The Official Green Lantern Thread II: Brighter! Greener! Shinier! Lantern...ier...!

[Scarecrow_King]

Also the whole idea of Kyle being a symbol of Hope for the Corps is a complete retroactive invention, it does fit, but that was never the point of his run. It was the idea of of this creative mind having the willpower to carry the weight of the whole legacy on his shoulders when no-one thinks he is capable of doing it (including himself and nearly the whole readership). Remember Ganthet's words to him was "You'll have to do" and he tried to take the ring away from him. His meetings with ex-GLs were met with reactions like them trying to kill him thinking he isn't worthy, hate for the symbol he carries as the fallout from Parallax was still fresh and out right hatred at him destroying Oa. He didn't inspire hope throughout the universe when being the sole lantern.

As you said, his hope was a product of his willpower, which he inspired in himself he didn't inspire others to hope.

this post has now changed my position on Kyle being a Blue Lantern.

I still don't like Kyle being a Violet Lantern (or Star Sapphire or whatever) either, like some people have said. I know his major story arc lately has been Soranik. But kinda like what BW said, I don't feel like his character was especially love-centric until post-Rebirth when the whole "no inter-corps romance" rule came about. Especially after Jade took a dump on everything Kyle thought about love.

To me, Kyle's always been the most joyful GL. He reveled in being with the "big boys" in the Justice League, and somehow has kept his sense of wonder in the universe even after everything he's seen. But I don't know where that fits in the spectrum exactly.

 

[The Morningstar]

Honestly...feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the impression that people who think it's such a good fit probably haven't been reading too much GL until Rebirth came along. With thousands of GLs around and a need to differentiate between characters in an ensemble, Kyle does get relegated more often usually by Johns into more of the childlike dreamer part of his personality than he usually is. Or they read so much into the "torchbearer" stuff that it kind of obscures the rest of the character.

(Also that's discounting the entirety of Tomasi's run, where he wrote Kyle as quite hardened and practical about things.)

I know I'm beating the horse's corpse over and over, but hey I deserve it; the internet has gone on for years about how Kyle would make such a great Blue Lantern and yet, seriously, I feel like those traits are actually the things that make Kyle such a great Green Lantern. Plus, I'm feeling more dread that it's actually going to happen permanently at some point because, if Brightest Day is anything to go by, it seems like nowadays Johns is being driven entirely by what he thinks is gonna be SO COOL WOW GUYS ARE YOU SHOCKED BY THE COOLNESS OF THIS?? instead of things that actually make sense to itself.

That's pretty much how i'd sum up Johns GL story telling technique. The whole "Well you thought it was like that before? Well guess what?!? It's not! DUN DUN DUNNNN!"

 

[BrianWilly]

I still don't like Kyle being a Violet Lantern (or Star Sapphire or whatever) either, like some people have said. I know his major story arc lately has been Soranik. But kinda like what BW said, I don't feel like his character was especially love-centric until post-Rebirth when the whole "no inter-corps romance" rule came about. Especially after Jade took a dump on everything Kyle thought about love.

The thing is, being a Star Sapphire isn't just about being able to love; a huge part of the criterion, according to Johns and Tomasi, is having to feel the loss of love. Three of Kyle's girlfriends have been killed and his mother pretty much got killed twice...and yet, even having gone through all that, Kyle is still incredibly open to being in love, far more than any other Green Lantern, maybe even more than the majority of characters at DC. Yes, Jade did take a dump on his idea of love...and yet he got right back into the game, because he wants it that much. He more than qualifies for a violet ring...and besides, real men wear pink.

Now, I'm not saying that I want Kyle to be a Star Sapphire. He makes the most sense as a Green Lantern and that's what he should be. But we're talking about the next most-fitting...and the fact is that comparing his sense of hope to his sense of love/loss is no comparison at all. Throughout his entire canon, Kyle's relationships and how he's dealt with the presence or absence of love in his life have figured far more deeply into his stories than him being hopeful about things.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Well, he did have that one arc where he tried to understand the nature of heroism and what makes heroes inspire hope and stuff.

