The last issue of this title we looked at was
the last issue, and it was a Green Lantern-led story, like today's book: from 2005,
Justice League Unlimited #6, "In the Dimming Light" Written by Adam Beechen, pencils by Carlo Barberi, inks by Walden Wong.
John Stewart, Fire, Red Tornado, and a grumpy and sleep-deprived Green Arrow answer an emergency call in Boston; only to find another Green Lantern fighting a trio of alien baddies, the Triptych. It's not a GL we know, but John does: Zibar, described as one of the first Lanterns, having served for millennia. The other Leaguers think he may be a bit over the hill, or they may be cheesed that Zibar refers to them as John's "servants" as he bosses them all around.
Arrow questions John's courage, in not telling the oldster he was too old; but Zibar doesn't really start to act senile until this point in the story. Having followed his plan to separate, the Leaguers were getting picked off separately by the Triptych; as Zibar has both forgotten to charge his ring,
and forgotten the oath to charge it! (Technically, I don't think you need the oath; it's just an affirmation to mark the time the ring needs to be charged.) Zibar gets his head together just in time to tell John to enclose the Triptych's blast, knocking them out.
Zibar feels ashamed, and that he would give up his ring in disgrace; but John assures him there is honor in passing to a worthy successor. And anyway, he could always teach! That kind of cheapens teaching, I think, but okay. He shouldn't be so down on retiring; I'm looking forward to it! Nothing to do all day but blog...and eat cat food, if my 401k statement is any indication.
Good. solid story form the looks of it. I still can't get over how clean Barberi's pencils are, but then again I remember him from when he first broke in, winning a contest in Wizard magazine. Seems to have worked out for him in the end, ashis animated style fits comics like these like grizzly bears and hammocks.
ReplyDeleteGood moral to the story as well, as yes, he really could continue to contribute to the Corps as a teacher. Better than fucking up on the job because you forgot something important.
As for retiring, you have what, like 15 years left to go before you can retire, maybe 60 for early retirement? nahh, those figures won't let that happen, so expect to serve out to 65, haha.
The boy was watching an old Simpsons, with an employee at the nuclear plant protesting his forced retirement: "Please don't make me retire. I never married and my dog has died." Me, I'd retire this second if I could...with some reasonable financial security.
ReplyDeleteI think that episode also features Troy McClure mentioning "you may remember from such videos as 'Dig Your Own Grave and Save,'" which is sadly a large portion of my retirement portfolio.