Green Lantern (vol.2) #122 (November, 1979)
"With These Rings..."
Writer - Denny O'Neil
Penciller - Don Heck
Inker - Vince Colletta
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Letterer - Ben Oda
Editor - Jack C. Harris
Cover Price: $0.40
After reading about how Guy "fell to pieces" yesterday, I figured maybe we'd see how that might've effected his friends and loved ones... by jumping ahead six issues and checking out the wedding between his girlfriend and Green Lantern associate Hal Jordan?!
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We open up with Hal Jordan flying his betrothed Kari Limbo to the chapel. She's wearing her wedding gown... and Hal is in his Green Lantern duds, that'll make for some interesting photos! The wedding invitations actually announce the marriage between Kari Limbo and... Mr. Green Lantern, which is pretty great. Upon arrival, Kari gets woozy... because she does that. While knelt down, she draws something in the dirt. Superman recognizes it as a Phantom Zone Projector, and runs off to the Fortress to check it out.
Kari turns to Hal and says that she had a vision about someone dear to her being in agony... hmm. Hal brushes his concern aside and suggests they head inside. Ollie pulls him aside for some real-talk... and Hal admits that he's pretty antsy.
We join Superman who has arrived at the Fortress of Solitude. Upon flipping on the Phantom Zone Projector, he sees the silhouette of someone familiar... and suddenly finds himself wrapped in a green beam and pulled inside!
Back at the chapel, Hal and Ollie talk about whether or not he will remain Green Lantern following his nuptials. Then, Hal's old friend (don't call him) Pie Face arrives! It's actually pretty funny... Hal calls him Pie Face, and Tom corrects him stating that at this point he's wildly successful and owns a whole bunch of filling stations!
Their chat is interrupted by the playing of the Wedding March... and so, we join the (sorta) happy couple at the altar. The Preacher does that thing where he asks if anyone "knows a reason why... yadda yadda yadda", and... nobody speaks up! Whew. Next he asks Kari if she takes this Lantern as her lawfully wedded so-and-so... annnnnd, she trances... again. She mutters a few words about a "Power Ring" before fainting. Barry suggests he run to the Fortress of Solitude to check on Superman... but Hal tells him this is Ring-Slinger business. After Hal's long gone, Kari begins to mutter once more... this time about her "beloved Guy". Uh-oh!
Hal arrives at the Fortress of Solitude, and wouldn'tcha know it, there's a Kryptonian force field around it! He fishes the Phantom Zone Projector out with his beam, and flips it on. He sees the same silhouette Superman saw... and so, he rushes into the Phantom Zone to check it out. Worth mentioning that he did recite the Green Lantern Oath into his Power Battery before hopping in. Once inside, he finds himself instantly attacked by a green power beam!
Hal fears that he's going to be squaring off with Sinestro, but... he's not in the Phantom Zone, right? He dodges the emerald onslaught and retaliates by covering his attacker with a net... and, uh-oh--it's Guy Gardner... and he wants Hal dead!
An off-panel voice informs him that Guy's not kidding... he really wants to see him dead! Hal turns around to see... oh boy, General Zod and the boyz... and they've got a down and out Superman to boot! Zod tells Hal that the Phantom Zone Criminals have all focused their own wills into Guy's ring making it far too powerful for him to overcome.
A fight breaks out, with the souped-up Guy having an early advantage. Lucky for Hal, Superman was playing possum the whole time... which, doesn't quite even the odds... but offers enough of a distraction for Hal to get in a few good shots. Meanwhile, back at the chapel trancin' Kari mutters for Hal to be careful.
Hal snares Superman with an energy beam and flies away... through an opening back from the Phantom Zone he created with his power battery. That's pretty handy... good thing the crooks didn't realize it!
Now back in the "real" world, Hal returns to his (now awake) betrothed to let her know that Guy still lives... he's just stuck in the Phantom Zone. This changes everything about their own relationship, and Kari tells Hal that they won't be getting married. He tells her he'll check in with her in a few months to see if she's changed her mind before flying off.
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Wow, Hal doesn't mess around does he? For all he (or Kari) knows, Guy's only been "dead" for a little while at this point. Dude... isn't there some sort of "unwritten code" about waiting before moving in on the grieving girlfriend? Well, Hal's gonna Hal I suppose.
