Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Am I that out of touch?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Am I that out of touch?

    Initially I must admit I hated on the Green Lanterns title at first. I saw it as overpopulation of earth GL's, a forced diversity play and a way for Hal to remain exiled in space. It also PO'd me that initially thanks to the release and advantages, it was outselling HJ&tGLC. It was on my pull list but I had to order an extra copy of HJ&tGLC (the alt covers) so that it wouldn't appear that I liked both books equally.
    Here is the sad part just when the title gets interesting to me, Simon and Jess go to Oa and do real GL like things, sales start to dip. Then Humpries does an arc I am actually enjoying a bit, I like the ancient Lanterns as characters, and I hear that he is leaving the book. Is Green Lanterns dip in sales because the initial push is just dissipating or are the things that I like most about the franchise what is causing it to hemorrhage readers? Not to compare it to the Ryan Reynolds movie, but the only part about it that I enjoyed were the space scenes. Not that I am a lemming or anything but as fans of the book, do you guys prefer the way the book was initially more than it is now?

  • #2
    That's an excellent question. What kind of Green Lantern stories are really resonating with readers? Not the small percentage of hardcore readers like us that frequent forums like this, but the general fair weather fans? Is there an appetite for Earth based stories DC isn't picking up on?

    Comment


    • #3
      I think I'm liking the current stuff more than the early GLs stuff. I did like Rami at Simon's home, though.

      Comment


      • #4
        For me, the space stuff was definitely more interesting and made more sense narrative wise. I didn't like the idea of them being so special that they didn't even need training and could nestle into that coveted Justice League roster spot.

        Now that they at least have been through boot camp, I find their story a little more believable. As interesting as the Ancient Lanterns can be, I just find the filling not very good. Humphries never really wowed me, and I'm glad someone else is trying.

        I like it when Earth is involved in cosmic stuff, I've always enjoyed alien invasions and secret ops and just about any silly sci fi reason for the interaction. I definitely feel that void in Hal/GLC even though I'm liking the book.

        For what is worth, I probably fall somewhere in between you guys and the casual. I snatch up pretty much anything Lantern and have been for years (and will continue to) but I'm not as well versed and probably got into comics in a different time and fashion.

        Comment


        • #5
          Hmm, I tend to prefer space stories, just because things like exploring galaxies & having adventures in the beyond have always fascinated / thrilled me. Plus GL being a space cop, it makes sense that there would be more adventures in space.

          That being said, I do like it when GL spends time back on earth. It's good to check up on a GL's personal life so to say and maybe even ground him a bit more, it makes for good character development anyway.
          Mister.Weirdo
          Guardian of the Universe
          Last edited by Mister.Weirdo; 07-26-2021, 08:54 PM.

          Comment


          • #6
            Most writers just don't know how to write Earth-based GL stories. It's because all they've read is Geoff. He's their only reference.

            Comment


            • #7
              I enjoyed Hal's tussles with the Shark, and Barry team-ups against Grodd, and even like him going up against Zoom. That plus Hal has some major acquaintances on Earth, his niece and nephews, his meta-nephews (Roy, Wally, Hal (Airwave),his brother(s), his meta-brothers (Barry, Ollie, Bruce, Clark) the JL and the Air Force/NASA/Ferris (or wherever he is supposed to work). Lest not forget all the earth bound girls he's loved before, lol. That plus Hal has a commitment to Coast City because if Emerald Twilight is still canon then Hal wouldn't just leave 'his' city unprotected by him for years at a time, or just entrust it to the rookies Jess and Simon.

              Comment


              • #8
                So, if I'm understanding this correctly, OP, you're upset at Hal Jordan being in space, but you're uninterested in seeing other Green Lanterns on Earth. But you become interested when those other Green Lanterns go into space.

                As for the question ... Simon and Jessica are so uninteresting as characters to me, so I have absolutely no interest in their personal lives. Attempts at getting me interested in them never worked. However, lately, from what I've seen the book is dealing with Green Lantern lore now, like the origin of the Guardians and the Corps. Despite Geoff Johns really butchering a lot of that (imo) with the stuff he did with Krona and the First Lantern, and despite the current story working directly off of that, that stuff is still WAAAY more interesting than Simon and Jessica themselves, Travel Lanterns and all.

