Comic Book Heroes vs. Critics

     Superheroes come from literally far and wide and have been forever been imbedded into American culture along with things such as freedom, patriotism, and all the other values eclipsed by comic book heroes. The reason I believe superheroes have become such a large part of pop culture and even culture in general is because they can stand up and fight for values that even only Martin Luther King Jr. could dream of. As Alfred so famously said in The Dark Knight they also “…make the decisions no one else can” and lastly, they can also sometimes embody a sense of an inner-child that hopefully still exists within you the way The Hulk exists within Bruce Banner. Essentially, superheroes are our alter egos and even though they’re not real, they still serve as powerful symbols in our society. So like any good old-fashioned American TV show would do, let’s judge those we ‘adore’ and rate our superheroes. Today, we’ll be looking at one of my all-time favorite superheroes, the Green Lantern.

Origins:

    

     Okay, so Hal Jordan is one of the few superheroes out there that didn’t get his powers through some sort of freak or radioactive accident. Spider-Man happened to be in the right place at the right time and accidentally got bitten by a radioactive spider that was on top of him by coincidence, The Hulk gained powers he didn’t even want through a freak gamma ray accident, and as much as I’d hate to say it, Thor was born a freakin' demi-god and his father Oden helps him with his powers throughout his whole life, that's just cheating Stan. However, Hal Jordan was specifically chosen by the Green Power Ring to become its new owner for his noble trait of overcoming great fear (a Cardinal trait of the Green Lantern Corps). Abin Sur was the previous owner of the Green Power Ring before it was given to Hal Jordan and his dying action was delivering the ring to Hal at the ring’s own request (yes, apparently jewelry does indeed have a mind of its own, so watch out ladies) and this is how Hal Jordan went from Top Gun test pilot to superhero Green Lantern.

 

Effect on the World:

 

     The Green Lantern is one of the most revered heroes in his universe (competing against Batman, Superman and even the distractingly gorgeous even though she’s a drawing Wonder Woman) and a founding member of the Justice League. However, as much as the Green Lantern helps the Earth, he is also an inner-galactic hero that travels from planet to planet to settle disputes, and kick some major alien buttocks.

 

Villains:

 

     A hero is only as good as its villain and unfortunately, despite Hal Jordan being a super hero embodiment of Tom Cruise’s Maverick from Top Gun, he only has a few top notch stand-out villains. Some of his let’s just say lesser villains include the enemy to water molecules that like their space- The Icicle, the preferred customer of Modells- Sportsmaster and most puzzling of all, the name you won’t see coming- The Invisible Destroyer! However, as I mentioned before, there are a few fantastically evil villains that go toe to toe with the Green Lantern. His arch-enemy and one of the most iconic villains is Sinestro. The mentor of Hal Jordan and a former Green Lantern himself, Sinestro is textbook evil, complete with a tiny, twirl-able, black mustache and a laugh that would take the smile off Jimmy Fallon. He is considered evil not just within the universe of the Green Lantern, but amongst comic book scholars in general, for his main weapon is fear.

 

Powers:

 

     All of the Green Lantern’s power comes from his Power Ring, and without it, Hal Jordan would be like a classic car without an engine, an aesthetically pleasing beef cake that’s always fun to look at (at least when portrayed by Ryan Reynolds), but lacking in actual power.  Luckily however, the power of the ring is always available and must simply be re-charged by the actual Green Lantern to continue its function. The power of the ring itself is immeasurable because it creates anything its owner imagines from hammers to aircrafts in a green beam of energy so that even in brightest day and in blackest night, no evil shall escape its sight.

 

Attire:

 

     No superhero is complete without his or her attire, literally. The Green Lantern, like many heroes, has changed his uniform as time’s marches on however, his classic and most iconic uniform is a black-white, skintight onesie topped off with white gauntlets and a thin green mask covering his nose and eyes (and in Ryan Reynolds case, dimples are indeed included). The emblem of the Green Lanterns also displays proudly on every uniform of the green lanterns despite any changes and of course, abs are always properly displayed.

Overall rating:

 

     The Green Lantern is a cocky, smart-mouthed superhero, that as you have already probably guess, I personally truly adore. His loyalty to the Justice League and all the species of the universe is unquestionable and like others, he is willing to die for what he believes in. But what sets this hero apart from the others is how creative he must always be. The powers of his ring are only as good as the mind of its master and this requires Hal to always be on the top of his game, because he can’t afford to slip up. What also makes the Green Lantern unique is the reason he was chosen by the ring in the first place, his ability to overcome fear. Fear is what consumes men into impulsive and irrational decisions and drives the human race to desperation at times, so to be able to so easily and frequently overcome one of man’s greatest weaknesses is no small feat. However, while the Green Lantern is indeed a superhero to be feared and revered, the fact that his powers are never truly tested as a result of weaker villains does soil upon his reputation and unfortunately, I cannot judge with the same bias Americans choose their idols with and I must give the Green Lantern an overall rating of 8/10.

 

 

 

 

If you'd like to learn more about The Green Lantern or comic book heroes in general, check out this link!

 

http://www.dccomics.com/characters/green-lantern

 

And if you'd ever like to talk to me about or debate me on my views of the Green Lantern or any other super heroes, email me at: jason6452134@gmail.com