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I haven't read the latest issue that wraps up the first arc of the new Green Lantern series and I don't know if there is a moral to the story, but what I'm guessing Geoff Johns is getting at with Hal is that he's one of the those people who is so talented in various ways that he's never had to work hard to achieve certain goals or be successful.
Like a dominant high school or even college athlete that finally finds himself in a situation where coasting by on his talent isn't enough. To reach his full potential, he needs to work, grow, learn, add complementary skills to his God-given or natural ones and to have some discipline.
He's kind of portraying Hal as a guy who for whatever reason is a little scared of being all he can be. Why plan, when I'm good enough to find my way not matter the situation.
Eventually, living that way leaves you down and out. Without his ring, Hal in the first issue is the equivalent of an athlete whose day has passed him by, but all he ever knew was the game. He'd sacrificed everything else for the game. His life was the game rather than the game being part of his life.
Johns, in my opinion, is using Sinestro to show Hal that he can have a different approach to being a Lantern and in turn Sinestro may or may not learn something from Hal.
Certainly, this is a revisionist view of Jordan. As soft as it may be, this is a relaunch for the character. Johns has regressed Hal to a degree to serve the purposes of the story he wants to tell. DC has been cagey about what's in and out of continuity. I think its safe to say, if Johns didn't write it, don't just assume it is in continuity. Even if he did write it, Johns may be selective about what he uses in the DCnU, and he and all the DC writers have the option to tap into past continuity (or not) and use what they want and alter it in whatever way they feel makes for the best story.
I personally don't like the way Hal's being portrayed in Justice League or Green Lantern at the moment. I don't think it jibes with the way Johns initially described Hal back when he was writing rebirth. On more than one occasion, Johns said Hal was a born hero, that he was a hero as a test pilot before he got the ring and he's heroic without it. (that's a paraphrase). I liked that because that's how I sort of envisioned Hal, as a kid.
In my mind, Johns isn't really portraying Hal in that way. Hal's become a jockstrap, to me, a bit more enlightened version of Flash Thompson, but just a bit.
I understand that a guy can be a hero in one aspect of his life and a loser in another. It's a more realistic or maybe even more honest interpretation or version of the character.
While I have my misgivings, I've enjoyed what I've read of the first arc, but I certainly hope Johns eventually evolves this new Hal beyond his current state of character.
Like a dominant high school or even college athlete that finally finds himself in a situation where coasting by on his talent isn't enough. To reach his full potential, he needs to work, grow, learn, add complementary skills to his God-given or natural ones and to have some discipline.
He's kind of portraying Hal as a guy who for whatever reason is a little scared of being all he can be. Why plan, when I'm good enough to find my way not matter the situation.
Eventually, living that way leaves you down and out. Without his ring, Hal in the first issue is the equivalent of an athlete whose day has passed him by, but all he ever knew was the game. He'd sacrificed everything else for the game. His life was the game rather than the game being part of his life.
Johns, in my opinion, is using Sinestro to show Hal that he can have a different approach to being a Lantern and in turn Sinestro may or may not learn something from Hal.
Certainly, this is a revisionist view of Jordan. As soft as it may be, this is a relaunch for the character. Johns has regressed Hal to a degree to serve the purposes of the story he wants to tell. DC has been cagey about what's in and out of continuity. I think its safe to say, if Johns didn't write it, don't just assume it is in continuity. Even if he did write it, Johns may be selective about what he uses in the DCnU, and he and all the DC writers have the option to tap into past continuity (or not) and use what they want and alter it in whatever way they feel makes for the best story.
I personally don't like the way Hal's being portrayed in Justice League or Green Lantern at the moment. I don't think it jibes with the way Johns initially described Hal back when he was writing rebirth. On more than one occasion, Johns said Hal was a born hero, that he was a hero as a test pilot before he got the ring and he's heroic without it. (that's a paraphrase). I liked that because that's how I sort of envisioned Hal, as a kid.
In my mind, Johns isn't really portraying Hal in that way. Hal's become a jockstrap, to me, a bit more enlightened version of Flash Thompson, but just a bit.
I understand that a guy can be a hero in one aspect of his life and a loser in another. It's a more realistic or maybe even more honest interpretation or version of the character.
While I have my misgivings, I've enjoyed what I've read of the first arc, but I certainly hope Johns eventually evolves this new Hal beyond his current state of character.
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