GREEN LANTERN #30 - Review

• Written by: Jeremy Adams

• Art by: Carmine Di Giandomenico

• Colors by: Romulo Fajardo Jr.

• Letters by: Dave Sharpe

• Cover art by: Annie Wu (cover A)

• Cover price: $4.99

• Release date: December 24, 2025

Green Lantern #30, by DC Comics on 12/24/25, sends Hal Jordan to Gotham City in the hope that Batman can help diagnose a problem. What follows is a Bat-Adventure of heartwarming proportions.

First Impressions

The opening pages immediately establish sharp comedic tension as Batman knocks down some street thugs while Hal shows up to interrupt their evening, setting a tone that feels both urgent and character-driven. From the first panel, you sense the writers understand that the best superhero stories are built on genuine personality clashes and earned history rather than just the next big fight. The artwork nails this conversational energy, making you believe these characters have actual history and chemistry, not just team-up convenience.

Recap

In Green Lantern #29, Hal Jordan returns to Earth seeking a moment of clarity after years rebuilding the Green Lantern Corps in space. He visits his old friend Oliver Queen in Hub City, discovering that Green Arrow has become entangled in a dangerous conspiracy involving "Omega Corp," a shadowy corporation working to exploit the end of the world for profit. While battling corporate killer robots, Hal and Ollie reconnect through their trademark snark and genuine brotherhood, with Oliver helping Hal gain perspective on his personal struggles. The issue ends with Hal realizing he needs to seek answers from someone he is reluctant to see.

Plot Analysis

The issue opens with Batman intercepting street criminals near Gotham's docks, his no-nonsense approach to justice contrasting sharply with Hal Jordan's arrival on the scene. Hal, visibly suffering from intense visions and pain tied to a message from the Book of Oa, has sought out Batman for an honest assessment from someone he believes doesn't care about him. Batman, reading the situation with his detective skills, escorts Hal to the Batcave for medical scanning designed to identify the source of his condition. The scanning reveals trace readings of tachyon particles at Level Three threat status, originating from Timms Wharf (a possible nod to the artists on Jeremy Adams's other title, Aquaman), though Batman admits the readings remain unexplained. Batman agrees to investigate with Hal, though only after expressing skepticism about Hal's need to create excitement where none exists.

The two heroes arrive at Timms Wharf using Batman's Batmobile, which Hal finds increasingly amusing, despite Batman's irritation at the commentary. Batman uses smoke screens and tactical precision to engage what appear to be police officers and masked men, but during the conflict, the opposition mysteriously vanishes along with the police, leaving behind only questions. Batman deduces that the encounters involve mental constructs rather than physical threats, suggesting a metahuman with reality-warping abilities. Hal and Batman discover a young boy named Samuel in the abandoned warehouse who has been manifesting his fears as physical constructs because Gotham's reputation has terrified him into psychological crisis. Samuel's parents work constantly to cover his hospital bills, leaving him isolated and afraid, which triggers uncontrollable manifestations of violent imagery.

Hal and Batman recognize in Samuel a younger version of themselves, both having lost their fathers at similarly traumatic ages. Rather than simply subduing Samuel's manifestations, Hal offers a different approach: confronting fear directly by experiencing joy. Batman reluctantly agrees, and the two take Samuel on a roller coaster ride through the city, transforming his perception of Gotham from purely dangerous into a place where genuine happiness exists. This shared experience becomes transformative, as Samuel begins to see his powers not as uncontrollable curses but as gifts that can create positive imagery.

By the issue's end, Hal ensures that Samuel's medical bills are covered and that his parents can stay with him while he develops control of his metahuman abilities. Batman shares an unexpected moment of genuine connection with Hal, revealing that he has always cared about him but remained silent. Batman also notes that both heroes share the trauma of losing their fathers young and channeled that loss into different protective missions. As Hal prepares to leave, the Flash calls with an urgent request, hinting that greater challenges await, and Batman sends Hal forward with acknowledgment that the world needs him, delivering a rare moment of sincerity wrapped in characteristic restraint.

Writing

Jeremy Adams delivers exactly what this comic needs, structuring the narrative around emotional beats rather than spectacle. The pacing moves briskly through setup, investigation, and revelation without ever feeling rushed, giving each moment room to breathe. Hal's constant quipping about Batman's Bat-obsessed naming conventions (Bat-scanner, Bat-adventure, Bat-quest) feels organic to his character and creates natural humor that balances the darker emotional elements without trivializing them. The dialogue between Hal and Batman crackles with earned tension, their banter masking genuine mutual respect despite decades of choosing not to fully acknowledge it. The comic's structure deliberately mirrors Hal's emotional journey, opening with physical pain and intellectual confusion, moving through investigation and action, and culminating in unexpected emotional clarity. Adams also smartly uses Samuel's character arc to reflect Hal's own internal struggle, creating thematic resonance where a lesser writer would have simply had a fight scene.

Art

Carmine Di Giandomenico's artwork maintains exceptional clarity throughout, making every action sequence and emotional beat immediately readable despite complex staging. His composition work shines during the Batcave scenes, where he uses layout and panel flow to emphasize the tension between Hal and Batman while conveying Batman's technological sophistication through environmental detail. The warehouse confrontation is particularly well-handled, with smoke and darkness creating genuine visual confusion that matches the narrative's questions about what is real.

