Random Bloviating
Urrgghh. I don't think that I need to eat for a week. Went up to Boston yesturday to visit my daughter at college, and she and her roomie took us out to dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. Bacon-covered cheesy fries, and pulled pork BBQ and I'm STILL full. In fact, I believe I can feel my arteries hardening even as I type this...but it was sooooo worth it.
And moving forward...I live in a big old Victorian with one of those enormous cast-iron claw-footed bathtubs, the kind that you can happily wallow in, in water up to your chin...and I started thinking profound thoughts.
Back in Green Lantern #13, I was a bit cheesed off because Guy Gardner had to take the blame and the subsequent punishment for Hal Jordan's little mission to Biot, that resulted in the rescue of quite a number of Lanterns, formerly thought to be dead. I was pissed because it looked as though Hal got of scot free...but in retrospect, I am not so sure anymore.
I was particularly peeved at Salakk, who it seemed had been riding Guy pretty hard lately. There is a scene where Salakk reveals to Kilowog that Hal has taken off into the wild black yonder along with Guy against the expressed wishes of the Guardians. Kilowog suggests that Salakk let it slide, but Salakk remarks that not only is it his duty to tell the Guardians...that it is also his pleasure or words to that effect.
Then when Guy and Hal show up back on Oa with a passel of Green Lanterns, all safe and sound...actually GUY shows up with a passel of Lanterns. As far as I can tell, Hal just shows up with Arisia...Salakk hauls the two of them in to get chewed out by the Guardians. Guy steps up to the plate, and covers for Hal, telling the Guardians that it was all his idea, and therefore Hal's not to blame. Keep in mind that Guy had also been the only one to stand by Hal in the earlier confrontation in the cafeteria.
The Guardians KNOW that Guy is covering. Salakk KNOWS that Guy is covering for Hal too. Hal of course just stands there and doesn't say a word, except to give the Guardians some advice on how to go out and retrieve the Cyborg Superman, Hank Henshaw. Then Salakk drags Guy off to perform a month of guarding Superboy Prime as pumishment, while Hal gets kissed by Arisia and flies off to earth.
HOWEVER...in retrospect, I think that Salakk may have just actually helped Guy out. If Guy is the one who took responsibility for the mission and served the punishment for it...Hal really can't take the credit for bringing back all those lost Lanterns now, can he? Thanks to Salakk, Guy's the hero now. So when R'amey Holl in Green Lantern Corps #8 is telling Von Daggle that the nightlights (rookie Lanterns) and the veterans have respect for Guy, she's not exagerating.
Sometimes things work out after all.
Heh heh.
posted by SallyP @ 5:51 AM
4 Comments:
An excellent analysis of the issue. Also I think that the writers are trying to make Hal feel more human. One of the reasons stated by a lot of people back in the before time in the long long ago when they replaced Hal with Kyle was that they were glad to see Hal go, because he was too good to be true and nothing ever truly went wrong for him. So I think they're trying to keep that from happening again.
Peace
And
Long
Life
Toriach
(Where's the Love? It's at Geek Love)
Thanks Toriach. And your "Reasons why Hal Jordan is not a good boyfriend" is just hilarious.
You know it's funny to think of how the nightlights must perceive Guy. Even if they've heard the stories, they've never really seen Guy the way the veterans or the audience have. All they've ever seen was the experienced, admittedly eccentric human that gets sent to clean up after their messes.
They'd really get thrown if they ever came to Earth with him. Dude gets no respect here. :-)
That's true, Kalinara. In fact Guy points that out to Kyle when they are first flying to Oa, way back in GLC Recharge!
Anyway, this interpretation may not be right, but it makes me feel better.
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