Hal Jordan: Green Lantern Appreciation 2019

[Bored at 3:00AM]

It's issue #171, I think. I don't believe it was collected in anything. Here's some info on it:
http://pencilink.blogspot.com/2009/0...-toth-art.html

All-star art team. Gil Kane cover, Alex Toth interior pencils, and Terry Austin inking it. The issue had a really cool look. It was also featured Dorine.

Sooner or later, this story will get collected whenever DC does an Alex Toth TPB like they've done for Jose Luis Garcia Lopez and others. At least I hope so. I would love to see this story with crisp, clean lines and colors. My copy is pretty yellowed and dog-eared.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I also read the first appearance of John Stewart. The story beats are dated. However, I found myself laughing out loud at John's antics. I actually do understand why Hal's was initially wary of him. John may not know how close he was to catching Hands, lol. John had a method to his madness that not everyone will readily see. Another note worth mentioning is Guy Gardner. He was so...wholesome. Guy was the kinda man you could leave your drunk sister, and open wallet around.

It is very weird that John now acts more like pre-accident Guy while Guy is more like first time with a ring John.

Those three Earth GL's are just hilarious to me. I honestly think you can do a non-superhero TV show with those three, plus Kyle with Sinestro as the evil neighbor.

No disrespect to RV, but Hal & Pals should have been equal character study, and sci-fi action. Hal & Pals should have been more successful than what it was. DC did themselves (and the fans) a real disservice by not maximizing the potential of that book, imo.

I would be very open for modern retelling of how Hal met both Guy & John.

The John stuff was a great way of keeping intact what O'Neil had established in his first appearance, but also showing how quickly he was growing into the role. It's a shame the one-two punch of Action Comics Weekly and Cosmic Odyssey largely stuck the character into arrested development for too many years as the "tragic one", but the losses John suffered also evolved him into a far more interesting character with a lot more potential.

I would love to see DC try a Hal/John team-up storyarc. The dynamic between those two is one of my favorites of the various GLs, but it so rarely gets explored. Hopefully, if the movie gains any traction, that will get DC giving us more stories with them as a duo.

[Johnny]

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Say what you will about how much of a complete $#!*bag EVS has turned into, he sure could deliver an awesome cover sometimes.

[Anthony Shaw]

This whole 2814 collection is probably my favorite continuous run on Green Lantern. I love Johns's run, but I think Wein & Gibbons, then Englehart & Staton were able to balance all the various Earth GLs better and the time period spanning the entirety of Crisis on Infinite Earths pushes it over the top for me.

Hal's whole arc here is something special, as is the wonderful work that was done with John, Kat, Guy, Salaak, Ch'p, Tomar-Re, and--well, the stuff with Arisia is still weird as hell, but female characters have fared worse (particularly in the 90s)

It probably won't come to any shock, but I'm already loving this run way more than Geoff Johns'. I'm enjoying the art, character build-up, and action way more.

Even with the large cast of supporting characters, it is clear Hal is the center, and the man. Yet, every one is getting some sort of shine. I love the balance with the various sub-plots.

It is also clear that both Hal and Carol are enduring crazy stress individually, and as a couple, yet they are trying to make things work as best they can.

Oliver was all: enjoy your life bro, you earned it!

I'm in the early stages of chapter two.

I laughed out loud seeing Salaak being such a Hal Hater. I'm looking to see what happens to Richard Davis.

If we have a Superman Revenge Squad....I want a League of Extraordinary Hal-Haters.

[Anthony Shaw]

The John stuff was a great way of keeping intact what O'Neil had established in his first appearance, but also showing how quickly he was growing into the role. It's a shame the one-two punch of Action Comics Weekly and Cosmic Odyssey largely stuck the character into arrested development for too many years as the "tragic one", but the losses John suffered also evolved him into a far more interesting character with a lot more potential.

I would love to see DC try a Hal/John team-up storyarc. The dynamic between those two is one of my favorites of the various GLs, but it so rarely gets explored. Hopefully, if the movie gains any traction, that will get DC giving us more stories with them as a duo.

