Hal Jordan Appreciation

[HAN9000]

First time I've heard anyone describe Hal like that. And probably the last.

The concept of Green Lantern, I mean Hal's Green Lantern in Silver Age, was born from people's fantasy of aerospace. So I think he truly is DC's Sci-Fi leading man. The problem is most of the comic writers are incapable of delivering a science fiction hard enough. I'm really looking forward to what they can do.
But I'm not very fond of their modification of the corps.

[j9ac9k]

I don't know..... do they really have to crap all over the stuff from continuity so much? Yeah the oath is silly, but who are you to tell us that?

Firstly, they didn't say "silly," but I thought they did a good job of explaining their process of approaching the book and concept for a short interview. You can certainly disagree with their choices, but they were hired by DC to write a book and allowed to do it in their style - that's who they are.

I also see too much crap thrown on his 'being chosen' as opposed to an 'everyman'. Hal was the perfect man for the job based on Abin Sur's instructions. AT THAT TIME... He wasn't BORN the perfect hero, but all the decisions that he made in his life from childhood to adulthood had honed him into exactly who Abin wanted him to be.

I wish that was focused more on. He wasn't born without fear or perfectly honest... He was brave and honest through years of choosing to be brave and honest. His 'heroes journey' didn't begin with the ring. That was already going on.

I absolutely agree with that 100%. I always hate the trope in movies where the hero is "The Chosen One" or "the one foretold in somesuch prophecy." Hal was selected because of the kind of man he was, not because of destiny or simply being born. It's too bad the GL movie didn't take off or there'd be a "Coast City" show right now showing how Hal became a hero all on his own before he even got the ring.

[Johnny]

It's too bad the GL movie didn't take off or there'd be a "Coast City" show right now showing how Hal became a hero all on his own before he even got the ring.

I don't think GL is meant for TV, unless it's on HBO I suppose. I guess a miniseries could work, but I don't really think Hal is like Bruce or Clark where you can see his origin story develop for a few seasons prior to getting the ring. Even in The Flash they hardly spent any time before putting Barry in the suit.

But you know what, given we now have a freaking show about Superman's grandfather, who's to say a show about pre-GL Hal Jordan can't be done. I'm just curious to see how.

[j9ac9k]

I don't think GL is meant for TV, unless it's on HBO I suppose. I guess a miniseries could work, but I don't really think Hal is like Bruce or Clark where you can see his origin story develop for a few seasons prior to getting the ring. Even in The Flash they hardly spent any time before putting Barry in the suit.

But you know what, given we now have a freaking show about Superman's grandfather, who's to say a show about pre-GL Hal Jordan can't be done. I'm just curious to see how.

Oh, I can totally see it - and being as this is before Hal gets a ring, you don't have to break the SFX bank. I see it a cross between "Top Gun" and "X-Files." We'd see Hal going through all his issues as a young rebellious fighter pilot, etc. still fearless, but much more reckless - here we'd see the cockiness that becomes tempered with age. Mix in the stuff with his father and a restlessness about pushing boundaries, then open up his world by throwing in random Area 51 type alien shenanigans, (roll it out over several seasons the way "Smallville" and "Gotham" took a bit of time before going full-on comic booky) maybe with the GL movie version of Waller where the government is involved, etc. where we'd see Hal hone the "honesty" part of his character with all the alien government cover-up stuff. And of course you'd have Carol and her dad, Hector and Tom etc... I imagine possibly in the third season there'd be a cameo by Abin Sur....

And that's just off the top of my head, but yeah, now I wish it had happened....

[Frontier]

I think the Trinity can probably afford prequel shows, or multiple prequel shows, because they're the Trinity but I think even if Green Lantern and Hal became a an A-List name we wouldn't be getting some kind of origin/prequel show.

I mean, I don't see anyone watching a Central City show without The Flash.

Although they did try to do one with Aquaman, but that never went far.

[Anthony Shaw]

I think a lot of mileage could be squeezed out the Jordan brothers (and how different they are). You have plenty drama if you throw in the tragic death of Martin Jordan, and health issues with Jessica Jordan. I can see a lot of conflict between Jack & Hal, with Jim caught in the middle. You also have the drama with Poppa Ferris feeling guilty, and Hal's doomed first stint in the Air Force.

It might be a bit of shark jumping, but I am sure writers can have a joint venture between the Air Force, and the Marines. Hal has to fly a sharp shooter named John Stewart on a mission. I can see an episode where Hal runs into cop named Guy Gardner.

