Hal's secret desires...Green Lantern #8

So...I've been going back through my copies of the latest incarnation of Green Lantern as written by Geoff Johns, and enjoying myself of course. It's fun seeing Hal trying to get his life back together, and dealing with the fallout of Parallax, and the art was sensational. I rather enjoyed #7, with John Stewart on Oa trying to deal with the bureaucracy, and Guy Garnder poking Despero inside a cage...just because he could. Hal ordering his ring to ignore Guy, and Guy's deep indignation was also amusing.

Then Hal teams up with Ollie, which is always fun in my humble opinion. It's hard to believe, but Ollie is actually be the voice of reason here, trying to get Hal to concentrate on his family, the real reason that he's living in Coast City, etc. Then Hal realizes that Mongul lite is lurking on earth, and flips out. They go together to fight, but run into the Black Mercy plants, that feed off of their biological host, eventually killing it, but granting the host a fantasy life in return.

This is where we enter #8. Green Arrow and Hal, have both been imprisoned by the same Black Mercy flower, but since Hal's willpower is stronger than Ollie's, they are both living out HAL'S fantasy instead of their own individually. It is very interesting seeing Hal's version of what Ollie's secret desires would be...a close
relationship with Conner, a wife, a baby on the way...although oddly enough his wife isn't Dinah.

However I find Hal's own desires even more interesting. The entire Green Lantern Corps is called in to fight Parallax, who has destroyed the central Battery. Everyone is alive and well, including Kilowog, Arisia and even Ch'p. Oddly enough, Parallax looks like Hal, only dressed in yellow. And the real oddity, is that Sinestro is there, but as his friend and commanding officer. ALL of the other Lanterns are following Sinestro's lead, who of course is brilliant and devises a way to defeat Parallax.

Hal and Sinestro have this warm bonding moment after they destroy Parallax, all the other Lanterns are standing about in awe of Hal and Sinestro's utter brilliance, while John and Kyle support Guy, who's been injured in the battle...

...Wait...What? That's Hal's fantasy? Is that really how he sees Guy? As somebody who is hurt, and that he has to rescue? Well, I suppose that explains a number of things. No wonder Guy annoys the heck out of him. How dare he not be a victom any more.

It goes on, with Hal having his parents alive still, but there is still a sense of impending doom, that Hal just can't shake. Meanwhile, Ollie has realized that his whole fantasy life is exactly that. Except that it isn't HIS fantasy. That's how he's able to break out of the grip of the Black Mercy plants, and how he frees Hal.

Hal's a bit befuddled by the whole experience, but Ollie is able to explain to him that while he may appreciate Hal's gesture, in giving him what he thought he deserved, it isn't right. Of course this just gives another example of Hal's enormous ego...he gave Ollie the life that he thought HE deserved...but not what Ollie wanted.

There is then the nasty battle between Mongul Jr. and his sister, named...I kid you not...Mongal. *snicker* They manage to defeat them, send them back to their own dimension, and save the day as usual. And Ollie manages to get it through Hal's thick head, that perhaps instead of dreaming about the family that he's lost, he should actually pay attention to the family that he HAS. Namely his brother Jim and his family.

So Hal, puts aside being a dick for once in his life, actually shows up at his nephew's birthday party, and laughs and plays and gets along...AND ENJOYS HIMSELF! Finally!

I also find it interesting that they are actually sticking with this idea, that Hal
does have a family that cares for him, and that perhaps he should get his head out of the clouds and pay some attention to them. There was a tiny scene in the Christmas issue of 52, that showed Hal at Jim's house for the holiday, and unwrapping a green tie. *sniff*

See...if you beat Hal over the head long enough, he will get it...eventually.