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Green Lanterns
Green Lanterns, Vol. 7: Superhuman Trafficking
When Green Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz discover that a number of superheroes have vanished from Earth without a trace, their investigation leads them to a lawless planet where a ring of slavers are forcing super-beings to do their bidding!
But the slavers are connected to a powerful religion protected from Green Lantern Corps authority, so Jessica and Simon must become converts to infiltrate their sacred space. How will they defeat the church known as the Order of the Steed when the religion's leader has total control over an interplanetary army of superheroes, among them Simon's occasional companion, Night Pilot?
Plus, Simon and Jessica are chosen to represent Earth at a once-in-a-millennium ceremony honoring an ancient hero of the Corps, but while there, they uncover a shocking and dangerous secret that's been buried for more than a thousand years!
Writers Tim Seeley (Batman Eternal) and Andy Diggle (The Losers) join artists Barnaby Bagenda (The Omega Men), V Ken Marion (Trinity) and more in Green Lanterns Vol. 7: Superhuman Trafficking.
Collecting: Green Lanterns #40-43 and Annual #1!
But the slavers are connected to a powerful religion protected from Green Lantern Corps authority, so Jessica and Simon must become converts to infiltrate their sacred space. How will they defeat the church known as the Order of the Steed when the religion's leader has total control over an interplanetary army of superheroes, among them Simon's occasional companion, Night Pilot?
Plus, Simon and Jessica are chosen to represent Earth at a once-in-a-millennium ceremony honoring an ancient hero of the Corps, but while there, they uncover a shocking and dangerous secret that's been buried for more than a thousand years!
Writers Tim Seeley (Batman Eternal) and Andy Diggle (The Losers) join artists Barnaby Bagenda (The Omega Men), V Ken Marion (Trinity) and more in Green Lanterns Vol. 7: Superhuman Trafficking.
Collecting: Green Lanterns #40-43 and Annual #1!
132 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2018
About the author
Tim Seeley
1,701 books620 followersTim Seeley is a comic book artist and writer known for his work on books such as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Dark Elf Trilogy, Batman Eternal and Grayson. He is also the co-creator of the Image Comics titles Hack/Slash[1] and Revival, as well as the Dark Horse titles, ExSanguine and Sundowners. He lives in Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 28, 2026
(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Anti-religion, no grace just derision, opinions garbed as story, not all manure but stink endures, an ill-will purgatory.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #40-41 ◦ Issues #42-43 ◦ Annual #1
Notes: Anti-religion, no grace just derision, opinions garbed as story, not all manure but stink endures, an ill-will purgatory.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #40-41 ◦ Issues #42-43 ◦ Annual #1
October 30, 2018
I have to say Tim Seeley's writing on this book is not very good. While the idea of a dating app is funny, the story quickly shifts into slave rings and religion. Seeley really hammers us over the head on his thoughts on religion and how they are all created by charlatans as a way to control people. A religion based on literally taking over people's minds doesn't make much sense. The whole subplot of Jessica pining for Simon just because a dating app told her to is hackneyed and a throwback to the 50's. This is such backwards way of thinking. Contrary to Seeley's beliefs men and women can be friends and colleagues without it going further. DC please don't go down the road of making Jessica and Simon a couple.
Andy Diggle's story of a lantern lost eons ago was much more interesting. I like how he explored how other cultures and their societies would be constructed. It reminded me of when Alan Moore would write a Tales of the Green Lantern Corps story in the 80's. Maybe DC should hand the book over to him.
Andy Diggle's story of a lantern lost eons ago was much more interesting. I like how he explored how other cultures and their societies would be constructed. It reminded me of when Alan Moore would write a Tales of the Green Lantern Corps story in the 80's. Maybe DC should hand the book over to him.
July 2, 2018
3.5 stars.
This was a pretty standard Green Lanterns volume. They do play around with the idea of Jessica being in love with Simon, but it doesn't really go anywhere here. I do give it half a star extra, however, because the art was really good.
This was a pretty standard Green Lanterns volume. They do play around with the idea of Jessica being in love with Simon, but it doesn't really go anywhere here. I do give it half a star extra, however, because the art was really good.
February 16, 2019
A bit muddled in parts but ultimately a fun romp. Seeley and a astounding artist team continue to build on the story concepts Sam Humphries began. Seeley is doing a great job thus far and this volume is no exception. I wasn't warmed to the idea of a Cruz and Baz romance but Seeley's writing brings some much needed humor and wit to the idea. After all superhero romantic flings are nothing new and as long as it is written well and makes sense to the story that is being told I have no problem with it. As all ways the real stars of this book are Cruz & Baz and how accessible this book has made the Green Lantern mythos. The Green Lantern series make not be the biggest franchise for DC Comics since Geoff Johns left the series but the writers that have come behind him are doing a great job building on the mythos that started with Green Lantern: Rebirth. The artwork and colors were okay as well though John Stewart was drawn strange on one issue. This volume was not as great as the last one but carries more emotional weight. I am looking forward to the next volume.
