Review by Aziz Bawany

Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Ivan Reis
Inker: Oclair Albert
Colors: Randy Mayor
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Published by DC Comics

Collects Green Lantern #29-35

Green Lantern Secret Origins has the tough task of presenting a revamp on Hal Jordan's origin, while gearing up for the next event, Blackest Night. If anything, this story does a good job at presenting Green Lantern to the few fans who aren't familiar with his origin, while slipping in a few tidbits to get ready for the Red Lanterns and other characters as they pop up in 2009.

The story shows the life of Hal Jordan, told through six issues, as he goes from a young boy to the greatest Green Lantern of all time. As these events are happening, we—as readers—are treated to Abin Sur and his quest to prevent the War of Light. While I thought the story was good, I wasn't too impressed by this retelling. Abin Sur, for me, always had a much more noble stance, and I feel that Johns lowered his status down a bit to play up Hal's importance. As for the rest of the story, it's the least entertaining Green Lantern story I've read. Johns is known for taking continuity and making it seem fresh, but for this story, I wasn't that impressed with the new twists on Hal's past. I almost feel as if I could get this same story through Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier, and the Superman Animated series episode where they used Kyle instead of Hal to take on the ring. I think the purpose of this story is to resurrect Abin Sur since all signs point to him coming back due his role with both Hal and Sinestro. I have no doubt that Johns will do a great job with the character in the future, but in this story, things don't turn out so well.

While the story wasn't the most exciting, one thing that keeps this book popular is the great art, and I'm glad that Reis stayed on for the story. I know a lot of people enjoy Ethan Van Sciver's rendition of Hal Jordan, but I think that Reis surpasses the popular artist thanks to his speed and detail in the work he provides. It's always a treat to pop open a hardcover and find Reis's art.

As a collected edition, I would say that Secret Origin is my least favorite Green Lantern hardcover. There are no extras, and the little amount of new material added to the mythos of Green Lantern is a bit too convenient for my tastes. The book leaves a lot to be desired, but the story stays somewhat enjoyable. This is a must for any Green Lantern trade waiter if they're not familiar with Hal's past, but not as essential unless you need to scrape up every Blackest Night reference while you wait for the mega event.

Rating: 6 out of 10 (Slightly Above Average)