Visitor's Post
Hello! This is Ben Carlson, a guest writer for Sara's blog. I can't say I'm anywhere near as familiar as Sara is with comic books, but I do find what I know of their stories fascinating and highly entertaining. That being said, I have never put in much effort to learn about the Green Lantern. Until now!
The more I learn about the Green Lantern, the more fascinated I am with its unique characters (Kim. 2011). Unlike many comic books, which focus on one superhero, the Green Lantern comics have a rather large cast of Green Lanterns.
With Alan Scott setting the standard as the first Green Lantern, Hal Jordan has been able to become a comic book celebrity as the second. However, there are even more that follow after him! As an example, the adventures of Earth's Green Lantern Corps, including Earth's own John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Hal Jordan (again), span several volumes. Some of these characters even spread their influences and memberships to other superhero organization, like Guy joining the Justice League.
Even more Lantern Corps and special individuals populate the pages of Green Lantern comics, forming a small universe of intriguing heroes that weave stories of friendship, trust, and strength of will. Equally as compelling as the heroes are to me, though, the Green Lantern villains stick out as truly unique.
The villains often seem to originate from the Green Lanterns themselves, which makes sense from a writing standpoint. Plot-wise, the only weapon strong enough to fight against a Green Lantern's power ring would almost have to be another power ring. The resultant formula for villain creation is a refreshing twist on the old process, having the heroes and villains being remarkably intertwined.
Also, the fact that the Green Lanterns' powers originate from their own personal qualities, usually willpower, turns emotions such as rage and fear into determining factors in their very plots. Villains such as Sinestro and Parallax have fates tied with good Green Lanterns (especially with Sinestro once being one and Parallax actually controlling Hal Jordan), giving the vilains special emphasis and connection. Even other villains that were never Lanterns, such as Star Sapphire and Black Hand, share small roots with the Green Lanterns, almost making them feel more like results of the system than external problems.
Ultimately, the flavorful characters and close stories are winning my heart over to the Green Lantern's calling. My interest for the series only continues to grow as I learn more about it, and I encourage anyone else who seeks rich entertainment to try checking out the Green Lantern. With a final farewell, look forward to the coming Green Lantern movie. I know I am!
Sources Cited
Kim, Tenzel. (1996). Green Lantern Corps Web Page. Retrieved from
http://glcorps.dcuguide.com/
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