January 17, 2024
Tindr for superheroes, people.
How did nefarious alien types abduct so many generic superpeople of Earth, folks? Easy! they just got them all to swipe right (or is it left?) and jumped them at the meet up.
As monumentally cringeworthy as the premise was, I did enjoy spending time with Simon and Jessica as the unravelled the mystery of an ancient disappeared Lantern and clumsily grappled with their feelings for each other. Comics, folks!
How did nefarious alien types abduct so many generic superpeople of Earth, folks? Easy! they just got them all to swipe right (or is it left?) and jumped them at the meet up.
As monumentally cringeworthy as the premise was, I did enjoy spending time with Simon and Jessica as the unravelled the mystery of an ancient disappeared Lantern and clumsily grappled with their feelings for each other. Comics, folks!
August 4, 2018
0.5. I love Green Lantern but wow this is just really bad.
World: The art is solid, it's what I expect from this series, the colors pop and the visuals are solid. The world building here is where everything starts to fall apart. We have a clever little fun humorous idea of the App and I enjoyed that aspect of it, it was rather meta and made me giggle a bit and then the wheels just fall off as we fall into religious and gender stereotypes for the world building. With the way the religion was written, portrayed and so easily used as a negative force for the sake of the story with little or no objective writing I found it rather irksome and annoying. Add to that the nonchalant way Seeley writes about Baz's belief system which is rather not entirely consistent with his character. Then there's the issue with Simon and Jess but I'll get to that below. The world building with the trafficking and the church was rather contrived and really did not follow logic at all making this world and therefore the story itself rather ridiculous.
Story: Wow the pacing was bad, the dialog was bad the info dumping to talk about literally what the art was already displaying was bad, the writing was just bad. The story was uninspired, stereotyped religion easily as a way to justify one set of beliefs being right and another being wrong without any discussion or objectivity at all was rather irksome, it's not 1990 comics are different now. Then there's the dating app which started off as an interesting idea and of course I knew the match would be what it was but wow the direction that this book took with Jess and Simon is not what I want to see and a step backwards for these characters (I'll talk about it below). The end result was a rather ho hum destroy the evil cult story and an annual that was also rather ho hum and retreads a lot of Jess for the series (is there any other story than to tell her overcoming her anxiety?).
Characters: Okay, why do we need the partners to be something? Why can they just simply be partners are we back in the stone age thinking a male female friendship can only end up in one place? Also why is it that we have the female pining over the male AGAIN? What kind of characterization is this? I don't like how these characters are written under Seeley, he's a great writer (Revival had wonderful female and real characters) why are we getting old cliche and gender stereotypes for this series? Can't we get better characters than this? This is ridiculous, this is not 1990 where all female partners will eventually fall in love with their male counterparts, that's so big a step backwards it's making me angry. Can we also not continue the trend of only writing stories where the only thing that Jess has for an arc is to overcome her anxiety? Is this all there is to her character? Can we not give her more depth? Can we also give Simon more depth than a dude bro?
Terrible character choices and a flat and stereotypical story makes this one of the worst arcs for this run since this series started.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
World: The art is solid, it's what I expect from this series, the colors pop and the visuals are solid. The world building here is where everything starts to fall apart. We have a clever little fun humorous idea of the App and I enjoyed that aspect of it, it was rather meta and made me giggle a bit and then the wheels just fall off as we fall into religious and gender stereotypes for the world building. With the way the religion was written, portrayed and so easily used as a negative force for the sake of the story with little or no objective writing I found it rather irksome and annoying. Add to that the nonchalant way Seeley writes about Baz's belief system which is rather not entirely consistent with his character. Then there's the issue with Simon and Jess but I'll get to that below. The world building with the trafficking and the church was rather contrived and really did not follow logic at all making this world and therefore the story itself rather ridiculous.
Story: Wow the pacing was bad, the dialog was bad the info dumping to talk about literally what the art was already displaying was bad, the writing was just bad. The story was uninspired, stereotyped religion easily as a way to justify one set of beliefs being right and another being wrong without any discussion or objectivity at all was rather irksome, it's not 1990 comics are different now. Then there's the dating app which started off as an interesting idea and of course I knew the match would be what it was but wow the direction that this book took with Jess and Simon is not what I want to see and a step backwards for these characters (I'll talk about it below). The end result was a rather ho hum destroy the evil cult story and an annual that was also rather ho hum and retreads a lot of Jess for the series (is there any other story than to tell her overcoming her anxiety?).
