Star Trek/Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds #1 Review

Welcome everyone, to the first installment of this unexpected but most welcome sequel to the crossover hit of 2015, Star Trek/Green Lantern. While this may seem like a strange combination, both series are rooted in the prospect of space adventures and all things considered, the two worlds actually meshed surprisingly well together.

The story goes like this. In an alternate DC Universe in which the heroes failed to stop the Blackest Night (long story, think zombie superheroes with lantern rings), Ganthet, one of the Guardians of the Universe, implemented a protocol to transport the power rings to somewhere that the evil Nekron, (also a long story, essentially the grim reaper) couldn’t find them, the Star Trek Universe. Several of the principal Green Lantern characters followed in search of Ganthet. Hal Jordan in particular encountered Captain Kirk and the enterprise, and, with the aid of the Enterprise crew as well as the other colored lanterns, defeated Nekron and a resurrected planet Vulcan. The story ended with the Lanterns deciding to stay in this new reality, given that their own Universe had been destroyed by the Blackest Night.

We open at Starfleet Academy where Green Lanterns Guy Gardener, John Stewart and Kilowog are giving a lecture on the proper use of power rings, though Guy is considerably more concerned with hitting on the attractive Vulcan instructor. I should mention that in the last crossover, Scotty was able to develop his own crude version of a power ring and since then, such rings have become standard issue for Starfleet security forces. They’re considerably more limited than the real deal, only able to fire energy blasts and create shields, but they get the job done. Speaking of limitations however, Guy’s ring unexpectedly loses power in the middle of a demonstration. We later learn that this has actually been happening on and off for some time as a result of the Lanterns being cut off from their native reality. Elsewhere, Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris, the Star Sapphire, are aiding the enterprise in protecting a Federation space station from a meteor shower when both of their rings start to fail. Carol gets beamed up right away but Hal refuses to stand down, putting his life in danger and irritating Kirk to no end. Kirk, not willing to let Jordan kill himself, beams him up anyway. Later, in sickbay, Carol is getting checked out by Bones and we learn that she and Scotty are now an item. Elsewhere, Kirk and Jordan are discussing Hal’s insubordination and the inevitability of his power ring running out of juice permanently when a distress call comes in from the Blue Lantern known as St. Walker. Cut over to Sinestro, the wielder of the yellow ring of fear and the primary villain of the Green Lantern books who has apparently been busy since last time as he seems to have conquered the entire Klingon Empire. Sinestro’s ring is having the same problems as the others’ and he’s growing increasingly frustrated because of it. One of his soldiers enters and has apparently captured St. Walker.

Back with the Enterprise crew, they have traced the source of the distress signal to an uninhabited planet where much to Jordan’s surprise, they find a Manhunter Robot, the precursors of the Green Lantern Corps. The dating of the machine clearly indicates that it wasn’t brought over with Ganthet but is instead native to this reality. Sinestro and his Klingons swoop in to attack and the comic ends with Sinestro saying if the Manhunters exist in this world, then so too must the planet Oa.

What Works: I thought a lot of the ways the DC characters have adjusted to life in the Star Trek universe were very nicely done. John, Guy and Kilowog as Academy instructors, Sinestro having conquered the Klingons and especially Carol and Scotty getting together seem like natural developments for those characters and all were nice to see. Speaking of, I’m so glad that Carol finally found someone who isn’t an asshole like Hal.

What Doesn’t: I do not like Hal Jordan. That’s not a mark against the comic, that’s just a general statement.

Overall: 5/5

Speaking as someone who really enjoyed the first crossover, I’m very pleased to see the story being followed up on like this.