I took Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn out of the library the other week. What a mistake. It wasn't so much a mistake to take the book out of the library; I'm glad that I was able to sample the story without paying for it. But it was definitely a mistake that this story ever made it past the pitch.
CK and Rich and any other Legionnaires who ragged on this story in the past: You were right. It was poorly conceived and poorly executed. I understand the impulse to humanize Hal Jordan. But it was a completely misbegotten idea to turn him into a drunk driver who blames his own problems on inanimate objects (like it's the road sign's fault you were both drunk and driving too fast). It completely undercuts the idea that Hal was chosen by Abin Sur and the ring because he was the most worthy.
What made Emerald Dawn even more laughable is that the trade opened with a prologue by editor Kevin Dooley in which he writes that they set out to show that the essential elements of a Green Lantern were fearlessness and honesty. Oops! If that was the goal, then Emerald Dawn went 0 for 2. Hal wasn't honest, not with others and not with himself. And he wasn't fearless so much as consumed by the fear of failure.
There's a place for a story about someone who is undeservedly thrust into a position of power and slowly grows into a hero. But that isn't the story of Hal Jordan.
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Not to mention that a major hero being an alcoholic wasn't new or shocking either. It just came off as copying Iron Man.
There's also the question of fearlessness or recklessness. Having little or no regard to your safety may make you *brave* but not caring about the consequences to others, which is what drunk driving is, is hard to redeem. Hal has had several revisions made to his origin and background. None have made much sense. "Emerald Dawn" and its sequel barely registered in my mind!
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There's also the question of fearlessness or recklessness. Having little or no regard to your safety may make you *brave* but not caring about the consequences to others, which is what drunk driving is, is hard to redeem. Hal has had several revisions made to his origin and background. None have made much sense. "Emerald Dawn" and its sequel barely registered in my mind!
Awesome, now I have an image in my heard of Hal Jordan in "sad clown" make-up!