Characters: Okay, why do we need the partners to be something? Why can they just simply be partners are we back in the stone age thinking a male female friendship can only end up in one place? Also why is it that we have the female pining over the male AGAIN? What kind of characterization is this? I don't like how these characters are written under Seeley, he's a great writer (Revival had wonderful female and real characters) why are we getting old cliche and gender stereotypes for this series? Can't we get better characters than this? This is ridiculous, this is not 1990 where all female partners will eventually fall in love with their male counterparts, that's so big a step backwards it's making me angry. Can we also not continue the trend of only writing stories where the only thing that Jess has for an arc is to overcome her anxiety? Is this all there is to her character? Can we not give her more depth? Can we also give Simon more depth than a dude bro?
Terrible character choices and a flat and stereotypical story makes this one of the worst arcs for this run since this series started.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
October 29, 2022
The idea of a superhero dating app and a conspiracy to kidnap and traffic superheroes is a fascinating idea, especially for a more “street-level” story for Green Lantern. And while it’s definitely better than the last book, it’s still a bit lightweight and I fear that Seeley isn’t quite sure where to take the characters. Especially with the silly introduction of romantic tension between our heroes. I really wish they didn’t steep down to that level. We’ll see.
September 4, 2018
[Read as single issues]
Simon’s attempts at online dating end in the worst way possible when his potential match is kidnapped, and only Simon and Jessica can rescue her from an intergalactic slave trade that specializes in superheroes! Plus, an extra-sized adventure that pits the duo against an entire planet when a long forgotten Lantern makes a terrifying reappearance.
This is one of those volumes that is solicited to hold a certain amount of issues, but I feel like it’s going to have a lot more in it when it actually comes out. But for now I’ll just stick to the solicited issues, which are #40-43, and Annual #1 of the series, which would make it the penultimate Tim Seeley volume.
Seeley’s first few stories on this series didn’t land particularly well. This one’s not a lot better, but it’s definitely an improvement. He draws on the subplots that both he and previous writer Sam Humphries laid out to throw Simon and Jess across the universe into the midst of a cross between a slavery ring and the Universal Church Of Truth from the Guardians of the Galaxy comics, with varying degrees of success. The idea is sound, although the execution is a bit haphazard, with a lot of throwaway characters involved for only a few pages. I did appreciate the re-emergence of one of the Omega Men, characters I thought would go neglected unless Tom King decided he wanted to do a follow-up series to his critically acclaimed run.
The annual suffers from having enough story for a normal sized issue and about 10 pages where nothing happens as a result. This is another one where the idea is sound (long lost Lantern returns, doesn’t realise that things are different because he’s been gone for so long, misunderstandings ensue) but the execution falls flat because it takes too long to get anywhere. This is Andy Diggle’s first DC work in years I believe, after his ill-fated Action Comics run (of one issue), so it’s nice to see him again, but he doesn’t really get the best hand to work with.
On the art front, Barnaby Bagenda and V. Ken Marion share the main issues, so we don’t see any of the usual Green Lanterns suspects like Ronan Cliquet, while Mike Perkins draws the annual. Perkins’ dark and dreary style is a good fit for the underground and isolated aspects of the story, but the bigger meetings of the Green Lanterns aren’t really his forté.
“Good on paper but not in actuality” is probably a good way to round up this volume; lots of ideas that sound great, but aren’t executed quite as well as they could be, both from the main series and the extra-sized annual. I have to say that Tim Seeley’s run is definitely improving though (and the next volume is much better once again, actually), so the future is bright.
Simon’s attempts at online dating end in the worst way possible when his potential match is kidnapped, and only Simon and Jessica can rescue her from an intergalactic slave trade that specializes in superheroes! Plus, an extra-sized adventure that pits the duo against an entire planet when a long forgotten Lantern makes a terrifying reappearance.
This is one of those volumes that is solicited to hold a certain amount of issues, but I feel like it’s going to have a lot more in it when it actually comes out. But for now I’ll just stick to the solicited issues, which are #40-43, and Annual #1 of the series, which would make it the penultimate Tim Seeley volume.
Seeley’s first few stories on this series didn’t land particularly well. This one’s not a lot better, but it’s definitely an improvement. He draws on the subplots that both he and previous writer Sam Humphries laid out to throw Simon and Jess across the universe into the midst of a cross between a slavery ring and the Universal Church Of Truth from the Guardians of the Galaxy comics, with varying degrees of success. The idea is sound, although the execution is a bit haphazard, with a lot of throwaway characters involved for only a few pages. I did appreciate the re-emergence of one of the Omega Men, characters I thought would go neglected unless Tom King decided he wanted to do a follow-up series to his critically acclaimed run.
The annual suffers from having enough story for a normal sized issue and about 10 pages where nothing happens as a result. This is another one where the idea is sound (long lost Lantern returns, doesn’t realise that things are different because he’s been gone for so long, misunderstandings ensue) but the execution falls flat because it takes too long to get anywhere. This is Andy Diggle’s first DC work in years I believe, after his ill-fated Action Comics run (of one issue), so it’s nice to see him again, but he doesn’t really get the best hand to work with.
