Absolute Green Lantern #3 Review

• Written by: Al Ewing

• Art by: Jahnoy Lindsay

• Colors by: Jahnoy Lindsay

• Letters by: Lucas Gattoni

• Cover art by: Jahnoy Lindsay (cover A)

• Cover price: $4.99

• Release date: June 4, 2025

Absolute Green Lantern #3, by DC Comics on 6/4/25, follows John Stewart as he makes a curious discovery about the green energy dome surrounding his town.

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Is Absolute Green Lantern #3 Good?

Recap

When we last left Hal and Jo in Absolute Green Lantern #2, we learned that Abin Sur's arrival in a small town was followed by much death. Abin Sur arrived to test and judge anyone who approached him. Those who did not pass the test were obliterated. In the present, Hal and Jo peacefully sit in a wrecked diner, trying to figure out what happened to each of them.

Plot Synopsis

In Absolute Green Lantern #3, the issue begins with John Stewart talking with Todd Rice about something he found in the street near the body of the biker who died when he smashed into the green barrier. The only thing that survived was a gold-plated earring. After a series of increasingly large tests, John proves that the energy barrier can be disrupted by anything covered in or made of gold.

In the now, Hal tells Jo that he can't control the Black Hand energy. It wants to consume and destroy the light. Jo doesn't know how to control her green energy powers or turn them off, so Hal's hand instinctively turns into a gun and blasts Jo. She creates a forcefield to block the blast and punches Hal through the diner wall with a green construct fist. She flies to where Hal landed several yards away and chastises him to get the Black Hand under control.

The issue ends with John demonstrating to Hal and Jo his discovery by opening a temporary hole in the green dome, Abin Sur putting a stop to John's experimentation permanently, and Hal deciding to weaponize John's discovery.

First Impressions

I'm sort of intrigued by what Al Ewing is doing in Absolute Green Lantern #3, but the plot pacing and the lack of clarity are quickly becoming a deal breaker.

How’s the Art?

Jahnoy Lindsay does his level best to mix creepy sci-fi elements with a grounded story about an alien invasion. Lindsay's gritty visual tone harkens back to the Drive-In movie days when a small desert town was besieged by an alien invader for some unknown purpose. If Al Ewing is going for sci-fi horror, Lindsay creates the visual experience perfectly.

What’s great about Absolute Green Lantern #3?

Al Ewing takes a bit of early Green Lantern lore, recasts it into the Absolute Universe context, and sets up what could be an interesting weakness for what is presumably the galaxy's most powerful weapon. Early Green Lantern lore introduced the color yellow as a weakness of the power ring's constructs. Here, it's gold. The twist feels like a nostalgic callback and a modern update, which is a neat revelation.

What’s not great about Absolute Green Lantern #3?

Holy Pete! The absolute worst mistake a comic writer can make is convincing themselves they have all the time in the world to tell their story without regard for keeping the audience engaged. Unfortunately, Al Ewing is doing just that. The plot centers on the backstory of "What happened?" by unveiling bits and pieces in baby steps, while the present conflict between Hal and Jo lacks a lot of the missing context.

Plus, the action moments, while done well by Jahnoy Lindsay, are few and far between. The issue feels small and lacking in urgency.

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About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

Absolute Green Lantern #3 brings to light an interesting revelation about Abin Sur's power, but there's not much more to the issue. Al Ewing's homage to sci-fi horror has the right tone, but the pacing is too slow, and the lack of urgency and wow moments is an energy killer. Jahnoy Lindsay's artwork is a great fit for the sci-fi horror feel, but it's not enough to save the script's inability to grab you.

5.5/10

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