Green Lantern #34

Geoff John and Ivan Reis continue to delight me with their latest issue of the origin of Hal Jordan. And it just keeps getting better and better.



We begin with Atrocitus trying to use William Hand as a weapon, while Sinestro and Hal are doing their unpowered best to stop him. With his usual youth and arrogance on display, Hal refuses to back down, and to his disgust, Sinestro has to keep bailing him out. I have to admit that Sinestro is displaying a lot more common sense than Hal is, even using a handy dandy pocket dimension to keep his lantern in, so that they can recharge. Hal keeps HIS lantern in his locker. You just know that Sinestro is rolling his eyes.

There follows a very satisfying fight in the cemetary in the rain. Atrocitus brushes off Hal fairly easily, and he and Sinestro go toe to toe. Atrocitus is smart enough to know his enemy and his weakness, so he clobbers Sinestro with a big yellow back-hoe. He's about to administer the coup de grace, when Hal screams and hits Atrocitus with a giant green fighter plane construct. Atrocitus is just astounded, that this stupid rookie is able to somehow overcome the yellow weakness. Sinestro hasn't seen what actually happened, since he was face down in the mud, but he manages to rally and puts down Atrocitus once and for all. It is interesting that Sinestro used ring constructs that looked like Abin Sur and Kilowog.

Hand in the meantime, after a lot of cowering, has discovered the little gold thingie that Atrocitus was going to use, and slips it into his jacket. He runs off, as Hal tries to see if he is all right. Hal is all pumped up and pleased with himself for beating the yellow weakness. Sinestro didn't see it, and quite franky doesn't believe it, so once again they start bickering like a pair of two-year olds. Well...actually Hal is the one acting most childish, and Sinestro has had it up to HERE with the attitude.

So...Hal stomps off and decides that he's got to confront his problems head on, and tells the ring to take him to Carl Ferris...the man that he's blamed for his father's death for years. Hal is rather astonished to be taken to the Ferris house outside of Coast City instead of to Florida where Ferris is supposed to be golfing. He's even more astonished when he storms in and finds that Carl Ferris is actually a very sick and bedridden man. Carol has been covering up for him, and trying to keep the company going for him. Carol and Hal actually have a moment of understanding, which is rather poignant. I like Carol in this light, and I like that Hal actually forgets to be all manly and opens up for a change. Hal is finally able to let his father go, and as a deep moment of introspection.

Sinestro shows up and gives him a nice little pep talk, and even shows a bit of empathy for him. In a lovely moment, he passes on some advice that he had received from Abin Sur...that overcoming fear is what they do best, but that dealing with sorrow and loss...that's tough even for Green Lanterns.

Awwwwww....! It's the origin of the speech that Hal gives to Kyle much much later. I can't believe how interesting Sinestro is in this stage of his life. He's arrogant and smug and full of himself, but then so is Hal. He's also very very very good at what he does. And in their questioning of the Guardian's motives, he and Hal have a lot in common. I can understand why they became friends. It is all the more tragic when you consider what eventually happened to him.

Anyway, their little bonding moment is disturbed by a message from Oa. Apparently fraternizing is against the rules, and they are called back for some disciplinary action. Man, those Guardians are so strict!

Who would have thought that Hal's origin could have been so well-fleshed out? All kinds of things make sense now. Although I have to admit that I'm not entirely convinced that Hal really figured out a way to beat the yellow weakness. I prefer to have him getting blinded by mustard and locked in yellow safes over the years.