For most comic fans the work Trinity implies Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, but for me it’s always meant Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and the Flash. Hal, Ollie and Barry have always been my favorite trio so I was pleasantly surprised when Green Lantern / Green Arrow: World’s Finest Special #1 was announced with Jeremy Adams writing team-ups between Hal and his two best buddies set during the Hard Travelling Heroes era. Get ready for a fun adventure coupled with great character interaction with a fair dose of nostalgia.
While Adams doesn’t directly connect these two stories with the legendary O’Neil/Adams run, Hal and Ollie are travelling the country together and having their traditional differences of opinion. I appreciate that Adams takes a light touch here as I don’t think the heavy handed social commentary approach that O’Neil used in the early 70’s would particularly work well in 2024. There’s just a light dusting of clashing ideals which works well and is in keeping with the overall lighter tone of this adventure.
The character interplay is fun, and it’s great to see Hal as the guy who wants to stop at every roadside attraction he sees. Let’s face it, when you’re dealing with one cosmic crisis after another, who wouldn’t want to take in a little of the mundane as a diversion? I think Adams adeptly captures the essence of the Hal/Ollie dynamic and has a good grasp on the voices of the characters. Unfortunately Deathstroke appears and he’s on a mission to make sure Hal and Ollie don’t get to see the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota, and Deathstroke is on an important mission – to prove his worth to the League of Assassins by taking Green Lantern and Green Arrow out of action.
The yellow weakness is at play, and Deathstroke is not only armed with knowing what our heroes look like out of uniform, but he’s knowledgeable about Green Lantern’s weakness as well. Ollie and Hal manage to escape and Ollie calls for some support, leaving an injured Hal in the hands of Black Canary. Dinah’s role is a small one, but I’m glad she’s not left out of the story given her role during the Hard Travelling Heroes era. Hal goes back to help Ollie apprehend Deathstroke and it was great fun to see them rely on the old standby boxing glove arrow tactic to take Slade down. Like in old days, Hal and Ollie both save each other, and a lot of effort is made to show how these two compliment each other perfectly.
Lucas Meyer provides the pencils for this story, and there are a lot of nice touches that show there was some thought put into the art choices. Hal’s “I love Coast City” t-shirt is really neat, and the wink and a nod gag poking some fun at the cover to Absolute Batman #1 was a nice meta touch. I did find it odd that they went with Hal’s current uniform and not the traditional design with the shoulder and swim truck style bits. That’s not a huge thing, but for a few moments it made me think that this was in our current timeline rather than a tale set in the past. I also like how Meyer portrayed Dinah with the traditional fishnets and combined it with her time period appropriate clothing and hair styles. Deathstroke and Green Arrow’s designs also fit the time period.
The back end of the issue continues Deathstroke’s initiation plot as he turns his attention to the Flash. The story with Barry and Hal is shorter, but captures the Brave and the Bold feel that I would expect from their adventures. Given the amount of pages for the story, the Flash and Green Lantern literally make quick work of Deathstroke, who’s mission isn’t what it seems and neither are the people who take him away once he’s been beaten. Adams does a neat thing by using this issue to essentially tell two untold tales that dovetails nicely into the events of The New Teen Titan #2 from 1980. It doesn’t matter to the reader, nor does it impact anyone’s ability to enjoy the story, but serves as a clever tidbit as to how this issue would fit into continuity.
Travis Mercer does the art on this part of the book, and he also gets the suit wrong for the time period, opting for Hal’s original look as he appeared in his early adventures. It certainly doesn’t take away too much from the story, although the inconsistency in Hal’s uniform from part one to part two is a minor annoyance. But hey, we didn’t get white boots anywhere in this issue, and I don’t believe Hal’s ring was missing at any time during either story, so I’ll take the wins where I can!
Green Lantern / Green Arrow: World’s Finest Special #1 represents something I sometimes miss from today’s comics, and that’s that it’s just a fun book filled with adventure and character. And there’s nothing wrong with that at all! It takes me back to when I read comics for the pure escapism, free from the need to be anything more than entertainment. This book was a joy to read and Adams showcases where Hal, Barry and Ollie are my Trinity. Sign me up for a Brave and Bold series with these three and I’d be there every month! Eight out of ten lanterns.
