Green Lantern #76

Published in 1970, Green Lantern #76 marked a pivotal shift in the comic book industry by launching the 'Hard Traveling Heroes' arc, which moved away from space-faring adventures toward grounded, socially conscious storytelling. Writers Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams were tasked by editor Julius Schwartz to revitalize a character whose sales had been flagging, leading them to pair Hal Jordan with Oliver Queen—the Green Arrow—to explore the turbulent political and cultural landscape of the United States at the time.

The issue is celebrated for its progressive design and narrative maturity, featuring the famous sequence where an elderly African American man confronts the heroes about their neglect of marginalized communities. Adams utilized a gritty, realistic artistic style that moved away from the more cartoony aesthetics common in the Silver Age, receiving significant critical acclaim for its daring exploration of themes such as racism, poverty, and drug addiction, which eventually helped secure the series' place in comic history.