Green Lantern: Legacy by Minh LêMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Tai Pham's grandma is a tough old lady living a double life. What will happen when Tam inherits her strange jade ring...?
My son's birth in August has had me keeping my eyes out for comics I might thrust upon him once he's old enough to read. I saw an article about Green Lantern Legacy and pre-ordered it as soon as I was able, long before my son was actually born.
Before I get into the meat of this, young adult graphic novels like this are probably what will keep the genre alive, pulling in younger readers instead of dropping them into the deep end and forcing them to navigate half a century of comics history. I want my son to be able to enjoy super hero comics, not have decades of continuity weighing him down when he starts reading them.
Tai's family isn't much like my family at first glance but I identified with him right away. I was fortunate to have both of my grandmothers still living into my 30s and they were both tough old broads so I liked Kim Tran right away. Tai also draws quite a bit, something I did a lot when I was thirteen. Also, pho was mentioned a couple times and I would eat pho every damn day if I could.
The Green Lantern mythos is simplified and refined. John Stewart and other Lanterns are in the supporting cast but it's Tai's show. Sinestro is mentioned, as are the Yellow Lanterns. No Guardians of the Universe but this is only the first volume. Tai's supporting cast is introduced, complete with a nemesis. I nerded out a little when Tai recited The Oath for the first time. Some people might gripe about Hal Jordan not being Tai's mentor but this book isn't for them. This is a YA book for new readers.
The writing is pretty slick. While it's a Young Adult book in that the main characters are young adults, I don't think the writing was dumbed down in the least. Tai's neighborhood has a sense of place and the relationships all felt real to me. Andie Tong's art was more to my liking than a lot of what is out there. The figures aren't over-rendered and the coloring isn't dominated by computer effects.
When my son comes of age, I will be happy for him to experience Green Lantern for the first time through the pages of Green Lantern: Legacy. 4.5 out of 5 Power Batteries.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment