Scans_Daily

If I may be forgiven a rant, I remember when Guy Gardener's alpha-male-ism was seen as comedically douchey, rather than a template for the new, improved, "no-Guardian-I'll-tell-YOU-how-to-run-things" Hal 'Smug' Jerk-dan. I know Geoff is trying REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hard to make Hal a star, but by Crom he comes off as such a twat! As much as I disliked DC killing him off and replacing him with a younger, prettier, fridgier model, killing his fellow corpsmen because they said 'no' to his temper tantrum seems totally in-character for the version of Hal Johns is writing, no Parallax necessary. Did that experience teach him a damn thing about keeping himself in check? No, cuz he's always right, 'cuz Real American Heroes™ are also always right.

Sinestro's retcon has been great; Hal's, not so much. After re-reading some old Kane, Grell and Staton stuff (stories fair-to-middling, but they feel less plotted-by-marketing-majors than current DC product), I liked him better when he was an aimless screwup driving a truck and hanging with Arissa and that mini-Starro thing that sat on his shoulder, instead of the guy who sucker-punched Batman and put him in his place. But aimless truckers don't sell books, so maybe Hal can kick Bane and Mongul's respective asses next, sans-ring of course 'cuz he's just that awesome these days.

As the godawful, 'goddam' All-Star Batman put it, "I've seen more intelligent hockey pucks. The clown makes oversized EGGBEATERS and MOUSE TRAPS and VACUUM CLEANERS -- when he could set the whole world right with that RING. What a damn IDIOT." Motto, Brucie. Motto.