Green Lantern (vol.3) #66 (September, 1995)
"Fast Friends? Part One"
Writer - Ron Marz
Pencils - Paul Pelletier
Inks - Romeo Tanghal
Colors - Rob Schwager
Letters - Albert DeGuzman
Associate Editor - Eddie Berganza
Editor - Kevin Dooley
Cover Price: $1.75
Today we're going to continue our little impromptu "Paul Pelletier Appreciate Week" event by taking a look at the first team-up between Kyle Rayner and Wally West!
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We open with Kyle Rayner heading to the library for some reference materials for an upcoming art project, when he just so happens to stumble across an armor-wearing creep who promises to destroy the joint unless he's given a million bucks and all of his terroristy friends are released from prison. Sounds fair, doesn't it? Anyhoo, Kyle "Lanterns up" and is blasted right into a nearby fella in a wheelchair. After shaking that off, he takes down the baddie with ease.
Once the dust settles, Kyle heads over to the man in the wheelchair to make sure he's okay. We learn that this fellow lost his legs in a train accident... and our man wonders if there isn't something he might be able to do to help. And so, he "breaks off" a teeny bit of his Green Lantern power and bestows it on the man... giving him the ability to "will up" a pair of emerald legs! Kyle leaves with a sense of satisfaction... but without his reference material.
Meanwhile in Keystone City, the Flash is dealing with a brand-new supervillain... Sonar! Wally ain't too keen on this dude tearing up his city... but, as you might imagine, Sonar doesn't really care what he thinks.
Sonar goes on a pontificate-y rant, proclaiming himself as the King of humankind. Wally gives him the ol' "Not in my city, you ain't!", which seems like a forced bit of business to facilitate Sonar's response that Keystone City is too small for a man such as he as he vanishes into the sky.
We rejoin Kyle as he arrives back at his building. He pops into Radu's Coffee Shop for a cup before heading upstairs. Radu introduces him to another tenant, a model named Allison. She and Kyle flirt for a bit while Radu prepares his Double-Sug-Cap.
As our man turns to leave, Radu informs him that he received a package while he was out... and that he put it in his apartment for him. Turns out, it's a bouquet of roses from his new gal-pal, Donna Troy! Man, whoever said chivalry was dead? Anyhoo, this makes Kyle feel a bit guilty about chatting up Model-Ali downstairs.
Kyle then grabs his sketchpad and heads to the roof to do a little etching. Unfortunately, just as he's settling into it, he's wracked by a sonar shockwave! It's a good thing he's actually Green Lantern... I could only imagine how many poor civilians just got flung from their roofs!
After changing into uniform, Kyle heads uptown where he finds... you guessed it, the King of all Mankind... Sonar! Ya see, Keystone is chump-change compared to New York City. If there's ever a place to throw on a gaudy outfit and proclaim yourself "boss", it's gotta be New York.
Green Lantern and Sonar battle it out for a bit before being interrupted by the arrival of... the Flash!
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Had a lot of fun with this one. I sometimes forget just how special these early Kyle issues were. It's really like we were making a new friend here.
Speaking of "new friends", this is one of (if not the) earliest instances where Kyle and Wally crossed paths! That's some pretty important "legacy hero" stuff, and I'm really happy to be revisiting it. I really enjoyed their dynamic... where (for once) Wally West gets to pull the "experienced veteran card". I'll put a pin in that for now, as I'm sure we'll be discussing that bit of business more tomorrow.
I wanna talk briefly about Kyle "breaking off" a bit of his power for the legless fella. I'm going to use the old Chris-chestnut of "It's been awhile since I looked at this era, so I don't remember if this leads anywhere...", but I think this is a pretty cool idea. Having Kyle, ever the altruist, giving away his powers bit by bit... until there comes a time where he's in a jam and might need it all back. Did that ever happen? Am I completely blanking on (what I'd assume to be) one helluva story here?
Either way, this is pretty cool... and, gotta say, the idea of a New York full'a folks with a tiny bit of emerald energy kinda tickles me. One heckuva visual there!
Sonar... is kind of a goofball villain, though he doesn't seem like he's messing around. In this issue alone, he was able to go toe-to-toe with both Wally and Kyle. Pretty decent first outing for the guy!