It's always neat seeing a bunch of heroes together back in the day when that didn't happen every month. Also, really like how this doesn't seem to have been a big hyped-up over-sized event. It's just another issue of Green Lantern (co-starring Green Arrow). I always appreciate that.
The issue itself, Kari Limbo... ay yai yai... I don't know her all that well, but what I do... she's really irritating. She kinda reminds me of Raven from the New Teen Titans... trancing out at what is somehow both the most opportune and least opportune time. I'm glad she doesn't linger for all that long.
It was nice seeing Tom show up for the wedding. I'm glad that he told Hal to ixnay the iefacepay, without turning it into a lecture. I'd like to think that Hal never used it as a racial slight, and Tom doesn't really suggest that it was ever meant that way (at least from Hal) either.
The Phantom Zone bit was okay... I think I've made my feelings on Zod pretty clear here... he's almost always bores me to tears. Glad this happened before it was "lol" to throw in a "Kneel before..." reference.
The Kari/Hal breakup at the end really speaks to how strong their relationship was in the first place. I gotta say, Kari never looked all that happy to be marrying him to begin with... though, that might've been due to Don Heck's art... for some reason almost all of the women in this issue looked rather annoyed to be there, Dinah especially! What a scowl!
Overall... perhaps not the strongest issue, but I cannot deny that it's one that adds to the mythos and facilitates a decent amount of forward progression. The issue that follows is the first in quite awhile that didn't have "co-starring Green Arrow" on the cover, signalling that it was a new day in Hal-town. We actually already discussed it here on the blog. Since this issue was from less-famous GL/GA run, it hasn't yet been collected or made available digitally... I'd say snag it if you come across it on the cheap, but I wouldn't break the bank for it.
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Green Lantern (vol.2) #116 (May, 1979)
"My Ring... My Enemy!"
Writer - Denny O'Neil
Penciller - Alex Saviuk
Inker - Dave Hunt
Letterer - Ben Oda
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Jack C. Harris
Cover Price: $0.40
Today we're going to discuss a semi-recent pickup. I grabbed this from a dollar bin during a local shop's Labor Day blowout along with several others. When I posted the "haul" on Twitter, my buddy Mark from I'm the Gun informed me that this was a prrretty important issue for Guy Gardner. I knew of Guy's trials and tribulations, but had NO idea that they happened in this very issue!
Been wanting to discuss it ever since, so let's get right down to it!
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We open in Star City shortly following Ollie firing off his "Arrow Signal"... which is pretty much exactly what you think it is. This draws the attention of his Hard-Travelin' homeboy Hal, who has popped in to see what's up. Turns out the skies have turned red and a giant eyeball has appeared above the city. Hal attempts to sling some ring... but it's a no go! His emerald beam recoils and wraps itself around him at though it were a ticked-off boa constrictor!
When it finally does uncoil, it sends Hal careening into a brick wall... and, if ya can believe it... Hal is kayoed. That almost never happens to him! Okay okay, it almost always happens to him... We learn that the entire scene is being monitored... hmm, red skies... monitor... Nah, this time we're being watched by a Professor Ojo, who is responsible for the presence of The Eye... however, not responsible for Hal's wonky ring!
When Hal begins to stir, he informs Ollie that his ring has been acting up for a little while now... and in order to get to the bottom of it, he's gonna have to head to Oa! Ollie wants to join him on the cross-universe trek, to which Hal grows deadly serious... proclaiming this to be his problem, and his danger. Whooooa, reel it in Hal.
Lantern then zips out to space where he keeps his big rig... he was an over-the-road trucker at this point in his life. He grabs his power battery to drop off in Ollie's spare room before heading off.
The following morning, Ollie knocks on his guest room door to invite Hal out for some crazy chili-infused eggs. When Hal doesn't answer, Ollie lets himself in... and sees Green Lantern charging his ring... then going to pieces!
The image vanishes, leaving Ollie wondering what he'd just seen. Just then he meets... the "new Green Lantern" Guy Gardner! Not sure how he got inside Ollie's house... maybe Dinah let him in? Also, not sure why Ollie has a large portrait of... Superman (?) or is it Aquaman (?) on his wall!
