Too Many Earth Lanterns...

[skyvolt2000]

Like I said, the why's are already there and get brought up pretty regularly, usually when they reference Earth-0 as being the keystone of the Multiverse.

However, much like I don't particularly care for Hal being referenced as "The Greatest Green Lantern", I don't really want Earth's importance to require a long preamble. Earth's importance to the larger DCU should be self-evident by now. Its past history, particularly those of its defenders, should speak for itself.

This is what folks don't like. A major complaint about Hal Jordan & TGLC. If he is so great why does he need the rest? Earth doesn't need the others then.

Where is the writer who can write about a TEAM at? Some who can explain all these Lanterns. Yet you get this because you only recruit certain writers who love a certain guy.

[mace11]

Biggest issue there is that there were ZERO earth lanterns before Abin Sur and the planet was too primitive (or something) to recruit on...

Jong Li (New Earth)
Dragon Lord

First Appearance
Green Lantern: Dragon Lord #1
(June, 2001)

Jong Li was a monk who lived in ancient China the year 660 AD.

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Jong_Li_(New_Earth)

[phantom1592]

Jong Li (New Earth)
Dragon Lord

First Appearance
Green Lantern: Dragon Lord #1
(June, 2001)


https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Jong_Li_(New_Earth)

Yeah... that was a retcon that retconned too many things. They had long established that GL's weren't allowed to recruit from Earth because they were too primitive and too emotional... and there still wouldn't have been if Abin Sur hadn't crashed. Hal showed up and showed them that those were the earthling's strengths not weaknesses... Jong Li got a token mention 20 years ago... and there was a some cowboy earthling who got a comment on before that... but in the grand scheme of the continuity, the retcons didn't stick. Hal's still considered the first. Then the floodgates opened and we have a TON of earthlings with rings...

[Frontier]

This is what folks don't like. A major complaint about Hal Jordan & TGLC. If he is so great why does he need the rest? Earth doesn't need the others then.

Where is the writer who can write about a TEAM at? Some who can explain all these Lanterns. Yet you get this because you only recruit certain writers who love a certain guy.

Isn't that what Venditti was actually doing if someone read the book? "The Greatest Green Lantern" line was all solicits, and those are usually mostly just hype.

[Johnny]

This is what folks don't like. A major complaint about Hal Jordan & TGLC. If he is so great why does he need the rest? Earth doesn't need the others then.

Where is the writer who can write about a TEAM at? Some who can explain all these Lanterns. Yet you get this because you only recruit certain writers who love a certain guy.

He doesn't. Even Dan Jurgens, the same guy who blew up Coast City, has said that he thinks all the other Lanterns are franchise outlets while Hal is a solo operator. Hal doesn't need them, DC needs them because anytime they hit a creative slump, they felt that making a new character would get them out of their predicament, instead of coming up with different material for Hal. As a result of that, anytime they made another character, the fanbase became more divided because they liked one of those characters more than others or didn't like how their favorites were treated compared to others, so we've gotten to the point where the franchise can not sustain more than one monthly title. If they do put out another team book, it would still revolve around 4-5 human Lanterns that would fight for panel time every issue and fans would still not be happy that one guy gets a solo title and others don't. And since DC doesn't know what to do with the problem they created for themselves, they just keep making that problem bigger by bringing in more and more characters.

It's sad to say, but a franchise like this is never going to have true equality regardless if someone is being labeled as "the greatest" or not, because the people in charge have just made it an impossible task.

[Johnny]

BINGO!

Although, I'd like Hal/John/Guy/Kyle/Simon & Jess to all rotate in and out regularly from the main JLA book whenever possible. They've each done their time with the main guys, each of them deserves their own big adventure with the JUSTICE LEAGUE. Hal certainly got it in Metal. He was the CROTCH of the JLA Voltron!

This page was hilarious. Was it supposed to insinuate that Hal is a dick. lol

[Dred]

No, that'd incidental. Hal represents the button because his is the nicest

[Bored at 3:00AM]

This is what folks don't like. A major complaint about Hal Jordan & TGLC. If he is so great why does he need the rest? Earth doesn't need the others then.

Where is the writer who can write about a TEAM at? Some who can explain all these Lanterns. Yet you get this because you only recruit certain writers who love a certain guy.

Venditti gets a lot of crap from me and others, so I'll try not to make this too cutting, but the blame for this has to be laid on his feet with this. Hal was rarely referred to as "The Greatest GL" until Venditti, who overused it like a toddler learning his first curse word. Prior to him, Hal's actions were all that was required for him to be viewed as the best of the best.

