Lanterns vs Bats
What IS it about Green Lanterns and the Bat Clan? They just can't...or won't get along for some reason. I am including ALL of the Green Lanterns, even though Kyle and John seemed to be able to work with Batman to a greater extent than Hal or Guy. But even they seemed to experience some frustration. To be fair, just about every single person in the Justice League, Justice Society, Teen Titans and Inferior Five has experienced some frustration in working with Batman.
Batman has this attitude thing going on. He's ALWAYS prepared. He ALWAYS has a plan. He ALWAYS thinks that he is the smartest person in the room. What is annoying, is that he's usually right. But that doesn't make it any easier to work with the man.
Hal and Bruce have always seemed to rub against each other. And now that I've typed it, that seems awfully suggestive. But it's not. Part of the problem is that in quite a number of ways, they are actually quite similar. Both have lost parents at a very young age, and both were present when they were killed. That has always been presented as one of the defining moments in both of their lives. They are both brave and fearless of course. They both seems to have trouble with personal relationships. Hal is a playboy, and Bruce works at being perceived as one. Both of them always think that they know best in any given situation. Both are definitely Alpha Males, and as arrogant as hell.
On the other hand, they couldn't be more different. Bats always has a plan. Hal never has a plan. He's impetuous and impulsive, and Batman is cool and calculating. Batman is also pretty smart, while Hal...not so much. So it makes sense, for them to clash.
This seems to be the reaction that Batman has to Hal a lot of the time.
I swear, that this happens on a regular basis. And except for the infamous "One Punch", I can't really recall Batman hitting Guy Gardner nearly as often as he decked Hal. Granted, he treated Guy like a misbehaving child, but for some reason Hal really seems to get his goat.
I'm wondering if it is because Hal has a remarkably thick skin when it comes to criticism. Hal is so convinced that he's fabulous, that Batman's taunts and fists just bounce off. He's the same way with the rest of the Green Lantern Corps. Seriously, nobody else comes close to Hal when it comes to Self-Esteem. This has to be very frustrating for Batman.
Guy and Bats clashed right from the start of course. Back then, when Guy was braindead, it was a lot easier for Batman to control him. Now of course, Guy just laughs at him...which also has to be really really annoying.
John is too diplomatic to laugh at Batman, nor does he present the problems that Hal does. And Kyle is young enough to be intimidated. But even so, they're Green Lanterns, and Bats just doesn't have the control over them that he seems to have over everyone else.
And there's Alan Scott. Even Batman knows that you don't mess with Alan Scott.
I'm starting to meander here, and have probably lost the whole point of my comparison. What it all boils down to however, is that the Bat/Green Lantern relationships are some of the most fascinating...at least to me. I wish that they would explore it more, there really hasn't been that much interaction lately. It's one of the things that I really enjoyed in the early "Brave & the Bold" issues, where they had teamed Hal and Bruce together in Las Vegas. It was interesting...and it was fun. And they should do it again.
See? They CAN be in the same room together!
posted by SallyP @ 12:10 PM
14 Comments:
I'd like to see more interacting between the GLs and other members of the Batclan. Say, Steph and Kyle, or Cassandra Cain and Guy. Or Soranik and Cass. Soranik's a doctor, she'd probably be fascinated by how Cass' brain interprets people's body language as a result of how she was raised/trained.
Tim Drake and Hal (the fly by the seat of his pants GL, and the one member of the Batclan that's almost as much of an obsessive prep freak as Daddy Bats), or John and Dick Grayson? Or maybe team-up John with Damien? Damien has the same sort of confidence John had before that whole "Xanshi blowing up" thing, and John had a sister die young, I think, so I wonder how he'd do, working with an actual kid.
Hmm, Alan Scott and Selina perhaps? If he were still in Checkmate, he could consider using her for a mission (if Waller didn't do it first).
I'm just spitballing here, but it seems like there'd be friction in some of them pairings, but it'd be a different sort, sine none of Batman's proteges and friends are quite as bossy as he is.