Guy clarifies that he's just filling in for Hal while he's off planet. Ollie asks about John Stewart, and we learn that he's third-in-line at this point. Guy asks Ollie to show him the superheroing ropes, and he charges up his ring. It's so weird seeing Guy in the classic GL togs... mask and all!
Meanwhile, Hal is heading toward the fringe of the Milky Way when his ring konks out. I guess that'll happen when you leave your power battery at Ollie's place. He winds up landing... and stranded, on a desert planet with a red Sun.
Back in Star City, the Eye in the Sky reappears and so the Harder-Travelin' Heroes take the fight to it. An arrow shot dead-center does very little... only instigating a counter-attack in the form of a ray. Guy is able to push Arrow out of the way of falling debris, then takes aim at the Eye. Turns out his (likely miscolored, yellow) power beam is acting nearly as wonky as Hal's! The fellas collect themselves, and decide to retire for... you guessed it, a bowl of chili.
Back with Hal... he continues his trek across the desert wasteland. Suddenly the ground opens up and he falls into a sinkhole... right into a Guardian-filled bunker! When they saw him coming they made sure he made landfall on the desert side of the planet... (didn't even know there was a "desert side", that might've come in handy during Emerald Twilight!) because their sensors indicated that his ring-charge was whacked and they wanted to ensure he wasn't a threat. They examine his ring and deduce that the problem is with his power battery. He is given a new one, and is instructed to destroy the old one ASAP. Most important for this story in particular... one effect of the defective power battery is "time distortion" in which future events appear in the present. Let's remember that!
Back at Ollie's, Guy chokes down some of Queen's Famous... which is probably one of the best panels/captions I've seen in some time.
After swallowing... and likely a handful of Rolaids, Guy heads back to the skies. Ollie posits that he's been "bitten by the hero bug". We join Guy as he once again confronts the Eye in the Sky... this time blowing it to bits with but a blast! He's so psyched to be a Green Lantern that he can't wait to... recharge his ring! (record scratch!)
Hal returns to Ollie's and tells he and Dinah about his trip and his defective power battery. Ollie informs Hal that he could'a sworn he saw that power battery (and Hal) explode... though, he suggests (as he coolly sips his coffee) that it might've been Guy. Hal recalls what the Guardians told him about "time distortion" and punches a hole through Ollie's wall into the guest room where Guy is staying...
... Just in time for Guy to complete the Oath, and go to pieces! Hal is beside himself with grief, while Ollie's all... "hmph, I guess it was real!"
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Well there ya have it, Guy Gardner gets in touch with his inner Patsy Cline and falls to pieces!
Talk about a bait and switch cover though... right? I mean, that's pretty clearly intended to be Hal... but whattayagonnado, they're tryin' to sell comic books ova hea'!
Really had a good time with this one. It really doesn't feel like a Bronze Age story though... at least in the way it's told. Everything feels so "matter of fact" that if not for the art (and ending), I might confuse it for a Silver Ager. I mean, Hal goes to space... and arrives exactly where he needs to... and he's just given a new power battery. Bada bing, bada boom. Guy knocks the Eye outta the Sky and just can't wait to recharge his ring. Just so "easy".
Let's talk about how weird it is seeing a clean-cut Guy Gardner! We never see him deferring to anybody... I mean, he busts Batman's chops regularly... and here he is letting Green Arrow show him the ropes... and eating his chili! Definitely not used to seeing our man Guy as a sorta "golly gee" sidekick!
Ollie's aloofness is something I gotta mention. He just feels so disconnected at times... and it's hilarious! His whole world revolves around a certain pretty lady, and bowls of chili! I chuckled out loud toward the end when Hal asked if he was sure the Lantern that blew up with the power battery was him... and he responded with "Well... could have been Guy, I guess!" as he sips his coffee. Then... after seeing Guy vaporized he's all "It was real, huh?" I'll concede that I might be projecting a Seinfeldian "that's a shame" kinda tone to him here... but, it's a hoot regardless.
