Review: Green Lanterns Vol. 8- Ghosts of the Past

Quick Summary

Pros: The majority of the book’s conflict is interesting and exciting. The exploration into Jessica’s past is incredibly well done and is told in a way that makes for an intense and satisfying read. The volume’s visuals are mostly positive.

Cons: One of the first stories’ subplots is lackluster. The second story has a few minor flaws that prevent it from standing out.

Overall: This is one of the most instantly interesting volumes in this entire series. The volume tells engaging stories, depicts a few exciting situations, and holds interest the whole way through. However, its chief positive is providing a satisfying exploration into a pivotal moment from Jessica Cruz’s past, a reveal that has been teased for a long time. The volume ends up being a worthwhile read for any fan of this series but is an absolute must-read for any fan of Jessica Cruz.

Story

Green Lanterns Vol. 8: Ghosts of the Past, mostly written by Tim Seeley, contains many positives and only a few negatives. Right from the start, this volume gets off on the right track by diving into a previously unexplored, but often alluded to, piece of Jessica Cruz’s past. It gives the answers to questions that have been around for a while and does so in a way that successfully combines suspense and emotion. Outside of this, there are a few lackluster subplots, but the majority of the volume consists of engaging Green Lantern adventures. Though Jessica Cruz definitely steals the spotlight in this volume, it is still easily worthwhile for any fan of the series.

(spoilers start here)

The main storyline in Ghosts of the Past focuses on finally exploring Jessica Cruz’s past and the roots of her semi-recent mental breakdown. This has been a mystery teased since this character’s earliest appearances and has been something that impacts her actions in every story. So, finally witnessing the source of this mystery makes for a very satisfying reading experience.

However, this storyline isn’t just appealing because it answers long-awaited questions, it is appealing because of how well executed it is. Flashbacks into Jessica’s past tell the gripping story of a group of friends undergoing a terrible tragedy. I thought that knowing how this situation ends would take the intensity out of its retelling but, instead, it made it even more intense, since I knew tragedy would soon shatter this otherwise sweet flashback. This is then paired with what is happening in the present, which leads to a wholesome and inspiring triumph for both Jessica and Simon.

The only downside to this opening story is that the actions of the superheroes alongside Jessica’s personal story aren’t that great. The presence of the Justice League barely adds anything to the story and Constantine’s solution to the situation is left pretty unclear. It isn’t a huge problem, especially since it is far from this story’s main focus, but it does prevent the arc from standing out as well as it potentially could have.

After this story, Ghosts of the Past goes on to detail a quick adventure in space, written by Aaron Gillespie. Jessica is framed for a crime and she and Simon are forced to dodge their own allies until they can right the situation. It makes for a solid story where the success of the heroes isn’t always certain. However, the story isn’t quite as interesting as one would hope and an uncharacteristically authoritarian depiction of Hal Jordan makes it even worse.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The artwork in Ghosts of the Past is generally pleasing and complements the story. Ronan Cliquet’s stylized work on the first few chapters is enjoyable and focuses on character faces in a way that emphasize emotion. Then, more realistic work from V. Ken Marion helps emphasize the darker tone of a few later chapters. It also helps that all of these chapters are laid out in a way that assists the flow of the story, with atypical panels designed to bring home a few specific points. There are a few places, throughout the collection, where a character’s pose looks a little off or where a body looks a little contorted, but these flaws are pretty rare. As a whole, the visuals in this collection look nice and work with the story being told.

Continuity

Green Lanterns Vol. 8: Ghosts of the Past continues the story from Green Lanterns Vol. 7: Superhuman Trafficking (Review).

The story here continues in Green Lanterns Vol. 9: Evil’s Might (Review).

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• Jessica received the Ring of Volthoom in Justice League Vol. 2 #31, collected in Justice League Vol. 6: Injustice League (Review).
• The Ring of Volthoom was destroyed in Justice League Vol. 2 #50, collected in Justice League Vol. 8: Darkseid War Part 2 (Review) (Reading Order).