BRONZE AGE MINUTE: Green Lantern #89

DC; April-May 1972
Cover by Neal Adams

Title: “… and Through Him Save a World …”
Synopsis: When Green Lantern and Green Arrow encounter an eco-activist/terrorist named Isaac, both heroes learn a lesson about blind faith.

Writer: Denny O’Neil
Penciler: Neal Adams
Inker: Adams

Review: Neal Adams art is truly amazing, and both he and writer Denny O’Neil deserve a lot of credit for dragging comics kicking and screaming into the Bronze Age. O’Neil’s “relevancy” themes made this entire run feel important, but this story has the subtlety of a cannon. Groundbreaking, yes, but dated.

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Title: “The Impossible Mr. Paradox!”
Synopsis: The Golden Age Green Lantern must stop a jewel thief who may be a former employee of radio station WXYZ.

Writer: John Broome
Penciler: Irwin Hasen
Inker: Hasen

Review: After the gritty O’Neil/Adams lead feature, it’s hard to reconcile this quaint Golden Age reprint from Green Lantern #38.

Grade (for the entire issue): A-

Second opinion: “It’s one of the finest of this unique run.” – Michal Jacot, Comic Effect #27, Summer 2001 … “My favorite comic book of all time … and of all O’Neil/Adams’ GL/GA tales, it’s aged the best.” – Jim Kingman, Comic Effect #46, Winter 2006 … Recommended by The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide (second edition), 2003.

Cool factor: Neal Adams art and the hard-hitting, relevancy theme.
Not-so-cool factor: Triple crucifixion is not subtle.

Notable: Last issue of Green Lantern for four years. Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’ work on the character would continue in the back of Flash #217.

Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a National Book Store variant of this issue.

Character quotable: “I suppose progress must always claim victims.” – Carol Ferris, about an eco-activist who died after being crucified by her security guards (They also crucified Carol’s boyfriend, Green Lantern. Now there’s a keeper!)

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