Hal Jordan: The Green Lantern Appreciation 2021

**SiegePerilous02** · 07-17-2021, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by Johnny

What's also amusing is that while those people always claim that Hal stories can be transferred to any other GL, they would never say that Emerald Twilight can be done with someone else. They would insist that Hal is the only one that story can be done with, even though adaptations are meant to adapt the material in a way to serve the specific characters they're using. The DCAU giving Hal's origin to Kyle and the rivalry with Sinestro to John is all fine and good, but if Timm had Kyle or John snap after suffering through an awful tragedy, then all of a sudden those same people would call it BS that should only be reserved for Hal. These people don't tend to apply the same rules to their favorites that they always use against Hal.

They really just don't like him, and I think they undermine their own favorites a lot by needing to crib stuff from Hal. I think all the GLs have their own stuff that can be adapted or are versatile enough that they can come up with new ideas for them.

The general GL mythos can be adapted around any character and it can work. But yeah, stuff like Abin Sur being used for DCAU Kyle instead of just crafting another origin episode for Kyle is pretty grating. Though in fairness to Timm and co, I think they wanted to use Hal but DC made them use Kyle to stay consistent with current comics. This is why Kyle had brown hair in the show and it's similar to Jason being named "Tim" over in TNBA

**Gaius** · 07-17-2021, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by j9ac9k

I don't know ... was post Blackest Night when Johns decided to focus more on Sinestro? I wasn't a fan of that, but you couldn't swap out any other Lantern for Hal in those stories since nobody else had that history and relationship with Sinestro.

I meant more in how post-BN the book just became cycling through various events but yeah, like you said Hal and Sinestro's history is still a sizable part of that.

**Anthony Shaw** · 07-17-2021, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Gaius

Hal wore that jacket in the afterlife, and kept wearing it after his rebirth!

Linus ain't got sh!t on Hal.

Originally Posted by liwanag

this belong's in a different list. maybe one of the robins...

Just my interpretation based of Geoff's writing.

**Mutatis_Mutandis** · 07-17-2021, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by SiegePerilous02

I've seen the complaint that Morrison's stories could be told with any GL as well.

It's all complete nonsense of course, especially the Emerald Sands story. All the GLs have their fanbases and are worthwhile characters who can produce good stories, but the stance some of Hal's detractors take is beyond obnoxious.

I think these people are not really doing the reading then, or their reading is very superficial and missing out on the subtler themes going on in the run.

It's not that you can't use concepts like Mu, Belzebeth or the blackstars with John or Kyle, but their handling of the situation would be so different that the story would be unrecognizable.

With Kyle, no offense to his fans, but I don't think he would be able to pull off infiltrating the blackstars the way Hal did, or pretend-kill Adam Strange or even resolve the story in the same manner.

With John, I think he can take on Mu for example but his way of handling Mu would in a sense be the complete opposite of Hal's. Hal pretends to go along with Mu's game but ultimately defeats him by affirming contingency against the perfect "order". John on the other hand, being a tactician, would out-strategize and outplan Mu.

You can have the latter of course, but then the thematic richness and the ethical questions raised by the run are also lost. There is a reason Morrison highlights Hal's beatnik qualities, the theme of "the divided man" which Hal resolves by affirming his own irreducible multiplicity.

**silly** · 07-18-2021, 03:51 AM

I dread the day when DC decides to gives Hal's origin to another Lantern.

**Johnny** · 07-18-2021, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by SiegePerilous02

They really just don't like him, and I think they undermine their own favorites a lot by needing to crib stuff from Hal. I think all the GLs have their own stuff that can be adapted or are versatile enough that they can come up with new ideas for them.

The general GL mythos can be adapted around any character and it can work. But yeah, stuff like Abin Sur being used for DCAU Kyle instead of just crafting another origin episode for Kyle is pretty grating. Though in fairness to Timm and co, I think they wanted to use Hal but DC made them use Kyle to stay consistent with current comics. This is why Kyle had brown hair in the show and it's similar to Jason being named "Tim" over in TNBA

I think DC has enabled those people to make these claims about the character since over the years they've done everything from giving his origin, his nemesis, his friendships, his stories, his founding JL member status, his love interest and even his hometown now to other GLs. Fans treat him as interchangeable because DC treats him that way too. In perspective it's really not surprising that his detractors claim that you don't need the Hal Jordan character to adapt stories that happened to feature him. WB clearly seems to think that way too.

