Green Lantern: Revenge of the Green Lanterns trade paperback mini-review (DC Comics)

After reading the last couple of Infinite Crisis crossover trades, I'd begun to fear mightily for the state of the industry; if these were the issues that surrounded Infinite Crisis, One Year Later couldn't come soon enough. But once again — and most surprisingly — Green Lantern has come to the rescue. Though the One Year Later jump that comes in the middle of this trade is most jarring, Green Lantern: Revenge of the Green Lanterns commands that I finally put to rest my concerns about the resurrection of Hal Jordan. The first three stories are just plain fun — Green Lantern and Green Arrow in a riff on "For the Man Who Has Everything," and a Batman/Green Lantern follow-up to Rebirth — but it's when Green Lantern jumps One Year Later that this story really shines. From intrigue within the Corps to a fantastic Hal Jordan/Guy Gardner team-up (it's so great to see Guy taken seriously, instead of being played for laughs); wonderful use of one of my favorite villains; and Ivan Reis's artwork actually working for me, this hardcover is a joy — not surprising that it comes from Geoff Johns. To top it all off, Johns creates an incredibly compelling conflict for Hal in the wake of One Year Later, recovering from having been a prisoner of war, and violating new (apparently) national boundaries as Green Lantern, Revenge of the Green Lanterns is a gripping read. This one comes with a high, high recommendation.