Even John and Kyle have had run-ins with the Bat. During "GL: Rebirth" John flat-out told him off, and in Winick's "Hate Crimes" Kyle had a "don't push me" moment with him.
I'd like to see Guy and Damian team up. Or Kyle with the Birds.
Interesting observation: In Peter Tomasi's Nightwing run, Dick seemed to mesh Hal's thrillseeking with Bruce's calculation. He was kind of a "Hal Jordan with brains".
Frankly I have to say that I would love to see Guy and Damien team up. It would either be a complete disaster...or the greatest thing ever!
Putting more members of the Bat clan with more members of the Green Lantern Corps is always interesting. They have such a different way of looking at things, that it could be an awful lot of fun.
It beats teaming up Hal and Plastic Man, that's for sure.
There was one comic during Morrisons' 7 run (I think) where it looked like Hal might be back and Kyle worried about being pushed aside for the legend. Bruce came to Kyles' bedroom (scarying him) to let him know that wasn't going to happen.
I think fairly recently Hal said he didn't like Bruce in two different series. When Guy mooned Bats everyone else was horrified except Bruce who cracked jokes while staring at his rear. So I think that in some way Bruce is fonder of them, and respects the others.
Erin, I think that it is possible that Batman may love a challenge. The Green Lanterns certainly provide that.
I really liked the issue where John blew up at Bruce and said the reason Batman disliked Hal was because Hal was one of the only people not afraid of the big, scary Batman. I think the line was something like, "and what's the Batman without fear? Just a man..."
Geoff Johns pretty much perfectly encapsulated Hal & Bruce's relationship with that one statement. And of course John was the only Lantern smart and savvy enough to put it in those terms.
Just great stuff, all around. Would love to see other GLs interact with the Bat-family. Kyle and Dick could be a fun pairing that I'm surprised hasn't really happened yet.
Batman seems to punch *especially* hard when hitting Hal. Or is it just me?
It's not just you Lissbirds.
Bruce has odd relationships with league members in general. While Superman called Booster a fraud Bruce was showering praise on him when he first joined the league. Sure at least once was to poke fun at Guy, and he sent Booster mixed messages later on but I'm always stunned to read how much nicer Bruce was to Booster than the other JLI members. HE SMILED! O.o
And thanks to that little story about Booster trying to save Barbara Gordon, and the photos, now we know why Bats was so oddly...pleasant.
Sometimes retcons really do work.
I guess, retcons are weird like that. The Killing Joke happened a year after he joined in real time. Booster did meet Bats before JLI when Booster was one of the heroes to respond to the search for the Titans. (John and his wife were also there.)
Bruce and Hal have one more thing in common: Both have histories at being truly LOUSY at defending their home towns. Seriously, think about it -- Coast City got wiped off the map, and while you can't really blame Hal for ALL of that, it is a bad mark on his record. And Gotham! Geez loweez, am I the only person who thinks that Gotham in its current condition is such a horrible, rotten, woebegotten town that only an idiot would want to live there? Considering how long Batman and his cohorts have been on the job, and considering the current shape Gotham is in (compared to Metropolis and even to Coast City), it all serves to make Batman look really, really bad at his job.
Heh. There is that. Is there any sort of industry going on in Gotham other than empty warehouses that are full of costumed criminals? Are there any small businesses, or insurance companies or gas stations? It seems to consist solely of insanely rich people who have parties where they get kidnapped, and Bad Guys. Not a lot of just average people in Gotham.
How about this from the latest Batman BEYOND issue?
Terry is on a stand off with the Justice League. Old man Bruce tells him to strike first and take out "the guy whose weapon can destroy the universe". So he one-punched the resident Green Lantern knocking him out cold. He dances with the other members, GL starts to wake up, he then gets hit with a batarang to the face, knocking him out cold.. again.
When Terry gives up the fight cause they have more important things to do, he gets sucker punched by the GL's ring.
That's it, take out the poor Green Lantern. Getting sucker punched by the ring is what Terry DESERVES!
Haw!
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