I don't envy Venditti for the unwinnable situation he was put in, trying to follow up one of the most successful GL runs of all time, but that doesn't mean that his utter failure to do anything interesting with the comic in the years afterward is excusable. His attempt to course correct with DC Rebirth felt too much like pandering to me, all bombast and no depth.

Thankfully, he's off doing the same spectacle driven storytelling in Hawkman now, seemingly much to the delight of that character's small contingent of fans, who have also pointlessly fractured themselves into two even smaller camps.

[Dred]

What? Hal was proclaimed the greatest GL constantly during Johns' run. That was part of the rebranding. Of all the many things you can pin on Venditti it is not that one. That's bog standard editorial edict and status quo. Hal is the best and no one can or ever will be better. So is the death of progress.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

This page was hilarious. Was it supposed to insinuate that Hal is a dick. lol

I think Hal being the crotch of the JLA works on so many levels. He's got the biggest balls. He was the biggest ladies man. And, yes, he was a giant tool during the New 52 Origin story. That said, had Ollie been included in JLA Voltron, you can be certain that he'd be the dick to Hal's balls.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

What? Hal was proclaimed the greatest GL constantly during Johns' run. That was part of the rebranding.

I don't remember that. Could you point out any examples of this?

[j9ac9k]

What? Hal was proclaimed the greatest GL constantly during Johns' run. That was part of the rebranding. Of all the many things you can pin on Venditti it is not that one. That's bog standard editorial edict and status quo. Hal is the best and no one can or ever will be better. So is the death of progress.

Hal was called "the greatest" when he was a solo hero and there was only one earth GL so it didn't seem so controversial back then. (although it didn't happen all the time as though it was his official title)

[Frontier]

Venditti gets a lot of crap from me and others, so I'll try not to make this too cutting, but the blame for this has to be laid on his feet with this. Hal was rarely referred to as "The Greatest GL" until Venditti, who overused it like a toddler learning his first curse word. Prior to him, Hal's actions were all that was required for him to be viewed as the best of the best.

The only time I can remember Venditti directly using it was (and this is going off memory) when the Templar Guardians talked him into leading the Corps. and maybe once ironically or condescendingly. I can't recall it being stated that much otherwise and outside solicits I don't think it was ever used during his Rebirth run.

It was about the same amount as it was used during Johns' run to be honest, and for the same reasons.

So I really don't think Venditti is at all responsible.

I don't envy Venditti for the unwinnable situation he was put in, trying to follow up one of the most successful GL runs of all time, but that doesn't mean that his utter failure to do anything interesting with the comic in the years afterward is excusable. His attempt to course correct with DC Rebirth felt too much like pandering to me, all bombast and no depth.

I thought Venditti did the best with what he had to work with which was having to juggle the four main Earth Lanterns together in one book and the entire Corps. while the other GL book was just Simon and Jessica. It's leaps and bounds better then his original run after taking over from Johns.

It was a lot of bombast and not as much complex character work but I still think there was enough character depth when it was needed, bolstered by solid storytelling.

Thankfully, he's off doing the same spectacle driven storytelling in Hawkman now, seemingly much to the delight of that character's small contingent of fans, who have also pointlessly fractured themselves into two even smaller camps.

I think Hawkman has a moderate fanbase, but yes you can probably get a lot of discussion and back-and-forth over whether you're a Carter or Katar guy .

So is the death of progress.

Well, it didn't stop the creation of more diverse GL's, so that death didn't stick .

[Vampire Savior]

In a Venditti book, Hal Jordan said when it comes to being a Green Lantern, he's "Top Gun," but he thought Kyle Rayner was the greatest Lantern in general, or some such.

EDIT:
But back to the main point, no one is ever going to convince me that having eight or so Green Lanterns from Earth is a good idea, especially all at the same time. 3 is manageable and reasonable, but this current situation is way out of hand.

[Dred]

I don't remember that. Could you point out any examples of this?

The first and most obvious is the literal hand of god, Spectre, calling him the greatest of Green Lanterns in issue 3 of Rebirth. Johns is very many things, but he is definitely not subtle. He gets called the greatest and best and blah blah more times over the course of Johns' run. Heck he even gets called the greatest BLACK Lantern at one point during that weird prophecy stuff. There was a solid decade of non stop Hal glorification and retcons to make up for Parallax.

Well, it didn't stop the creation of more diverse GL's, so that death didn't stick .

The problem is when you say all these characters are fundamentally worse than Hal forever and always because Hal is the best. That's just the bad kind of foundation for anyone but Hal. Which, I suppose, is the point. The point is to make Hal the foundation and make everyone derivative of him. Which I'm sure Hal centric fans are on board with.

This is not to say I don't love Hal Jordan. I just love positive, forward thinking progress more. That's always been my stance.