Romulo Fajardo Jr.'s color work establishes distinct visual moods for each location: the clinical blues and grays of the Batcave, the nighttime blues and yellows of Gotham's streets, the sinister shadows of the warehouse, and crucially, the warm vibrancy of the roller coaster scene. The roller coaster sequence benefits tremendously from Fajardo's color choices, with bright oranges, reds, and yellows creating visual joy that communicates Samuel's transformation without requiring extra dialogue. The artwork consistently supports the emotional narrative, using visual language to convey what characters feel rather than relying on exposition.

Character Development

Hal Jordan emerges from this issue as a layered character struggling with a cosmic burden while desperately needing human connection and validation. His decision to seek Batman's assessment shows vulnerability beneath his trademark bravado, and Adams handles this without undermining Hal's fundamental confidence. The comic reveals that Hal's willingness to run toward danger might stem from unconscious death-seeking after losing his father, a revelation that adds psychological depth to his characterization.

Batman proves equally complex, his dismissive exterior masking genuine care that he has kept hidden for years. The issue's emotional climax works specifically because Adams has earned this moment through careful character work, showing that Batman does care and always has. Samuel's character arc serves as the emotional core, moving from isolated fear to conditional acceptance of his abilities and environment. His relatability anchors the entire issue, as his specific trauma (parental absence, financial strain, social isolation) connects to Hal and Batman's own losses while remaining distinct. Every character choice feels motivated by genuine emotion rather than plot convenience.

Originality and Concept Execution

While the premise of a young metahuman struggling with uncontrolled fear manifestations isn't entirely new, Adams executes it with genuine originality through its focus on emotional processing rather than combat. The concept of using a roller coaster as therapy rather than another fight scene demonstrates creative problem-solving that prioritizes character over spectacle. The Hal and Batman dynamic itself offers freshness not because the characters are new but because Adams mines genuine emotional complexity from their famous friction, revealing it as a mask for mutual respect and shared trauma. The issue's central thesis that confronting fear through experienced joy creates lasting change rather than through force or dismissal is thematically sophisticated. The comic takes risks by dedicating significant space to a new character's emotional arc rather than rushing through action beats, trusting that readers will engage with genuine character work. The execution delivers on these concepts without wavering, making thematic coherence feel earned.

Positives

The standout strength here is the emotional authenticity threaded throughout every page. Adams refuses to use Hal and Batman's personal issues as mere backdrop for action, instead building the entire narrative around their unspoken connection and shared understanding of trauma. This measurably elevated the comic beyond a standard superhero team-up into something genuinely meaningful. The roller coaster scene proves inventive and visually striking while also serving thematic purpose, with Fajardo's color work transforming it into the visual and emotional payoff the issue earns.

The supporting character work on Samuel avoids the typical "troubled kid learns lesson from hero" cliche by giving him genuine agency in his recovery and by showing that his parents' love remains constant even when financial strain prevents them from being present. Di Giandomenico's artwork consistently elevates the storytelling, particularly in how he conveys emotional beats through body language and spatial composition rather than relying on dialogue or internal monologue. The twist that Batman's dismissal masks deep care resonates powerfully because Adams has spent the entire issue proving through action that Batman does care, making the final revelation feel earned rather than surprising for surprise's sake.

Negatives

The central plot device of tachyon particles and the mysterious threat from the Book of Oa remains largely unexplained, which creates narrative friction. Batman explicitly states he doesn't understand what the tachyon readings mean, which feels like the comic acknowledging its own incomplete setup rather than working through the mystery convincingly. This unresolved thread might frustrate readers seeking concrete answers about what Hal is actually facing, as the issue prioritizes emotional character work over plot clarity. It would have served the issue (and the series) better if Batman had discovered one piece of information that moved Hal's journey forward.


The corporate conspiracy and Darkseid connection mentioned in the previous issue disappear entirely from this installment, which could feel like a sudden tonal and thematic shift for readers following the larger arc. While Samuel's manifestation powers are well-executed, the specific mechanics of how fear becomes physical construct and how a roller coaster ride solves that underlying condition strain credibility, even within superhero logic. The issue dedicates significant page space to Samuel that, while emotionally resonant, could have been compressed to allow more exploration of Hal's actual cosmic problem. Batman's sudden emotional openness, while powerful, happens with minimal dramatic build, which might feel rushed for readers expecting more tension or resistance from the character.

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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The Scorecard

Writing Quality (Clarity and Pacing): [3.5/4]
Art Quality (Execution and Synergy): [3.5/4]
Value (Originality and Entertainment): [2/2]

Final Verdict

Green Lantern #30 earns its place in a limited comic budget by delivering genuine emotional substance wrapped in sharp dialogue and confident artwork. This isn't a comic that will blow your mind with conceptual novelty or redefine the superhero genre, but it respects your time and intelligence by treating character growth seriously. If you're reading Adams' run on Green Lantern, this issue functions as a necessary emotional checkpoint that re-grounds Hal in his humanity while teasing larger cosmic threats. The unresolved tachyon mystery and the convenient timing of Batman's emotional breakthrough keep this from reaching true excellence, but the craft on display here and the refusal to let character moments get sacrificed to plot momentum make this genuinely worthwhile.

9/10

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