Two chapters in and we have already been given ample reasons to want more time with Alan Scott and this creative team beyond this initial arc. Read Full Review

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #2 excellently follows one of the best comics of the year in a way that keeps the series on pace to end up with an Eisner. Read Full Review

There's a fascinating mystery at the center of the story, as well as a powerful and dangerous new antagonist, but this series wouldn't be half as good as it is without the brilliant character work Sheridan is bringing. Read Full Review

Through the powerful writing of Sheridan, Alan Scott's journey into becoming a hero instantly wins over readers with this issue. The creative team of Tormey, Herms and Gattoni bring out the intense will of Scott as he presses forward even when society tries shoving back. Read Full Review

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #2 is a fantastic issue that delivers a tragic origin while adding a dose of real history into it all. It takes Alan's continued evolution as a character to the next level creating even more motivation to his actions and setting up what should be an intriguing villain to come. Read Full Review

Alan's experiences in Arkham Asylum end up being more terrible than any villain he might face, and the build-up to the debut of Red Lantern would have been better if it were a surprise, but it's a well-done comic book regardless. Read Full Review

By and large, Alan Scott: The Green Lantern is succeeding at everything it's supposed to be, and that's great to see. Read Full Review

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #2 isn't a superhero comic. It's an egregious piece of fanfic designed to retcon Alan Scott into a tragically oppressed man dealing with homophobic social ills in WWII-era America. The main plot gets no attention in an issue-long flashback that pulls Green Lantern's origin far enough away from the source material to be almost unrecognizable. Read Full Review

Whoa. I wasn’t ready for this rollercoaster, gut-punch of an issue. It made me happy, sad, angry, and frustrated all within the span of 20-something pages.

Things pick up seamlessly from the captivating first issue, delving deeper into the past and present of Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern. Tim Sheridan continues to weave an emotionally gripping narrative that blends grippingly complex character exploration with what can only be called psychological horror for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community.

Sheridan masterfully showcases Alan's struggles as he grapples with the weight of his past and the threats of the present. The issue delves into Alan's experiences in Arkham Asylum, highlighting the prejudices and discrimination faced by gay men in the 1930s (and unfortunately still today). This exploration of Alan's identity adds a layer of depth and resonance to his character, making him even more of a tragically sympathetic figure.

The design by Cian Tormey and colors by Matt Herms are a gorgeous marriage of visual artistry. The panels are visually striking, capturing the emotional intensity of the story and the vibrant world of the Golden Age. Tormey's expressive linework and Herms' rich colors bring Alan's world to life in both of the story’s timelines, immersing readers in the two experiences.

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #2 is a masterful continuation of Sheridan's captivating story. The issue delves deeper into Alan's past, revealing the traumatic experiences that shaped him and continue to influence his actions. Sheridan's exploration of Alan's identity is both poignant and thought-provoking, adding depth and layers to the character. It also holds a mirror up to today’s world and shows just how little has changed in many regards when it comes to LGBTQ individuals who face their own inner demons accepting who they are for fear of persecution, hatred, violence, or excommunication from society or those who are meant to be their safe spaces. more

One of the best things I read today. Can't wait for next issue.

Stunning.

A definite step-up from the previous issue, in my opinion. While I don't feel as though that this did a whole lot to advance the main story of the miniseries, I just thought that this was a really good depiction of what LGBTQ+ people went through decades ago. DerbyComics did a really good review here, so I would definitely recommend that you check that out. I don't give as high of a score to this as they did, but I generally agree with what was said in their review. My main hope now is that we can get back into the main story and that it ends up being fairly interesting, considering that the next issue marks the halfway point of the miniseries.

I liked some parts of this issue, but it’s essentially just Gay / Transgender trauma porn that felt irrelevant to what was introduced in the first issue. Alan’s stint in Arkham added nothing to the character that wasn’t there before. The time frames in this comic continue to be disorderly and there’s a lack of action. Positives are that Sheridan and the artists capture the vintage 40s vibes perfectly. The train surrounded by flames was ravishing to look at, just an awesome splash page. Alan opening up to his friend was cool too, and some landmark Gotham locations were drawn well.

An extended flashback in the second issue that fails to capitalize on the interesting present-day mystery that was set up in the first issue hinders this second chapter. The story is 1/3 over and in addition to no forward movement on the plot, the origin of Alan Scott and his connection to the Green Flame has been fundamentally altered instead of expanded upon. If this was an alternate-Earth Alan Scott, that’s fine. But it’s not.

If the first issue had been promising, the second one fails to live up to expectations. In effect, the story here is an extended flashback littered with retcons that does not move the story forward in any capacity -- the present day part of the comic is entirely static, and focused on Alan telling Doiby his story. I'm a great enjoyer of character studies but even I'd go as far as to say that this is one of the big no-no's in a six-issue miniseries; there's simply not enough space to be able to afford this kind of departure from the actual plot.

