Green Lanterns #7: 'Family Matters, Part 1'

[zapbiffpow]

Wotcher, folks! Hope your holidays went well!

Anyway, Green Lanterns presents a confrontationally admissive, but thankfully uncondemning story about mothers, sons, and the often-complicated emotional dynamics between them. Check it!

The Story:

...is something I wish I could post more of, because I like how accurately introverted Jessica is (internal freakouts over social situations, usage of inappropriate humor (i.e., is Darkseid a ramen guy?), etc.).

Anyway, Baz, usually the rock of the two, asks Jessica (who's been visiting for Halloween) to help him out:

"...did you say better than cookies?"

In the middle of baking, Baz keeps screwing up the recipe, and freaks out. He flies away, with Jessica giving chase.

Jess: What's wrong with your Mom?

Baz: Nothing. And by nothing I mean...she's demanding as hell. It was like a refrain growing up...

Jess and Baz finally pull off the maamoul (did I write that correctly?), and watch the sunset before Simon's mom arrives:

The hour of judgment arrives. Look at...look at Simon's fucking face.

Amazing. It's like he shit himself the same time he outed himself.

What I love is how the relationship between Simon and his mom just is, without resorting to a) comic-y plots to explain the negative emotions or b) the unintentional undersweeping of an already-established happy family.

It would've been easy to villainize Simon's mom to use as an excuse to hate her, or go anvilicious by having Jessica chew out Simon for being a whiner, but the story goes out of its way to highlight the positive emotions Simon feels towards his mother, while also acknowledging the negative ones. It's all about character work, and a fine example of choosing portrayal over plot.

Anyway, there! Finally posted this one. Next post is from Hal Jordan, which is currently arguably better than Green Lanterns. No offense. Stay tuned!

Comments

[scorntx]

-"Next post is from Hal Jordan, which is currently arguably better than Green Lanters. No offense."-
Oh, not offended.
Just disappointed.

Not sure how to feel about Simon's mom being largely responsible for his acting out, rather than as Geoff Johns had the mere fact he was an intelligent man of Asian descent in a post-9/11 America.
Though I suppose if it's Simon's P.O.V. that leaves wiggle room, but still...

-"Hal is the jerk?"
"No, that's Guy."-
Nah, Simon's mom is right on that one. Hal is the jerk.
Guy's the crazy one.

[zapbiffpow]

> Don't worry! It's actually a decent book, and as of Bottled Light, more "Green Lantern Corps featuring Hal Jordan". John, Guy and Soranik have each had their shining moments, Soranik the first issues, Guy during the previous arc, and John frontlining the current arc.

> I don't remember too much about Baz' origin now, but I've no problem with Simon's rebellion. It happens, and it was portrayed pretty fairly here, presenting Simon's mom as a person of both positive and negative qualities instead of going all projection-y blame game with it.

> Those designations might be a bit dated - not so sure with Hal, as that might be just because he doesn't have anyone to be a jerk to, but Guy hasn't been all crazy. In fact, with Kyle going all Sixth Ranger, Guy's actually been the optimist of the 2814's, being all positive in the face of Sinestro-based torture, acting as peacemaker between Soranik and John, protecting Starro'd civilians from Sinestro Corps, etc. I, for one, want more of Zen Lantern Gardner.

[kamino_neko]

Not sure I'd call Guy an optimist, so much as what TV Tropes calls a Determinator. It's not that he can't conceive of defeat, he simply refuses to accept it.

[zapbiffpow]

Right, right! I guess what you said.

[lamashtar]

Heh. I looked up that tv trope and it lists the whole GL Corps as a given "since they run on willpower".

[philippos42]

I would say Guy and Hal are both jerks. Guy is the loudmouthed one, but Hal is the really dangerous egotist.

Maybe Hal is tolerable in the new continuity, though.

[zapbiffpow]

Hal's been okay in his current book, just casual snappiness and situational bravado, but I don't have any frame of reference to check if that's a sign of improvement. What were his dangerous egotist moments back in the day?

Guy was the one I remember who had like a chip on his shoulder during the "bwa-ha-ha!" era - culminating in that one punch thing he got from Batman.

[starwolf_oakley]

Guy Gardner was "improved" over the years, going from "the brain damaged one" to "the crazy one." He went from a selfish bastard to a former cop (in the Nu52).

[zapbiffpow]

Yeah, I remember reading about that brain-damaged retcon. Was that played for laughs or something?

I also remember that former cop thing - in fact, his younger sister made a cameo during one of the non-GL Rebirth books. Personally, I'd like to know more about Guy as a teacher, but I don't mind the cop backstory.

[kamino_neko]

Yeah, I remember reading about that brain-damaged retcon. Was that played for laughs or something?

Not at first, at first it just explained a change in his personality (from a good special-ed teacher to a jerkass)*. Then it was played for laughs, when it shifted into his personality inverting every time he took a blow to the head.

* I actually don't think it was a retcon, the brain damage and its consequences being revealed at the same time, but I wasn't actually reading in that era.

[zapbiffpow]

Ahh, so it is. Thanks for the heads up!

[thosefew]

Jessica needs practice pronouncing Green Lantern. It's supposed to be the same typeface as as used on the cover.

[zapbiffpow]

They also always need to do that exact cover pose, Ginyu Force-style. Because, uh, the Corps regulations and all.

[lamashtar]

I wish I could like this comment.

[byc]

So...they're totally gonna hook up soon right?

[zapbiffpow]

I'm fine with them being buddies for now - DC doesn't have a lot of friendships where both the blue oni and the red oni (in a manner of speaking) aren't Caucasian, so it'd nice to see them investing on developing Baz and Jessica as Titans-esque close friends.

That said, I think Dick Grayson may have had friendsex every once in a while, so who knows.

[lamashtar]

I may never like Simon because his mask is just so ugly, but I enjoy Jessica. She really is interesting to me because of her flaws.

Unfortunately, those flaws mean she's not the first person I'd call to fight Darkseid.

[zapbiffpow]

Yeah, I kinda dig Jess too. Thankfully, she's not going to be slugging it out with Darkseid any time soon, having just been a party to that back in Darkseid War.

[lamashtar]

She probably shouldn't be calling Darkseid on the phone then! >_>