Cover Date: May 1985
Story: Steve Englehart and Alan Moore
Pencils: Joe Staton and Dave Gibbons
Inks: Bruce Patterson and Dave Gibbons
Cover: Joe Staton and Bruce Patterson
A special news report from Tawny Young reveals Green Lantern’s identity as John Stewart, and both the retired Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris are shocked. Hal’s still got the Predator to deal with, and other heroes and family members interviewed by Tawny are also a bit surprised, as they never expected her to reveal John’s secret on national television. As John and Katma Tui return from Oa, John is unfortunately laid off from Ferris Aircraft, as Carol doesn’t want her company associated with Green Lantern in any way. Sonar suddenly attacks, but John and Katma are able to deal with the cheesy villain. Meanwhile, back on Oa, Tomar-Re tells Arisia the tale of how the dreaded warrior Bolphunga the Unrelenting landed on an unhabited planet to find and challenge the mysterious Green Lantern known as Mogo…and got a hell of a lot more than he expected.
Superheroes having to balance secret identities along with their powerful alter egos is nothing new, but it’s not often that they have to deal with them being revealed to the world. Even more rare is when the hero decides to go public of his own accord, as John Stewart has done here. But this was not out of arrogance or a desire for fame; John still feels like a second banana to his predecessor, and he’s determined to live up to his stellar example. (And he still doesn’t know that Hal is Green Lantern, which makes for some amusing cover attempts by Hal and Katma.)
Joe Staton’s fine artwork illuminates the battle scenes and whatnot just fine, but what makes it truly effective is his skill in illustrating expressions. That’s where 99% of this story is really told, and without Staton’s excellent art, it would not have had the same impact.
This issue does try to juggle too many plots at once: John’s publicity, Carol’s issues with Hal, Hal hunting down the Predator, the Predator’s own plans, Tom’s anger, Katma’s jealousy, Sonar’s attack…that’s a lot of content. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern – The ’80s retold and retconned this issue, and it’s a very rare case in which the story was streamlined for the better.
What really makes this issue stand out in many a fan’s mind, though, is the backup story “Mogo Doesn’t Socialize.” It was a short tale, to be sure, but the creative team of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (yes, the Watchmen crew) made it a great one with a memorable villain, a unique Green Lantern, and a great sense of humor. It should also be noted that this story contained none of the usual superhero tropes like fisticuffs, bantering, or innocents in distress. It was just one blowhard thinking he was hot shit, but upon discovering the truth, running away with his tale between his legs. Mogo itself didn’t have a single like, nor did it actually do anything! The framing sequence for the story even mentioned a new other new Lanterns like Leezle Pon, who would prove instrumental in defeating Despotellis over two decades later during “The Sinestro Corps War.” Not bad for a backup story, huh?
“Mogo Doesn’t Socialize” story resonated so well with longtime fans that last year, it was adapted as part of Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. The animated version was just as good as the classic story, and it’s a testament to its legacy.
Green Lantern (Vol. 2) #188 packs a one-two punch of great stories. Sure, “Mogo Doesn’t Socialize” overshadows the main story quite a bit, but that only enhances the issue as a whole.
