Adapting Green Lantern for the CW: Green Lanterns #15

[zapbiffpow]

We accidentally blackballed this issue before covering the Batman/Green Lanterns arc, so let's go into it now as an example of how Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz could work, TV-wise.

 

Plus, what color is an anxiety Lantern? Check it!

Words: Sam Humphries
Art: Miguel Mendonca

 

This standalone story begins with Baz visiting Jess' house for pancakes: 

 

Jess: I give him a lot of credit. I'm not easy to get along with. Still, here he is: pancakes and bad jokes. 

I have a joke.

 

 

You've gotta think Jessica's ring flashed that alert to shut her up. (Which might actually be a thing, since there's this slowly building sub-plot about Jessica's ring gaining sentience.)

 

Baz and Cruz spend the day with the League, saving the day and stuff. However, they come across a supervillain called the Gambler: 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not clinically diagnosed with anxiety or anything, but relatability doesn't always require exactness - I guess we all have had an experience like Jessica's before: the failure, the anger that comes with lashing out at someone, and the embarrassment and guilt that follow.

 

Jessica decides to go charge up:

 

 

 

 

And this bond, I think, is what Baz and Cruz bring to the table as protagonists (aside from giving DCTV two brown title characters - it's kinda Whitest Day up in there. Sorry.) 

 

That alone, and emotional beats alone, won't bring a show success. But assuming they do pick up Green Lantern for TV (because what're they doing with it, anyway?) this issue is a prime example of how to cover it: as a journey towards becoming someone with the courage to be there for your friends, and to be someone worthy of friends who'll be there for you.

 

Something Wonder Woman next, after maybe a Titans post. Stay tuned!

Comments

[starwolf_oakley]

I've thought Green Lantern would be just too expensive for TV, since the supporting characters are aliens. (Yes, I think the first X-Men movie feels like a TV pilot, but that's another matter.)

Simon and Jessica MIGHT work for a TV show if we give the idea Hal Jordan is busy with his whole sector but wants someone to cover Earth.

[tigerkaya]

I'd rather it was animation over live action. Too many live actions shows on CW always fall back to street level martial arts or depower them heavily.

[sindra]

That image with her spiral thoughts gets pretty close to how my own anxiety is. The overthinking that circles your brain and that spirals out of control until you find something to either distract or ground yourself.

[deh_tommy]

Thank you for this, I wasn't aware of this comic before now. Would you reccommend this book?

[remial]

Crouton? she has a cat named Crouton?
Why is DC comics giving cats stupid names? First Lotion, and now Crouton.

I gotta go sit down...

[icon_uk]

Stories where the hero is default brave are a fine and noble tradition, which I have always enjoyed (cf Dick Grayson)

Stories where the hero is genuinely afraid, for plausible reasons, but overcomes it impress me even more (cf Doug Ramsey and now Jessica Cruz)

[lbd_nytetrayn]

I probably laughed harder than I should have at "Whitest Day," though.

If that's bad, then I really do apologize. But that was good.