Green Lantern is entering a new era, and it kicks off with the help of the coolest villains to hit the DC Universe in a long time. The last year has been one of the most tumultuous in the history of the Corps, one that saw them nearly wiped out from within. Now, in a preview for Green Lantern: Fractured Spectrum #1, a grave threat to the Corps has risen.
Jeremy Adams has been writing Green Lantern for the last few years, and will soon work his magic on Aquaman.
Green Lantern: Fractured Spectrum #1 is written by Jeremy Adams and drawn by V Ken Marion. The preview opens at the Library of Forever, where the new “Sorrow Lantern”, embodying the concept of sadness, arrives, searching for a “round, fractured” glass, so that he might read the Book of Oa. The Sorrow Lantern tells the librarian the “sadness of the universe is too much to be held,” and that he plans to do something about it. Meanwhile, Hal Jordan is enjoying some downtime, before he gets a call from John Stewart, causing him to snap into action.
The Green Lantern Corps Was Nearly Destroyed--Thanks to the United Planets
The Green Lanterns Prevailed Against Thaaros--But At What Cost?
The Green Lantern Corps has experienced numerous ups and downs in its millions of years of existence, always pulling through in the face of adversity. However, the last few years almost stretched the Corps to its breaking point. Shortly after Infinite Frontier, the Guardians turned majority control of the Corps over to the nascent United Planets. Then, the Central Power Battery on Oa was attacked, throwing the Corps into disarray. Many Lanterns were killed and many more lost their power rings. While the Corps was able to bounce back, the damage was done.
When the Guardians signed the Corps over to the United Planets, its corruption became inevitable.
When the Guardians signed the Corps over to the United Planets, its corruption became inevitable. The United Planets’ leadership began implementing stricter rules on the Lanterns, and dissent was squashed. Finally, the Durlan Thaaros was elected to the UP’s highest office, where he continued shaping the Corps into a fascist police force. Thaaros arranged attacks on the other Lantern Corps, stealing their power sources in a bid to consolidate his power. Thaaros booted both Hal Jordan and John Stewart out of the Corps, and populated it with boot-lickers and yes-men.
DC's New "Sorrow Lantern," Explained
The Sorrow Lantern Is Still An Enigma, Making Him Very Dangerous
Meanwhile, on Earth, something perhaps even more insidious was taking place: the fracturing of the Emotional Spectrum. One of the fundamental forces of the DC Universe, the Emotional Spectrum, has begun manifesting new colors and Lantern Corps, ones that should not be in existence. First of them is the “Sorrow Lantern.” Debuting in Green Lantern #15, the Sorrow Lantern is Nathan, the ex-fiance of Carol Ferris. Carol left Nathan, and his sadness was so great, it tapped into the Emotional Spectrum. Thanks to Thaaros’ attacks on the other Lanterns, the Spectrum was now fractured, giving rise to new colors and Lanterns.
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A great deal of mystery surrounds this new Lantern Corps. Thus far, Nathan has been the only Sorrow Lantern to appear, and it is only a matter of time before he spreads the sadness and brings more into the fold. DC has kept the full extent of the Sorrow Lantern’s powers under wraps, but the fact that Nathan was able to fashion an entirely new Lantern Corps speaks volumes. In the aforementioned Green Lantern #15, the Sorrow Lantern infected Dove, and she was overwhelmed by intense and debilitating sadness.
Could There Be More Lantern Corps Coming?
Are the Sorrow Lanterns Just the Beginning?
The debut of the Sorrow Lantern implies more “spin-off” Corps could be on the way. Thaaros tampered with one of the most powerful forces in the universe, one whose true nature has eluded scientists, philosophers and mystics since the beginning of time. Recent Green Lantern books have hinted there is more to the Spectrum than fans realize, and the new Corps springing up are proof. Whether these new Corps will stick around in the long-term remains to be seen, but for now, the Sorrow Lantern is DC’s best new villain–perfect to kick off a new era for Green Lantern.
Green Lantern: Fractured Spectrum #1 is on sale January 8 from DC Comics!
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