Green Lanterns #15 Review

I wish I could be covering this series on a more consistent basis as I find it to be one of the strongest titles to come out of DC’s latest reboot, but unfortunately, with all the other projects I have to fit in, this one has to be edged out. That said, I still enjoy revisiting it from time to time.

We open with Jessica Cruz, one of the two Green Lanterns of Earth, waking up in her home. For those who don’t know, as it hasn’t really come up in a prominent fashion in the Green Lanterns issues we’ve covered in the past, Jessica suffers from anxiety, which in this case refers to a nervous disorder characterized by excessive uneasiness and apprehension and often causes one to experience compulsive panic attacks. For someone like Jessica, even getting out of bed in the morning can be a struggle. Because she deals with so much fear everyday, Jessica often wonders why the Green Lantern Ring, which selects its wearer for their ability to overcome great fear, would choose her. Today, Jessica is spending her morning with Simon, her partner in the Green Lantern Corps, getting pancakes at a diner. Simon means well and wants to help Jessica as best he can, but he doesn’t quite understand how. Anytime Jessica tells him not to worry, it just ends up making him worry about her more, which in turn makes Jessica feel guilty. Still, she gives him credit for at least trying. However, pancakes are going to have to wait, as there’s a Justice League emergency that Simon and Jessica need to attend to.

Said emergency happens to be the bastard child of Godzilla and the Creature from the Black Lagoon who is presently rampaging through urban Louisiana using a nuclear submarine as a melee weapon. Not exactly a Darksied level crisis, but enough of a threat that it’s going to take the whole Justice League to sort it out. Fortunately, the JL makes quick work of the monster, but that just leaves a large nuclear plummeting to the ground. Much to everyone’s surprise, especially her own, Jessica catches the submarine effortlessly. Even Superman and Wonder Woman are impressed and give her some attagirls. Also, the Flash may or may not have a crush on Jessica. That’s not relevant to the proceedings, but it is nonetheless amusing.

Later, Simon and Jessica are fighting a small time crook known as the Gambler. Jessica explains that even on a good day, an anxiety attack could come at any time, and the most unexpected thing could set her off. So, catching a nuclear Submarine, no problem, but fighting a guy dressed like steam punk Yosemite Same armed with a six-shooter is enough to make Jessica freeze in place. Jessica describes her panic attack with great detail. She starts becoming short of breath, her heart starts beating super fast, her thoughts are a mile a minute, and each one is telling her that she can’t do this. Simon takes out the Gambler with no problem and then rushes to Jessica’s side. Simon asks if she’s dealing with the anxiety again, but does so in a less than sensitive manner. Simon thought that Jessica had been doing “better” lately, but Jessica explains that this is not something that you get better from. Angry, Jessica flies home.

At home, Jess goes through her various methods of dealing with her anxiety, including meditation, exercise, petting her cat and various other activities. However, for all her preparation, she can’t even bring herself to get out of her bed the next morning to meet Simon for pancakes. As she lays in bed, once again, everything in her head tells her that she’ll mess things up and that she can’t even handle being going outside, never mind being a superhero. But, after a series of deep breaths and positive thoughts, little by little, Jessica is able to get herself out of bed, reminding herself that she is a Green Lantern, and even though her battle with anxiety is far from over, if it ever will be, she won’t let herself be defeated.

Downstairs, Jessica is shocked to find Simon in her kitchen. Simon says that he’s not about to let Jessica fight her greatest battle alone, and to that end, he’s brought with him Jessica’s greatest weapon in her battle against anxiety, pancakes! Simon apologizes for the other day and says that he’s proud of Jessica for the progress he’s seen her make and says if she ever needs his help fighting this battle, he’ll do what he can. Jessica says that sometimes, just something small like making pancakes can mean a lot. However, pancakes are once again going to have to wait as Batman needs their help, leading to the cliffhanger.

What Works: Y’know, I love superhero comics in which fantastical and colorful heroes have epic battles against equally fantastical and colorful villains, but it’s stories like this that really show me how great such comics can truly be. Yes, Simon and Jessica are Superheroes, but they are also human beings, and human beings have flaws and struggles that need to be overcome and those struggles are no less important than the struggles against the likes of The Joker or Lex Luthor. While I thought this look at Jessica’s struggle was masterfully done, I actually really appreciated the fact that we touched on how Simon is affected by her anxiety as well. On a personal note, I have many friends who suffer from anxiety or depression and I often have a hard time watching them struggle and at times, I feel powerless to help. As such, a lot of Simon’s moments in this issue hit home for me. He sees Jessica struggle and often times he stays silent because he’s afraid of saying the wrong thing. Other times, he doesn’t think and says the wrong thing anyway. But, at the end of the day, he just wants to help, even if he doesn’t know how. However, it’s Jessica who takes center stage in this book, and this is a really great look into her character. We’ve touched on her anxiety in the past, but here, we really see the extent of how it affects her day-to-day life. They make it clear that anxiety isn’t something that ever really goes away, but it can be managed and with help from others, managing it can become easier with time.

What Doesn’t: The artwork on Simon in some panels is awkward. He looks way too thin and I found it off putting.

Overall:

5/5

I thought this was an excellent work. I highly recommend this issue to anyone who suffers from anxiety or has a close friend or family member who does. Hell, even if you don’t, it’s still a great read and spotlights two really great characters.