Although he seemed to learn the most from Alan Scott's harrowing hell to reclaim the soul of his wife, which is totally a love theme...

 

[BrianWilly]

I honestly can't remember if that arc had a real overriding theme other than " Hey guys, look at all these crossovers!" but hey, if he needed that many people to tell him how to inspire hope...

But, seriously, I get the impression that it had more to do with him just trying to come into better terms with the hero business and living up to Hal's example. After all, the single biggest theme of the series, far overshadowing the relationship stuff, was that constant struggle to come to terms with being Hal's replacement. Which, again, has to do with all that willpower stuff, taking action, being more confident in himself...I know, I know, I'm just on autoplay at this point.

 

[Hush]

Brian you say all the things that I as a Kyle fan can't articulate well! Thank the Verse you can!

 

[Mystirious]

I would personally rather Kyle not be a Star Sapphire

While he would look hawt in the outfit the Star Sapphires are basically taffying in spppaaaacceeee

I would rather he was just a Green Lantern

 

[CLARKY]

Honestly...feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the impression that people who think it's such a good fit probably haven't been reading too much GL until Rebirth came along.

Well, I correct you : I have read most of Kyle's comics.

Or they read so much into the "torchbearer" stuff that it kind of obscures the rest of the character.
the internet has gone on for years about how Kyle would make such a great Blue Lantern and yet, seriously, I feel like those traits are actually the things that make Kyle such a great Green Lantern. Plus, I'm feeling more dread that it's actually going to happen permanently at some point because, if Brightest Day is anything to go by, it seems like nowadays Johns is being driven entirely by what he thinks is gonna be SO COOL WOW GUYS ARE YOU SHOCKED BY THE COOLNESS OF THIS?? instead of things that actually make sense to itself.

Well, this hype of the "torchbearer" thing got me, and maybe, it DID obscure the rest of the character. I am sorry to admit, that I am a bit into the "SO COOL WOW GUYS ARE YOU SHOCKED BY THE COOLNESS OF THIS" because Johns add a lot of thing to the mythos, even if, very often, when I check my old comics after a while, I realized the stories are not so great once the excitment is gone, for example the division of the power rings at the end of Blackest Night.
You're right, love would suit more to him than hope. On this I finally agree. What I was saying is that he has a connection to hope, he knows what it is (torch bearer thing), he has a relationship with Ganthet, and in this WotGL case, the ring did not choose him, he has chosen the ring, so he may not need the spiritual depths needed to wear it, as long as he understand what hope is. This andfthe fact that he is not feeling the loss of love SO much because he has the love of Soranik right now. Now, if a set of 7 ring was in front of him, yes you're right, a violet ring may be a natural choice. And Kyle is a very compassionnate person, don't you think he would deserve a indigo one? Yes he would (more than John IMO), it's just that HE has chosen the ring, not the other way around, and considering his "relationship" with Hope, I think it is fair for him to have a Blue ring, he just need to know how to use it. It does not exclude the other possibilities.
Furthermore, I was trying to say that the situation is desperate, so they just take rings accordingto what they understand ; Come on, Hal is not driven by fear. And Guy by rage? It is just a post Sinestro Corps War thing. He had the ring of Sinestro for a while, he should have a yellow one.
So, according to the situation, I keep finding logical for Kyle to have a Blue ring. But well, I finally got your point anyway, and even if I understand why the blue ring now, I think you were right since the beginning, I just got hooked by the so-called "coolness" of it. :/

 

[Tron Bonne]

Speaking of Kyle and such:

DC RETROACTIVE: GREEN LANTERN – THE ‘90s #1
In this issue, the legendary ‘90s creative team of Ron Marz and Darryl Banks team up again. The result? Kyle Rayner, while on monitor duty at the JLA Watchtower, must overcome his fears in order to stop a villain in his tracks and save his own abilities and imagination.

