21/08/2026
The issue begins with a brief overview of the Green Lantern Corps' history. Suddenly, a glowing emerald ship rockets directly out of the sun and crashes violently into the Nellis Bombing and Gunnery Range in Nevada. Two nearby hitchhikers rush to the wreckage and find Kyle Rayner inside. Refusing to activate his power ring, a physically exhausted Kyle collapses, muttering a chilling warning: "It has a name."
In Coast City, Carol Ferris is inspecting the airfield when she discovers a flawless, mysterious jet sitting on the tarmac. Upon closer inspection, she realizes it is a pristine replica of the plane once flown by her former lover, Hal Jordan, materializing out of thin air.
At a packed baseball stadium, John Stewart and Guy Gardner meet with the current spirit form of Hal Jordan. Ever since his sacrifice, Hal's soul has been bound to the Spectre (the cosmic Spirit of Vengeance). The reunion is cut short as ordinary citizens in the crowd suddenly sense the Spectre's presence. Driven to madness, they swarm Hal, weeping and desperately confessing their darkest sins to him.
Later that evening, John and Guy unwind at Guy Gardner's bar. Without warning, Guy's Vuldarian alien physiology begins to violently reject itself. His body mutates uncontrollably, triggering a massive energy surge that completely obliterates the bar.
In Star City, Oliver Queen and his sidekick, Speedy (Mia Dearden), are prepping for a routine night patrol. Suddenly, the villain Black Hand blasts through the wall of the Arrowcave. Black Hand uses a tracking device to locate a hidden chamber containing Hal Jordan's old backup Power Ring, which Oliver had been secretly guarding. Hal Jordan suddenly manifests as the Spectre. Bound by his divine duty as the Spirit of Vengeance, the Spectre touches Black Hand's pinned hand, causing it to instantly wither into ash and burn away.
Before fading away, Hal warns Oliver that a cosmic entity is coming and that something is deeply wrong. Oliver picks up the emerald ring, noting that Hal gave it to him years ago to hold onto "only in case of an emergency." Deciding this cosmic chaos fits the bill, Oliver keeps the ring.
The Flash (Wally West) spends his time investigating the bizarre phenomena popping up across the globe and firmly defending Hal Jordan's legacy against a skeptical Justice League. As strange green energy constructs begin materializing out of nowhere, the Flash teams up with Aquaman to investigate a massive disturbance in the ruins of Coast City.
At the site, Wally and Aquaman discover that a ruined building has perfectly reconstructed itself. Wally identifies it as Hal Jordan’s old apartment building, realizing that Hal's past is literally rewriting reality.
When Batman sees the Coast City reconstruction as a threat—arguing that Hal Jordan is an unstable criminal planning a power grab—Wally immediately snaps back. He fiercely defends his late friend, reminding Batman and the League that Hal sacrificed his life to save the Earth during The Final Night, and refuses to let them brand Hal a monster without proof.
During the Justice League Watchtower briefing, when the Flash tries to defend Hal's past actions, Batman bluntly shuts him down. He explicitly states that Hal Jordan became a mass murderer who slaughtered the Green Lantern Corps, and his death did not wipe away his crimes.
As Batman continually disparages Hal Jordan’s character and demands the League treat him as an active, hostile threat, John Stewart snaps. He interrupts Batman, stating, "No. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of the disrespect Batman slings Hal's way."
Visually, Batman is always drawn shrouded in deep shadows to look menacing. John activates his power ring and shines a bright, piercing emerald light directly onto Batman. This completely washes away the shadows and forces Batman to cover his eyes, exposing him as just an ordinary human. As issue ends with Carol back in Coast City and moments in later Hal Jordan appears in front of her.
By Geoff Johns
Published by DC Comics
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# 1 Green Lantern Rebirth 2004 : Blackest Night