Customer Reviews

Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight & A New Dawn

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When this story first appeared about nine years ago as part of DC's "Zero Hour," I glanced at it and hated it, taking it as the ultimate proof that DC Comics had no respect for its characters in the early 90's. Now that it's available as a graphic novel, I've finally sat down and read it. It's about what I expected, but to my surprise, I enjoyed parts of it.

Hal Jordan the Green Lantern has had his entire home city destroyed by a super-villain. This was Coast City, as integral to his adventures as Metropolis is for Superman. It has been blasted off the map, along with most of the people living in it. Hal is utterly distraught and broken. When he uses his powers to briefly recreate the an illusion of the city to assuage his pain, he is swiftly reprimanded for misuse of his powers by his superiors (the Guardians of the Universe on planet Oa who run the Green Lantern Corps, a universal police force). This slap in the face pushes Hal over the edge into madness. He decides that if he can steal the awesome powers of the Guardians, he will be able to change history and bring the city back, as well as undo everything else in his life that ever made him unhappy. So he travels to Oa, fights off and even kills many of his old comrades, and successfully steals the Guardians' powers, turning him into a being of seemingly godlike power, with the Guardians dead and the GL Corps destroyed.

Hal was one of the most genuinely noble of the DC heroes. The brutality he displays in his rampage toward Oa is totally out of character (author Ron Marz had never handled the character before, and it shows), though it is typical of the blood-splattering storytelling that dominated comics in that period. The story also makes little sense--no matter how good a fighter GL is, it's absurd that he could take on the entire Corps in a face-to-face slugfest and win.

That being said--the opening sequence with Hal mourning the loss of everything he's ever loved is actually quite poignant. It is the sort of catastrophe that could drive someone mad. If the writers had taken time building up to this (and it's unusual for me to call for a longer story arc, as I think most comics commit the opposite vice of being too longwinded), it could have been believably tragic, and enough of that potential shines through that despite myself, I almost like it. Still, it's much too abrupt.

Unfortunately, this volume never shows us what becomes of Hal after this point (which is not the fault of the author of the original comic stories being reprinted here, but rather of the book's editors who chose not to include it). Instead we cut away to a new character, youthful brat packer Kyle Rayner, to whom the last surviving Guardian gives the last Green Lantern power ring. Most of the book is actually taken up with the kid learning to use his powers and fighting assorted bad guys. This would be entertaining if the villains weren't such awful 1990's sadists--the fate of Kyle's girlfriend at the hands of a supervillain has achieved some public notoriety as an example of comic book misogyny. Also, Kyle's introduction as the new main character is much too sudden. He does come across as likeable though, which surprised me.

And there the book cuts off. To learn the rest of the story, you must read Zero Hour, which DC published separately some years ago.

For what it's worth, Ron Marz and DC took a LOT of flak for making Hal going insane, become a villain, and eventually get killed. This criticism was deserved.

As I write this, Kyle is still around today in his own monthly comic book, and despite everything, he has become a well-written, strong character.

Many years later, Marz appears to have repented for what he did to a character so many fans loved, and the result was the brilliant story Emerald Knights, which is available as a graphic novel and which I would highly recommend. In it, due to a time travel accident, Hal's young self from ten years in the past winds up temporarily stranded in the present, long after his own death. This still innocent Hal Jordan has to come to grips with the terrible crimes he hasn't even committed yet. In the way he chooses to deal with it, we get to see Hal at his most righteous and noble, one last time.

"Emerald Twilight/New Dawn". This book reads like a weird nightmare. Everything is so crazy that it's almost unreal - like something in the back of your mind telling you that this just can't be happening!

DC Comics took one real bold step with Hal Jordan in the early 1990s. They made him crazy and evil. Ever since the 1985-6 "Crisis on Infinite Earths", they have been killing off the Silver Age heroes and replacing them with new versions. Barry Allen was replaced by Wally West, Oliver Queen was replaced by Connor Hawke, Superman was (temporarily) replaced by FOUR new versions of the character (don't ask!), Batman was (also temporarily) replaced by Azrael and later Dick Grayson and finally Hal Jordan was replaced by Kyle Rayner (of which the tale is told in this volume).

The most controversial of all the "replacements" and "revamps" was the Hal Jordan-Kyle Rayner thing. You see, all the other replacement were either temporary (Supes, Bats and even Green Arrow is now back) or the original died heroically (as in the case of Barry Allen). With Green Lantern, sales was so low that they needed a really HUGE event to shake things up - so they had Hal Jordan go crazy, slaughter all the other GLs, the Guardians, destroyed Oa and become a super-powerful cosmic villain called Parallax. Ron Marz, the original scripter of these tales (he's not the one really responsible for the whole thing - it was an editorial decision!), have been receiving death threats and insults from fans (mostly unreasonable) ever since. My reaction is like that of the other reviewer - WHY THE EXTREME REACTION?