On the art front, Barnaby Bagenda and V. Ken Marion share the main issues, so we don’t see any of the usual Green Lanterns suspects like Ronan Cliquet, while Mike Perkins draws the annual. Perkins’ dark and dreary style is a good fit for the underground and isolated aspects of the story, but the bigger meetings of the Green Lanterns aren’t really his forté.
“Good on paper but not in actuality” is probably a good way to round up this volume; lots of ideas that sound great, but aren’t executed quite as well as they could be, both from the main series and the extra-sized annual. I have to say that Tim Seeley’s run is definitely improving though (and the next volume is much better once again, actually), so the future is bright.
October 30, 2024
A fun premise that diverts from campy and creative superhero shenanigans to instead focus on a mind controlled religious cult that feels out of place and unnecessary. The main development is with the leading pair. Simon and Jess head on a romantic trajectory and, unfortunately, Seeley doesn’t quite sell it. Sluggish for something so short, it’s definitely a bump in the road to the finish line.
actual rating: 2.5 stars
actual rating: 2.5 stars
February 25, 2019
Not my favorite of the Green Lanterns graphic novels. I mean, the action and art were both solid, and the story was perfectly fine, but I had one major problem with it: Why are they trying to make some sort of romance-thing out of Simon and Jessica? I mean, I get that friends can become couples, but the fact that this was a man and woman who were JUST FRIENDS--who had each other's backs and were supportive--AS FRIENDS.--was so refreshing. After all, believe it or not, you can just be friends with someone of the opposite sex. I'm not going to completely judge this plot point until I see where they take it, but.... *sigh* I also had some mixed feelings about the religious themes in this volume, particularly Jessica's outlook. At first it rubbed me the wrong way, but then I got further into the story, and I came away with a few thoughts: (1) A real respect for Baz's connection to his faith; (2) The fact that this was a commentary more on churches than on religion. And... that was actually pretty well-handled. I consider myself a religious person. I believe in God, but I don't really believe in churches. (At least, for my personal way of worship. I know they are very important for many people, and I truly respect them for what they do in communities.) They can be wonderful institutions--and I have gone to services and masses (yes, I've been to different denominations), and have gotten something out of them. But they can sadly also be used as tools of manipulation. This graphic novel looked at that darker (and much sadder) side of churches. It's an unfortunate reality, but one that was actually handled pretty deftly. I was also intrigued by Jessica's ring manifesting her anxieties. There were hints of that earlier on, but seeing it fully on the page, I can't help but think--yeah, that's exactly what would happen if someone with anxiety got a ring. It would be very difficult not to be so focused on your worries and stresses that you wouldn't will them into being. I'm very interested to see where that goes. The final story (the annual) about the Lost Lantern was also pretty good, and I like that Simon and Jessica are going to be helping an alien in the modern world--it kind of hearkens back to when they were helping that Guardian early in this series, but with a new twist. All in all, while I don't completely love the direction this series (ONE OF MY FAVORITES!) seems to be going in (hence why I can't bring myself to give it more than three stars), this was still a deep and interesting read about one aspect of the human (and...er...alien) condition. I can't say the idea of someone kidnapping metas isn't beyond cool. And while I ultimately liked that it was connected with religious commentary in this one, I'd like to read something else that gives another take on that concept. I mean, I can't believe this is the only comic where that plot has been tried. Recommendations appreciated!
December 3, 2018
Minor superheroes are missing! Most of them we've never heard of (with the exception of Night Pilot, though we only know her because Simon dated her), but enough have gone missing that Cyborg tasks our two Green Lanterns to search out what is going on. Turns out that a superhero dating app called Caper is connected to all the missing people. The app was created by an alien church called the Order of the Steed and they are using it to gather superhuman slaves.
Going in undercover merely as Simon and Jessica, they are able to gather enough evidence for the GLC to demand they stop their slave trade. But when they begin to make arrests, they find that the majority of the Order members are being mind controlled by a creature called a Durlan... honestly, the story is good, but a little hard to keep straight.
I still enjoy this series, but I'd really love to see the stakes of everything Lantern really be shook up like back when Geoff Johns was writing it. Perhaps with the coming of the "Ultraviolet Lanterns"...
Going in undercover merely as Simon and Jessica, they are able to gather enough evidence for the GLC to demand they stop their slave trade. But when they begin to make arrests, they find that the majority of the Order members are being mind controlled by a creature called a Durlan... honestly, the story is good, but a little hard to keep straight.
I still enjoy this series, but I'd really love to see the stakes of everything Lantern really be shook up like back when Geoff Johns was writing it. Perhaps with the coming of the "Ultraviolet Lanterns"...