I think I covered family drama, military drama, cop drama, and we still have drama to explore with Carol.

I think writers can squeeze at least three good seasons before Abin crash lands on Earth.

[Frontier]

Why would we want to turn Green Lantern into a typical TV drama ?

[Elmo]

Isamot Kol TV show

[Anthony Shaw]

Why would we want to turn Green Lantern into a typical TV drama ?

I thought we just throwing stuff on the wall, and see what could stick.

[AngryComicBookNerd]

Firstly, they didn't say "silly," but I thought they did a good job of explaining their process of approaching the book and concept for a short interview. You can certainly disagree with their choices, but they were hired by DC to write a book and allowed to do it in their style - that's who they are

I wasn't quoting them when I said "silly", that was just my impression. They seemed a little too dismissive of certain core GL themes for my taste is all. I think it is also important to remember that I'm an cynical ******* so try not to take anything I say seriously.

[WallyWestFlash]

I think a lot of mileage could be squeezed out the Jordan brothers (and how different they are). You have plenty drama if you throw in the tragic death of Martin Jordan, and health issues with Jessica Jordan. I can see a lot of conflict between Jack & Hal, with Jim caught in the middle. You also have the drama with Poppa Ferris feeling guilty, and Hal's doomed first stint in the Air Force.

It might be a bit of shark jumping, but I am sure writers can have a joint venture between the Air Force, and the Marines. Hal has to fly a sharp shooter named John Stewart on a mission. I can see an episode where Hal runs into cop named Guy Gardner.

I think I covered family drama, military drama, cop drama, and we still have drama to explore with Carol.

I think writers can squeeze at least three good seasons before Abin crash lands on Earth.

Great ideas. I think the Jordan family, and especially the Jordan brothers, are very interesting and would love if they brought them back in the comics but would totally watch this show as well.

Plus I love military and police themes, (When Hollywood is not making them predictably "eeeeevviilll" like they always do) so that part of your idea I would be down for as well.

Carol as well you could do the whole thing that Johns did in Secret Origin with Hal and Carol's fathers friendship and Hal blaming Carol's father for his father's death and all that.

Way better than Superman's grandfather and all that stuff they are really reaching for. Do it WB. Do it now!!

[WallyWestFlash]

I wasn't quoting them when I said "silly", that was just my impression. They seemed a little too dismissive of certain core GL themes for my taste is all. I think it is also important to remember that I'm an cynical ******* so try not to take anything I say seriously.

That's what's rubbing me the wrong way as well. I was initially hyped for this but the more I hear about it, especially interviews with the writer the more I think this will suck for Hal/GL fans.

It's a bad sign when the writers are not just dismissive of the source material but when they call the ideas and parts of the franchise, like the oath, silly that does not sound like the writer even LIKES the product they are working on.

Situations like this, which we have seen way too often in super hero stuff, often turns out something that is the product in name only.

[AngryComicBookNerd]

That's what's rubbing me the wrong way as well. I was initially hyped for this but the more I hear about it, especially interviews with the writer the more I think this will suck for Hal/GL fans.

It's a bad sign when the writers are not just dismissive of the source material but when they call the ideas and parts of the franchise, like the oath, silly that does not sound like the writer even LIKES the product they are working on.

Situations like this, which we have seen way too often in super hero stuff, often turns out something that is the product in name only.

I know, right! I was super excited for this. Maybe I should still be, but this kind of stuff just makes me nervous. Who knows, this could all just be paranoia and it turns out to be a killer book.

[j9ac9k]

I wasn't quoting them when I said "silly", that was just my impression. They seemed a little too dismissive of certain core GL themes for my taste is all. I think it is also important to remember that I'm an cynical ******* so try not to take anything I say seriously.

Oh, I think I get it - I'm as trepidatious about adaptations (and that's what this is) as much as the next fan when it comes to the things we think are important and don't want to see changed. But part of the fun of an adaptation is that writers from different backgrounds get their crack at it and get to approach the source material in a different way, giving us something possibly new and refreshing that might work back into the mainstream version.

For me, I was not thrilled with them describing this Hal as an "everyman." To me, Hal being an exceptional person is more important to the GL concept than the oath per se, (I always thought the yellow weakness was "silly" and when a writer thought so, it was removed) but I am still hopeful that they'll show Hal in a heroic light even if their conception starts from a different place.

[liwanag]