Now, the reason we're looking at this issue today... the art! I mean, broken record time, it's really great stuff! Very clean and sharp... just really wonderful to look at! It's the kind of art I'd refer to as "candy for the eyes". Really well done.
Overall, I'd say jump on this issue... not only for the art, but for a heckuva fun story too! There's a magic to these early Kyle Rayner issues of Green Lantern, and if you've never experienced them, you owe it to yourself to give 'em a go! This issue is available digitally.
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Green Lantern (vol.3) #87 (June, 1997)
"Last of Their Kind"
Writer - Ron Marz
Guest Pencils - Tom Grindberg
Inks - Romeo Tanghal
Colors - Adelle Giddings
Letters - Chris Eliopoulos
Associate Editor - Eddie Berganza
Editor - Kevin Dooley
Cover Price: $1.75
This weekend's episode of the Cosmic Treadmill (that's Episode #110, for time-travelers) is going to be a bit... inter-multi-versal. Er, that is to say (without giving it away), that it's going to be an intercompany affair.
Figured now's as good a time as any to take a look at an issue featuring, if I'm not mistaken, the only non-co-branded appearance of the character co-owned by Marvel Comics and DC Comics... that's right, today we're (very, very briefly) going to be discussing... ACCESS.
Heck, we'll even include the indicia for this one!
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We open in Kyle Rayner's apartment... suddenly a portal opens, and out walks... our man, Access! Man, I still want that Radu's mug! Anyhoo, instead of finding Kyle, our man Axel finds Kyle's house-guest, Jade... and she's not exactly pleased to have this weirdo 'porting in. She's carrying a camera... which, at quick glance I thought were suspenders... was about to ask "Who dressed her?".
Access (sorta) explains who he is... and asks where Green Lantern's at. He also informs Jennie that her powers are pretty different from Kyle's... despite their similarity in color. Since Jade ain't spillin' the beans on GL's whereabouts, Access ports out... though, not before thinking to himself that he might check in with "that guy on the surfboard". Cute scene!
So... just where in the heck is Kyle? Well, he's hanging with the JLA! They are just wrapping up a meeting on whether or not they should posthumously consider Tomorrow Woman an official member of their ranks. She gets a thumbs-up, by the way. As the members get ready to leave, Kyle takes in the sight of all of these amazing heroes... and has trouble believing that he's now rubbing elbows with them.
Before heading out, Wally asks Kyle if he wants to grab a bite. Kyle, unfortunately has a prior obligation. Ya see, he's going to be trained on monitor duty... by the member of the League who intimidates him the most... J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter!
Kyle's attempt at "breaking the ice" goes about as well as you might expect.
Thankfully, he's saved by the BREEPs... there's something going down! J'onn informs him that the on-board communication system has been jammed... so, they will not be able to call the other Leaguers back. Suddenly, a craft more than three-times as large as Manhattan Island cruises out of a portal... and it's headed straight for Earth!
Kyle and J'onn check the monitors to see what's happening. What they find is rather curious... the craft is blasting Earth with a terra-forming ray! When Kyle learns that the ray is aimed at So-Cal (where his mother lives), he and J'onn leap into action.
As they approach the craft... they are zapped by some rays, indicating that... whoever these invaders are, they're likely not up to talking things out peaceably. Kyle whips up a construct of a pirate ship (tch... artists...) to distract the lasers, so they can make their way inside.
In a great bit of continuity, J'onn reflects on the last time he'd trusted a Green Lantern... and how that ended with the planet Xanshi being wiped out during Cosmic Odyssey. Kyle promises that this will not end with the Earth being taken out.
Once inside, Kyle searches the corridors for any signs of life. What he finally finds, is... a very dead alien! What's more, this feller's been dead for a good long while, indicating that this tremendous craft is on auto-pilot.
Kyle suggests they just blow the whole thing up before it can do any real damage to the Earth. J'onn ain't feelin' that. He promises Kyle that the Earth will be fine... if his plan works. With that, J'onn attempts to telepathically connect to the craft's "organic component". What he learns is, this ship's mission was to find a new planet to transform into a suitable home for an extinct race... and they apparently chose Earth!
This gives Kyle an idea... and so, they redirect the craft... to an actual uninhabited planet.
That planet? Well, it's our new pal, Mogo!