June 24, 2023
I wasn't a fan of the main story of "Superhuman Trafficking." It first revolved around a superhero dating app. I had mixed feelings about that. I can see superheroes using it, but given how integral a secret identity is, it also seemed iffy. The group behind it all was a cult. They were fairly one-dimensional, stereotypical, and forgettable. They did pose a challenge for Simon and Jessica, but didn't have much depth to them.
I also am not a fan of how Simon and Jessica's relationship was written. They've had a platonic relationship and it works well that way. Nevertheless, with this book, they are starting to have romantic feelings for each other (which came out of nowhere). The essence of their relationship is a close friendship - a close platonic bond, not a romantic one.
I did like how Jessica was written overall as well as the final story in the book. Her struggles with anxiety, particularly in social situations, were written well. I also like how Seeley wrote her struggles with public speaking and how she handled the situation with the Lost Lantern at the end. Seeley showed how well she thinks on her feet and some nice problem solving skills. Plus, he did a great job in showing her compassion and empathy, which was key towards resolving the situation with the Lost Lantern in the story. The final story (with the Lost Lantern) was beautiful and enjoyable too. Thus, even though the main story was one that I had issues with, I felt that the book concluded on a high note.
Overall, this book was a mixed bag. I had issues with the characterization in general. I did like how the last story and Jessica were written though. I also like the art in this book.
I also am not a fan of how Simon and Jessica's relationship was written. They've had a platonic relationship and it works well that way. Nevertheless, with this book, they are starting to have romantic feelings for each other (which came out of nowhere). The essence of their relationship is a close friendship - a close platonic bond, not a romantic one.
I did like how Jessica was written overall as well as the final story in the book. Her struggles with anxiety, particularly in social situations, were written well. I also like how Seeley wrote her struggles with public speaking and how she handled the situation with the Lost Lantern at the end. Seeley showed how well she thinks on her feet and some nice problem solving skills. Plus, he did a great job in showing her compassion and empathy, which was key towards resolving the situation with the Lost Lantern in the story. The final story (with the Lost Lantern) was beautiful and enjoyable too. Thus, even though the main story was one that I had issues with, I felt that the book concluded on a high note.
Overall, this book was a mixed bag. I had issues with the characterization in general. I did like how the last story and Jessica were written though. I also like the art in this book.
October 25, 2021
The Lanterns travel to a distant planet where a religious sect is forcing people to do their bidding. It's up to Jessica and Simon to try and get through to the people and somehow try to defeat this church/cult.
So Tim Seeley's run is off to a rocky start, as he uses this story to denounce religion in general as it is the main driving force of "evil" in the story. I found his take to be a bit ham-fisted, and in regards to Simon's religion, kind of dismissive. I mean, the lanterns are told they must convert to this religion in order to infiltrate the planet, and Jessica asks Simon if this is ok with him because he is a religious guy. One sentence was use to wave off any uncomfortable feeling Simon may have had about the situation. I think if Seeley would've spent a bit more time on this, it would've rang truer.
But the part that really annoyed me about this volume is the fact that he is moving towards a romantic relationship between Simon and Jessica. I think this is a huge misstep. Every previous writers have written interesting stories between these two partners, because there isn't the romantic subplot to deal with. Of course they probably all saw it - but they were probably like, hey that's too easy, lets go a different way. Not Seeley, who steers the ship towards that obvious plot point a little too eagerly. ugh.
I'm a bit dismayed by this last volume, but I like the characters enough to keep going. Hopefully Vol 8 gets us back on track.
So Tim Seeley's run is off to a rocky start, as he uses this story to denounce religion in general as it is the main driving force of "evil" in the story. I found his take to be a bit ham-fisted, and in regards to Simon's religion, kind of dismissive. I mean, the lanterns are told they must convert to this religion in order to infiltrate the planet, and Jessica asks Simon if this is ok with him because he is a religious guy. One sentence was use to wave off any uncomfortable feeling Simon may have had about the situation. I think if Seeley would've spent a bit more time on this, it would've rang truer.
But the part that really annoyed me about this volume is the fact that he is moving towards a romantic relationship between Simon and Jessica. I think this is a huge misstep. Every previous writers have written interesting stories between these two partners, because there isn't the romantic subplot to deal with. Of course they probably all saw it - but they were probably like, hey that's too easy, lets go a different way. Not Seeley, who steers the ship towards that obvious plot point a little too eagerly. ugh.
I'm a bit dismayed by this last volume, but I like the characters enough to keep going. Hopefully Vol 8 gets us back on track.
May 31, 2019
"People only believe in a God so they can have a voice other than theirs tell them they're okay. But it's a lie. It's just their own voice!"
August 9, 2023
Almost a 2.5/5. This felt like a bit of a chore to read. I enjoy Simon and Jessica but the goofiness of the first volume of Seeley's run on Green Lanterns is gone. Now we just get a lot of what feels like slog to fight scenes.
