Green Lantern #77

Green Lantern #77 (On Sale: April 9, 1970) has a cover by Neal Adams as we hit the second issue of the "New" Green Lantern.

The 23-page "Journey to Desolation" by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams and Frank Giacoia begins  Green Lantern's and Green Arrow's Quest to find America. While traveling by pick-up truck across the country with one of the Guardians of the Universe in human guise, Green Lantern and Green Arrow pass through the small mining town of Desolation. Several miners shoot at their truck and the team immediately investigates the bizarre actions.

In a case of mistaken identity, the miners thought that team worked for Slapper Soames, the mine owner who runs the company town of Desolation with an iron fist. Slapper is planning to hang young Johnny Walden, a local folk singer, for stirring up revolt within the community. The miners are planning an actual revolt to free Johnny, behind their leader, Jacob. When Green Arrow sees how well-fortified and well-armed Slapper's men are, he advises them to call off their attack, but Jacob refuses to listen and charges into battle.

Green Lantern and Green Arrow both join the fight. During the melee, the Guardian accompanying them informs Green Lantern that since he has taken a leave of absence from his normal duties, his power ring will no longer protect him from mortal harm. This is new information to the Greens, and Lantern is injured during the fight, while Green Arrow is taken prisoner.

Unused cover by Neal Adams 

Green Arrow is taken to Slapper's office where he learns that the leader of the revolt, Jacob, was really working with Soames. Slapper liked that Johnny's songs were stirring up descent, as he wanted to start a futile revolt and crush it, so that the miners would never rise up again. He had to make Johnny the scapegoat as he was afraid that Johnny's songs might catch on, like Bob Dylan's did, and the last thing he wanted was eyes on Desolation. Green Lantern, who has recovered from his injuries, is able to arrive in time to save his friend.

Afterwards, Green Lantern admits that his recent confusion as to right and wrong has weaken his will power and thus, the power of his ring. This was an obvious change that was needed it Green Lantern was to talk on more realistic bad guys such as Slapper Soames.

Strange that this issue, like last issue, was originally supposed to have a different cover, one not too different from the cover actually used. Also, I don't know the story of how Frank Giacoia inked this issue, but I believe it would be the one and only time he inked Neal Adams's pencils. The results were a very watered down Adams, which I guess explains the lack of an encore for this artistic team.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.