Some thoughts about Green Lantern 80th Anniversary Super Spectacular

The Green Lantern legacy lives on.

During its whole existence, the Corps has gotten multiple memorable members and these are some of their most important stories.

The Anniversary specials don't stop and this time we're given one for a franchise I actually love. DC has once again gotten some of the prominent writers that have worked on the Green Lantern series... and James Tynion IV (Yes, yes, there are other writers that don't really have a history with the series in this special but still this rubs me the wrong way and I will talk about it in a bit). That being said, every author who has a famous run is present here (Aside from Gerard Jones because of obvious reasons) and they all deliver their own interesting tale that share a lot in common with their respective past works.

We open with James Tynion IV and this is admitedly not the best way. First of all, I have to say how tired I am of his stories that are never particularly well-written and can be pretty derivative, worst of all is that he appears everywhere these days and let's just say I had enough of him this week with Batman. Second, he writes about Alan Scott and I have to wonder, why didn't DC ask James Robinson who actually has a real history with Alan and understands his character? Tynion is not bad and he seems like is hinting about Alan having a male romantic interest like what Robinson did on Earth 2 but still is nothing impressive and feels like a wasted opportunity. Gary Frank's artwork is no waste though since he elevates this story with his wonderful storytelling to acceptable levels.

Then comes Geoff Johns who tells a story about Hal believes he's going to die and decides to give a final message to his friends and loved ones. It's all perfectly in-character, sharing a lot of themes from Johns' run and even developing Hal further than before, all of this ending in a pretty comedic way. Ivan Reis is fittingly handling art duties and the little details he provides are wonderful like Guy and Kyle being closer like they were in Peter Tomasi's Green Lantern Corps, Batman smiling because of Hal's message and Ollie laughing the most.

Cullen Bunn arrives with a story about Sinestro which is appropriate considering how he handled the ongoing book about the villain which was also solidly done for the most part. Is all about how Sinestro can't help but keep being obsessed about the Green Lantern Corps and trying to make it better in its own way which once again, is really accurate to his character. Doug Mahnke handles the art and is really solid as always with a lot of detail in every aspect.

The late Dennis O'Neil gives us a story that is suited around the time where Hal and Ollie were the "Hard-Traveling Heroes" and I must say, while I had problems with how O'Neil wrote them during the 70s, I must say that he did a better job here being able to make them both more likable, showcasing Ollie's classic flaws and Hal having a wiser behavior, I'm glad that O'Neil was able to tell this story before his passing, is really good. Mike Grell, another classic creator, especially for Green Arrow, delivers the pencils and his work is perfectly fitting for the tone of the tale and time.

Kyle Rayner gets the spotlight written appropriately by Ron Marz who created him and wrote his initial run. Many of the same themes that Marz touched during his work concerning carrying the torch and being the only Green Lantern around for that era are revisited and they also get a proper resolution. Darryl Banks' artwork is decent and follows the script clearly.

Guy Gardner, Kilowog and the rest of the GLC also get a segment written by their long-time writer Peter Tomasi to deliver yet another charming story about their unity and one of their oldest members, really reminds me of his run. Fernando Pasarin also delivers solid artwork with expressive characters and clear storytelling.

Charlotte Fullerton McDuffie (Wife of the late Dwayne McDuffie) and Chris Cross write a story heavily inspired by the Justice League animated series and centered around John Stewart and Hawkgirl which is all in memory of Dwayne McDuffie which is heartwarming and the tale itself is decent. Jordi Tarragona handles the art and is equally solid and follows the plot appropriately.

Robert Venditti offers a final story about the main 4 Green Lanterns of Earth in their later years which is quite fitting considering how relevant they were during his run, Venditti creates a lot of touching scenes about them remembering each one of their moments, particularly the ones centering around Guy and it all pays off at the end. Rafa Sandoval is on art duties and his flexible and expressive work is always appreciated.

Jessica Cruz also get her own segment written by Mariko Tamaki and it's all about her anxiety disorder which is nothing new and I don't think Tamaki explores it much further than that, the story is just okay. Mirka Andolfo's pencils are pretty vibrant though.

Finally, Simon Baz gets his part with a story handled by Sina Grace that it's all about how he has to live with being a Muslim in a society that hates. It's highly political with many typical themes that you could expect from it but most importantly, it emphasizes Simon's empathic nature because of what he had to live and I believe is an interesting take on the character. Ramon Villalobos' art is wonderful with a pretty unique style that tells the story perfectly.

Overall, a pretty great special and my favorite so far. Good work.