Review of
Showcase
Presents Green Lantern Volume 5 ISBN 9781401230234
Four out of five stars
The stories in
this book feature a Green Lantern subject to personal and professional
difficulties. Hal Jordan has lost his job and is down to his last couple
hundred dollars. His overseers have stripped him of some of his power, leading
to struggles as he fights the villains that are as strong and ruthless as ever.
At times, the flaws in Green Lantern’s persona are so prevalent that they interfere
with the story. After all, one must have great confidence if you are to protect
the Earth from menaces of cosmic origin.
The opening
stories have Green Lantern battling alongside Green Arrow and occasionally the
Black Canary, the big-busted female hero that fights in boots with heels. The
once wealthy Oliver Queen has been reduced to a pauper and the two heroes whose
names begin with “Green” are constantly bickering, again to the detriment of
the stories. Having heroes with flaws does make the stories stronger and more
interesting, but once again it takes a lot of confidence and courage to be a
hero and take on the type of villains that these heroes must fight.
One
feature of the Green Lantern stories that I have always enjoyed and are a
fundamental component of these stories is the devices he makes with his ring
when he is fending off attacks from his opponents. For example, when he is
transporting Green Arrow and Black Canary, he creates a flying sofa. Great
imagination exhibited there.
Personal problems for heroes make better stories, as
long as they are not overdone. In this case they are.
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