Green Lantern/Green Arrow

(DC, 1983-1984)
™ and ©1983 DC Comics, Inc.

Although not technically the first socially relevant comic book (Superman fought for the common working man almost from the get-go), Green Lantern #76 did usher in a new era of social relevance in comics by asking the title character why he “never bothered with the black skins.” Though naïve in execution (the story makes Green Lanturn look like a clueless buffoon at times), the issue was instrumental in kick-starting a trend in which DC characters developed distinctive personalities (beginning with militant left-winger Oliver Queen).

Green Lantern/Green Arrow Vol. 1 reprints the oft-reprinted Green Lantern #76, along with the ensuing six issues of the series. In rapid-fire succession, the stories cover an embarrassment of social ills, including bigotry, pollution, capital punishment, overpopulation, the dangers of cloning (in the form of “synthetic children”), and infertility. There’s no getting past the feeling of being force-fed an agenda, but these tales are entertaining, and the art is amazing. Neal Adams, one of the most influential artists in the history of the medium, is a master of perspective and anatomy.

— Brett Weiss

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