Thursday, March 07, 2024

He's secretly undercover, she's secretly seeing someone else, now another one's secretly alive? Where's 'trust' on the emotional spectrum?

In the DCU alien races probably see earthlings as trouble, mavericks and rule-breakers. I wonder if they don't also see us as emotionally stunted, to boot. From 2013, Green Lantern Annual #2, "Lights Out, part five: the Source" Written by Robert Venditti, pencils by Sean Chan, inks by Jon Sibal and Walden Wong.
This was the end of another Lantern book crossover, and bits of it feel like homages even if they were established DC lore: the bad guy, Relic, was from the universe before this one, like Galactus was. And the Source Wall is involved: I hadda look up if it predated Star Trek's galactic barrier: it does not, although it does seem nicer. While he was trying to wipe out the assorted ring-bearers, Relic might have a point: their assorted usages of emotionally-charged light was draining the universe's supply of it; no one had considered it might be a finite resource. Well, except maybe David Byrne: I always thought he said there was a finite amount of music in the universe, but he might have said jokes instead.
I don't know when this happened, but somewhere there was a retcon making Guy Gardner and John Stewart much closer pals than I remember; John is pissed at Guy for defecting to the Red Lanterns, and still pissed when he finds Guy had gone undercover there. Kyle had been captured by Relic, and no one knew where they were, but Carol can sense him through the Star Sapphire and the power of love; which Hal takes with the emotional maturity that you'd expect. Kilowog saying "Awkward" is funny; but kinda feel like he'd want them to keep on mission there. At the Source Wall, Relic experiments with White Lantern Kyle, in the hopes of...I don't know, cracking him open like an egg and somehow refilling the universe's emotional reservoir. The remaining assorted Lantern corps show up, and in the fight attempt to shove Relic into the Source Wall, where he would become part of it: Kyle realizes he gains power by fighting for life, and charges up, dragging himself and Relic in.
With Relic defeated, the Greens were down to like 2% power, and Hal seemingly resigns himself to death: Guy tells him the Reds wouldn't help, maybe not out of any particular beef with them, they just weren't a helpful lot. I can't recall if the Pinks could make constructs, since Hal tells Carol to go rather than watch them die in space. John had planned ahead though, and had the Indigo Lanterns to teleport them home, which after the destruction of Oa, was now Mogo! Complete with rebuilt power battery: John had asked the Indigos to help with that as well; but they also inadvertently teleported Guy with the Reds, seemingly leaving him in danger. (I think Guy was fine, and possibly more at home with the Reds at that point.) The moment of triumph is further stepped on by some Greens quitting, since they thought using the power would drain the universe again, and didn't want in on that.
Back at the Source Wall, the New Guardians are studying Relic, when Kyle returns: a big deal, since that was supposedly impossible, although I feel like Darkseid and possibly Metron had done it four or five times before. The emotional entities of the various spectrums had sacrificed themselves, but Kyle didn't remember anything else. One Guardian tries to look in Kyle's memories but seemingly can't; although it would be more fun if that wasn't Lantern-stuff but just Kyle's artist-head that was too much for him. (Don't look in Kyle's head without permission, he has to clean up a few things first...) The Guardians proclaim his return had to be kept secret...for reasons; I don't know. Probably to wreck his relationship with Carol, no doubt.

6 comments:

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

Who saw Carol and Kyle of all people hooking up? I sure didn't. I mean, it happens to Hal all the time, but Carol wasn't usually known as being a cougar, but good for her I guess? Just a very weird & odd pairing that feels like it was down for the sake of added drama between her & Hal.

I bet Kyle's head/mind is like re-watching the movie Cool World. LOVE that movie btw. Have you seen it yet? Probably, if so, thoughts?

Didn't personally care for Vendetti's stuff, but he tried.



googum said...

Oh, of course! It's an odd movie and I think I rewatched it not too long ago. I have a deep love for its soundtrack, though, since I bought the CD on maybe my 21st birthday! (Ages into dust, blows away...) It has probably the Bowie song I've listened to the most in my life; and there's a track called "Mindless" possibly by an artist called "Mindless" that is about the most 90's techno thing ever.

CalvinPitt said...

The Carol/Kyle thing was kind of surprising, but I guess Carol wanted someone who's less of a meathead. Not that Kyle's a genius, but he seems dim in a way that's sort of sweet, where Hal has the whole macho fighter jock thing going.

Was the next thing Kyle appeared in that Omega Men book Tom King wrote?

googum said...

I could well be off, but I think after New Guardians ended Kyle was in the other GL books pretty regularly before Omega Men, which I really liked even if I kinda question it now since I haven't liked anything else I've read from (or about) King.

We long ago decided around here, Kyle was the DCU hero little girls had posters of. Sorta dreamy and non-threatening? Also, I feel like Carol should be in her 40's; but she isn't because if she was, Hal would be too, and possibly Batman to boot; so she's kept younger and probably much closer to Kyle's age.

Mr. Morbid said...

I could see that, as by then Kyle had matured a lot since his 1st real girlfriend got ‘fridged. Then he did the younger guy, older girl thing with Donna, and honestly it was what it was. It seemed like they broke up over silly reasons. Jade was probably the one he should’ve wound up with.

Anonymous said...

Yeah she definitely looked a lot older during that last will & testament issue, but then everything got rolled back. So, what mid 30’s at least by that reboot? Either way there should still be at least a 10 year gap between them.