I honestly don't get some of the Hal hate on this thread. I personally love him and not only is he my favorite Green Lantern, but he's my favorite comic-book hero. So, I thought I'd share why I love him as a character. I sort of view Hal's character as akin to a tough, no-nonsense cop, which is something that I think is really needed in the DC universe and comics in general. Batman is the brooding detective, driven to eliminate crime, Barry is the nice guy who seeks justice, Superman is the moral paragon, etc.
I have a really good analogy to compare to Hal if you'll allow me to make a small reference to TV. So, is anyone here aware of the television show Bones that plays on FOX? That show used to be one of my favorites before it just got, you know, horrible. Anyway, on that show, there's a certain character by the name of Seeley Booth. He's a tough guy and a no-nonsense cop. That's exactly the kind of character that I see Hal as.
Hal I think has all of the qualities that Booth has. He's courageous, clever, can read people well, and wise in a nontraditional sense. Hal can come off as macho and kind of a lug-head sometimes (much like Booth), but underneath he's actually a lot smarter than people give him credit for. He's just good at pretending to be dumber than he actually is. I mean, in the most recent issue, he was able to trick Black Hand into giving him an escape route, a very smart and resourceful move. He has always been able to lead effectively and bring people together against a common enemy. I mean, there are countless examples of this. Against Parallax in Rebirth, Parallax and Sinestro in Sinestro Corps War, Neckron and Black Hand in Blackest Night, and lastly Krona in the prelude to War of the Green Lanterns. It's always been Hal who's been the real cohesive force in uniting against a threat. And Hal is wise, not in Batman's sense, but in the sense of someone who's been hardened by combat. He exudes a sort of military man, veteran personality that is hard to find elsewhere in the DCU. And then he's able to help others with his experience that he's accumulated as a Green Lantern and just as a regular air-force pilot, like in Sinestro Corps War when he helped Kyle get rid of Parallax. I love that aspect of his character. I know he can come off as macho a lot of the time, but once people actually bother to look beyond his macho, tough-guy exterior, he's actually very smart and very honorable.
I don't get why some people have so much hate on for him. Its completely unfounded and in some cases you can tell that they're really stretching to justify why they hate him. I really think its just sour grapes because he replaced Kyle, who you know was actually his replacement. But whatever...let people say what they want. It won't stop me from liking Hal one bit.
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