COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK

 

COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK

Welcome back!  I know....I've been gone for awhile....writing more than one type of blog, and with several life changes.  But I am now getting ready to gear up for another run, as the Arrowverse shows crank up again, and I also have a review to write of Wonder Woman 84, and the 2nd season of The Mandalorian, so be on the lookout for those.  But for NOW....it's time to finish up a series I had started last year, but didn't get to finish....our final installment of our Green Lantern series, in honor of the 80 years of the Emerald Gladiator's existence.  For our last ring-slinger....we take a look at Kyle Rayner.  This young man would end up becoming one of the most powerful of all Lanterns...and an essential ally to both the JLA as well as the Corps.  

GREEN LANTERN (VOL. 3) #84

COVER ART: Darryl Banks, Romeo Tanghal

WRITER: Ron Marz

ARTIST: Bill Willingham

INKS: Romeo Tanghal, Robert Campanella

LETTERS: Albert DeGuzman

COLORS: Anthony Tollin 

EDITOR: Kevin Dooley, Eddie Berganza

COVER DATE: January 1994

PUBLISHER: DC Comics

TAGLINE:  The Resurrection of Coast City

STORY TITLE:  "Emerald Twilight - Part One:  The Past"

Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #84 brings to us one more new character to the Green Lantern mythos:  Kyle Rayner.  Rayner comes to us courtesy of Ron Marz, Bill Willingham, and Darryl Banks.  He makes his first appearance in this particular issue, as we jump right into the beginnings of the Emerald Twilight storyline, as we witness the fall of Hal Jordan, and into his decent into madness.  Kyle is an artist who lives in Los Angeles, and our first contact with him is when he witnesses a green streak flying upon the sky, which is a raging Hal Jordan, ordered by  the Guardians of the Universe, streaking towards Oa after having been told he violated Oan law, and must return the ring.  Hal, in the middle of a breakdown after watching Coast City get destroyed.  After Hal's fall and attack on the Guardians, destroying the Corps, and taking as many power rings as he can to increase his power, he becomes the being known as Parallax, and thus responsible for the event known as Zero Hour.  Ganthet turns to Rayner as a new hope for the Green Lantern Corps, and thus a new GL is born.  After Hal's subsequent death, Rayner became the main Green Lantern, and took over this series as its main star beginning in issue #51.  Rayner would then secede the title back to Hal after Hal's resurrection and he became the man known as Ion.  He has since become a GL once again.  

THE STORY:  Hal Jordan....having watched the destruction of his hometown of Coast City, tried to resurrect his city, and remembers the past.  About his family, about finding the Abin Sur, and getting the ring.  He starts to reconstruct Coast City, and meets up with a girl named Jennifer he was in love with prior to meeting Carol Ferris.  But eventually, all the images fade, as the ring's power dies out.  Ganthet then speaks to him, and tells him to return to Oa, for he has violated the rules of the Green Lantern Corps - using the ring for personal gain.  Hal tells them it's because of LOSS that the made the constructs.  They order him to Oa, to give up the power ring.  However, Hal streaks towards Oa NOT to give up the ring....but to gain more power so that he can re-create Coast City. As we see Hal streaking across the sky, we notice a couple on the ground making a wish upon Hal, thinking he was a star, and wishing for escape.  

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This issue was the first of a MAJOR storyline that would not only see the downfall and eventual END of the Green Lantern Corps as we'd known it, but of Hal Jordan as well.  The creative team decided that it was time for a NEW Green Lantern, and it fell upon Marz, Willingham, and Banks to come up with Kyle Rayner.  Rayner would soon take the reigns of the series, in much the same way Wally West took over for Barry Allen as The Flash.  It was new heroes for a new generation.  Rayner has gone on to become one of the "Big 4" of the GL Corps along with Hal, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner.  

NEXT WEEK:  Another stellar comic pull from the past....