Granted, I like Hal Jordan a whole lot! Look, I even created an Amazon List on everything Hal! And after reading the recent Mark Waid penned "The Brave and the Bold" TPB, I too wished that Hal Jordan is still Green Lantern. But then, I like the evolution of the character even more. And I like the idea of Hal Jordan as Parallax (and now as the new Spectre). In short, I like change. And finally, I'm beginning to like the new GL, Kyle Rayner, a whole lot too.

Now to the stories in this volume. They were previously collected in TWO separate volumes - "Emerald Twilight" and "A New Dawn". DC recently rereleased the two stories in one volume along with the "Emerald Dawn" and "The Road Back" volumes to form a series with a similar cover-design. Therefore, this current volume consist of issues 48 to 55 of the Green Lantern comics and includes an Afterword by Ron Marz. I rather enjoy the reading the story in one sitting (although I'd recommend reading "The Return of Superman" TPB before this one to understand the background behind Hal's descent into madness). My only complain is that they should have made the "Emerald Twilight" story longer. It was a major milestone in a character's life and he only had THREE ISSUES? Then you have FIVE ISSUES of melodrama and soap opera with Kyle Rayner discovering his new powers as the new GL? The whole collection feels rather uneven because of this. The pacing for the first part is too fast and too crammed and the later part is too loose.

Ron Marz's writing is passable and Kyle Rayner is still largely undeveloped in this volume. Get "Baptism of Fire" (the next volume) to see how Marz develops this new GL. The artwork is overall very good - especially the chapters by Darryl Banks and Bill Willingham. Finally, it's always great seeing another appearance by Alan Scott, the original Golden Age GL, giving some pointers to the new GL! This is an important milestone in the history of Green Lantern (possibly the most important in recent decades) and I'd recommend it seriously for everyone interested in the evolution of the GL mythos.

Lets face it, as progressive as comic books may be, there is no fan base on this planet more adverse to change then comic book fans. Trust me, I know, I'm one of them. Hal Jordan was my favorite hero when I was growing up. As a young child, the Green Lantern action figure was my favorite, and the few comic books I had of that day included several of his. Years passed and my comic book focus was lost for several years. The death and rebirth of Superman managed to drag me back in. A related event to Superman's rebirth was the destruction of Coast City, Hal Jordan's home. This was the moment that I had to get back in to the Green Lantern series. I had to see how my childhood hero would react to such a loss. The writers at DC took him in an unexpected and incredibly bold direction....Insanity. Hal Jordan lost his place, and in his rage and misery managed to destroy all that he held dear to him. He turned his back on heroics and spent the next few years as a villian, taking the name Parallax.
Well, most people out there cryed out and screamed and wailed and said "If Hal isn't going to be Green Lantern anymore I'm not going to read this book anymore". Well that's just petty. Like the passing of the role of James Bond, the passing of the Green Lantern ring to Kyle Rayner was a bold and innovative choice. We got to watch someone else grow into the role, someone who, in my mind, has managed to tell as grand a tale as any Hal could write up. I stand by DC's decision and they're story making ablities. Emerald Twilight is one of the greatest comics I have ever read. Hands down.

I highly recomend this book to any Green Lantern fan who's wondered what happened when Hal Jordan became Parralax. It's one of the most gripping things I've ever seen in a trade paperback.

When Ron Marz took over from Gerard Jones and started writing the monthly Green Lantern title at DC, it was clear that, more than anything else, DC was saying "What we're doing is not working, and we need to change bigtime." Ultimately, Marz turned the main character--one whose power was always derived from fearlessness and willpower--and drove him over the edge, making him into a crazed villain who killed his friends, his employers and ultimately took his power to the "next level" to become what would have been an ideal villain for his former heroic self. Ultimately the story was interesting and compelling, and Hal's new costume and new path were provocative and cool, but the fact remained that a man driven by willpower, didn't seem likely to crack so suddenly or so easily. Older readers didn't buy it, and the protests began almost immediately when, instead of following Hal on his new path, they introduced a new Green Lantern and left Hal untouched for six months (until the beginning of the "Zero Hour" crossover). It's for this reason that the book skirts a five-star rating; in spite of strong writing, great characterization, an introduction of one of DC's best new characters in Kyle Rayner and stunning art by Darryl Banks and Romeo Tanghal, it's just not a believable story.

