[ greyweed ] -- and the bored shall inherit the earth...

Rants and Raves...in the name of Green Lantern


As far as I could look back, I was never into the Funny Comics thing most of the childern my age were so obsessing about. My earliest memories of a comic book would be Green Lantern. My eldest brother absolutely liked Hal Jordan, and since I read what he read I soon caught on the comic book craze.

Through the course of my comic book-reading life, Hal Jordan has always been an uber cool character I could look up to, and ultimately he became my template of an ideal superhero. Not Superman with his invulnerability and god-like strength. Not Batman and his gritty obsession for everything dark. Just Hal Jordan's Green Lantern.

My brother resigned from his work and moved on to a new office. I don't know how or why but the comic books just stopped entering our home. All I saw were those drama Filipino comics my mom fancied for a while.

And then I got into high school where I was so into the X-Men, reading and knowing virtually everything there is to know about them and the spin-off titles. Until I encountered a Green Lantern comic a classmate had owned. The cover looked pretty interesting. "Hal's got a new costume?!" I gasped. I took it home only to find out that I was looking at someone named Kyle Rayner...WHAT???

I was staring at a much, much younger Green Lantern who's a graphic artist (something I've always wanted to be) and has a relationship with Donna Troy (Wonder Girl from the Teen Titans.

Cogs were turning in my pubesccent head.

Kyle's a very interesting person to begin with. He's into a field of work I've dreamed of getting into. And he's a lot more fun to read because his favorite band (I think) happens to be Nine Inch Nails, and he's got a very active imagnation.

On the other hand, I miss Hal. At the back of my mind I kept on thinking what he'd do in the same situations Kyle's in. Hal's too much of an idealist to run amok into a crime-fighting frenzy. Kyle's a bit too impulsive to let the situation get to him. Two different Lanterns, different personalities, same heroic legacy.

Shoot. I'm beginning to sound like a war movie ad.


BUT NO!

HAL may have insane, killed a bunch of Green Lanterns, became Parallax, took an arrow to the chest in Zero Hour, died saving the solar system by restarting the sun and served as the new human host for the Spectre (after it dumped Jim Corrigan, who actually went to heaven)...but he's back! Oh yeah he is! Back to kick some more major ass and he's back with a refined version of his classic costume. Admit it, his Lantern logo has become an Icon, much like Superman's S emblem.

And I am in bliss! Oh YEAH!

Here's a pic...




In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might
Beware my power
Green Lanter's Light.