Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn.
January 10th 2008 22:36
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD DAWN.
Publisher: DC Comics.
Production Team: Writers – Keith Giffen, Gerard Jones & Jim Owsley, Penciller – M.D Bright, Inker – Romeo Tanghal, Colourist – Anthony Tollin and Letterer – Albert T.Deguzman.
Cost: US $14.99/AU $21.95.
The Green Lantern, one of the founding members of the Justice League of America (JLA) and comrade in arms to the likes of Batman, Superman, the Flash, Martian Manhunter et al and one of the cornerstone heroes of DC Comics. Strangely unlike his fellow super heroes Batman and Superman he has undergone something of a makeover since he initially first appeared in the pages of DC Comics way back when. That particular GL had a purple cape and looked a bit more like Captain Marvel as regards the rest of his outfit; still there was a lantern involved but his powers seemed more of mystical origin than the cosmic one that the later incarnation would draw upon. Over time GL underwent some changes, he lost the cape, his powers became more cosmic and the man behind the mask also changed, Hal Jordan the son of a test pilot and a test pilot himself was the new incarnation of the Lantern. All this occurred around forty six years ago and when this graphic novel was first released it was the thirtieth anniversary of Hal Jordan/Green Lantern.
Unlike his fellow superheroes GL is not simply a one of a kind individual and it would have to be said that his story is unique in that regard alone, GL is simply one of many similar entities scattered throughout the known universe all of whom are equipped with the same kind of power that he has. They are the Green Lantern Corps and it is the purpose of this corps to maintain order and harmony within the cosmos, each individual Green Lantern being responsible for a particular sector of the universe in which he oversees affairs. Naturally Hal Jordan being an Earthman becomes responsible for the sector in which Earth is located. Over the course of time his activities see him becoming affiliated with other local superheroes as well as his fellow Green Lanterns, thus he has the benefit of being able to call on sources of aid from within his home sector/planet and the rest of the universe. The flipside is he also gains the various enemies as well and the Corps has gained its fair share down through the ages of its illustrious existence.
Strangely this graphic novel has a cyclic narrative, beginning with an incident that occurs in the young Hal Jordan’s past and ending with a similar incident when has grown and become a man. Every hero, at least in the DC megaverse, seems to have a particular moment in their life that becomes something defining in their history and makes them the character that they eventually become. The most obvious example is Batman who as a young Bruce Wayne saw his parents gunned down by a stickup man, this defined him and he went onto become Batman the Dark Knight stalking Gotham’s mean streets and bringing to justice the various criminals and hoodlums. For Hal Jordan the defining moment is similar in that involves a parental figure and death, one sunny day the young Hal Jordan is watching his father test fly an new jet designed by Ferris Aircraft. Everything unfortunately ends in tears for the young Hal as his father is unable to land the jet, it explodes on the tarmac in the attempt and Martin H Jordan is killed as a result. This event defines Hal Jordan and it is something that strangely he will confront later on down the track as he grows as a person and a hero.
From this critical point events move forwards to when Hal Jordan is now a man and like his father before him working with Ferris Aircraft. Life however is no bed of roses for Hal and after an incident in his work place he leaves a bar with a skinful of drink in his blood system and behind the wheel of a vehicle with two friends and his younger brother. His mind more on brooding than on the road and his abilities effectively impaired by the alcohol in his system he is an accident looking for somewhere to happen; and sure enough he crashes the jeep he is driving into a road sign putting him and the other occupants into hospital as a result. It seems that Hal Jordan is something of a loser and a drunkard, not exactly what you’d expect for a superhero though the alcoholic turned good was used for the role of Iron Man at rival Marvel comics so it isn’t exactly something new.
Hal is also someone who seems to be a constant avoider of responsibility, when he wakes in the hospital all he can think of is that the sign was at fault, not his reckless driving or the fact that he was inebriated, the sign is what’s to blame for the accident. Yet despite his injuries he turns up for work doing simulator runs in the Ferris Aircraft flight simulator, it is at this point that the event which will change Hal Jordan’s life forever occurs. Abin Sur, an alien from an unspecified species and system, is the Green Lantern of Sector 2814; he has crash-landed on Earth and is dying. For some unknown reason he chooses Hal Jordan to be his successor and to take on the mantle of Green Lantern. Naturally to say that Hal is nonplussed by this kind of attention is an understatement; he feels he is completely unworthy of such responsibility and such power.
Strangely though he is quite literally a fish out of water some how Hal manages to adapt to his transformation, and as he becomes over time more accepting of the role of Green Lantern he in turn begins to change as a person. He also discovers that in being given the mantel of Green Lantern he has also inherited the conflicts of the Corps and his predecessor Abin Sur. He also learns that in spite of the amazing potential of both the power ring and its recharge battery he is not completely invincible, for some reason anything that is yellow is impervious to direct attack by his ring’s power. Originally in the initial GL comics this was due to some flaw in the lantern that was used to recharge his power ring however in this particular graphic novel the fact that anything yellow is impervious to the ring emerald power is not mentioned. It’s often something that the main antagonist, Legion, is fond of mentioning to his viridian opponents whenever he is engaged in combat with them. Yet in spite of being involved in a conflict with a foe that seems nigh unstoppable Hal Jordan still undergoes growth in character and personality. It as if his sudden assumption of the role of GL has become a baptism of fire, cleansing him of his anxieties, his flaws and his negativity and tempering him for the part he will play later on.