I would love to read a limited series featuring Hal & John similar to the Brave & Bold series featuring Hal & Barry. I'm not sure when or if Grant will guest star any of the other Earth GL's (although I completely understand why he mainly wants to focus on Hal, and the alien GLC).

[Bored at 3:00AM]

It probably won't come to any shock, but I'm already loving this run way more than Geoff Johns'. I'm enjoying the art, character build-up, and action way more.

Even with the large cast of supporting characters, it is clear Hal is the center, and the man. Yet, every one is getting some sort of shine. I love the balance with the various sub-plots.

Wein & Englehart certainly did a much better job juggling Hal, John & Guy than Johns did. Although, to be fair, Johns was pretty upfront about Hal being the center of his run (until the New 52, when the focus shifted towards Sinestro and Simon)

[Anthony Shaw]

Say what you will about how much of a complete $#!*bag EVS has turned into, he sure could deliver an awesome cover sometimes.

Both covers are great, but that EVS version is on a whole other level.

What a difference a few decades would make in art. Shark was more humanoid Pre-Crisis.

In GL 175, Hal was gonna beat the Shark unconscious with his bear hands if not for a flying newspaper.

The EVS Shark is a pure monster.

[EmeraldGladiator]

OK I know it is not politically correct to throw in praise his way, as much as I loved John's run on GL my favorite, Gerard Jones run is a close second. His personal crap aside, he wrote each of the earth GL's distinctly and respectfully. His was the first GL rebirth I remember, took GL from cancelled to one book which expanded into 3 monthlies and a quarterly, it had Hal and the GL franchise at it's high water point in my lifetime until Geoff's Rebirth/Sinestro Corps War. If we are talking about favorite runs in the franchise. The flagship book was great from the beginning all the way up to the Third Law arc. It had great art from MD Bright, to Pat Broderick. Guy Gardner was a funny read typical of the 90's but the real gym was Mosaic which was a close to a Vertigo Green Lantern book as you could get very high concept that would give Morrison a run for his money and in fact I enjoyed it more than I am enjoying The Green Lantern so far. Side note the Shark is a great Hal earthside villain that should get more run. He is Hal's Grodd.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

OK I know it is not politically correct to throw in praise his way, as much as I loved John's run on GL my favorite, Gerard Jones run is a close second. His personal crap aside, he wrote each of the earth GL's distinctly and respectfully. His was the first GL rebirth I remember, took GL from cancelled to one book which expanded into 3 monthlies and a quarterly, it had Hal and the GL franchise at it's high water point in my lifetime until Geoff's Rebirth/Sinestro Corps War. If we are talking about favorite runs in the franchise. The flagship book was great from the beginning all the way up to the Third Law arc. It had great art from MD Bright, to Pat Broderick. Guy Gardner was a funny read typical of the 90's but the real gym was Mosaic which was a close to a Vertigo Green Lantern book as you could get very high concept that would give Morrison a run for his money and in fact I enjoyed it more than I am enjoying The Green Lantern so far. Side note the Shark is a great Hal earthside villain that should get more run. He is Hal's Grodd.

I think there are some real highs during Gerard Jones's tenure, but also some real bad lows, mostly because Andy Hefler was such a powerful creative force behind the book, but when the reigns were passed to his former assistant Kevin Dooley, the entire line floundered, with the notable exception of Mosaic, which was fantastic (although far more pretentious than it needed to be early on). The first two story arcs focusing on Hal's midlife crisis and A Guy & His G'Nort were quite good, but everything after that were very, very hit or miss.

However, it should be noted that Green Lantern was never cancelled, it was ended as a result of an editorial tug of war between Hefler & Denny O'Neil, who wanted Hal to headline his disastrous Action Comics Weekly experiment. When that failed, Hefler regained control of the character, but kept on James Owlsey AKA Priest as writer. When Hefler & Preist couldn't see eye to eye on the character, he was replaced by Keith Giffen & Gerard Jones, which is how we got saddled with that crappy drunk driving idea.

It was always Hefler's plan to spin off books for John and Guy, and the relaunch was successful enough that DC did so. However, Hefler had been promoted to head up Piranha Press and Dooley didn't get along with Jones, resulting in a long stretch of really inconsistent and downright dull GL comics, which gave Denny O'Neil the opportunity to convince Mike Carlin to shake up GL with Emerald Twilight, which saw the entire line cancelled except for the main book and the rebranded Guy Gardner: Warrior. Then, Carlin stuck to his guns on the changes implemented on Emerald Twilight until he was replaced by Didio.

