  While this one does span the multiverse it’s not one that you will have to work hard to unravel if that’s been what’s holding you back from enjoying the series.  After being reminded of his past escapades throughout the Grant Morrison run, Hal Jordan decides to pop the question to Carol Ferris….but he’s going to have to get in line – behind himself!?

Before I talk about the issue itself I feel compelled to mention the great cover homage to Gil Kane. Liam Sharp and Steve Oliff really brought Kane’s style to life – from the character design work to the color palette this issue’s cover screams Silver Age style! I kind of wish that DC had opted to got with the old style graphics for the cover dressings to really make it complete, but understand that this might have confused some readers. I know we’ve seen the cover art thanks to the solicitations, but having the actual issue in my hands elevated the nostalgia factor considerably.

The issue continues the season’s overarching plot with Hal testifying in a galactic court against Hyperman, who he took down a couple of issues ago. The court scene is reminiscent of a celebrity trial with Hyperman’s attorney playing up the fact that Hyperman is a hero to the universe at large and playing off of his good reputation. He even tries to discredit Hal by bringing up that apparent murder back in issue three.

While the court breaks for the day Hal has a chance to talk with Trilla-Tru in a nice character scene. The conversation ties the trial to the upcoming marriage between Hyperboy and Princess Illistra, an event that has ties to the the stability of the relationships between both of their homeworlds. Hal’s pretty sure that Hyperman’s going to get off the hook due to his celebrity status and the political ramifications if the father of the groom is doing time. I also like how Morrison uses Trilla as a confidant for Hal, allowing us to see what’s going on in Hal’s head since Morrison is apparently allergic to thought balloons. I like seeing the friendship between them and Hal finding someone he can open up to. 

If there’s anything odd about Hal’s next action it’s that it seems a little “out of the blue”. Throughout this series Hal has been visited by more ghosts from his past than Ebenezer Scrooge, but all of the Ghosts of Lovers Past have apparently put Hal in the frame of mind to evaluate just how much Carol Ferris means to him. The end of the Geoff Johns run showed a potential future where Hal and Carol grow old and happy together, and while Robert Venditti broke that up quick at the start of his run, the end saw the two back in each other’s arms once again.

But when Hal arrives at Ferris air the fun really begins as Hal enters Carol’s office only to find her being proposed to by …himself.  We quickly learn that this is the Earth 11 Hal, tricked by Carol’s Earth 11 counterpart into going to our Earth. The scene between this Hal and Carol are really funny, with Hal’s worldview mixing with Carols like so much oil and water. While Carol Ferris threatens to kill Hal Ferris, Carol Jordan has shown up to grab Hal Jordan and whisk him away to Earth 11.  Earth 11’s Star Sapphire’s dire warning about a pending attack from the Golden Destroyer is given physical form in the damage done to Earth 11’s moon.

Morrison and Sharp give us a glimpse at Earth 11’s Justice Guild and their gender inverted metaculture. They also show us the different way in which the Oans and Zamorans developed. Everything goes south when the Earth 11 Green Lantern crash lands on his world, with our Star Sapphire making a wonderfully brilliant entrance thanks to Sharp’s amazing depiction. The issue ends with the arrival of the Golden Destroyer, triggered by Carol’s arrival.

It’s worth noting that the Golden Destroyer looks a lot like Zundernell, and in fact  you can seen Zundernell’s name scattered about on the last page. It leads me to believe that the Golden Destroyer is a counterpart of Zundernell’s, but time will tell if that’s a good guess or not. The next issue promises to be intriguing with Morrison’s play on words of the “Multi-Crisis of Intimate Earths”.

One thing that did trip me up a little here was how our Carol acts when she arrives on Earth 11. Carol has for some time been a master of the Star Sapphire, a contrast to her early days in the role where she was manipulated by it to the point that she was unaware of her actions when under its control. Here she’s declaring war on Earth 11, and while Hal Ferris’ toxicity may be anger inducing it’s a bit out of character for Carol to respond in that matter. Right now I’m chalking it up to some side effect of Hal’s kiss but maybe there’s something else amiss beside that.

Liam Sharp has been phenomenal on this series and in this issue he also does most of the hefty lifting when it comes to the coloring. Sharp shifts styles between scenes, something that some might find oft-putting but I find helps me visually make the transition in lieu of text boxes. I enjoyed his depiction of members of the Justice Guild and the alien court scene, but without a doubt my favorite panel is the one where we see his take on our Earth’s Star Sapphire. That’s just a thing of beauty!

The Green Lantern: Season Two #9 is a fun issue that plays with the multiverse concepts with some humorous results. The story reminds me of some of the over the top stories from the height of the Silver Age and I mean that as a positive thing. Nine out of ten lanterns.