                You may like the story better now because it's relying more on things that you're familiar with and like, like the Guardians, the Green Lantern Corps, and so on, and less on the home lives and personal dilemmas of Simon and Jessica. I estimate that the book dealing with space has nothing to do with its sales falling. By now, I think stores understand how to order the book better, and readers have seen enough to decide whether they want to stick with that story and those characters.

                About what kinds of stories fans like best, I don't really know. Green Lantern is a weird franchise that is kinda' stable, but kinda' not. I don't think there is a strong consensus on what is best, what really works, and what fans want to see. Those answers vary wildly depending on the fan you ask, and I think that is largely why the fanbase is so fractured. What happens with Green Lantern a lot of the time is that fans tend to get bored of something after a while, and then the editors eventually do something totally different, such as switching leads like with John Stewart and later Kyle Rayner, making the series a team book like in the late '80s, making Hal Jordan a villain, getting rid of the Corps for ten or so years, the Emotional Spectrum stories, and so on.

                To the franchise's credit, all of these varied takes have their fans, but they also have their big detractors, and I don't think a solid consensus on what the best formula for Green Lantern has ever really set in, for better or worse.

                With Superman, you can't go too long without Clark Kent, Lois Lane, the Daily Planet, and Metropolis, unless it's some kind of side story or prequel type thing like Smallville (and even that had all those elements). Fans would REALLY not like that. While Superman fans may fight over which version of Superman is best (only hardcore ones do this, to everyone else he's the same guy [Superman is Superman]), most fans will at least agree those are really integral aspects of the character and his world that make him work best.

                Green Lantern, however ... There are extremely different takes on that character and the paradigm for the world and stories (space vs. Earth, Hal Jordan vs. Kyle Rayner, vs. John Stewart (and using any of those characters over the others changes things TREMENDOUSLY), Emotional Spectrum or something else, Corps vs. the last Green Lantern, for example) and what is best varies depending on who you ask.

                Speaking for me, personally, I like space stories best. It makes the character less generic in that those stories tend not to follow basic superhero tropes as much, such as having the day job, the non-powered girlfriend/love interest, the secret identity, and so on. When there is so much of that type of thing being published by Marvel and DC, it's cool to see something that's kinda' different. In that respect, on Earth, Hal Jordan was often like a lesser Superman, and Kyle Rayner was like a lesser Spider-Man, but in space, the Green Lanterns are more often their own thing with their own niche, more or less. And I like space. That said, Earth stories can be cool.
                Star-Lantern
                Weaponer of Qward
                Last edited by Star-Lantern; 09-16-2017, 03:44 AM.
                ZATSWAN.COM Zatswan: Multiversal Guardian, the brand new cosmic comic book, now available!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Gun to head, I'd say I like space stories more. But that doesn't mean I want to give up on Earth based stories. I wish Hal was on Earth a third of the time and space the other two thirds. Unfortunately, that setup wouldn't make it believable that Hal could hold down a job and an apartment. I was interested back in the day in Geoff's take on how Hal would pull it off before Geoff abandoned it, because it seemed like it might work. Hal in the Air Force with a boss that would cover his extended absences in space, but the cost would be Hal would have to do missions for him to pay back the favor. That could have been interesting with all the ways they could take the mission's Hal was forced to do for General Stone, including ones that Hal may or may not agree with. That whole cast was interesting and a shame to lose.

                  I just wonder if the time is right to TRY stories like that again to bring back readers. Not the fake GLs mind you, Simon and the crazy bitch can disappear forever as far as I'm concerned. I'm talking for the real GLs like Hal and Kyle. John and Guy are also better off in space.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    After seeing human GLs be as stupid as any other race in the universe, it's a little refreshing to see Hal Jordan have "a plan", John Stewart to have "a plan", even Guy and Kyle to be a little more intelligent than before.

                    And then they get shown as conniving cowards the next issue. Bah. I don't agree "loss leads to character" that seems to be the GL thread right now. Bring back the promises in GL #25 with the Templar Guardians and a truly restored GLC. The Sinestro Corps is back to being an annoyance, not a galactic threat. Characters are acting crazy and out of character. Is Hal Jordan and his self-made ring Guardian-level now? Is John Stewart and his ability to construct power batteries and Central Power Batteries, even by proxy, Guardian-level intellect now? Kyle has fallen so far from being the White Lantern, does he even matter anymore?

                    I do want a GL comic and GLC comic, but put the humans back on Earth, and the GLC being the strength of the varied members, not just a small cadre of the same GLs over and over again.

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X