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Ah man, what a fun issue! Kyle makes a great "POV" character... and comes across as extremely relatable in how he's attempting to "fit in" with these legendary heroes... while at the same time, kinda keeping them all on a pedestal. It comes across as very human, and is incredibly well done.
I also dig how, in comparison to Kyle, Wally is no longer the "new pup" in the "legacy heroes" roundup. He's portrayed as pretty comfortable around the big guns... though, he had previously teamed with several of them during the earlier incarnations of the JLI. It's still pretty cool seeing him as a "veteran" when compared to Kyle.
Kyle sees Martian Manhunter as most intimidating member of the League... and it's easy to see why. Taking his appearance off the table, he does come across as somewhat cold. His wisdom and levelheadedness is such that, he isn't going to be all that "chatty" unless he really has something to say. To pair him with a young (and extremely nervous) Kyle makes for a pretty awesome little story.
I always say, you can judge the strength of a writer's ability to "write human" by putting a constriction on who they can use. It's the old "lock two characters in a room/elevator/wherever, and see what happens" deal. Gotta say, this was handled expertly. Not only did Marz bring to the fore the similarities between Kyle and J'onn (both being the "last of their kind"... Kyle the "last" Green Lantern, and J'onn the last Martian)... but, they also ended their adventure with a deepened respect for one another.
Kyle's idea for repurposing Mogo was pretty great... if he wasn't on monitor duty, who knows what might have happened! Plus, this was before Mogo was pulled out nearly every month, so there was a novelty to seeing the once-Lantern Planet. In fact, if you weren't aware of the legend of Mogo... this issue's reveal would've probably been just as much of a shock as the original Moore/Gibbons tale!
Then... we've also got Access! Really neat to have this scene here, despite its brevity. You know me, I'm a big fan of "everything matters"... and anytime I see a nod to something that isn't usually considered as part of continuity, I get kinda giddy. This scene is no different. Not only do we get Access... but a reference to the Silver Surfer! Love stuff like this!
Overall... had a blast with this one. Excellent characterization, as we've come to expect from Ron Marz... the art, despite being done by a "fill-in penciller" was quite good as well! Well worth checking out, shouldn't break the bank. Surprisingly, this issue is available digitally. Gotta wonder if there were any special concessions made for the co-owned Access to appear... if, in fact they didn't excise that scene completely!
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Green Lantern (vol.3) #155 (December, 2002)
"Hate Crime, Part Two"
Script - Judd Winick
Pencils - Dale Eaglesham
Inks - Rodney Ramos
Colors - Moose Baumann
Letters - Kurt Hathaway
Editorial Assistance - Morgan Dontanville
Editor - Bob Schreck
Cover Price: $2.25
Today we're going to wrap up the two-part "Hate Crime" story.
I gotta admit, I was a bit nervous discussing this one... I wasn't exactly sure how it would be received. Haven't heard any complaints yet... which, I'm going to assume means nobody read it... or, that folks were so dazzled by my insight they were left speechless. Yeah, probably that second one.
This arc will be added to our "Collected Editions" Page for ease of chronological-enjoyment.
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We open with a news report on the beating of Terry Berg... even my man President Lex gets to opine! Vigils will be held, and legislation will be brought up to speed. Back at the hospital, we meet Terry's folks... and boy howdy is his father a cliche. He refuses to allow David in to see Terry, and goes off on a blaming-spree. He finally collapses in tears, at which point Jade escorts David into Terry's room.
Just then, John Stewart shows up with some coffees. Jennie is confused when she learns that Kyle put John "on the list". Not because of any hard-feelings toward John or anything, she's just not sure what Kyle has in mind. Kyle initially claims to have called John to keep her company because he needs to step away for a minute.
Kyle "steps away" alright, all the way to the Moon! Next we see him, he's inside the JLA Watchtower pleading with Wally West to use the Cosmic Treadmill so he can "undo" Terry's beating. Flash says "no go".
Kyle keeps pushing the subject... it's just "one day", what harm would there be in changing just one event on one day?! Well, if this ain't Batman's cue, I don't know what it is... so, enter Batman. Batman backs Wally's decision up, while giving Kyle a taste of the "I know what you did last night." Crestfallen, Kyle leaves.
Next we know, he's in deep space working out his aggression on the Asteroid Belt. This is where he encounters his predecessor... Hal Jordan. Hal let's Kyle express his frustration... even counsels him a bit.
