Interesting discussion...time to invest in some GL TPBs....
You know, perhaps the reason Hal and John are potrayed as they are is because they are just plain guys, rather than larger than life flawed characters. Don't get me wrong, the everyday struggles and flaws do make the character more appealing to the imagination, but maybe the plain-ness is the character flaw.
John is just a guy trying to "be" or get by--I'm basing this off of of the JLU animated series, so forgive me if my impression of John is vastly different from his comic counterpart. He's an unspectacular man in a spectacular situation--who seemingly isn't fazed by his situation.
His hard exterior is his flaw and grates on the characters in his life that are more emotional (see women).
Hal, if I'm reading you guys right, is a throwback superhero. Which if written well, is more about his reaction to his environment and circumstances, rather than about himself to some degree. I can see how pairing such a character with a liberal like Green Arrow might have bought out the best in the character.
Interesting reading in the GL forums....good stuff.
You know, perhaps the reason Hal and John are potrayed as they are is because they are just plain guys, rather than larger than life flawed characters. Don't get me wrong, the everyday struggles and flaws do make the character more appealing to the imagination, but maybe the plain-ness is the character flaw.
John is just a guy trying to "be" or get by--I'm basing this off of of the JLU animated series, so forgive me if my impression of John is vastly different from his comic counterpart. He's an unspectacular man in a spectacular situation--who seemingly isn't fazed by his situation.
His hard exterior is his flaw and grates on the characters in his life that are more emotional (see women).
Hal, if I'm reading you guys right, is a throwback superhero. Which if written well, is more about his reaction to his environment and circumstances, rather than about himself to some degree. I can see how pairing such a character with a liberal like Green Arrow might have bought out the best in the character.
Interesting reading in the GL forums....good stuff.