Warning: The following contains spoilers for Far Sector #1 by N.K. Jemisin, Jamal Campbell, and Deron Bennett, on sale now.
Since Alan Scott first appeared in All-Star Comics #16 back in 1940, there have been plenty of heroes to assume the Green Lantern mantle. Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Jessica Cruz and John Stewart have all held the title in the Green Lanterns Corps.
However, the latest human Green Lantern to wear the green power ring and police the galaxy is Sojourner "Jo" Mullein, a brand new Lantern who debuted in Far Sector #1 by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell.
While the first issue of Far Sector didn't give a full-blown origin or a deep breakdown of Mullein's past, it did drop some hints into what's to come in the series and for the character.
Mullein is a Green Lantern from Earth assigned to the farthest sector of the Guardians' domain. She's so far, in fact, nobody even bothered to tell her which sector number she was in. For six months, she's been tasked with protecting the 20 billion inhabitants on the City of Enduring. While that might sound like a tall task, the citizens of the sheltered, emotionless city don't have the ability to feel. There hasn't ever been a murder for over 500 years - until now. Mullein's first murder investigation is a big one, and she's got the tall job of keeping the peace in a world that's alien, even by the standards of the DC Universe.
Mullein has to think on her feet to get the investigation going. There aren't the same forensics or police procedures in the city. Instead, she tries to gather information from the Full Trilogy Council - a small three-person council representing the three distinct races in the city. The victim, Stevn of The Glacier, By The Wavering Dark, was eaten alive. Mullein informs the council there's a suspect with part of the victim "still in her stomach." But, the person isn't important. Mullein sees the murder as an epidemic of violence that is coming and she's more focused on preventing more deaths.
Mullein also takes her job very seriously. She tells the council to call her "Lantern Mullein" and not "the human." She monologues internally about the rest of the council, referring to the Ah representative who's long moniker - Marth of the Sea, By the Wavering Dark, Until Sun Falls - as a "siddity ass," and later opines their emotionless response makes her see how they have previously destroyed two planets.
The humanity of Mullein is constantly called into question. The @at councilor almost calls her the derogatory phrase "Meat Salad" instead of a "biological," which understandably angers the Lantern. She's told by another councilor to keep her prejudices in check, which is easy to do when you don't feel anything. Mullein admits she wasn't a fan of the City when she started. However, she loves being a Lantern, explaining she was given a year to test her power ring and Lantern skills and quickly discovered she enjoys her responsibility. She's eager, willing to the dirty work, and determined to get to the bottom of things. This all proves that Mullein is clearly strong-willed enough to be a Lantern.
After questioning the council, she goes to talk to the suspect, but when she arrives she's greeted with a mutilated corpse that something popped out of. The alien creature zooms by Mullein, and she tells her subordinate to "just get out of my way."
Mullein, the newest Green Lantern, feels like a natural, seamless addition to the corps, who's flat-out determined on keeping the peace. Even though she's not guarding a high priority sector that doesn't stop her from her duties. She understands the great power she's been given and intends on using it to stop future violence.
Now, Mullein finds herself in the middle of the ultimate mystery. She has to figure out why multiple murders have happened after centuries of peace. What changed to make that happen? Is there someone in the city who's not supposed to be there? What does the council really know? Who was the alien who ran from the prison cell? Mullein will do everything in her power to find the answers to these questions over the next few issues of the series.
Even if the answers to those questions aren't quite clear yet, it's clear that Mullein already seems set to be one of DC's most memorable Lanterns.