The stakes are at an all-time high as the Lanterns try to find the traitor in their midst. Dan Jurgens breaks down all of the action in Green Lanterns #53.

Green Lanterns #53 signals the end of the “Evil’s Might” arc but the story is far from over. Writer Dan Jurgens talked with us about how Green Lanterns #53 connects the entire arc and sets up the next chapter in the story.

Spoilers For Green Lanterns #53

The prevailing theme in “Evil’s Might” has been that of duty vs desire. For the Green Lantern Corps, everything is about duty and orders and obedience to duty and order. But what happens when you can’t trust the organization that’s issuing those orders? “For the Lanterns it’s about a sense of faith and trust in one another,” Jurgens said. “Simon had the Guardians’ orders and even though he doesn’t want to abandon his friends, he must follow their orders. He’s wrestling with duty and what duty says.”

While Simon grapples with the sense of duty, Jessica is gaining confidence as she works with a group of Lanterns to fight Eon’s forces and save what’s left of Penelo. “That’s the magic of surrounding Jessica with other Lanterns. She has more confidence, but she’s open to questioning things,” Jurgens noted. There’s no question that she’s questioning her ring and that means she’s also unsure of her partner. “Her faith in her ring is already shaky, and this is definitely how testing how deep [Jessica’s trust of Simon] runs.”

From a narrative standpoint, Jurgens talked about how it made sense to lure Simon away from the battle instead of Jessica. “Jessica is more emotional and not as likely to leave her friends. Simon is more inclined to be used, so he was the logical character for the job.” It was important for Jessica to remain on Penelo and help with the efforts to save the planet because she sees the enormity of what’s happening. “It’s important for Jessica to verbalize how big the problem is.” If not for their efforts, Penelo would be lost.

Green Lanterns #53 cements the foundation for what’s ahead. From this point forward, “it’s all a question of distrust, deceit and ownership of the Corps. As the battle returns to Mogu,” Jurgens explained, the question turns to “how the Corps bounces back and how can they emerge victorious.”

Everything has been building to this revelation, Jurgens said. “All the players and stakes have been revealed after building the mystery.” And now that we know who has been pulling the strings, all bets are off.

Here’s a preview of Green Lanterns #53 :

Green Lanterns #53. Photo: DC Comics Green Lanterns #53. Photo: DC Comics Green Lanterns #53. Photo: DC Comics Green Lanterns #53. Photo: DC Comics Green Lanterns #53. Photo: DC Comics Green Lanterns #53. Photo: DC Comics Green Lanterns #53. Photo: DC Comics Green Lanterns #53. Photo: DC Comics

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artist: Marco Santucci

Colorist: Hi-Fi

Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Cover: Mike Perkins with Hi-Fi, Variant Cover: Chris Stevens

Green Lanterns #53 will be available in comic shops on August 15, 2018.