A review by iffer
Green Lantern: Legacy by Minh Lê

5.0

This reminded me of why I love Green Lantern, or at least the idea behind Green Lantern. As problematic as Green Lantern can be, and has been (hello cishet white male toxic masculinity and fragility and fridging), I have always been drawn to the idea that there is enough space in the galaxy for everyone. Not only that, but that through willpower and imagination, a diverse set of people can protect each other and build a better future. Minh Le and Andie Tong seamlessly show confluence of the foundational concepts and details of Green Lantern, with what I'm hoping the youth reading this will see as a very American story of immigrants. I loved the details, such as the way in which the symbolism of jade, lanterns, traditional Vietnamese men's clothing were incorporated. Plus, grandmas, am I right? So many of us, especially those of us with/from immigrant families, or families with strong ties to extended family, have powerful memories of our grandmother(s) and the lessons that they have taught us, and the existence that they imagined and helped build for us. This book ended up being an unexpected reaffirmation that I belong in America, and that Americans, with willpower and creativity, fighting actively against fear and remembering our heritage, can fight for justice and build a better reality.