The Formula

[Andrew NDB Shot Caller Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew NDB]

He's Space-Riggs.

I'd say, "well, he's not suicidal," but then again he did actually kill himself in "The Final Night."

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

I like that. Space-Riggs...

Hey, where you been, Tommy?

[BLACK HAND Green Lantern Initiate Find all posts View Profile Close BLACK HAND]

I kind of see Jordan as Maverick from Top Gun in space; kind of brash and rough around the edges but a lot of heart and skill, and has literally seen it all. I would want to keep the formula of a cop drama, but inject it with other worldly threats and deep space weirdness that you can't delve into in other titles, and bounce between these insane cosmic events and Hal trying to maintain some semblance of a life on Earth.

[Andrew NDB Shot Caller Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew NDB]

and Hal trying to maintain some semblance of a life on Earth.

That part right there is key. Nobody has even tried to do that since Geoff's early vol. 4 issues.

[BLACK HAND Green Lantern Initiate Find all posts View Profile Close BLACK HAND]

I thought there would be more if it in Morrison's run, when he described Hal as kind of a burnt out space cowboy who could stop cosmic catastrophes but was bouncing from couch to couch in his downtime on Earth (my words).

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

I thought there would be more if it in Morrison's run, when he described Hal as kind of a burnt out space cowboy who could stop cosmic catastrophes but was bouncing from couch to couch in his downtime on Earth (my words).

Yeah, that was pretty much issue #1 and that was is it.

[BLACK HAND Green Lantern Initiate Find all posts View Profile Close BLACK HAND]

I know, by issue 3 he was literally arresting celestial gods, then it's been off into the multiverse. I will say I do love the cosmic weirdness of everything, but it would be nice to play that weirdness off of normal folk and a more grounded perspective. Hal takes everything in super-confident stride, it can be easy to forget how bananas it all is.

[Andrew NDB Shot Caller Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew NDB]

Yeah, getting one issue of a tiny bit of Earth stuff every year and a half isn't going to cut it.

[BLACK HAND Green Lantern Initiate Find all posts View Profile Close BLACK HAND]

Aww man I typed a nice response and it was lost, but to sum it up yes, I totally agree with you. All stereotypical cop movies have those scenes where the veteran cop that's seen it all kind of unloads all the crazy shit he's been through on his wife or buddies at a bar. Hal is kind of lacking that sense of introspection right now. Granted he some of his defining traits are hyper confidence and being able to think on his feet in any given crisis, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for some introspective moments without making him an emotional, self doubting wreck.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

+ YouTube Video

[Tommy Boy Hal's Understudy Find all posts View Profile Close Tommy Boy]

Aww man I typed a nice response and it was lost, but to sum it up yes, I totally agree with you. All stereotypical cop movies have those scenes where the veteran cop that's seen it all kind of unloads all the crazy shit he's been through on his wife or buddies at a bar. Hal is kind of lacking that sense of introspection right now. Granted he some of his defining traits are hyper confidence and being able to think on his feet in any given crisis, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for some introspective moments without making him an emotional, self doubting wreck.

This is key to me. I don't think anyone assumes Hal isn't human and doesn't suffer the occasional crisis of faith, but I have NEVER been able to reconcile the very basic premise that Hal Jordan would even be the guy that considers self-doubt. Not because he's so brash and brave and devil-may-care, but for the simple fact that negative outcomes just aren't perceived in a way that shines light on inadequacy or inability. Hal, to me, is the guy that thinks, "that sucked, moving on" or blames it on just a run of crap luck that's going to turn for the better right around the corner. There's a certain amount of optimism inherent in that cockiness and confidence. Without that optimism, you can't have cocky or confident and the sheer strength of will is simply a root cause to all of the above. I WILL win. Period. While all of us once again sit back and question whether it was luck or something underneath the skill and experience that all the while was aligning the stars to make it happen.

That's what's always attracted me to the character. As much of a space fantasy Green Lantern is as a concept, as much of a raw entertainment premise as cocky test pilot becomes universal guardian is, out of every DC hero Hal has always felt the most human out of every character in the pantheon, even without the deep, introspective tripe like Hard Travelin' Heroes. Not even close to perfect, but with a strip of iron running down his spine that borders on foolhardy. Not the smartest, not the fastest, not the most humble, not the most driven, just a guy that doesn't understand the word quit.

[BLACK HAND Green Lantern Initiate Find all posts View Profile Close BLACK HAND]

I think potential GL writers should be forced to recite that post out loud Tommy.