Whatever happened to Simon Baz?

[skyvolt2000]

I was hoping to get an actual non-sarcastic answer. You're being the guy your avatar says not to be.

He was not being rude.

He was 100% honest.

As far as we can figure out-Simon was created to replace John Stewart. Who as another posted listed was slated to be killed off before the writer refused and left the GLC book. Once that got out and varying levels of backlash got tossed at DC over it.

Simon and pretty much Jessica Cruz got screwed. So whatever plans for him were scrapped.

[skyvolt2000]

This might be a controversial statement, but... honestly? Out of Hal, Guy, Kyle, and John... I think Hal should have stayed dead.

It's not so much that but the issue of how do you build a GL franchise and include one in Justice League.

One faction wants Hal.

One faction wants John.

One faction wants both.


I think Dc is trying with the latter as Hal has gone renegade and has his own power source. So he's taking Alan Scott's GL spot and should be free for Justice League.

John and the rest can build up the GL franchise.


@ninjak-I think he meant we have so many Earth based ones roaming around. I mean how often do we see GLs from the same planet in large numbers? We never see 4 GLs from Sinestro's world all at once.

[Nomads1]

He's time is up. We're never seeing Baz again and I don't understand how someone can say that there shouldn't any more Lanterns. They're an intergalactic police force, they are always recruiting.

The thing is, with a universe as vast as ours is, with billions of alien races, our mudball gets to have 5 or 6 GLs, and in a planet of billions, with hundreds of countries, they all coincidentlly hail from the same freaking country? I'm sorry, but it's not being creative, and it does get a bit hard to swallow.

Peace

[DrNewGod]

It's not so much that but the issue of how do you build a GL franchise and include one in Justice League.

One faction wants Hal.

One faction wants John.

One faction wants both.


I think Dc is trying with the latter as Hal has gone renegade and has his own power source. So he's taking Alan Scott's GL spot and should be free for Justice League.

John and the rest can build up the GL franchise

This why, when DC decided to reboot with the Nu52, they should have wiped all of the existing lanterns and started over with something as firm of a departure from any of the known lanterns, as Hal Jordan was from Alan Scott. Simon Baz might have been a good idea for that. Perhaps they even should have gone so far as to completely reimagine the Guardians and the Corps.

However, Johns was in the middle of one of his lantern war arcs, and nobody was pulling the plug on that any more than they were on Morrison's Bat-arc.

[BohemiaDrinker]

This why, when DC decided to reboot with the Nu52, they should have wiped all of the existing lanterns and started over with something as firm of a departure from any of the known lanterns, as Hal Jordan was from Alan Scott. Simon Baz might have been a good idea for that. Perhaps they even should have gone so far as to completely reimagine the Guardians and the Corps.

However, Johns was in the middle of one of his lantern war arcs, and nobody was pulling the plug on that any more than they were on Morrison's Bat-arc.

Creatively, i couldn't agree more.

Financially, though, Batman and GL were the only two franchises that were both selling well and with big name writers attached to it, and mid story. The New 52 was successful, yes, but they had no idea to know if that would be the case beforehand and, because of that, had to hold tight to the only cash cows they had.

Mid term, this did hurt the New 52 as a continuity, yes, but it was a necessary, if undesirable, step.

About Simon, if it was up to me they should kill all the white Green Lanterns; nothing personal, I just like them less than the other guys. (I do like Kyle, but he hasn't been a GL in a while)

[Frontier]

He was not being rude.

He was 100% honest.

As far as we can figure out-Simon was created to replace John Stewart. Who as another posted listed was slated to be killed off before the writer refused and left the GLC book. Once that got out and varying levels of backlash got tossed at DC over it.

Simon and pretty much Jessica Cruz got screwed. So whatever plans for him were scrapped.

How is Jessica screwed? She's got a role in Darkseid War and teaming with Hal, and considering her powers is just as likely to stay on the book once Hal leaves again. She's got better chances than Simon does at this point.

[GlennSimpson]

I wouldn't kill any of them off, but I think everybody but Hal, Guy, and John can pretty much lose their rings and move on to live happy lives off-camera.

[colonyofcells]

The GL Corps title should have enough room for an unlimited number of earthling Green Lanterns.

[GlennSimpson]

The GL Corps title should have enough room for an unlimited number of earthling Green Lanterns.

It would be more plausible if they gave some reason why Earth needs so many.

I think they were leading up to that with the Brightest Day "EArth is the center of life in the universe" thing but that would need to be reiterated.

Heck, it's not even clear when they switched from one to two GLs per sector.

[James Hunter]

It would be more plausible if they gave some reason why Earth needs so many.

I think they were leading up to that with the Brightest Day "EArth is the center of life in the universe" thing but that would need to be reiterated.

Heck, it's not even clear when they switched from one to two GLs per sector.

Actually, the *when* is pretty clear (REBIRTH) but the why is less clear.

Cheers.

James.

[Desh]

It would be more plausible if they gave some reason why Earth needs so many.

I think they were leading up to that with the Brightest Day "EArth is the center of life in the universe" thing but that would need to be reiterated.

Heck, it's not even clear when they switched from one to two GLs per sector.

Over the decades, different writers have come up with different in-story reasons for that. However there is no universal reason that is firmly part of the canon that firmly sticks.

As for Baz, I don't think he ever should have been created, especially when Jessica Cruz came shortly after him. I think the best thing to do with him would be to retire him. I would be surprised if he ever were to develop much of a fanbase with Green Lantern being as overcrowded a franchise as it is, and with many of the current fans being so defensive and protective of their favorite characters. Also, there is a point when things become watered down, and Green Lantern is well beyond that point with its overabundance of Earth Green Lanterns.

[HereNThere]

I don't mind either Simon or Jessica, but there is definitely enough Earth Lanterns. Jessica has a, somewhat, good excuse as to why she can have a ring, but Simon doesn't. I'd give him a new superhero identity. You can keep him in space, but no more Lanterning for him.

[Vic Vega]

Actually, the *when* is pretty clear (REBIRTH) but the why is less clear.

Cheers.

James.

I was under the impression that the Guardians started the 2 Lanterns per sector bit was so that a sector would never be left
unprotected for too long.

The Guardians call the troops back to OA a LOT. Somebody has to do the sector based ring slinging in the meantime.

[Triple J]

I think they should divide up the lanterns - why does Earth (or Earth's sector) need so many lanterns? (Granted, these days, they don't always stick around Earth.

Would love to see a book where Baz gets assigned to a new sector and learns to deal with problems on other planets.

At this point, killing off or retiring any one of the Earth based Lanterns will upset a certain group of the fan base (granted, that is always the case; you can't please everyone). I suppose they should just retire/kill the character(s) that have the smallest fan base (I hope they don't do that to Baz).

[BohemiaDrinker]

Heck, it's not even clear when they switched from one to two GLs per sector.

They showed the re-structuring of the Corps in GL: Corps: Recharge. I believe the noror guards had more deciding power in its structure, and decided that Lanterns worked better alongside partners. But it's been a while since I've read it.