Am I crazy or are GL fans completely irrational about this???

[FishyZombie]

Hi everyone! So I haven't been on this site long but its easy to see the divide in the GL fanbase between Hal, John, Kyle and Guy. And I understand that, everyone has their favorites and whatnot but here is my problem: I keep hearing people say that favorite version has been sidelined, and its usually John and Kyle fans. But that never made any sense to me. Its not a Flash situation where they bench whoever Barry or Wally whenever dc decides to push the other. All of those characters have had their own ongoing solo titles recently. And frankly Hal doesn't seem to be doing all that much better than them. Then again I've also heard people who theorized that Hal was getting sidelined at one point or another. So why does this complaint keep coming up?

[Outside_85]

Because all of them have at one time or another had a 'golden age' where they were nearly the only Lantern around and usually brushing shoulders with Superman and Batman on the Justice League... or in the case of Guy Gardner, getting punched in the face. And their fans would just really like for this age to return.
Also they complain because the New 52 just sort of cemented their perception that DC wasn't really going to do anything progressive with anyone other than Hal, because he was the one that got to stay on Earth while the others were lost in deep space, surrounded by monsters and often changing the color of their ring.

And as for why it keeps returning; Well even when Hal vanished off the face of the planet for some GL event, instead of bringing in Guy, John or Kyle, DC has since the launch of the New 52 instead opted to create entirely new Lanterns to keep the seats warm... and it only gets worse when Hal eventually returns and these new characters just vanish. Like we got Baz, with much hype and a quick spot on the JLA, then came Trinity War and FE and he just dissapeared, to be replaced with the new Power Ring who might suffer the same fate.

[poroto678]

I consider myself a big GL fan and a hardcore Kyle fan. I've never complained about what you said tho. I agree that John fans complain a lot, but who cares? Since Mosaic, anything that's been written meets their expectations.
I think Kyle was indeed a little "sidelined", but only because Johns had bigger plans for the entire GL-verse. I mean, he gave us Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night... who, in their right mind, could complain about that? It's GL at its finest. I loved when Kyle lived in New York with Jenny and struggled with his art career, but he doesnt fit in the GL-verse anymore... Johns went "too epic" for that. Going back doesnt make much sense. I love Kyle in Omega Men tho.. it's a great step forward IMHO.

I do complain about the quality of the current GL book. Venditti has destroyed everything Geoff Johns worked so hard for, and that sucks.

[Claude]

I never understood why - when Johns went, as you say, "too epic" and dropped all Hal's connections on Earth in favour of rolling events and new lantern corps every week - they didn't just put Kyle back as the "Earth Lantern" before the reboot.

[Doctor Know]

Question:

Is Simon Baz anybody's favorite? Or is he a best forgotten experiment DC tried for 3 years, and gave up on?

[Starter Set]

Gather all in the love of Kyle Rayner.

[Carabas]

Question:

Is Simon Baz anybody's favorite? Or is he a best forgotten experiment DC tried for 3 years, and gave up on?

Let's put it this way: they already had four human Green Lanterns that each were fan favourites who needed to be given their turn in the spotlight every once in a while, which was (speaking not as a fan but as a realist now) one or two too many.

And then they went and introduced a fifth one. It was never going to work with the other four still around.

[Den]

Hal's my favorite, but I honestly like all the Earth GLs and I just don't get the "my GL is awesome, your GL sucks" Mentality that some have either. Of course, it's easy for me to say that with my 'fav' on top I guess, but I loved Guy in Soule's RL and both Kyle and John have had moments in the spotlight I really liked.

I was not happy with most of what Venditti did on his initial run with Hal, but he's really turned it around. The renegade storyline seems to be bringing out his talent and I am enjoying it.
I am not reading Omega Men, but I hear its really good and I hope Kyle fans are enjoying it.
Lost Army has Guy and John playing off each other nicely.

[Den]

Let's put it this way: they already had four human Green Lanterns that each were fan favourites who needed to be given their turn in the spotlight every once in a while, which was (speaking not as a fan but as a realist now) one or two too many.

And then they went and introduced a fifth one. It was never going to work with the other four still around.

Pretty much this.
It was a noble experiment in its way, but the absolute wrong place to put a new character at the time. If Simon had been brought in as the new Airwave or something brand new, he might not have had name recognition, but he wouldn't have been so utterly redundant

[Doctor Know]

How is Kyle's run going btw?

I havent seriously read GL corps or anything past GL vol 1 New 52.

I know Kyle got a ring of every color, became a white lantern and starting dating Carol Ferris ( oddly enough). But nothing else.

[joybeans]

How is Kyle's run going btw?

I havent seriously read GL corps or anything past GL vol 1 New 52.

I know Kyle got a ring of every color, became a white lantern and starting dating Carol Ferris ( oddly enough). But nothing else.

It was rather average. Not the worst, but far from the best Lantern book of its time. That run's over now, though. Now, he's featured in the Omega Men, which is one of DC's best books.

[MajorHoy]

It was rather average. Not the worst, but far from the best Lantern book of its time. That run's over now, though. Now, he's featured in the Omega Men, which is one of DC's best books.

Just not "best selling", at least according to orders placed by comic book shops here in the U.S. through Diamond (and the Top 300 Comics lists).

June 2015 = 86th = Omega Men #1* - 30,158 copies
July 2015 = 147th - Omega Men #2 - 17,093 copies

NOTE: Per the lists, "Items marked with asterisks[*] had their reported orders slightly reduced due to returnability".

[Claude]

It was rather average. Not the worst, but far from the best Lantern book of its time. That run's over now, though. Now, he's featured in the Omega Men, which is one of DC's best books.

Average when Bedard was writing it, I think it was DC's best "cosmic" book for years under Justin Jordan. Really nice little sci fi stories, pitching Kyle's increased power against moral dilemmas rather than bigger monsters to hit.

"Lights Out" through "Omega Men" is a really strong run of comics - it's just a shame it started so weakly for the character since the reboot.

Just not "best selling", at least according to orders placed by comic book shops here in the U.S. through Diamond (and the Top 300 Comics lists).

June 2015 = 86th = Omega Men 1* - 30,158 copies
July 2015 = 147th - Omega Men #2 - 17,093 copies

NOTE: Per the lists, "Items marked with asterisks[*] had their reported orders slightly reduced due to returnability".

"Gosh, that'll sell well." - Absolutely nobody about "Omega Men" ever, from announcement onwards.

[Trey Strain]

A big problem is that Geoff Johns lost no chance to remind people that "Hal is the greatest," even though many people prefer one of the other Lanterns over him. I've always hated that stuff. Let the fans decide who they like, please.

Also, some fans don't want any competition for their favorite Lanterns. That's why so many people who like Kyle fought so hard against there ever being any other Lanterns again. Now that stuff I have NO sympathy with. Put all the Lanterns out there -- as GREEN Lanterns, damn it! -- and let people support the ones they like.

[Trey Strain]

Just not "best selling", at least according to orders placed by comic book shops here in the U.S. through Diamond (and the Top 300 Comics lists).

June 2015 = 86th = Omega Men #1* - 30,158 copies
July 2015 = 147th - Omega Men #2 - 17,093 copies

NOTE: Per the lists, "Items marked with asterisks[*] had their reported orders slightly reduced due to returnability".

Wow, that's shocking. Although I knew that DC's trying to make a Green Lantern into something besides a Green Lantern for the zillionth time would fail, just as all the previous attempts have failed, I'm amazed that it happened that fast and that emphatically.