Beware: spoilers ahoy!

Issue 0 of Green Lantern introduced a new, politically sensitive Lantern as the recipient of Hal Jordan/Sinestro's ring. Simon Baz, an illegally detained, innocent Muslim inmate at Guantanamo Bay gets busted out by the ring and ends up back in the States. Issue 13 picks up where Issue 0 left off but with significantly more Obama. His advisor summarizes the GL Corps history on the first page, recapping for the president and new readers alike. Though not a hardcore Green Lantern fan, I've read almost everything since Rebirth. However, it wasn't until this brief overview that I learned Kyle Rayner's identity was still a secret to the US government. I thought the mask was just for style at this point.

I digress.

Baz wakes up on American soil, thoroughly confused and becomes increasingly so as the ring delivers a schizophrenic message from Hal and Sinestro. Warning Baz of the Guardian's betrayal and which Lanterns can still be trusted, the message cuts off as he struggles with what has happened to him. Reacting to his thoughts, the ring transports him away to where Baz's remaining family lives. The interaction of his relatives with each other and with the community sets a believable tone that is achingly familiar in a post 9/11 world. The conversation with his sister is particularly painful. Arguably on par with the Justice League's appearance though.

Geoff Johns has created a Green Lantern with a completely unique back story that pushes the political limits of what a major publisher would normally be comfortable with. It's a respectful view of an ethnicity woefully under- and mis-represented, not only in comics but all media today. It could easily be gimmicky or fall into stereotypes but instead brings a perspective to readers that they may not otherwise get elsewhere.

Kudos Mr. Johns. Keep it up.

Sidenote: The third army are hella creepy and a great new villain for the Corps. *shudders*