Story-wise hte superhuman trafficking plotline was ok. Unlike the arc in the previous volume there really isn't any focus on using sci-fi to tell or say something other than maybe religion can be used to control people and how religion gains its power from the people around them? Idk, it just a bland evil religion. It really just devolves to action and fight scenes anyway. The message if there is one would be Seeley doesn't like religion as even if it's used initially to create good by helping people find meaning it'll be used for evil eventually feels pushed to the sideline for fights after fights insteads. The Vaikean storyline was much better but very rushed. I feel like it could've been an issue longer to develop it and not make it as confusing as it did (it was so confusing the last few pages amount to explaining what happened). It felt like it was trying to say something much more than the superhuman trafficking plotline about how we can grow and change. It seemed to have a nice message but it was hard to parse it out with the quick pace of it. I wish it was given more time than the superhuman trafficking story that felt just a tad stretched out like the Liseth Vok storyline was last volume.
The side plots are eh. Simon's dating sideplot seems dead in the water after this one what with his deal with Night Pilot and now Jessica. Jessica's sideplot of having a job on Earth is completely forgotten and now we're seeing her careen into an impending anxiety disaster. That was in the previous side plot a bit but didn't feel like the focus of it. But we haven't really seen it go anywhere other than its getting bad and getting in the way of her ability to work so far. I don't mind her anxiety being given a focus. But we are 7 volumes into a run where she has consistently fought against her anxiety so treating it like a new sideplot is a bit odd.
The art is meh. You get Bagenda for issue one and Marion for issue 3 and 4. Both have great paneling and backgrounds but have awkward art for the actual humans of the stories. Faces constantly look off and characters like Jessica or Simon change faces so much they look different page to page. Could be some of the issues are from the inker but I wouldn't know. Issue 5 is with Perkins who I like the most. But each artist seems to struggle to keep peoples faces the same. They do well with aliens and green lantern constructs which make sense for a GL story but many struggle to make Simon and Jessica look consistent in the same issue.
As a few little asides Seeley's run is definitely coming off very cop heavy with talks about jurisdiction and going undercover. For such a cop heavy approach the quick to action nature of comics makes it come off a bit awkward to read. I dislike GL when it goes into hardcore cop stuff so I hope it'll go back to buddy cop or sci-fi stories with less of a cop-y edge.
Also Seeley I guess loves hot comic women. I mean, under this run we've had two important alien women that feel a bit sexualized in Liseth Vok and Scrapps. Then there's Night Pilot who looks like a DC Bombshells character with less sexualization. Her whole inclusion is to be a love interest for Simon Baz who is absolutely gaga over her this volume
Story-wise hte superhuman trafficking plotline was ok. Unlike the arc in the previous volume there really isn't any focus on using sci-fi to tell or say something other than maybe religion can be used to control people and how religion gains its power from the people around them? Idk, it just a bland evil religion. It really just devolves to action and fight scenes anyway. The message if there is one would be Seeley doesn't like religion as even if it's used initially to create good by helping people find meaning it'll be used for evil eventually feels pushed to the sideline for fights after fights insteads. The Vaikean storyline was much better but very rushed. I feel like it could've been an issue longer to develop it and not make it as confusing as it did (it was so confusing the last few pages amount to explaining what happened). It felt like it was trying to say something much more than the superhuman trafficking plotline about how we can grow and change. It seemed to have a nice message but it was hard to parse it out with the quick pace of it. I wish it was given more time than the superhuman trafficking story that felt just a tad stretched out like the Liseth Vok storyline was last volume.
The side plots are eh. Simon's dating sideplot seems dead in the water after this one what with his deal with Night Pilot and now Jessica. Jessica's sideplot of having a job on Earth is completely forgotten and now we're seeing her careen into an impending anxiety disaster. That was in the previous side plot a bit but didn't feel like the focus of it. But we haven't really seen it go anywhere other than its getting bad and getting in the way of her ability to work so far. I don't mind her anxiety being given a focus. But we are 7 volumes into a run where she has consistently fought against her anxiety so treating it like a new sideplot is a bit odd.
The art is meh. You get Bagenda for issue one and Marion for issue 3 and 4. Both have great paneling and backgrounds but have awkward art for the actual humans of the stories. Faces constantly look off and characters like Jessica or Simon change faces so much they look different page to page. Could be some of the issues are from the inker but I wouldn't know. Issue 5 is with Perkins who I like the most. But each artist seems to struggle to keep peoples faces the same. They do well with aliens and green lantern constructs which make sense for a GL story but many struggle to make Simon and Jessica look consistent in the same issue.
As a few little asides Seeley's run is definitely coming off very cop heavy with talks about jurisdiction and going undercover. For such a cop heavy approach the quick to action nature of comics makes it come off a bit awkward to read. I dislike GL when it goes into hardcore cop stuff so I hope it'll go back to buddy cop or sci-fi stories with less of a cop-y edge.