 

[Assassin]

****ing awesome, i was just talking to Darryl Banks about returning to Green Lantern last year at motor city comic con and he said he wishes he got a chance to atleast draw a variant cover during blackest night

 

[Hush]

Finally caught up on all this War Of the Green Lantern horse**** and wow I can't wait for this to be over.

 

[NefCanuck]

I'm curious though, what sayeth the group that to contain Parallax after this is all said & done he has to stay in the CPB, thereby restoring the whole "can't do anything against yellow bit"?

It really seems that, this what this whole "War of The Green Lanterns" is leading up to...

Cue Sinestro and his "merry" band being displeased with this and whamo, "Sinestro Corps War Part Deux - The Fight for Parallax"

 

[The Morningstar]

That would be totally unsurprising. Seems Johns can't actually write anything that isn't an event or build up to an event these days. And I can't remember the last time he did any character work where the character didn't come off as a caricature as opposed to an actual person.

Bring JSA or Stars and STRIPE Johns back!

 

[The Bruce]

Since rebirth the green lantern books have been written as one big saga, not unlike manga. I love it but fear when johns ends his run. Hope they can keep it going.

Why did the movie tie-ins get pushed back?

 

[The Bruce]

I'm curious though, what sayeth the group that to contain Parallax after this is all said & done he has to stay in the CPB, thereby restoring the whole "can't do anything against yellow bit"?
"

I Think it was established that now that they know "the face of fear" it Can't ever go back to pre rebirth?

 

[HighFivingMF]

Since rebirth the green lantern books have been written as one big saga, not unlike manga. I love it but fear when johns ends his run. Hope they can keep it going.

Johns will keep writing Green Lantern even after he's died by possessing a typewriter from the fiery pits of Heaven.

 

[Hush]

When and If Johns gets off the book I'm sure quality will return to the title and interesting stories that don't shoehorn in every mention that they can of the rainbow corps.

 

[CLARKY]

Speak for you, man. Some find it interesting. Quality is already here.
I would enjoy, simpler stories sometimes, thus.

 

[HighFivingMF]

When and If Johns gets off the book I'm sure quality will return to the title and interesting stories that don't shoehorn in every mention that they can of the rainbow corps.

Yeah. Atrocitus and Larfleeze being the stars of War of the Green Lanterns is really aggravating.

 

[Hush]

Speak for you, man. Some find it interesting. Quality is already here.
I would enjoy, simpler stories sometimes, thus.

I'm not saying everything is horrible I am saying that I would rather we just had interesting and not event driven stories. Just Green Lantern stories. I think personally for me Johns is kinda over doing his welcome.

Yeah. Atrocitus and Larfleeze being the stars of War of the Green Lanterns is really aggravating.

I can't tell if your being saracastic but i'll just say that by shoehorning in the rainbow corps I mean stories that deal with the damn Entities and having our main characters ditch there power rings for Rainbow Corp rings. Can't we just have a solid good villain come along that doesn't deal with a different colored ring?

 

[SouLeSS]

Speaking of Larfleeze, did we eve get his oath?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Larfleeze's oath:

"MINE!"

 

[Frankenmation]

I think personally for me Johns is kinda over doing his welcome.

I agree. I think Johns is running out of steam when it comes to Green Lantern; I'm a fan of his run but none of the stories since Blackest Night have been interesting or compelling. He's been on the title since 2004, isn't it time for someone else to take over?

 

[The Morningstar]

Johns hasn't written a good GL story since Sinestro Corps War IMO.

He's more concerned with the "big story", rather than actual character work. Everything he writes is either decompressed filler that is leading into an event... or it's the event itself.

And whenever he does try to do character work, it's just completely hamfisted and corny.

Plus his main story telling beat these days is "Everything you thought you knew... was a lie!"

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Speaking of Kyle and such:

I somehow missed this until just now. I am so buying the everloving s*** out of that thing.