Green Lantern #31

Aaaannnd...Hal Jordan's secret origin continues. I have to say right off the bat, that I am enjoying this all so much. Ivan Reis's artwork continues to impress, and Geoff Johns just keeps adding in all these little goodies to Hal's backstory.

We begin right where we left off, with Hector Hammond growing increasingly surly as Hal holds Carol and they gaze into each others eyes. Hal and Carol that is, not Hal and Hector. Hal is just congratulating himself on the fact that nobody seems to have figured out who he is, when Tom Kalmaku comes running up and running off at the mouth. Not to mention that the ring just won't shut up either. Hal is starting to panic just a wee bit, and Hammond picks up on that right away, so Hal figures that he'd better just get himself the heck out of Dodge, and flies off while Carol continues to gape in slack-jawed adoration at his posterior. Can't blame her for that, really. Hector tries to reassert himself with Carol, which leads to a rather chilly brushoff from the lady.

Hal flies back to Abin Sur's ship and gives the poor fellow a burial, which is better than just leaving the body for the coyotes. He also finds the actual power battery and manages to inadvertently recharge his ring, while the ring spouts information.

"A Green Lantern's power battery is their power ring's charging station. Recharging required approximately every twenty-four terrestrial hours."

"Let go, Dammit!"

"Incorrect Oath."

Hee hee. I have to admit that this made me start giggling out loud. Incorrect oath indeed!

At this point the ring decides to inform him that his training has begun, and to have a nice flight on his way to Oa. A very befuddled Hal eventually shows up on Oa, and there is typically gorgeous two-page spread of his arrival and Green Lanterns of all size and shape flying around, including Chaseleon, Medphyll Stel, Graf Toren, Tomar Re, that Big-Headed Guy, and Arkiss Chummuck, not to mention a whole lot more. Interestingly enough, all of the buildings are...yellow. This is back in the day when yellow was a no-no for Green Lanterns, so I couldn't figure it out, until it occured to me, that perhaps the Guardians didn't want to keep rebuilding half of Oa, everytime a training session got out of hand. Makes sense to me.

With his usual grace, Hal drops in on his fellow Lanterns.



Kilowog is very happy to see him.



Hal REALLY has to stop going around punching out superior officers.

In the meantime, Major Stone and Hector Hammond have come across Abin Sur's ship, and are appropriately startled. Unfortunately for them, some soldiers also come across Atrocitus. It doesn't end well.

Back on Oa, Hal has been properly introduced to the concept that the ring doesn't work on yellow. Ch'p is happy to explain it to him. May I just say how adorable Ch'p is, and how happy I am so see him? Tomar Re shows up and wants to know why this obnoxious rookie is wearing Abin Sur's ring. He and Hal fly off together, while Tomar explains a bit more about Abin Sur to Hal, and why he was flying that ship, and a bit of history about the Guardians and Oa. They visit the Book of Oa, and Tomar Re gives Hal a bit of worthy advice..."If you need help...ask for it." Poor Tomar. Like Hal is ever going to do something so sensible.

There are some more delightful scenes of Hal's training, he insists on flying THROUGH asteroids instead of around them, he STILL thinks that he can overcome the weakness to yellow and he has a little tentacle fun with Shorm and gets chewed out by Salaak. Finally, Kilowog and Ke'haan deem the nightlights worthy of becoming big-boy Lanterns, and they all recite the oath, and Hal gets his lantern on his chest. Woohoo!

Oh, and Ganthet has a little talk with Sinestro.

I'm beginning to think that Hal is the only one of the four Earth-based Lanterns to actually have a proper period of training. Guy sure as heck didn't. He was a Lantern for a day before the power battery blew up, and he was tortured and then in a coma. When the renegade Guardians woke him up, he was pretty much just thrown back into action. I'm not completely sure that John had a whole lot of training either, although he was lucky enough to have Katma Tui give him some pointers, but then he was directly picked by the Guardians. Kyle sure as heck didn't have any training other than what he tried to do for himself. So...interesting.