Green_Tea_Light

@captain13:

I don’t know why I am giving this the time of day here, but here goes... These bullet points basically follow your essay in order, so I hope you can find the parts I am referring to. I don’t mean this to be a personal attack on you, but my enjoyment of the series may make me come over as somewhat passionate:

• · It makes sense that to make a character likeable we have to make him not a mass murderer. That’s like saying “to make a character likeable you need to make him likeable”. If you’re upset that it removed the heroic death – that did still happen, it doesn’t diminish it; adding parallax into the mix makes it his struggle even more significant, don’t you think?
• · Trying to explain the back-story is easy. Colour Spectrum has an overlapping Emotional Spectrum – Power is drawn from those emotions. Every emotion has an entity which embodies it. Simple.
• · Hal is a test pilot. He doesn’t actually fly into combat.
• “Another bit of fantasy” – Yes, it’s a comic – suspension of disbelief. Instances like the one you cited can be found in any comic, and any other form of storytelling.
• · I think the planes no longer being flashy and cool is reflected in the story. Ferris Airfield is undergoing financial difficulty.
• · You must remember that the story where he is captured by the Russians is set during the year gap. Superheroes are in disarray. The big three are doing their own thing. Without a way to contact him – it’d be hard to know where he was or keep tabs on him.
• · You can’t say something is dumb and not explain why it is dumb. You simply described the plot of an issue.
• · The Star Sapphire crystals focus on the love of the hosts. If both characters are in love with Hal, then yes they would both want to erm “mate” with him.
• · This “Johns loves Hal” thing has got to stop. Hal Jordan was a charismatic, free-living, ladies man way before Johns was writing. Does Johns like the character, of course he does – it is reflected in how much attention he pays to the characterisation.
• · Geoff now has issues with women... I don’t think that is founded in any real evidence. A writer can write a story about a murderer, it doesn’t make him so. The Zamaron’s are possessive and controlling. It’s almost like they are morally gray and sometimes villains...
• · People don’t want to move into a city which was levelled. Yeah, it isn’t any less dangerous than anywhere else in the DCU, but consider the real world – the same thing would happen. Also the people moving into Coast City is a metaphor for the people’s faith in Green Lantern. This culminates at the end of the Sinestro Corps War where the people decide to stay despite being told they are in danger.
• · Hal is able to overcome fear because he has met the embodiment of fear. Consider how much more scary the monsters you don’t see are.
• · Sinestro’s rings are not powered by their opponents fear. You must remember that the power of all the Corps’ rings comes from their wearers, otherwise anybody could wear them. The Sintestro Corps rings are powered by the ability to instil great fear. This means the ring is powered by malice and other such emotions.
• · While “fear” is what the Sinestro Corps insight – it is the lack of will (mostly through fear) which is what leaves them vulnerable. Making Kyle relive his mother’s death and moreover saying “This is what we are capable of” is of course going to make Kyle falter.
• · The green lights in the window bit is not “cringe worthy” it is a vital moment in Green Lantern. Since Hal’s return he hasn’t been trusted or accepted fully. This moment defines Hal’s re-establishment of a hero and in turn leads to his victory over Sinestro.
• · Wait... the Sinestro Corps WAR... has killing in it?? ...oh my.
• · Building statues is easy with a ring of infinite wonder.
• · Yes, the Cyborg Superman wants to die...which is why he is helping end the universe. Saying something is stupid just by saying the thing that happens doesn’t make it so.
• · Each Lantern Corps has a set of beliefs. These beliefs conflict. They fight. Is that not how every fight goes? In addition... it is not as simple as them fighting for no reason at all. They all have their own goals and motives. Each Corps has defining characters too, with their own stories to tell.
• · Blue Lanterns cannot “blow shit up” unless they are in proximity to a Green Lantern. This is quite clever and actually answers your questions. While the blue rings of hope can help heal, there is no good in hoping if you do not have the will to act.
• · Empathy is a by-product of compassion.
• · The zombie story was violent? :-(
• Geoff thinks that over the top violence makes stuff cool... Read a Garth Ennis book some time (parental advisory, of course). Not only will it show you how mild Geoff Johns’ comics are (also – he isn’t the one drawing them) it will prove to you that violence doesn’t mean bad story telling. Perhaps you are coming at this from a “comics are for kids so we shouldn’t have bad things happening in them” stance. Which is a really antiquated view. Most comics are more for adults and mature readers these days. Also – you see Yellow Blood... I see custard :)
• · The Zombies Never Shut Up ... They feed on the emotions of their victims by channelling memories of the host’s loved ones and using it against them. Talking is how they evoke an emotional response. I know we say “zombies” because they are undead – but remember, they are Black Lanterns.
• · The emotional spectrum is connected to the White life force. Like when you shine a light through a prism. The emotional spectrum is therefore fuelled by life. That makes sense, a lot of power’s come from life forces and natural energies. Black Lanterns are the opposite – so yeah, they don’t like that emotional spectrum too much.
• · Of course the stealing of the emotion filled hearts stops when Nekron shows up. It was what was charging the black powering rings to bring Nekron back. Therefore, once he was back – they didn’t need to do it.
• · The over sexualisation of characters (both female and male) is a bit much and is an issue of contention which goes way beyond Johns. But this is a fair point.
• · Comics are far beyond children’s entertainment. It is so beyond that.

This attack on a really entertaining series is unfair. You could do what you did to nearly any comic series ever. But what I really take away from this is that, despite your explicit hate for the series, you read the whole thing. Hope my comments clear up some of your problems and may hint at why some people do like this series so much. Sorry for being a raging fanboy.

Secret Origin, but like - all of it pre-52?

Are those not the moments in the issue 1's when where Pandora was in the background?

This.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I hate the internet sometimes

This was obviously intended since Batman and Son. The character has come full circle. This could be a very fitting ending.

@arnoldoaad

@Crom-Cruach

Oh!! This makes much more sense. To be fair - I assumed throughout most of the story that the bad guy would be connected to a Clay Face and ignored what they really stood for. Thanks to both of you!

I'm still not sure I enjoyed the story. But tonally i think it pushed the boundaries little.

I have just finished reading City of Crime (which, may I add, took a long painful time) and I am completely confused about what happened in that story.

Has anyone read it, who can explain it to me?

I have read a lot of Batman stories and have never been this baffled.

This is what I have deduced that far:

Here's what puzzles me the most - What was the dirt peoples plan? What did the pregnancy ring have to do with anything? What were the dirt people trying to do with the waterworks, if anything? What was the mayor subplot all about?

Any help will be really appriciated

DC's answer to rocket raccoon?

@Onemoreposter: My thoughts exactly!

Although, also getting a Jazz Jackrabbit vibe