Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
 

DC’s Absolute Universe has been pushing boundaries and bending genres for over a year now—and what a fantastic year it has been. Seeing beloved and classic characters like Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman in a completely new light and context has excited fans as well as drawn in new ones. But none arrived with more mystery than Absolute Green Lantern, which features well known Green Lanterns like Jo Mullein, Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Guy Gardner, but as always, with a twist. Fear has always played a role in the world of Green Lantern, but never in quite the same way it does here. But there’s no need to take my word for it! Absolute Green Lantern Vol. 1: Without Fear is now in stores, and here’s why it’s the perfect read for a cold, dark winter’s night.
 

The Premise:

“Without the Corps…without the ring…without the willpower, what’s left is the Absolute Green Lantern!”

...Chills, amiright?

The sunny small town of Evergreen is about to embark on a terrifying and reality-bending journey of cosmic terror. A bright green alien structure has trapped the town, and everyone in it, and the outside world isn't coming to help. And these townspeople? They aren't alone. An alien called Abin Sur is passing judgment on the town and people are disappearing. Are they dead? What's going on here? What is Abin Sur judging…and why? Well, that’s the big question, isn't it?

It'll fall to Jo Mullein, Hal Jordan and John Stewart to find a way out and save everyone from Abin Sur’s reign of terror. But things are never simple. Jo has newfound powers of green energy. And Hal? His hand has turned as dark as a black hole and it’s hungry for light. Green Lantern mythology and mythos have been reinvented for this heart-pulsing series of survival and power.
 

Let’s Talk Talent:

Writer Al Ewing (Venom War, Immortal Hulk) has a reputation for exciting, imaginative superhero stories that vary widely in tone. (As he was starting Absolute Green Lantern, he was also writing the brilliantly looney Silver Age-inspired Metamorpho: The Element Man.) Here, he turns Green Lantern’s origin story of Hal Jordan meeting a dying Abin Sur and being chosen by his ring completely on its head. Ewing effectively balances a cosmic horror-tinged mystery with the internal struggles of these new versions of beloved characters, making this story as thrilling as it is human.

The extraterrestrial and reality-bending elements of Absolute Green Lantern are brilliantly brought to life by the artwork of Jahnoy Lindsay (Hawkeye: Kate Bishop, Superboy: Man of Tomorrow). The visuals here remind me a lot of manga and anime, and the colors used to express these otherworldly scenes are top notch—you’ll see rings of energy against a voidless background inflicting the characters as they come into their abilities. The redesign of these powers and the new look of Abin Sur immediately grab your attention, adding to the impact the story has right from the start.
 

A Few Reasons to Read:

• This is a cosmic horror alien invasion…and Abin Sur is scary! Cosmic horror is not just aliens, it’s full of things beyond our understanding and comprehension. That’s a huge theme explored here: the unknown. For example, as we see Hal and Jo adjusting to their new powers, we also see the personification of these powers in a way that exists outside our time and space. But also…aliens can absolutely be a part of cosmic horror and Abin Sur’s redesign is menacing. He’s huge, all powerful and quick to violence! This is an alien invasion story, one which isolates the main characters and leaves them to save themselves.
   
• Flips the script on who’s the hero and who’s the villain. Abin Sur, in DC’s main continuity, was never a villain. He was a valiant hero who was a protector of the universe. This Abin Sur is violent and seemingly has a disregard for human lives—but his motivations are unknown as the series begins. Is he the villain of the story? The answer might not be as black and white as you expect. And let’s just say, you won’t recognize this version of Hal Jordan. This Hal is victim to dangerous abilities that he has no control over, and his decisions might shock you!

• Same characters, different relationships. All the lanterns of Earth have developed relationships during their time as Green Lanterns—from friendship to frenemies and everything in between. Absolute Green Lantern recontextualizes these well-known characters and their relationships with each other. Here, they know each other in their civilian lives and have to face the threat of Abin Sur together.
   
• Part sci-fi, part horror, part mystery. Absolute Green Lantern is compelling right from the start…even if you might not be clear on what’s happening. As the characters discover clues about the extraterrestrial forces around them, so do we as the readers. From discovering how gold interacts with the green force field to finding out where the people of Evergreen are disappearing to, you’ll be eagerly awaiting each new revelation.
   

Why It’s Worth Your Time:

Absolute Green Lantern has so much to offer for current and new fans alike—it takes the classic Green Lantern mythos and goes crazy with it. This is a horror/mystery story that plays on the anxieties of isolation and the fear that goes hand-in-hand with an alien invasion. And even scarier—there aren’t any heroes or armies coming in to save Evergreen. This is a very human story of survival that explores the internal battle to take control of your circumstances by finding the strength and willpower from within. And the visuals? Stunning! Wait till you see those cosmic action sequences!
 

Absolute Green Lantern Vol. 1: Without Fear by Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay is available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and digital retailers as both a hardcover and softcover graphic novel. It can also be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Sami DeMonster writes about superheroes, horror and sci-fi for DC.com and reviews comics every week on social media. Follow her at @samidemonster on Instagram and Substack.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Sami DeMonster and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.