Overall... this issue was great fun, and I would recommend it. This whole "second" (that is, without Neal Adams) O'Neil run on Green Lantern (co-starring Green Arrow) is full of these underrated little stories, and I think any fan of either character would have a good time with these! Unfortunately since this isn't from the O'Neil/Adams run... it's not yet available digitally nor has it (to my knowledge) been collected in trade.
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Superman #678 (September, 2008)
"The Coming of Atlas, Part 2: Time Lost"
Writer - James Robinson
Penciller - Renato Guedes
Inker - Wilson Magalhaes
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer - John J. Hill
Associate Editor - Tom Palmer, Jr.
Editor - Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $2.99
Well, we didn't get a whole lot of Atlas action yesterday... let's rectify that.
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We open with Jimmy and Lois riding between traffic on the Olsen-cycle on their way to Superman and Atlas's battle scene. They get to the point where they must continue on foot, and Jimmy wonders aloud how Superman's morning might go... does he eat breakfast? Drink coffee? Read the paper? Stuff like that. Since Lois is along for the ride, we pop into her head for a bit. She recalls that very morning having a somewhat contentious breakfast chat with the Man of Steel himself over... Zatanna? Meanwhile... Superman introduces Atlas to his left fist.
While the two titans tussle, we visit with the shadowy "Lady Who Watches"... that is, the woman in charge of Metropolis' Science Police Control. She runs down the Sci-Cops B-Squad leader, Daniels for his ineffectual leadership skills and reliance on Control to dictate his every move. I dunno... at least he's not being insubordinate, right? Anyhoo, Atlas absolutely wallops Superman with a punch... sending him flying through a shop window.
The Science Police circle Atlas, and attempt to take him down... this leads to a Ben Day-flavored flashback of Atlas wrecking fools en route to the Lizard Kingdom... presumably shortly after the events of 1st Issue Special #1 (1975). He is reacquainted with his (only) friend Chagra... but is hurled into a sort of portal before they can properly "rejoice".
He finds himself sent through time... and maybe space. He witnesses visions of various seminal moments of human (and DC Comics) history... annnnd, sleeps.
He wakes to find himself attached to some futuristic-looking machinery. There is a man in military garb standing before him... and so, he shouts at him in his alien language. It isn't long before the former King of the World becomes the learner to the military fella. The General wants Superman... he wants him delivered alive so that he could be studied. In exchange, he'll wish Atlas well in his endeavor of taking over the world. Seems fair, right?
Atlas inquires as to how the General brought him to the present... and he answers that he had been granted the opportunity to "fish in the pool of time" to find a champion powerful enough to take down Superman. From here we jump back into flashback mode to learn how Atlas became King... and his ultimate betrayal at the hands of Chagra and mages known as "The Three Who Are One".
Back on the street, Superman emerges from the shop wreckage and... runs away? Well, that's what the people on the street think. What he's actually doing is getting himself a head of steam so he can come at Atlas harder for their "Round Two".
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Another really quick read! I almost feel like I'm cheating.
This was a fight scene... and a proper introduction for Atlas. After lying dormant for three decades we finally learn what happened when Atlas and Chagra went to the mountain! It's pretty much what we figured would happen... but it's nice to have some confirmation.
It's interesting seeing Chagra as an untrustworthy sort... especially if you're reading the current Bug! The Adventures of Forager miniseries from DC's Young Animal. Seems many creators who've "met" Chagra find him to be a bit shady.
Something I want to mention is the portrayal of Lois here. We see her as maybe a little jealous of her husbands sometimes teammate with the fishnet stockings (no the other one). I thought seeing this more vulnerable side of Lois was pretty refreshing. I think it stands to reason that she might feel like she's at a bit of a disadvantage when compared to members of the Justice League... even though her husband doesn't see it that way. This is oddly, a very human look at a marital dynamic... it's relatable for men and women alike, and taps into real apprehension spouses may have.
Overall... a decent enough "Chapter 2". while at the same time... it's just a "Chapter 2". I'm enjoying the story, but will concede that you're likely to get a more satisfying read if you were to nab the collected edition. Pains me to push anyone away from pursuing single-issues, but I gotta be honest.
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Superman #677 (August, 2008)
"The Coming of Atlas, Part 1: The World on his Shoulders"
Writer - James Robinson
Penciller - Renato Guedes
Inker - Wilson Magalhaes
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Associate Editor - Tom Palmer, Jr.