Also Seeley I guess loves hot comic women. I mean, under this run we've had two important alien women that feel a bit sexualized in Liseth Vok and Scrapps. Then there's Night Pilot who looks like a DC Bombshells character with less sexualization. Her whole inclusion is to be a love interest for Simon Baz who is absolutely gaga over her this volume
January 24, 2019
Green Lanterns vol 8: Superhuman Trafficking was my favorite volume to date. There are so many unheard of heroes coming together for a hurricane relief. I loved seeing the unity for Mother Earth.
Night Pilot and a bunch of local superheroes go missing. Just the sound of Night Pilot's name gets Simon Baz excited. The chick that dumps him is ever so on his mind. But thanks to the caper dating app, Jessica Cruz is starting to think of her partner differently. It only took 7 volumes for that to happen. I think they'd make an amazing couple.
It came down to using a terrorist named Scrapps for information. Scrapps ends up leading the Lanterns to her suppliers. A quick battle ends up with "dead lanterns." This compromise leads our heroes to the order of the steed, a cult like universal church.
The Order is using superheroes as avatars, and Night Pilot is the most important one. Thanks to Jessica Cruz's innovative mind, they are able to free the heroes. I did want Scrapps to kill the head leader though. Night Pilot is juall over Simon at the end. I know he risked his life for you but don't be so fake. Jessica looks so hurt.
So to my amazement, Simon decides to not pursue Night Pilot. Apparantley she has everything he wants but that it factor, which is love. It turns out that Simon is matched with Jessica in caper! I' guess I'll see how their relationship blossoms In the next volume.
Night Pilot and a bunch of local superheroes go missing. Just the sound of Night Pilot's name gets Simon Baz excited. The chick that dumps him is ever so on his mind. But thanks to the caper dating app, Jessica Cruz is starting to think of her partner differently. It only took 7 volumes for that to happen. I think they'd make an amazing couple.
It came down to using a terrorist named Scrapps for information. Scrapps ends up leading the Lanterns to her suppliers. A quick battle ends up with "dead lanterns." This compromise leads our heroes to the order of the steed, a cult like universal church.
The Order is using superheroes as avatars, and Night Pilot is the most important one. Thanks to Jessica Cruz's innovative mind, they are able to free the heroes. I did want Scrapps to kill the head leader though. Night Pilot is juall over Simon at the end. I know he risked his life for you but don't be so fake. Jessica looks so hurt.
So to my amazement, Simon decides to not pursue Night Pilot. Apparantley she has everything he wants but that it factor, which is love. It turns out that Simon is matched with Jessica in caper! I' guess I'll see how their relationship blossoms In the next volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2019
I am rating this 3 star purely based on the annual story , coz the whole superhuman trafficking story arc was boring as hell .
The whole trafficking storyline started with a superhero dating app , which was fun idea , and followed up with so many things that I kept losing focus , add to that Seeley keeps writing all those philosophical diatribe , about religion , politics and people searching for their place in life . Meh , it's irritating to say the least .
Honestly at one point I even stopped reading the dialogues , also they are still playing the "Jessica is scared of gathering" schtick when clearly the character has moved leaps and bounds ahead of those problems .
In fact I take issue with portrayal of Jessica . There was absolutely no need for creating a romantic angle for her , especially with Simon , and I'd even bite it if it was done right , the story suggests she falls for him simply because of an dating app . Ugh .
The annual story was actually decent , with the whole lost lantern bit and how people shouldn't be judgemental and stuff , but it wasn't so good as to make me want to rate it any higher than a 3 star .
Oh and the whole issue art was nothing spectacular , it was decent in most panels but I felt the expressions of the characters didn't match well to the story or the dialogue being delivered
The whole trafficking storyline started with a superhero dating app , which was fun idea , and followed up with so many things that I kept losing focus , add to that Seeley keeps writing all those philosophical diatribe , about religion , politics and people searching for their place in life . Meh , it's irritating to say the least .
Honestly at one point I even stopped reading the dialogues , also they are still playing the "Jessica is scared of gathering" schtick when clearly the character has moved leaps and bounds ahead of those problems .
In fact I take issue with portrayal of Jessica . There was absolutely no need for creating a romantic angle for her , especially with Simon , and I'd even bite it if it was done right , the story suggests she falls for him simply because of an dating app . Ugh .
The annual story was actually decent , with the whole lost lantern bit and how people shouldn't be judgemental and stuff , but it wasn't so good as to make me want to rate it any higher than a 3 star .
Oh and the whole issue art was nothing spectacular , it was decent in most panels but I felt the expressions of the characters didn't match well to the story or the dialogue being delivered
March 7, 2023
This was a step down from the previous volume and kind of a chore to read and like the story is about super-heroes being abducted by some people and how Simon and Jess team up to stop them, also meet Scrapps from the omega men and that was fun, I love her design and the character, would love to read more of her also here we get to see whats been going on with the abducted heroes and about this religion "Order of the creed" and its the usual fight against that, maybe some people will think its the writer attacking religions and that could be one criticism but hey everyone got their own stance. In the context of the story it works but I wish the writer had explored that villainous grou and the entity they worship more, rather than just half explained thing but it does well to give the duo a new challenge and prevent such crimes too.
