Blackest Night and the Upcoming Flashpoint, along with the Green Lantern Movie and the Flash movie in the works has put these 2 DC characters back into the top tier local of the DCU. Both Hal and Barry are back and fighting for their place as DC Elite. A lot has happened in the last 20 of so years.There is a big part of me that believes both Barry Allen and Hal Jordan should have stayed dead. Both of their counter parts were much more interesting to me as I was getting into comics. Hal was written pretty 2 dimensional in the late 80's - early 90's until Ron Marz took over the book. The Fall of Hal, turning him to a villain was genius and truly made me, as a DC fan, feel like the sky was falling in an event sort of way! Introducing Kyle and showing how the dismantled Corps and Guardians made me care so much about Green Lantern. I cared so much for Rayner, I have every GL issue since Ron Marz took over. Kyle kept the light burning and was a way for me to jump on board as a GL fan and learn as he learned. Wally West was the same. Carrying the legacy of his uncle, worrying that the other Heroes of the DCU looked at him different. Eventually both of these characters really came into their own and at one point Wally was leading a JLA book. When there was rumblings to bring back Hal, I thought… "WHY"? Kyle is my GL! He has good connections to Guy and to John Stewart. Why make it muddy?
I REALLY felt the same when I heard of bringing Barry back. We have a world of Flash characters and Barry's death was so important to the Flash line. Honestly Barry's death was the most important death to any DC character, including Superman. The whole Universe centered around his heroic sacrifice. Why undo that story? Why cheapen it? Wally was so well written, first by Mark Waid, then for a short time Morrison and Millar, then Geoff Johns. Why add more? Especially when "ONE" flash couldn't hold a book's sales? Wally is a fun character. Really he's everything I like Kyle with the inexperience and predassessor's shoes needing to be filled. Trying to get out of his mentor's shadow, but Wally was different. We saw him come of age, take over leadership. Leave the Teen Titans and join the JLA. He married, had children and was written as a 100 times deeper than Barry. He lead a small battalion of speedsters and really estabilished a connection to the past. (Jay Garrick and to the future (Bart Allen). Forgive the pun, but Wally was the lightining rod that speeders followed in the DCU.
DC, why turn back the clock… well he's my thought as to why.
The Green Lantern Corp is why. I didn't get it at first. I didn't like it. Hal was the Spectre, shouldn't that suffice to Hal fans? I'm glad it didn't. Geoff Johns took what Ron Mars started and kept the rich universe Kyle had and baked it into the Corps' world. That is why it works. DCU needed the cosmic connection. DC is the fantastical world of comic characters. Marvel has always bragged, (rightly so) That its world is steeped in realism. A world that under the "right" situation, these events "could" happen. DC is over the top, grander than life, cosmic crazy… and the absense of the Corp and their world of stories had been missing since Hal's fall. I think a few writers tried the bring the Corps back under Kyle, and it didn't work. That’s not who Kyle was. Hal is the Corp. He was written and created with the Corp in mind. Kyle was the opposite. But now, I feel as a fan of DC we have the best possible Green Lantern situation. Hal is back and is written better than he ever was since Denny O'neal and Neal Adams. Kyle is here and still feels like the newer kid on the block, but has earned the respect of all other gl's as the "Torch Bearer". John Stewart is around, appearing in JLA, and all the GL books. Guy is basically in his own book, still kind of a jerk, but respected. We have a Universe full of colored Lanterns and 2 mini series that focused on Green Lanterns role in the DCU. And I'm told we have a new GL book coming that will focus on one of the Spectrum colors. (Maybe all of them).
As for the Flash "Rebirth". I'm still waiting. DC still hasn't justified to me why we need Barry? (Other than an upcoming movie) Why return the silver aged Scarlet Speedster? Even in the "Flash Rebirth Series" I felt like I wasn't suppose to like Barry. Like he was a force of nature, not a man with flaws and cracks and interesting stories that need to be told. I've lost track of how many times Iris has died, and even though they are playing up the "Man out of time" aspect with the bowtie and not understanding the internet, I just don't find myself loving this book, the way I love Green Lantern.
Geoff John's looks like he's establishing the same format for Flash that he did with Green Lantern. Obviously, return the character in a "rebirth" book. Start a new series around that character, then have a major cross-over centered around them. "Sinestro War" cemented Hal's place in the DCU, will Flashpoint do the same for Barry? Maybe then, my opinion will evolve. I love the art on Flash, and the Rogues are so much fun. But justify his return… and it doesn't help that Grant Morrison wrote Barry's confusing return in "Final Crisis". I'd hate to guess what warped metaphor Grant was hinting at with the return of something fast and red… maybe his wife missed her period.
First I think it is important for me to state that I hate the concept of "legacy heroes". I find it only does a disservice to every character involved because sooner or later someone will come around wanting revert the mantle to an old "favorite" leaving the new character in the lurch. We have seen this, in short order too, Green Lantern, the Flash, the Atom and even the likes of B'wana Beast/Freedom Beast (although this last one is only in outside media at this point). The sad thing is that Jaime is probably going met a similar fate when someone wants Ted back. "Legacy heroes" put the name before the actually character and that is bad for a serial format, because what gets us coming back month in month out is the connect we feel for the characters. Personally I prefer the Earth 2 set-up for legacies with characters that have a connection to the past but still maintain an unique and independent identity such as Power Girl and the Huntress (Helena Wayne is probably one of my favorite characters despite only reading only a few of her adventures). Also I don't consider Barry and Hal when they were introduced "legacy heroes" because they were unique and lack any real connection to their Golden Age counterparts.