Kyle suggests that had he not relinquished the power of Ion (that's a story for another day) he'd be able to undo Terry's beating. He kicks himself for "giving it all away", even though in so doing, he was able to bring back the Guardians of the Univer-- okay, maybe it wasn't the best idea.
Hal tells Kyle he must do whatever brings him inner peace. He wishes him luck... and reveals that, even at this moment, luck is on his side... there's good news waiting for him back at the hospital.
Indeed, back at the hospital Kyle gets the news that Terry has woken up! What's more, he'd asked to see him ASAP. Kyle heads into the room, where he has a "chat" with an intubated Terry.
Things start off pretty lighthearted, though the conversation does turn dark. Terry wants to know what happened to him... how did he come to be here. Also, he wants to know why no one will tell him what happened to him.
We jump ahead to Kyle and Jennie on the roof... I'm assuming it's of the apartment building and not the hospital... not that it matters. It's here that Jennie makes a pretty crazy discovery. While going through Terry's sketchbook... it becomes pretty clear that Terry Berg has known about Kyle's double-life for a while.
It's also here that Kyle... quits. He cannot protect the Earth anymore as Green Lantern. It's just too much for him right now. He suggests he leaves Earth for awhile... and he invites Jennie along with him. So then, who will be Green Lantern? Well...
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Well, I guess this one sorta had to come back around and be a superhero story, didn't it? It's not bad... just the change in tone is a little bit jarring.
Having Kyle at his wit's end was a good call. Though, he seemed to get stuck on that one step of the Kubler-Ross scale... bargaining. He pleaded with his teammates for the opportunity to change the past. I mean, time-travel in comics is always a hinky proposition... and I feel it's one that should be used sparingly and for "world saving" situations only. Had they allowed Kyle to "undo" Terry's beating... I feel that would have been a giant disservice to those who had been affected by similar situations in the real world.
I said this back when we discussed Nightwing #93... the issue where he is sexually assaulted by Tarantula, and I'll say it again here... Sometimes bad things happen to good people. In comics, and the real world. To use "comics logic" to undo things that happen in our everyday lives... just not a good idea, in my opinion.
Kyle's chat with Hal was good... for a few reasons. First, due to the mainstream attention this garnered, I gotta figure that this arc were the first Green Lantern comics for a decent sliver of the readership. The chat allowed for some expository "catch up" material to be dropped, without feeling like a blatant info dump.
In keeping with the "mainstream" for a moment. This issue ends with John Stewart taking the role of Green Lantern. This was right around the time of the Justice League Animated Series, in which John Stewart was Green Lantern. Really smart move, that serves both the narrative and potential marketing strategies.
Back to the chat. Hal really doesn't tell Kyle anything he doesn't already know... he just frames it all in a way for Kyle to gain a little perspective. With the powers of Ion, Kyle could've done anything (including resurrect a certain young lady whose last mailing address was a refrigerator... which he didn't), so relinquishing those powers was a) the only feasible solution, and b) a character-defining moment. Having him regret this decision is only natural... and I'm not entirely sure Hal was able to convince him otherwise here. Still, I like seeing Hal as a "mentor" to Kyle.
Terry's father... I mean, I get it. I wish Winick took the road less traveled here though. I don't see the harm in having Mr. Berg be a supportive father, instead of a mustached, mullet-headed, dirty t-shirt wearing jerk. I guess, given the situation, it's possible that even the most supportive of parents might lash out... but, there's just very little subtlety in this fella. I tell ya what though, I'd hate to see how this character would be portrayed in 2018.
Terry wakes up, which is good news... and he seems to be the same ol' goofy snarky kid, which is also good news. I really like the idea that people aren't telling him how or why he's in the shape he's in. I'd imagine that would be one of the more difficult conversations to have (and write). I dig the idea that those around him are still trying to process the sheer horror of the events... and aren't yet ready (or able) to relay them to the actual victim. This is a big deal... and really shouldn't be handled lightly.
Overall... like I said yesterday, you're not gonna enjoy reading "Hate Crime"... because you're not supposed to. That said, it is important... and character-defining/refining for much of the cast of Green Lantern. Even though I've just spoiled the entire thing for you, I'd still suggest giving it a look. This issue is available digitally.
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