The other story with the lost lantern on the Planet "Vaikea" was much more interesting and talks about some other interesting elements of who you are, and do you have to be that way forever and I love the way the writer here wrote Jess and really hammered home some interesting ideas of her becoming more courageous and leading to the next big arc really well.
So yeah a good one time read!
The other story with the lost lantern on the Planet "Vaikea" was much more interesting and talks about some other interesting elements of who you are, and do you have to be that way forever and I love the way the writer here wrote Jess and really hammered home some interesting ideas of her becoming more courageous and leading to the next big arc really well.
So yeah a good one time read!
July 18, 2023
This volume really feels like it's trying too hard. It has a couple decent ideas (the superhuman dating app), but saddles it with a weird story about kidnapping supers to use as... horses? The alien religion is very alien in its implementation, but I'm not convinced the illogicality of it is because it is alien, or if it just isn't very well thought out. Scrapps (of the Omega Men) is a nice addition to the team, even if their rationale for going along with everything is pretty thin. The resolution is a bit much too, and attempts to set up the two Lanterns as a couple really aren't appreciated.
The collection also has a back-up story by Andy Diggle, uses some alien cultural rules for comedy, but lets Jessica save the day by thinking things through, rather than resorting to the normal Green Lantern 'punch everything' mindset. The story actually feels like it has higher stakes even though it's resolving a millenia-old mystery. Both stories have their merits, but neither is era-defining and they ultimately both feel a bit small, despite their cosmos-spanning settings.
The collection also has a back-up story by Andy Diggle, uses some alien cultural rules for comedy, but lets Jessica save the day by thinking things through, rather than resorting to the normal Green Lantern 'punch everything' mindset. The story actually feels like it has higher stakes even though it's resolving a millenia-old mystery. Both stories have their merits, but neither is era-defining and they ultimately both feel a bit small, despite their cosmos-spanning settings.
June 15, 2019
This is a little better than the first volume in Seeley's run on the comic, although I may be on the generous side nudging it up to the full four stars. There are two reasons for the improvement. One is that Seeley is trying more obviously for humour in this outing and, even if his political message is, once again, hammered home a little too forcefully, and the romance subplots are implausible, it's easier to take this as an amusing bit of fun rather than anything actually trying to be serious. Taken in that light, it kinds of works, if you don't think about it too much. The larger reason, though, is that the volume also includes a standalone story (the annual for that year) which is by a different author. In particular, Diggle has a better handle on Jessica than Seeley does, and writes her more convincingly, which improves a story about the Corps' past.
May 2, 2026
Tim Seeley isn't the writer this title needs. His plots have been pretty bad and here, a decent idea popped its head up and then immediately was bashed like a whack-a-mole. A super hero dating app? Clever. Disappearances based on it? Interesting. A generic space church? Old and cliched with no drama. Once again, in this world, you create new aliens they need, need, need to be interesting and Seeley once again missed the mark. Added a truly unnecessary Moonlighting vibe (I'm old, go check it out). The art was fine but the characters get randomly whitewashed at times. Overall, the main Green Lantern book ended here and this title should as well.
October 29, 2018
I read Green Lanterns Vol. 7 as single issues.
Individual Issues: Forty, Forty-one, Forty-two, Forty-three
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Individual Issues: Forty, Forty-one, Forty-two, Forty-three
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
June 7, 2023
I really like Scrapps omg, I hope she shows up again somewhere. This was a solid volume, liked the character development, though I'm not sure about a lot of the romance drama but it seems to be going in a positive direction. I hope they don't linger on drama for the sake of it. The annual was really good though!
December 31, 2018
(Read in single issues)
Green Lanterns has changed from something I looked at my husband and asked "do we really need two Green Lantern titles?" To being something I would never trade for a million years.
Green Lanterns has changed from something I looked at my husband and asked "do we really need two Green Lantern titles?" To being something I would never trade for a million years.
January 7, 2019
I actually liked some of the emotional/mental tension that the book included...even with a superhero dating app!
January 28, 2019
Alright, so I think I am done with Green Lanterns until a new writer takes over. SOOOO boring.
January 30, 2019
Public library copy
I'm not sure why this title exists, but since it's free to borrow I won't complain.
I'm not sure why this title exists, but since it's free to borrow I won't complain.
July 27, 2019
2 1/2. Superhero dating app. Interesting. It matches Jessica and Baz. Obviously. Then nothing else of consequence.
January 14, 2021
Read over the weekend but forgot to add to GR.
September 13, 2021
Superhero dating apps and a horse cult. This was cute at times.
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