ReplyDeleteAs for Hal and Corps, again I don't feel that Hal returning was needed to restart the Corps. This because frankly it gives to much importance to Earth in the cosmic landscape and makes the whole of the Corps feel less cosmic and alien. If it was me I would done something like Kyle's ring set was actually an embryonic Central Battery and he was chosen so it could absorb all energy that Hal stole while he was Parallax. Then just go about the "Recharge" the same way they did but instead choose a new character to be the headliner Green Lantern (a female one would have been nice) and have Kyle become Ion again. Putting Hal at the center of it all not only is a move backward just for the sake of nostalgia but it also robs the Corps of a truly alien feel that it needs. I mean the whole "the Earth is the most place ever" undertone Johns has added to Green Lantern mythos is rather stupid when you realize that until Hal came about no one even bothered with Earth much so this addition just feel random.
As for Barry, he was the Silver Age. His death was meant to be the symbolic end of the Silver Age. To top it all off DC planned to introduce a brand new Flash unrelated to Barry after CoIE, but they blinked at the last second and made Wally into the Flash and I have already talked about my feeling regarding "legacy heroes". There is just no reason for Barry to be back and by doing so it actively betrays the Silver Age. The Silver Age was about new characters and concepts and by bringing back Barry while invoking the Silver Age you are missing the point. If the Silver Age creators did what modern creators are doing now we wouldn't have Barry in the first place.
I've enjoyed the current GL and Flash runs but I can't say as I disagree with anything you've said. Probably moreso with Flash than GL, as I've kinda come to like Hal quite a bit, but I really do like your idea for Recharge.
ReplyDeleteBlue Saint... You pose some valid points. And like Tracie, I don't disagree with most of what you are saying. But I for one, LOVE the concept of legacy heroes. I so enjoy where that has evolved and taken the DC and lately you can argue the Marvel Universe too.
ReplyDeleteThe Justice Society success sprouted out of books like Robinson's Starman and one the first archs was around another obscure character that came from DC Zero Hour "Fate". The rich family ties that each character has really helps build a family of connections to me. I completely understand what you are saying and how it was a different type of "reboot" or as you put "recharge" during the Silver Age. We have a multiverse now, why place these new characters on a new universe? I get that.
But The fact that We have a Batman, a Nightwing, a Red Robin, A Robin, a Batgirl, A Batwoman... I'm ok with this progression. I love that Hawkman's son Hector, became Dr. Fate but was the same Hector who Married Fury in Sandman and had a Child who would eventually become Sandman, and Hal was the Spectre, and Roy Harper is the Nephew of the Guardian, and Wally West's Daughter is Iris, but Bart is the Grandson of Barry... and and and. I love that.
Just a personal opinion, but I think writers like Johns & Waid & Robinson & Morrison & Marz and many others were sometimes handed lemons by their predecessor and I think they've made some awesome lemonade!
You misunderstand what I mean by "legacy hero". I actually quite enjoy the interconnected nature of various superhero families and groups. I dislike when a hero just takes on the persona of a previous hero, like when Wally became the Flash or Connor becoming Green Arrow. It limits the character in how they can evolve and grow because they will always be tied to the previous character. Let's take Dick Grayson when he became Nightwing he was suddenly allowed a lot more room to grow then say if he became Batman. Now let's look at Wally West who has more or less be forced to fill roles that Barry Allen filled not because of who Wally was necessary rather just because of his ties to Barry. By forcing a pre-existing persona on a character even before the first word is written the character is being limited.
ReplyDeleteAlso this is just me by the current Justice Society owes basically everything to Roy Thomas and his Earth 2 work, namely All Star Squadron and Infinity, Inc. The problem with it is that frankly it isn't as creative and relies heavily on "legacy heroes" instead of just superhero legacies.
I see what yo mean there. TOTALLY agree there. I dont want Nightwing to be Batman. REALLY REALLY dont want that. I'm a complete wingnut and you are stealling away a lot of what makes Grayson great.
ReplyDeleteI was very happy when Bart became Kid Flash, but real upset when they elevated him to FLash status... thank god he was "demoted" back to Kid Flash. Its a double edged sword... but I do understand if I don't completley agree. Again, Marvel is dippign their toes in this water with Captain America. In many ways I loved Bucky filling the shoes, but who was he before this story? Wally's story was similar many years ago, but I'll be honest... I NEVER thought they'd bring Barry Back. Now that he is, I think it weaking Wally's growth too.
Yeah, Barry Allen seemed pretty untouchable after his death in the original Crisis. Up there with Bucky and Uncle Ben. ...Well... *ahem* maybe just Uncle Ben.
ReplyDeleteI was actually extremely disappointed when Bart became Kid Flash. Even still, I don't see him as the same character he used to be. I get that they wanted to mature him a little but as Impulse, he was unique. He was his own person. Now he's just filling Wally's old costume.
But I'm a harsh judge as far as Bart Allen goes because Impulse was my favorite character for years. Kid Flash, not so much.
I admit I am probably a rather radical fan but I believe that every headliner should be subject to a 20 year "lifespan". Honestly having a generational set-up would do wonders for superheroes, since instead of destroying existing characterization with ham-fisted,poorly planned revamps it would be easier to introduce a new, original character.
ReplyDeleteAgain I admit I am probably not a normal fan because I do generally love new characters (everyone should get Weird Worlds by the way), but the lack of them is serious problem if you truly want to get new readers, especially kids, into comics. I mean look at the new Blue Beetle, kids love him and he easily one of the most popular characters on Batman the Brave and the Bold. Even better look at Ben 10, if not the most successful new superhero franchise in the last 20 years without a doubt it is in the top 10. The thing is that they aren't even radical concepts. Blue Beetle is mixture of existing superhero aspects with a legacy title and Ben 10 is just alien tinted Dial H for Hero. These examples just show that instead of trying to rework an old hero just make a new one.