Alan Scott: The Green Lantern by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey (New Golden Age)

[j9ac9k]

He already has the ring, and the costume, and the powers... somehow. And everyone refers to him as Green Lantern. But he's not Green Lantern? Really?

The story isn't about him literally becoming Green Lantern, but stepping into the role as a more prominent hero and embracing the idea of working with others. It's not his origin, but his transition from getting power to becoming a fully realized hero. Well, from where I'm sitting, that's what this story seems to be from the way it's been set up.

[Triniking1234]

I mean issue #1 had the police asking him for help and the Flash ran over from Whatever City to help. Sounds pretty established.

[Holt]

Just because he has it doesn't mean he instantly turns into a badass. Kyle Raynor gets a ring and he's not the White Lantern yet. It took him years to become a top tier GL. Alan is not Hal, Alan is Alan and we really didn't know much about him before he got the Lantern. This whole Storyline is showing who Alan is and how he his life before the Lantern and when he first received the Lantern shaped him into the total Badass he is now.

Yeah I’m pretty sure this isn’t the first time we’ve seen someone with a ring still struggling.

[Hypo]

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #4 Preview
Writer: Tim Sheridan
Artist: Cian Tormey

[Anthony W]

Superheroes also fight bad guys, which hasn't happened in 3 issues. While I'm mostly enjoying this look into Alan's life, let's not pretend this series hasn't been light on action. I think he's fired his ring only once so far in one panel, aside from using it to fly or phase through the wall. It's been three issue of build up, so let's hope the payoff is good.

It doesn't matter. You trying to make sense of this story is akin to trying to put gas in a car that DC totaled. This book was DOA for the same reason the Tim Drake Robin title was.

Because it's asking us to accept something that just isn't true.

The only way to save this character is just to walk it back. No one will care because no one cares now.

[j9ac9k]

It doesn't matter. You trying to make sense of this story is akin to trying to put gas in a car that DC totaled. This book was DOA for the same reason the Tim Drake Robin title was.

Because it's asking us to accept something that just isn't true.

The only way to save this character is just to walk it back. No one will care because no one cares now.

"No one" or you? Why do people feel a need to act like they're speaking for everyone as though it's not just their opinion? I care. I'm enjoying this book and this look at Alan's personal life, I just wish it were better balanced with superhero action. Maybe you can't accept it, but that doesn't mean it's not "true." It's a comic book and the "truth" shifts as much as the sand in the desert with these characters - that's the only "truth" you can either choose to accept or not - and you have every right to. But stop pretending you're speaking for everyone as though your sensibilities are the sole barometer.

[Jon Clark]

It doesn't matter. You trying to make sense of this story is akin to trying to put gas in a car that DC totaled. This book was DOA for the same reason the Tim Drake Robin title was.

Because it's asking us to accept something that just isn't true.

The only way to save this character is just to walk it back. No one will care because no one cares now.

Much as I agree with your general sentiment, I have to disagree on the "no one will care". Putting aside the people that actually like the changes to Alan's backstory, DC knows there are activists out there just waiting on a chance to attack anything they can twist as homophobic. People who would take Tim Drake renewing a relationship with Spoiler and write an article titled DC gives middle finger to LGTB fans.

Even if DC decides that Alan's new direction is a flop (and personal feelings aside, I don't think it is). DC is more likely to decide "far better to just put Alan out to pasture" than face that type of focus. We won't get a story where Alan returns to being straight. At best we get Alan's sexual orientation erased (as in he has none) in future appearances. More likely we get Alan himself erased in that writers just don't use him.

[Psy-lock]

People who really care about Alan being straight just need to wait a little over a decade. Once he enters public domain you can write him as straight as you want

[The Cool Thatguy]

People who really care about Alan being straight just need to wait a little over a decade. Once he enters public domain you can write him as straight as you want

I less care about him being straight, and more about being the Alan that he was for years.

The strong willed, hard ass bad ass ring slinger. And while I can understand how being gay in the 40s and such might put a dent in that to some degree, i don't feel that we've really seen that part of his character at all yet.

And of course, this is all complicated by the fact that he has two kids, who themselves are rather popular.

