It won't be long before the Absolute Universe finally gets a Absolute Flash, Absolute Martian Manhunter, and, of course, Absolute Green Lantern.

DC Comics has been relatively mum on these books, but thanks to solicitations and some key previews, we're getting a better look at what lies ahead for the Absolute Universe's next batch of heroes. Unfortunately, I've got a bad feeling that one of my favorite Green Lanterns is going to be a villain in this twisted new world.

Cover Art Suggests One Absolute Green Lantern is Actually a Villain

Hal Jordan With a Black Hand? Color Me Curious...

I've loved what DC Comics has done with the Absolute Universe so far. I how the internet blew up when Scott Snyder revealed its existence to the world in his video with Joshua Williamson and feeling the palpable excitement among fans at San Diego Comic Con last year as details came to light. There was a lot of anticipation and expectations were high when it came to the first three titles: Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman, and Absolute Superman. But those books cleared those expectations and everyone, including me, was hungry for more.

Hal’s hand is black, and it appears to be radiating a powerful energy.

So when details started coming to light about Absolute Green Lantern, I paid close attention. Green Lantern is one of my favorite franchises and hearing that Al Ewing was attached got me even more hyped (I’m not a big Marvel fan, but Immortal Hulk was stellar). After months of waiting, information about Absolute Green Lantern was revealed in DC Comics’ batch of April and May solicitations. Again, the details were few, but we finally had some decent looks. But what I found most curious among the revealed covers was how Hal Jordan was being presented.

Among various covers by artists such as Martin Simmonds, Juliet Nneka and series’ artist Jahnoy Lindsay, Hal seems to be grappling with a completely different power. Hal’s hand is black, and it appears to be radiating a powerful energy. Simmonds’ variant for Absolute Green Lantern #1 shows Hal using his to either absorb or exude black energy among a field of debris while Lindsay’s cover for the second issue shows Hal hunched over in pain over his hand. Worse, the cover for Absolute Green Lantern #1 shows a black hand reaching out to grab Jo Mullein, the series’ lead.

Has Darkseid's World Corrupted Hal Jordan Again

The Once Parallax Has Now Become Black Hand

If you’re a Green Lantern fan, the image of Hal with a blackened hand should raise alarm bells, as Black Hand is also the moniker of one of Hal’s sickest enemies. Is it possible that in being shaped by Darkseid’s energy, the Absolute Universe made Hal the avatar of Black Lanterns instead of Black Hand? Other heroes have had their origins changed, so it’s not out of the question. But if Hal is indeed his world’s Black Hand, that’s the most dramatic overhaul of any DC hero so far in the Absolute Universe.

That being said, the Absolute Universe has a dark, almost ironic way of mirroring the Prime DC Universe. For example, instead of being raised on Paradise Island, Absolute Wonder Woman was raised in Hell. It would fit the mold if Hal Jordan was still chosen to be a Lantern in this world, but one meant to destroy it rather than save it. Not to mention, it takes a cue from Green Lantern's actual past as a villain when he was corrupted by the fear entity, Parallax.

Maybe it’s too early to call, but it seems to me like this would just fit the Absolute Universe. The best aspect of the Green Lantern Corps is the bond the ring-slingers share. But what happens when Hal, one of the greatest Green Lanterns ever, is destined to destroy all life in the universe? How does that impact Lanterns like Jo or John? And what will such power mean for the Absolute Universe’s other heroes? It’ll be interesting to see what Ewing and Lindsay have in mind for this new, likely evil take on Green Lantern.

I Don't Want Green Lantern to Go Rogue, But I Trust the Process

The Absolute Universe Hasn't Disappointed Yet

As an itted Hal Jordan fanboy, I feel like I should be irked at the idea of Hal going evil again. But it's been clear for a while that there's a plan in mind for the overall line and that no choice is being made haphazardly. If Hal Jordan really is this universe's Black Hand and he is a villain, I expect that will have a big effect on the future, both on Absolute Green Lantern and potentially the entire line. Green Lantern might be going evil, but I've got no doubt it will be entertaining to watch.

Absolute Green Lantern #1 is available on April 2nd from DC Comics.