Green Lantern: Agent Orange

DC

Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Philip Tan, Jonathan Glapion, Ivan Reis, and Oclair Albert

Feb 02, 2010 Web Exclusive By Kyle Lemmon

These days, Geoff Johns’ work for Green Lantern (vol. 4) is almost beyond reproach in comcidom and even eclipses DC’s Batman and Superman series. Agent Orange is no exception. The stopgap miniseries further illustrates the blockbuster scribe’s adeptness for the comic medium after successful runs for 52, Infinite Crisis, Justice Society of America, and Teen Titans. And even as a prelude to the still continuing Blackest Night tentpole event, it is a well written and expertly visualized space opera of the emotional spectrum.

This striking hardcover collection also features penciller Phillip Tan (Batman and Robin, Final Crisis: Revelations) and inker Jonathan Glapion (Batman, Batman and Robin). Both bring a unique and wholly fresh tone to the series. Tan in particular has several new character designs that mirror the darkening landscape of the issues to come. He may not be as pleasing to the eye as GL’s usual head artist, Ivan Reis (Action Comics, Infinite Crisis, Superman), but he’s a worthy fill-in for the department. One of Tan’s greatest creations is the avarice-filled villain, Larfleeze (aka Agent Orange). The comic’s sketchbook addendum reveals that Johns thought up the Orange Battery holder’s name by conflating two words he found rather disgusting: “lard” and “sleeze.”

The story department obviously had a field day fleshing out his razored, fanged, and drooling look—he’s especially a beast to behold in the final chapter (issue #42). One masterful touch is that his Orange Lantern insignia on his head and shoulders flame up when angered. In addition, the baddie speaks like a maniacal conflation of the Warner Bros. cartoon Daffy Duck and a demon dog-boar. Obviously, Larfleeze takes most of the good lines, but Hal Jordan steals some particularly funny scenes as he wrestles with his recently acquired Blue Lantern hope ring. Also, at one point in the story Jordan compares Larfleeze to a Muppet. It’s nice to see Johns keeping some of his characters’ humor even amongst mounting chaos.

The overall narrative spins out of the rainbow-y War of Light waging across the Vega System and the Green Lantern Corps, led by Hal Jordan, battling the evil Orange Lantern Corps’ leader. The idea may sound silly at first blush, but Johns pulls it off splendidly. (Sidenote: Larfleeze’s Corps is an army of avatars from the spirits of slain Lanterns.) In addition to keeping the action in the forbidden zone spilling off each panel, Johns even takes some time to work in some GL Corps lore.

Larfleeze’s story of how he got his powers reveals something about Parallax and the Guardians’ diplomatic/secretive pact with the criminals of the universe is also discussed. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also the subtext of Fatality/Star Sapphire Corps member loving(?) John Stewart after so many years of trying to off him and his friends.

In any other scribe’s hands this would be a trainwreck, but Johns, Tan, and crew sift through all the details and come away with a vibrant comic about “hope,” “will,” and “avarice.” Agent Orange‘s Prologue, Origins & Omens, and Tales of the Orange Lanterns: Weed Killer extras also point towards the even greater storytelling we’re witnessing unfold for Blackest Night. Thankfully the days that a GL story merely read like a TV police drama in space are over. (www.geoffjohns.com / www.dccomics.com)

Author rating: 7/10

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Average reader rating: 8/10

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AW
February 5th 2010
2:12pm

good review, definitely makes me want to give it a read. question, though. i’m a relative newcomer to the recent Johns run on GL. I did read REBIRTH a year ago but am at a loss as to where to go next - there are so many Johns GL trades out there that each time I go to the store I am completely flummoxed as to where to dive in (Agent Orange, Blackest Night, Sinestro Corps War, etc.). Can someone give me some advice as to which to read next, and maybe lay out the order they should be read in? Much appreciated.

Kyle Lemmon
February 5th 2010
5:43pm

Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate them. Glad you read Rebirth, that’s a great starting point. From there the order for the trades is as follows:

Rebirth
No Fear
Revenge of the Green Lanterns
Wanted - Hal Jordan
Sinestro Corps War 1 and 2
Tales of Sinestro Corps War
Secret Origin
Rage of the Red Lanterns
Ring Quest
Sins of the Star Sapphire
Emerald Eclipse
Agent Orange

As for Blackest Night, I would keep DC’s checklists handy (they also have one for the list above): http://www.dccomics.com/sites/greenlantern/?action=checklist

Note: After Sinestro Corps War there’s a lot of narrative overlapping between GL and GL Corps. It’s not entirely necessary to read both, but it’s still fun. Johns’ work for DC is excellent, so you’ll be bound to like something from that selection. He really starts to pick up steam after Revenge of the Green Lanterns. Also, look out for a review of the new paperback of Secret Origin coming up on the site.

Best of luck and stay frosty.

AW
February 18th 2010
1:45pm

Thanks for this list, Kyle. I’m currently reading Sinestro Corps War Vol. 2 (loved Vol. 1) and it’s fantastic. The cosmic art and epic scope the narrative are both sucking me right in. This is the mythic/epic/definitive space-based storyline that GL needed all these years. It’s really interesting to see GL as the focal point of the DC Universe in recent years - he and the GL Corps are characters I’ve always loved, but I never felt DC really maximized their exposure or potential. Happy to see it finally happening with Johns and crew taking over.

Nausicrate
January 10th 2011
1:43pm

Obviously, Larfleeze takes most of the good lines, but Hal Jordan steals some particularly funny scenes as he wrestles with his recently acquired Blue Lantern hope ring. Also, at one point in the story Jordan compares Larfleeze to a Muppet. It’s nice to see Johns keeping some of his characters’ humor even amongst mounting chaos.”Rolex Prices”

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