Green Lantern: Legacy

Starred review from December 1, 2019

Gr 4-6- Lê and Tong reimagine the Green Lantern as a 13-year-old Vietnamese American boy. Tai Pham is at a crossroads, torn between the guidance of his late paternal grandmother, or Bà Noi, whose welcoming presence held the neighborhood together, and tech mogul Xander Griffin, who wants to rebuild Coast City without regard for those already there. Tai learns that his grandmother was a member of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic peacekeeping force. He inherits her magical lantern and ring and, just as she did, takes an oath to fight evil, but can he protect his family and his community? Xenophobes vandalize his family's store, telling the Phams, refugees from the war in Vietnam, to "go home." And Xander's ambitious vision may irrevocably alter Coast City. Tong's angular illustrations convey body language beautifully and work in tandem with Lê's characterizations, from awkward and uncertain Tai to self-assured Xander to formidable but loving Bà Noi. Colorist Sarah Stern's work is masterly; she employs playful spots of green leading up to the splashy, glowing Green Lantern scenes, and dramatic reds, oranges, and yellows during flashbacks. While Lê and Tong keep the explosive action coming, they also tell an intimate story about living up to the traditions that are handed down to us and creating our own legacies. VERDICT Sci-fi and adventure are flashy vehicles for a tale about power and compassion-and the importance of service to others. Here is a Green Lantern story where owning a magic ring is the least extraordinary thing about the heroes.-Thomas Maluck, Richland Library, SC

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2019
A young Green Lantern discovers how to envision the future. Thirteen-year-old Tai Pham wakes from a dream to see his grandmother's jade ring by his side. Confused, Tai learns from Bà Nội that the ring has chosen him--and then the next day she's passed. Suddenly, the Coast City junior high schooler is introduced to the existence of the Green Lantern Corps, an "intergalactic peacekeeping force." Not only was his bà secretly a "space cop," but she was "probably the best among [them]." Under the tutelage of fellow Green Lantern Iolande and his new Corps mentor, John Stewart, Tai learns how to wield the green ring as the planet's next guardian. In this Green Lantern installment, Lê blends traditions old and new alike. Familiar faces and references that will please established Green Lantern and DC Universe fans abound. Like Tai's interpretation of the Green Lantern uniform, his hero's journey both hits all the comic-book beats and is intertwined with his experience as a first-generation Vietnamese American. Tong's energetic panels, dominated by greens, oranges, steel blues, and purples, keep the visuals dynamic, and cultural details are a delight. In this diverse Coast City neighborhood battling impending corporate redevelopment, Tai entrusts his secret identity to his two best friends, Tommy, who presents white, and Serena, a brown-skinned Latina. Community and compassion combine in this fresh take on comic-book tradition. (Graphic adventure. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 15, 2019
Grades 3-6 The latest example of DC's continual efforts to remix series continuity and new characters for middle-grade readers, Legacy offers a well-paced adventure with some thoughtful flourishes. Twelve-year-old Tai Pham lives in a gentrifying neighborhood in which Vietnamese people are not completely welcome. Particularly close to his Ba Noi (grandmother), he finds, shortly after the spry old woman's death, that they weren't quite as close as he thought. Turns out, she was secretly a member of the intergalactic peacekeeping force known as the Green Lanterns, and now her will-powered ring is his. With the support of Tommy and Serena, his best friends and confidantes, Tai undergoes Green Lantern training, which, surprisingly, relies on creativity more than battle skills. Meanwhile, he's befriended by Griffin Drew, a somewhat-too-friendly millionaire developer and tidy foil to Tai's grandma, and their differences distill the book's guiding question: should we draw strength and wisdom from the past or ignore it and forge brazenly ahead? The art is anything but old-fashioned; rather, it's dynamic and detailed, with a luster highly appealing for its readership.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

Starred review from December 1, 2019

Gr 4-6- L� and Tong reimagine the Green Lantern as a 13-year-old Vietnamese American boy. Tai Pham is at a crossroads, torn between the guidance of his late paternal grandmother, or B� Noi, whose welcoming presence held the neighborhood together, and tech mogul Xander Griffin, who wants to rebuild Coast City without regard for those already there. Tai learns that his grandmother was a member of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic peacekeeping force. He inherits her magical lantern and ring and, just as she did, takes an oath to fight evil, but can he protect his family and his community? Xenophobes vandalize his family's store, telling the Phams, refugees from the war in Vietnam, to "go home." And Xander's ambitious vision may irrevocably alter Coast City. Tong's angular illustrations convey body language beautifully and work in tandem with L�'s characterizations, from awkward and uncertain Tai to self-assured Xander to formidable but loving B� Noi. Colorist Sarah Stern's work is masterly; she employs playful spots of green leading up to the splashy, glowing Green Lantern scenes, and dramatic reds, oranges, and yellows during flashbacks. While L� and Tong keep the explosive action coming, they also tell an intimate story about living up to the traditions that are handed down to us and creating our own legacies. VERDICT Sci-fi and adventure are flashy vehicles for a tale about power and compassion-and the importance of service to others. Here is a Green Lantern story where owning a magic ring is the least extraordinary thing about the heroes.-Thomas Maluck, Richland Library, SC

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2019
A young Green Lantern discovers how to envision the future. Thirteen-year-old Tai Pham wakes from a dream to see his grandmother's jade ring by his side. Confused, Tai learns from B� Nội that the ring has chosen him--and then the next day she's passed. Suddenly, the Coast City junior high schooler is introduced to the existence of the Green Lantern Corps, an "intergalactic peacekeeping force." Not only was his b� secretly a "space cop," but she was "probably the best among [them]." Under the tutelage of fellow Green Lantern Iolande and his new Corps mentor, John Stewart, Tai learns how to wield the green ring as the planet's next guardian. In this Green Lantern installment, L� blends traditions old and new alike. Familiar faces and references that will please established Green Lantern and DC Universe fans abound. Like Tai's interpretation of the Green Lantern uniform, his hero's journey both hits all the comic-book beats and is intertwined with his experience as a first-generation Vietnamese American. Tong's energetic panels, dominated by greens, oranges, steel blues, and purples, keep the visuals dynamic, and cultural details are a delight. In this diverse Coast City neighborhood battling impending corporate redevelopment, Tai entrusts his secret identity to his two best friends, Tommy, who presents white, and Serena, a brown-skinned Latina. Community and compassion combine in this fresh take on comic-book tradition. (Graphic adventure. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.