The secrets of Thanagar are revealed, and they could spell the end for John Stewart and what’s left of the Red Lanters alike. Your Major Spoilers review of Green Lantern Corps #3 awaits!

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #3

Writers: Morgan Hampton and Jeremy Adams
Artist: Fernando Pasarin
Colorist: Arif Prianto and Rain Beredo
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Kathleen Wisneski
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 9th, 2025

Previously in Green Lantern Corps: With the emotional spectrum in chaos, the Green Lantern Corps has been scrambling across the universe trying to contain random outburts of emotional energy. Along with Hawkgirl, John Stewart has gone to the remains of Thanagar where the remnants of The Red Lanterns are found.

THE PLIGHT OF THE RED LANTERNS

Green Lantern Corps #3 kicks off with how the Red Lanterns ended up in the spot they’re in. After the United Planets destroyed their central battery, most of them died. The ones who lived were taken by slave traders. One of them was able to summon enough rage to power the others, and they were able to take over the ship. In the present, Hawkgirl attacks Atrocitus for trying to steal nth metal. Outside the ship, the giant orb that was hiding in the remains of Thanagar begins to open, revealing Horus, the god of Thanagar. In a panic, the Red Lanterns attack Horus, but their ship is then split in half by its return fire. Using his ring, John Stewart is able to hold the ship together. Hawkgirl struggles with her status as a hero and how badly she wants the Red Lanterns to pay for their crimes against her homeworld.

FEELING LIKE A TRUE SPACE ADVENTURE

Green Lantern Corps #3 is another entry that is helping build the best cosmic story DC has got going on right now. Along with the other Green Lantern title, this series has created an exciting, interconnected tale with a clear goal and stakes, that allows for a lot of variety in story. That sort of variety is what makes this issue really shine. In this issue we get a bit of a pirate tale, full of vengeance and rage, that blends in nicely with the arrival of a massive space god that leaves one of the characters tasked with a holy quest, which then rolls seamlessly into a morality tale about what it means to be a hero. There’s even time to have a nice quiet moment tacked on to the end. With all of this going on, you’d expect that there would be some pacing issues, but somehow, nothing seems rushed or cut short. If there’s one place where this comic comes up short, it’s how it handles The Sorrow. The current big bad of The Green Lanterns comes off as weak and whose presence is completely unnecessary in this issue.

SHARING THE SPOTLIGHT

For a change, the visual standout of a Green Lantern-centric book has nothing to do with a Green Lantern or one of their ring’s constructs. In Green Lantern Corps #3, the most impressive bit of art is the arrival of Horus. Using some clever framing, they managed to somehow hide the true scale of the deity until a final reveal that makes it look truly impressive. There are a few other moments that play with the sense of scale of things here that add to the sense that this is a big story, in a big space, with big characters.

A WELL-CRAFTED EARLY ISSUE

Issues that aren’t number ones, penultimates, or ultimates sometimes don’t get the love that these types of issues get. But Green Lantern Corps #3 shows that a comic can be great even without having massive, universe changing implications. Good pacing, strong character moments, and a commitment to a large scale all come together to make this an enjoyable read. The only glaring problem is that they fumble the ball when it comes to helping establish the current villain as a legitimate threat, lowering some of the tension going forward. 4 out of 5 stars.

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