I agree about Kyle, though I really liked his Ion-like makeover in his subsequent appearances.

**liwanag** · 07-18-2021, 09:08 AM

dc sort of explored the idea of abin giving his ring to guy, carol was in a relationship with kyle, sinestro is almost an arch nemesis to other earth lantern in addition to hal....

the only thing dc can't interchange is that hal is martin jordan's son....

**Neo Goblin** · 07-18-2021, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by SiegePerilous02

They really just don't like him, and I think they undermine their own favorites a lot by needing to crib stuff from Hal.

Honestly...I don't know if it's really that. At least, not mainly. Sure, they don't like him, but I don't think it's really to do with him per se. I think it primarily stems from a feeling that he is (or was) being pushed on them and there is someone they would rather see instead. I think fans would lash out at any other character in that position if it wasn't their preferred character.

I also think there are some that resent that he has usually been the franchise lead because it makes their favorites seem unimportant or like stooges, and DC is guilty of doing things to reinforce that feeling. There's a generally defensive fan base all around, because no one is confident in their favorite character's spot and there isn't enough page room to go around for everyone's favorites, so you also wind up with situations where people say, "Well, I hate this character because of his fans." That's ultimately no fault of the character.

It's a problem DC created itself by giving a glut of various different characters the same identity (Green Lantern). DC made the problem worse by failing to properly develop most of them, so those other characters use what has already been developed from stories with Hal Jordan as protagonist.

**Johnny** · 07-18-2021, 09:30 AM

It can also come off as "Hal did most of the work, yet someone else is piggybacking off of it". That kind of thing can create resentment too, even though obviously the characters are not to blame for any of it.

**InfamousBG** · 07-18-2021, 09:35 AM

Hey guys and gals,

Just getting back into Green Lantern. I know I could read way back on all the comments...but where is Hal Jordan in the comics these days? Is he ever on Earth anymore?

Any info and help would be great. {This is my first post in many years).

**Anthony Shaw** · 07-18-2021, 10:02 AM

One of my gripes as a Hal fan during the Geoff era was how he & Guy almost seemed interchangeable, in regards to personality. It looked that way in some comics, and in outside media.

For me, a key component to Hal is empathy mixed with fearlessness (which funny as classic Batman is the same). I tune out any variation of the jerk with a heart of gold which should be reserved for Guy.

I loved how GLTAS made Hal & Guy distinct without making either look like clowns.

Imo, Hal needs more arcs where he is bouncing off other characters, as opposed to the cosmic maverick, so fans reacquaint themselves with him again.

**skyvolt2000** · 07-18-2021, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Johnny

It can also come off as "Hal did most of the work, yet now someone else is piggybacking off of it". That kind of thing can create resentment too, even though obviously the characters are not to blame for any of it.

Correction- Hal had all the stories and MANAGEMENT forgot to develop everyone else. Especially when New 52 came along.

John going nuts and doing what Hal did is possible since he has that blown up planet forever stuck on him. The main difference is John would not have the personal connection to it like Hal did with Coast City.

Everyone is going to get stick with Sinestro because that is all they are given. While Hal had the stories with the others like Black Hand or whoever.

No one bothered to think there might be folks who have issues with a GL that is not a white guy or how everyone else handles something different than Hal.

Hal and Ollie teaming up like that did would NOT be the same stories if Ollie and Simon did it.

**j9ac9k** · 07-18-2021, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by InfamousBG

Hey guys and gals,

Just getting back into Green Lantern. I know I could read way back on all the comments...but where is Hal Jordan in the comics these days? Is he ever on Earth anymore?

Any info and help would be great. {This is my first post in many years).

Hal is currently on earth. Unlike most of the Corps, his ring still seems to function. He's appeared briefly in the new GL series, but isn't a main character.