Editor - Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $2.99
After an epic(ly long) six-hundredth daily discussion extravaganza, I figured we'd follow up with something a bit "lighter"... another installment of 1st Issue Special: Where Are They Now? featuring (to my knowledge) only the second appearance of the fella who led off the original run... Jack Kirby's Atlas!
Only took him 32 years for him to get a second appearance! Take that Outsiders and Codename: Assassin! To be fair... they will both show up soon...
Let's get to it!
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We open with a strange flying disc soaring through space... then Krypto! Hey, wouldja lookit that, they're playing Frisbee! Superman is joined by Hal Jordan, who thinks playing Frisbee with a dog in outer space while wearing their costumes is a bit weird. Superman posits that it might be the most mundane thing either of them ever see. They then talk about their love lives... with Superman erring by bringing up Jade. Hey big guy, that was Kyle... not Hal. The epilogue ends with Hal watching Superman play with his dog... and thinking back to his own more innocent days, before Parallax.
We shift to Metropolis where a giant mud-like monster is rampaging through the streets. The Science Police are on the scene... but are not initially effective.
One member, Travis, calls in to Control to ask if anyone's laid eyes on Superman... and no sooner does a red and blue blur blast onto the scene... and right through the monster, driving it into a bunch of buildings, Power Rangers style. The globe from atop the Daily Planet teeters and falls while the Sci-Cops look on feeling as though Superman has gotten a bit sloppy.
Well, not so fast kemo sabe... this blur lands first and catches the globe as though he were... er, the mythical Titan, Atlas (hmmm...)! We pop back into Travis's head, where he admits to sort of hating Superman. He hates that the Science Police are basically his janitorial staff... cleaning up after all of his battles.
Just then, the fella who caught the Daily Planet globe hurls it into the sky... calling out for Superman! Uh-oh. Turns out this is our old friend... er, acquaintance, Atlas! He spends the next several pages positively decimating the Science Police Force... and repeating the same challenge!
In Space, Superman picks up on the challenge... and rushes back to Earth. He leaves Krypto with a nervous Hal, but insists his dog is "a good boy now". He arrives in Metropolis, and we end off with him greeting his pursuer.
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Wow that was a quick read! It's sometimes so jarring to go from stories written in the Bronze-Age and into the 1980/90's... then to read one from the late 2000's. I barely had three sips of my coffee writing this one out! What's more... there ain't a whole heckuva lot to say about it. It's just a set-up issue!
Let's hit some of the bits that stuck with me.
I like how Superman mistakenly thought Hal had been with Jade. It speaks to how he views Hal Jordan as a man... just assuming that "if the girl's green... Hal's made that scene". What I didn't like about the comment is that it places Superman somewhere above the Green Lantern Corps., like he can't tell/remember if it was Hal or Kyle who had the green gal on their arm. I mean, he's worked with both of them for extended periods of time... you'd (or I'd) assume he'd know them both a bit better than that. Not like Superman to goof like this.
I kinda dug getting into Travis' mind. I can understand and appreciate him feeling a bit like Superman's janitor... it's as though he'd hoped this job/career would make him important... but all he does is sweep up after the "real" hero(es) of Metropolis. Gotta figure he'd have at least a twinge of resentment every time he's sent out to pick up a fallen lamppost or flipped over minivan.
Then there's Atlas... proclaiming to be the champion that Metropolis needs! Really dug that for a number of reasons. This plays into his character during his only other (to my knowledge) appearance to this point. Plus, it's always just so cool when a forgotten character gets a reintroduction... much less looking as though he might be portrayed as something of an equal to Superman! We don't get their fight... that comes next issue... but we do get a face-off... because, ya know... it's a 2000's era comic book.
The art here is fantastic! Interiors and cover alike... just some amazing work here. Guedes has a style that is both cartoony and dynamic... the softer colors used really help bring the art to life as well. Just such a well put together package!
Overall... I think this is a good little story... but I'm hard-pressed to recommend picking up this single issue... that is, unless you also pick up the three that follow it. If you are interested, this bugger has been made available digitally and has been collected in Superman: The Coming of Atlas.
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