DC Comics’ newest Green Lantern is getting a promotion. DC has announced that the publisher is kicking off 2021 with DC Future State, an event that pushes the DC Universe forward in time and replaces its classic characters with a mix of all-new heroes and recent breakouts who’ve been waiting for a spotlight. Those new heroes unite in Future State: Justice League, a team featuring Jo Mullein, the Green Lantern of Far Sector.
Sojourner “Jo” Mullein made her debut in the currently-running series Far Sector, a monthly “maxiseries” written by The Fifth Season novelist N.K. Jemisin and illustrated and colored by Naomi‘s Jamal Campbell, and published under DC’s content-unrestrained Young Animal imprint. Jo is a New Yorker who was drummed out of the NYPD for her principles, recruited into the Green Lantern Corps, and stationed in a part of space so far out that Green Lantern jurisdiction barely touches it. The rookie Lantern is equipped only with a powerful ring that doesn’t need to hook up to the battery system other GLs use. Mullein investigates crimes for the Trilogy, a society of aliens who have removed all emotions from their population, using her own feelings as her greatest asset.
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The Future State event, beginning next year, puts DC Comics’ most famous heroes in dire straits. Clark Kent has been exiled from Earth, Bruce Wayne has died, and the Green Lanterns have been drawn out into space to deal with the depleted Green Lantern Central Battery. As a result, Clark’s son Jon Kent has stepped up as Superman, a mysterious new Batman has emerged in Gotham, and Earth needs the protection of a Lantern who doesn’t run on batteries. Thanks to the cover of the upcoming Future State: Justice League #1 (by Dan Mora, pictured below) we know it’s Jo Mullein who returns to her home planet and steps up to the role.
Future State is about fresh faces both on the page and in creative roles, and Far Sector is an excellent example of how successful that drive can be. Jemisin’s fun worldbuilding and razor-sharp characterization, combined with Campbell’s stunning design work and unmatched rendering style, have produced one of the best books that DC has to offer. Likewise, the creative team on the new Justice League series, The Flash writer Joshua Williamson and Aquaman artist Robson Rocha, have shown in previous books that they’re up to the task of capturing the spirit of characters that are unique and memorable. Jo has been on the outer fringes of DC, both in-universe and in their publishing lines, but this new superhero team gives her a much-deserved chance to catch the eyes of the greater DC fandom.
DC Future State: Justice League #1 will be available from local stores and digital providers in January 2021.
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