Comics Backlog #3: Green Lantern: Rebirth
For those Gentle Readers who are, specifically, Shelly, Ragnell, Kalinara, and Sally, I have Delved Deep into The Color Green: This Humble Author has read a Green Lantern Collection.
It is true, Friends. I have.
While I have No Special Love for the Green Lanterns, I have No Special Dislike of them, either. Rather, the GLs are a part of my Comics History into which I have never delved very deeply. What I do know of the GLs comes in referential form: in Supergirl, in JLA or JSA, in the cartoon JLU. As such, I am not really a fan of Hal Jordan or Guy Gardner. That is, of the Earth Green Lanterns, I am most interested in Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, and Alan Scott.
But, and here is the "but," Gentle Reader, I like the idea of a Green Lantern Corps. I want to know the Lanterns from other sectors, examine the alternative GLs. I adore Mogo, for example, and find the idea of a planet Green Lantern to be just about one of the Most Fascinating Plot Elements Ever. Because of this, Mr. Reads is about to put in my hands the Sinestro War, so that I may examine the history of the Rings Of Different Hues.
Here is what I did like about Green Lantern: Rebirth: the explanation of the yellow weakness, Kyle, Green Arrow's constant understanding and strength, Sinestro's arrogance, Kyle, the struggle between Fear and Willpower, Kyle, how the DC Universe joined together to save Hal, and Kyle.
Here is what I did not like about Green Lantern: Rebirth: I get Very, Very Grumpy when someone makes my Batman become a Bad Guy. And while Batman is not a Bad Guy per se, the art depicts him as villainous, creepy, and wrong.
While I enjoyed it, I enjoyed the stories around the major GLs. I am not, nor will I ever be, I think, a fan of Hal Jordan. But I could certainly enjoy stories that center on Kyle. I adored the fact that Kyle was the only GL safe from Parallax because Kyle is the only Lantern to Know Fear. Further, Kyle's artistic nature and how it becomes prominent in his use of the ring is Very Interesting Indeed.
Not a fan yet, Friends, but definitely more interested than before.
Slowly but Surely, Gentle Reader, I am plodding through the Immense Comics Backlog. I am almost caught up on Daredevil (almost a year behind!) and Teen Titans (only a few months behind), but I am still several issues behind on everything else. But next week my class begins the Comic Book I will be teaching, and that is enough to look forward to, no?
10 comments:
Heh. Give it time and the green guys will suck you in. :)
It would have taken me a lot longer to give any thought to the GLs if it weren't for John Stewart in the JLU cartoon. I freaking love him. I think he should be every Green Lantern.
Also, if you haven't watched the New Frontier movie that came out a few months ago, that might give you a new appreciation for Hal.
You're going to like the Sinestro Corps War.
As for not becoming a fan of Hal, I can understand that. He is my favorite GL, but that is most likely because he is the first one I encountered. I must also admit, I never read any of the Kyle run. I bailed on the title right around the time they were making the transition to Kyle, so I have very little exposure to the character.
Hi Shelly,
Heh. Give it time and the green guys will suck you in. :)
So you keep saying! Of course, you convinced me regarding Manhunter, so you cannot be wrong about this, no?
:)
Ciao,
Amy
Hi Evie,
It would have taken me a lot longer to give any thought to the GLs if it weren't for John Stewart in the JLU cartoon. I freaking love him. I think he should be every Green Lantern.
I, too, adore John, and all because of the JLU. He is fantastic in that. Hal's brief cameo in the out of time finale had me roaring, but I think that is the most charming I have ever found him.
Also, if you haven't watched the New Frontier movie that came out a few months ago, that might give you a new appreciation for Hal.
I have, and I have read Cooke's novel, but still, there is something about Hal that rubs me the wrong way. I think it is the utter lack of brokenness in him. Batman and Daredevil, two of my favorite male superheroes are each of them A Bit Broken, A Bit Vulnerable, and I appreciate that in my hero. Even Wally West (another all-time favorite), despite being known for his impetuousness, has a self-conscious awkwardness that endears him to me.