It's amazing how much the GL franchise was a creative ping-pong between '88 and '04 thanks to editorial shakeups.

[Dr. Ellingham]

All-star art team. Gil Kane cover, Alex Toth interior pencils, and Terry Austin inking it. The issue had a really cool look. It was also featured Dorine.

Good call. Y'know, Alex Toth's Dorine is really something:

TothTerry.jpg

Hal dumped her to go back to Carol? Wow.

[WallyWestFlash]

It probably won't come to any shock, but I'm already loving this run way more than Geoff Johns'. I'm enjoying the art, character build-up, and action way more.

Even with the large cast of supporting characters, it is clear Hal is the center, and the man. Yet, every one is getting some sort of shine. I love the balance with the various sub-plots.

It is also clear that both Hal and Carol are enduring crazy stress individually, and as a couple, yet they are trying to make things work as best they can.

Oliver was all: enjoy your life bro, you earned it!

I'm in the early stages of chapter two.

I laughed out loud seeing Salaak being such a Hal Hater. I'm looking to see what happens to Richard Davis.

If we have a Superman Revenge Squad....I want a League of Extraordinary Hal-Haters.

Wait until you get to Steve Englehearts run. It's amazing. One of the best GL runs ever together wih Johns run and Broome and Kanes. Only reason none of them.are number one is they are all very different and very awesome in their own ways.

In Englehearts run you'll get a powerless Hal still kicking ass. The secret of the Predator revelaled. Guy Gardner in his debut as the ******* we all know and love. Great Crisis crossover. And the death of a prominent GL.

Seriously it's fanatastic. And after issue 200 it becomes GLC which is very different but still a lot of fun.

Best is yet to come.

[Dr. Ellingham]

OK I know it is not politically correct to throw in praise his way, as much as I loved John's run on GL my favorite, Gerard Jones run is a close second. His personal crap aside, he wrote each of the earth GL's distinctly and respectfully. His was the first GL rebirth I remember, took GL from cancelled to one book which expanded into 3 monthlies and a quarterly

Agreed. The Road Back is my all-time favorite Hal/John/Guy story. If the book had stayed at that quality level, who knows? Just the first 25 issues + Mosaic puts Jones on my all-time list. He also wrote some knowledgeable, thoughtful and classy tributes to creators of the old days. Obviously has significant issues, though.

Of all the 80s/90s GL writers, my list goes:

1. Mike Barr
2. Steve Englehart
3. Marv Wolfman
4. Len Wein
5. Joey Cavalieri*

*He who wrote that one last great issue of volume 2, drawn by Gil Kane. That story was an inspiration for GL Rebirth, for sure.

[Johnny]

Good call. Y'know, Alex Toth's Dorine is really something:

TothTerry.jpg

Hal dumped her to go back to Carol? Wow.

Yeah, I know. lol Hope Morrison remembers Dorine in season two.

[Dr. Ellingham]

However, it should be noted that Green Lantern was never cancelled, it was ended as a result of an editorial tug of war between Hefler & Denny O'Neil, who wanted Hal to headline his disastrous Action Comics Weekly experiment.

I've heard this too. There's actually a few different perspectives on what led to DC cancelling vol. 2.

I suspect the ultimate reason was sales, which Waid alluded to in his last-issue editorial. When Englehart took over the book, he coordinated with Marv Wolfman to make the GL series integral to Crisis. He brought back Guy Gardner, and deftly juggled John and Hal through it.

Sales increased quite a bit that year, so they elected to make GL a team book.

Six months in, DC committed to Englehart's Millennium crossover pitch. But by that point, GLC was no longer doing big numbers - the buzz from Crisis was gone. Then Millennium tanked, dragging down volume 2 in the process. Then you have that editorial tug of war.

I'd been reading GL a couple years by then, but I stopped reading in the leadup to that mini. I'm guessing DC saw ACW as the lowest-risk continuation available, which is how O'Neil gained control of GL.