In the final pages of the graphic novel we see Hal Jordan flying a test jet just like his father, and like his father before him he suffers problems with the aircraft. He has the ring with him but as he struggles with the jet he flings his ring from him opting to be who he is and trust entirely in his own natural ability. At this point in time he has conquered his fear and he has confidence in himself, the jet lands and there is an instant of carnage yet Hal Jordan walks from the smoke and fire unharmed and their he finds on the tarmac his power ring waiting, he has become fearless and worthy of the mantle of Green Lantern.
Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn is a very refreshing read as an origin story for one of DC’s cornerstone characters and gives an interesting insightful perspective into the character instead of just solely relying on the power rings fantastic abilities and weird cosmic villains. The early introduction of the GL Corps is also an interesting point as it shows that this is a superhero who is one of many, there is not only one GL in the universe, there is a great deal of them out there and they are ever vigilant in their efforts to maintain order and justice in the galaxy. Best rise early to catch a glimpse of Emerald Dawn...
Publisher: DC Comics.
Production Team: Writers – Keith Giffen, Gerard Jones & Jim Owsley, Penciller – M.D Bright, Inker – Romeo Tanghal, Colourist – Anthony Tollin and Letterer – Albert T.Deguzman.
Cost: US $14.99/AU $21.95.
The Green Lantern, one of the founding members of the Justice League of America (JLA) and comrade in arms to the likes of Batman, Superman, the Flash, Martian Manhunter et al and one of the cornerstone heroes of DC Comics. Strangely unlike his fellow super heroes Batman and Superman he has undergone something of a makeover since he initially first appeared in the pages of DC Comics way back when. That particular GL had a purple cape and looked a bit more like Captain Marvel as regards the rest of his outfit; still there was a lantern involved but his powers seemed more of mystical origin than the cosmic one that the later incarnation would draw upon. Over time GL underwent some changes, he lost the cape, his powers became more cosmic and the man behind the mask also changed, Hal Jordan the son of a test pilot and a test pilot himself was the new incarnation of the Lantern. All this occurred around forty six years ago and when this graphic novel was first released it was the thirtieth anniversary of Hal Jordan/Green Lantern.
From this critical point events move forwards to when Hal Jordan is now a man and like his father before him working with Ferris Aircraft. Life however is no bed of roses for Hal and after an incident in his work place he leaves a bar with a skinful of drink in his blood system and behind the wheel of a vehicle with two friends and his younger brother. His mind more on brooding than on the road and his abilities effectively impaired by the alcohol in his system he is an accident looking for somewhere to happen; and sure enough he crashes the jeep he is driving into a road sign putting him and the other occupants into hospital as a result. It seems that Hal Jordan is something of a loser and a drunkard, not exactly what you’d expect for a superhero though the alcoholic turned good was used for the role of Iron Man at rival Marvel comics so it isn’t exactly something new.
Hal is also someone who seems to be a constant avoider of responsibility, when he wakes in the hospital all he can think of is that the sign was at fault, not his reckless driving or the fact that he was inebriated, the sign is what’s to blame for the accident. Yet despite his injuries he turns up for work doing simulator runs in the Ferris Aircraft flight simulator, it is at this point that the event which will change Hal Jordan’s life forever occurs. Abin Sur, an alien from an unspecified species and system, is the Green Lantern of Sector 2814; he has crash-landed on Earth and is dying. For some unknown reason he chooses Hal Jordan to be his successor and to take on the mantle of Green Lantern. Naturally to say that Hal is nonplussed by this kind of attention is an understatement; he feels he is completely unworthy of such responsibility and such power.
Strangely though he is quite literally a fish out of water some how Hal manages to adapt to his transformation, and as he becomes over time more accepting of the role of Green Lantern he in turn begins to change as a person. He also discovers that in being given the mantel of Green Lantern he has also inherited the conflicts of the Corps and his predecessor Abin Sur. He also learns that in spite of the amazing potential of both the power ring and its recharge battery he is not completely invincible, for some reason anything that is yellow is impervious to direct attack by his ring’s power. Originally in the initial GL comics this was due to some flaw in the lantern that was used to recharge his power ring however in this particular graphic novel the fact that anything yellow is impervious to the ring emerald power is not mentioned. It’s often something that the main antagonist, Legion, is fond of mentioning to his viridian opponents whenever he is engaged in combat with them. Yet in spite of being involved in a conflict with a foe that seems nigh unstoppable Hal Jordan still undergoes growth in character and personality. It as if his sudden assumption of the role of GL has become a baptism of fire, cleansing him of his anxieties, his flaws and his negativity and tempering him for the part he will play later on.
In the final pages of the graphic novel we see Hal Jordan flying a test jet just like his father, and like his father before him he suffers problems with the aircraft. He has the ring with him but as he struggles with the jet he flings his ring from him opting to be who he is and trust entirely in his own natural ability. At this point in time he has conquered his fear and he has confidence in himself, the jet lands and there is an instant of carnage yet Hal Jordan walks from the smoke and fire unharmed and their he finds on the tarmac his power ring waiting, he has become fearless and worthy of the mantle of Green Lantern.
Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn is a very refreshing read as an origin story for one of DC’s cornerstone characters and gives an interesting insightful perspective into the character instead of just solely relying on the power rings fantastic abilities and weird cosmic villains. The early introduction of the GL Corps is also an interesting point as it shows that this is a superhero who is one of many, there is not only one GL in the universe, there is a great deal of them out there and they are ever vigilant in their efforts to maintain order and justice in the galaxy. Best rise early to catch a glimpse of Emerald Dawn...
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