Structural issues aside, the flashback itself could tell a touching story if the Starheart's prophecy hadn't been so fundamentally altered, now having brought nothing but misfortune even during the 'life' prophecy. It seems odd to me that the original Billings had had a happy ending in every version of this tale, but Billie is granted a thoroughly horrific fate instead. For longtime readers, it may be a step too far from the morally neutral all-powerful force Mart Nodell & Bill Finger had written about all the way back in All-American Comics #16. Jimmy Henton being a stand-in for Johnny Ladd also rather cheapens the story that had been told in the Green Lantern 80th Anniversary or DC Pride 2021. more

Going to keep this simple just to hit the high (low) points of how this is a dumpsterfire.

1) No understanding how lobotomies work at all? Check.
2) Doing a hack-job at ruining Alan's origin, making him a shell of himself and taking away the cool part of his lantern? Check.
3) Negative gay stereotypes? Check.

This is basically a story written by someone who doesn't seem to understanding how to not write males leads who are gay without diving straight into the stereotypes.

This issue isnt deep, its a poor tackling of series issues by a writer who doesn't understand the character. This reads like high school fan fic quality writing.

The writing is not bad but this is not Alan Scott. How can you explain Molly and Alan's children?

This should be an Elseworlds series: "DC Elseworlds: Persecution of Green Lantern as Gay Man." Would rate this a 7 as an Elseworlds story, but 3 (to be generous) as DC Comics canon story. But this is not an Elseworlds story, althought there is no reason this could not have been an Elseworlds publication, as done to address other persecution of people (e.g., "Red Son.") I believe Tim Sheridan has a good comics-based narrative on USA abuses against gay and transexual individuals in 1930s-40s, and certainly no honest person could state that such persecution is over even today in 2023. Such persecution against gays is unquestionably cruel, sick, and really "obscene." But that is not why people went to buy the latest issue of "Green Lantern Alan Scott." Be upfront about topic and Elseworlds to be fair to customers, e.g., "DC Elseworlds: Persecution of Green Lantern as Gay Man."

Some specifics. In issue #1, in May 1941, Hoover is threating Green Lantern to join JSA. But in DC canon GL Alan Scott appeared with JSA in March 1941 (really December 1940), and GL Alan Scott had nationwide, anti-Nazi mission with JSA in April 1941, in All-Star Comics #3 and #4, respectively. (All BEFORE Tim Sheridan's version of GL's talk with Hoover.)

GL Alan Scott joined military in 1942 (Green Lantern #4), and was not blue discharged "blue ticketed" out in 1939/40, per this GL issue #2 by Tim Sheridan. Tim also has not done his history research (again). The real focus of the USA military blue discharge against gays in the USA military was the result of a policy in 1944 (not 1939/40). Those USA military gays persecuted with blue discharge definitely were not allowed to rejoin military, in fact they were even prevented from gaining veteran's benefits. So this major retcon of GL Alan Scott no longer has him joining the Army in 1942, fighting the Nazis, etc., which were all part of the FOUNDATION of the Green Lantern character and especially the JSA's history. (And rewrites USA history while its at it.)

Alan Scott was a railway engineer BEFORE (not AFTER) the military, which Tim tries to reverse to throw some semplance of consistency in the retcon. But it is absolutely a retcon of GL Alan Scott's GL character. As everyone knows, Alan Scott went on to be a radio engineer, after his railroad days. His radio engineering skills were a KEY part of Alan Scott's ability to fight the Nazis during WWII. (On radio engineer, think "computer engineer" as relevant comparison).

Tim Sheridan rightly wants to point out the horrific abuses to gay and transexual human beings in USA during this timeframe, and I agree with doing that 1000%. When he wants to create an Elseworlds GL story for that, I am good with that. But just randomly rewriting GL Alan Scott's origin for canon is absolutely not necesssary to do that. And it is counterproductive in other ways. Let us also be clear, as obscene as USA medical acts against gays were, they were not literally marching them to the gas chambers like Nazi Germany. So GL and JSA's fight against Nazis is also a really essential part of the DC Comics hero history.

I think the new story is moving, sad, important, necessary to be read. Also **NOT** a "Green Lantern" story. We need to hear about this and other (continuing) abuses by USA. Writers need a freedom like DC Elseworlds to tell those stories. We should not have to chose between Bill Finger/ Martin Nodell's Green Lantern origin or Tim Sheridan's Green Lantern origin. Tim should have a platform to tell his story as part of DC Elseworlds.


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Garbage like this by garbage writers like Tim Sheridan is why no one buys comics.