But I really, truly adored Kyle. I want to know more about him.
Ciao,
Amy
Hi Skullduggery,
You're going to like the Sinestro Corps War.
That is what I keep hearing! I am very much looking forward to reading it. Mr. Reads has the GL Johns' run, so I am going to read through that first to get caught up.
As for not becoming a fan of Hal, I can understand that. He is my favorite GL, but that is most likely because he is the first one I encountered. I must also admit, I never read any of the Kyle run. I bailed on the title right around the time they were making the transition to Kyle, so I have very little exposure to the character.
Every time I encounter Kyle, I adore him. I particularly liked him in Supergirl (the Linda Danvers run). The first Green Lantern I ever had much exposure to was John Stewart in the JLU cartoon. When I read comics as a kid, it was almost all Wonder Woman, all the time. Some Batman, etc. but any Green Lantern was background.
Ciao,
Amy
Oh Amy, the thought of a Corps of Green Lanterns is, in my opinion, one of the best ideas that DC ever had. While I DO love Hal, I must admit that he frequently comes off as arrogant and sometimes selfish, not to mention a bit on the dim side. Good thing he's so pretty.
Kyle IS just adorable. He's been kicking some major butt lately in the Green Lantern Corps, with Guy. I do think that you'll enjoy the Sinestro Corps War, since Kyle is a MAJOR player in that particular story.
Heh.
Hi Sally,
Oh Amy, the thought of a Corps of Green Lanterns is, in my opinion, one of the best ideas that DC ever had. While I DO love Hal, I must admit that he frequently comes off as arrogant and sometimes selfish, not to mention a bit on the dim side. Good thing he's so pretty.
My new favorite response to this Hal Query I have is that everyone, and I mean everyone I have talked to about it has said, in a nutshell,
"I'm not really sure *why* I like Hal, but I do."
Which I find Utterly Charming :)
Kyle IS just adorable. He's been kicking some major butt lately in the Green Lantern Corps, with Guy. I do think that you'll enjoy the Sinestro Corps War, since Kyle is a MAJOR player in that particular story.
Mr. Reads has put it all on my plate! As soon as I am finished X-Men-ing, I am off to Green!
Ciao,
Amy
I have, and I have read Cooke's novel, but still, there is something about Hal that rubs me the wrong way. I think it is the utter lack of brokenness in him. Batman and Daredevil, two of my favorite male superheroes are each of them A Bit Broken, A Bit Vulnerable, and I appreciate that in my hero.
That's very interesting, particularly since Rebirth was about fixing those things about Hal that were broken. Removing the baggage.
My impression of Hal (though maybe I am reading too much into this) is that he is still kind of broken, but he has buried it. He must feel tremendous guilt for what he did as Parallax. It doesn't (it shouldn't) matter that he was possessed. It was still him. It was still his weakness that the yellow parasite exploited. There is True Darkness in his past, and I don't think Geoff Johns is ignoring it. I think he's working it in, in subtle ways.
If you're interested in some deep exploration of John Stewart, I highly recommend tracking down the short-lived GREEN LANTERN: MOSAIC series from the early 90s.
In a preceding story arc in the main title, the Guardians temporarily leave our dimension (I think it was to mate), but leave one of their brothers behind to keep an eye on things. He goes crazy with loneliness and rips one city each from dozens of different worlds, slapping them together as a mosaic on Oa. The Green Lanterns and returned Guardians of course take the villain out. But, despite protests from the Green Lanterns, the Guardians decide to leave the mosaic intact as a social experiment to see if radically different species and societies can coexist. John Stewart is charged to act as their Green Lantern.
GREEN LANTERN: MOSAIC starts on the next day and is gloriously insane. It was as much about coming up with the wildest aliens imaginable as it was with a streaming self-analysis of Stewart's psyche and how he very nearly loses it several times. A wonderful, rich, remarkably intelligent read and one that I think you would very much enjoy.
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