[Anthony W]

Much as I agree with your general sentiment, I have to disagree on the "no one will care". Putting aside the people that actually like the changes to Alan's backstory, DC knows there are activists out there just waiting on a chance to attack anything they can twist as homophobic. People who would take Tim Drake renewing a relationship with Spoiler and write an article titled DC gives middle finger to LGTB fans.

This again?

Once again the obvious solution is ignored because of fear of imaginary outrage from people that aren't enough in number to actually create said outrage. There is no need to be afraid of Twitter.

Even if DC decides that Alan's new direction is a flop (and personal feelings aside, I don't think it is). DC is more likely to decide "far better to just put Alan out to pasture" than face that type of focus. We won't get a story where Alan returns to being straight. At best we get Alan's sexual orientation erased (as in he has none) in future appearances. More likely we get Alan himself erased in that writers just don't use him.

Giving them your money only emboldens them and will lead to more shenanigans. You have to draw the line somewhere.

[Holt]

"No one" or you? Why do people feel a need to act like they're speaking for everyone as though it's not just their opinion? I care. I'm enjoying this book and this look at Alan's personal life, I just wish it were better balanced with superhero action. Maybe you can't accept it, but that doesn't mean it's not "true." It's a comic book and the "truth" shifts as much as the sand in the desert with these characters - that's the only "truth" you can either choose to accept or not - and you have every right to. But stop pretending you're speaking for everyone as though your sensibilities are the sole barometer.

I can’t see what you’re responding to (I’m guessing I have the poster on ignore) but yeah. I very much doubt they’re gonna say “Psyche, he actually wasn’t gay!” unless it’s an alternate Alan from another universe or something.

Anyway, glad we’re finally getting some background on Red Lantern.

[OBrianTallent]

It doesn't matter. You trying to make sense of this story is akin to trying to put gas in a car that DC totaled. This book was DOA for the same reason the Tim Drake Robin title was.

Because it's asking us to accept something that just isn't true.

The only way to save this character is just to walk it back. No one will care because no one cares now.

The book was DOA because the writer has a terrible track record added to his rant on twitter/x when asked what the book was about he either went on a rant about the buying the book to stick it to CG people or just outright blocked people, never once discussing what the book was actually about. So...a good many decided that since he had nothing else to talk about, the book wasn't worth buying. I couldn't care less if he were gay or straight, but if the only story you have to tell about him is how gay he is...that's not what I am reading comics for.

[Refrax5]

I less care about him being straight, and more about being the Alan that he was for years.

The strong willed, hard ass bad ass ring slinger. And while I can understand how being gay in the 40s and such might put a dent in that to some degree, i don't feel that we've really seen that part of his character at all yet.

And of course, this is all complicated by the fact that he has two kids, who themselves are rather popular.

That's really what it is. People act like it's a disdain for him being gay and while that's obviously going to be true for certain kinds of people, I've said repeatedly that I really liked the gay version of Alan in Earth 2 because he still felt like Alan, just a younger, angrier, less seasoned version. I thought Alan was handled well in the recent JSA issue, which also dealt with him being gay.

I'm pretty far to the left politically and was raised by parents who didn't tolerate any kind of bigotry, so I promise you, my annoyance with this series isn't that Alan is gay. I don't care about that. It's that him being gay is the only thing that is treated as important in the book and there's pretty much nothing recognizable about the character in the book besides the costume.

Alan can be gay or straight, as long as he still feels like Alan. He doesn't and this is kind of a slog to read.

[Refrax5]

It doesn't matter. You trying to make sense of this story is akin to trying to put gas in a car that DC totaled. This book was DOA for the same reason the Tim Drake Robin title was.

Because it's asking us to accept something that just isn't true.

The only way to save this character is just to walk it back. No one will care because no one cares now.

I don't really buy that. These characters are fictional concepts that have always changed with the times and had numerous retcons. It's no more "accepting something that isn't true" than Lex Luthor going from mad scientist to an industrialist who murdered his parents or Jason Todd going from a redheaded acrobat to a black-haired street kid or Hal Jordan going from a Korean War vet to a Vietnam vet or whatever else. It's a retcon and a modernization of a character, no different than countless others that have been done and accepted.

It's just that the book sucks.

If people are mad because they just don't like gay people, then that's just their tough ****. I don't really care about their opinion in that case.

[Frontier]

So we've got Russian Alan, Russian Jenny, when are we getting Russian Todd?