Glad that Vendetti wrote an awesome story using Martin Jordan. Maybe we will get the chance to read about his mom.
And definitely his brothers.
The annual in July is a Jordan family reunion! I'm really excited for that.
This is how I remember it too. I don't remember anything about Martin pre-Emerald Dawn.
Martin's main purpose was an explanation as to why Hal even had a job with Carl Ferris. Despite all his dangerous stunts and questionable attendance records... Carl owed it to the memory of his old air force buddy. If anything Emerald Dawn hammered in that Hal was living under his old man's shadow... not that he was trying to live up to a role model... and certainly not motivated by his death in any way.
Martin's main purpose was an explanation as to why Hal even had a job with Carl Ferris. Despite all his dangerous stunts and questionable attendance records... Carl owed it to the memory of his old air force buddy. If anything Emerald Dawn hammered in that Hal was living under his old man's shadow... not that he was trying to live up to a role model... and certainly not motivated by his death in any way.
Wasn't Air Wave considered Earth-2? he's usually associated with lately with the JSA... therefore his status as Hal's Cousin had to be a retcon... not sure when it happened though.
True. But that was my point. It took forty-six years worth of stories before Martin became any kind of motivation for Hal. Regardless of How popular and praised Johns' run is... I still can't help but consider that a blatant retcon. Hal had gone for decades without a dead dad motivator... even after ED established he DID have a dead dad.... it didn't mean much to the heroic aspect of Green Lantern.
I think it is a rather unnecessary retcon. I don't believe anyone cared that much about Martin until Geoff Johns made him a big deal in Hal's life. Having dead dad being the motivation is a tale as old as time, and nearly all heroes have some sort of dead parent figure being the catalyst for their heroism. I've always considered one of Hal's most definitive character traits is that he's someone who is just born a hero, not made into one. Nowadays people just love making heroes into these troubled souls burdened by ghosts of the past, which is cool, but I think it's refreshing to have someone like Hal who has such an innate, unwavering faith in himself.
Last edited by Margaret; 06-21-2019 at 10:02 AM.
I liked it because I felt it added more to Hal then it took away but wasn't the sole defining thing that made Hal Hal.
Especially compared to how much the "dead mom" retcon has defined Barry the past few years.