Back in the early 90's, DC was on a rampage. In an effort to become "edgier" and get new readers, DC went on a hero killing spree. Superman was killed by Doomsday (and later resurrected), Batman would be crippled by Bane, and this storyline, which surprisingly coaxed more groans out of fanboys than the previous two put together, found silver age Green Lantern Hal Jordan going crazy, killing his fellow Lanterns, stealing their powers, and becoming an omnipotent super villain called Paralax. Eventually, in the Zero Hour and Final Night arcs, Hal would come to his senses and sacrifice himself to save the world, but Emerald Twilight showcases the hero's fall from grace as his hometown of Coast City and everyone in it are wiped off the map, and he attempts to use the power of the Lanterns to bring it all back, even if he has to kill everyone in his way. As A New Dawn opens up, slacker artist Kyle Rayner becomes the new GL, and goes toe to toe with Major Force. Now here's the thing, writer Ron Marz was given the task of replacing Hal with a new, younger and hipper hero to take on the GL mantle, and for the most part, he does a good job illustrating Hal's fall. It's his characterization of Rayner which hurts this TPB (personally, I wouldn't be cracking jokes moments after I find my girlfriend dead in the fridge) as he is too immature for his own good. Fans hated Rayner through the years, but as the years went on, he became a very well written character, even better than GL's John Stewart and Guy Gardner. Though this TPB has no real conclusion (you'll have to check out Zero Hour and the Final Night to see how it all ends), Hal would be resurrected and become the Green Lantern once again when fan favorite writer Geoff Johns launched the Green Lantern: Rebirth mini-series, which made everything happening here more sensical, and one of the finest resurrections in all of comicdom.

Before you read my review, let me make one BIG recommendation. Do not read this without getting Green Lantern: Rebirth. That comic explains Hal's insanity and makes Emerald Twilight & Emerald Dawn (this book) a good read. Taken by itself without getting, or reading, GL: Rebirth, then this story will upset you a great deal if you really like, and prefer, Hal Jordan over any other GL. The two books go together, so please get GL: Rebirth if your going to get this one.

(I would also recommend getting Zero Hour to see what Hal does with his newfound power, but you can do without it).

PROS:

Taken with GL: Rebirth and read side by side, this is actually a decent read. The first part, Emerald Twilight, is rushed and isn't a lot of story and characterization. Basically, it's moving Hal to point A to point B. But as I said before, taken together with GL: Rebirth and it makes sense so it's forgivable and makes this story more interesting. :)

Another reviewer on here said it was not very realistic for Hal to be able to tear through every GL that tried in vain to stop him. I say he's wrong. I think it's very realistic. Hal's the best and he didn't hold back his power. He tried everything he could to make sure he got what he wanted. And when a man who is as good as Hal, with his willpower behind the ring, nothing can stand in his way.

Besides, as I recall, those GL's tried reasoning with Hal (I believe Tomar-Tu tried it and failed, I think Kilowog too). Obviously, when someone is trying to talk you down, they are not trying their best to stop you. Especially against a beloved friend and ally. Thus, they held back. Hal wasn't holding back. So, it's very realistic that Hal was able to tear right through them.

The one thing I didn't find very realistic was the inability of the Guardians to stop Hal. Together, with their combined power, they SHOULD have been able to stop Hal dead in his tracks. They didn't. This, I found to be very out of character and pretty stupid.

The second part, the introduction of Ron Marz's character...Kyle Rayner. A new GL that actually fears things, an everyman who just happens to get a power ring. He learns the responsibility that comes with it and chooses to become a hero.

This second half is a bit better than the first. I bought this in trade paperback form (seperately from Emerald Twilight). It's a good intro to Kyle Rayner if your more interested in him than Hal.

CONS

I give DC credit. It took major courage to make Hal go insane and turn into a villian, destroying everything he holds dear. But, it was done for all the wrong reasons.

I don't blame Ron Marz for ruining a beloved character and making Hal go insane, for he isn't the one responsible (but I DO blame him for going along with it!). It was an editorial decision and a VERY BAD ONE. It was all about getting more money in their pockets in order to boost sales. For that bad decision, the editorial staff, and Ron Marz, got major flak for it for years to come. Most of it was well deserved.

Better a title get cancelled and the character sit on the shelf for a few years before it gets revived later instead of what we fans got. Alas, that didn't happen because, as I said, all the editorial staff cared about was one thing. Money and boosting sales.

I never bought Emerald Twilight, but I did read it when it came out in the comic book shop in paperback form. The first few pages, I liked. And if Hal had stopped right there and said, "Ok, this happened. Time to move on." I would have been happy (and it would have been in character).

Every page after the first few, I absolutely hated. The story was rushed and would have been a lot better had it been stretched out over 6-12 issues (even then, I still wouldn't have agreed with Hal going insane, but it would have been better characterization for Hal and perhaps a better reasoning for his insanity).

Hal Jordan was just...written WAAAAAY out of character IMO. But that's taking the story by itself. Read alongside GL: Rebirth and it's a lot better.

Then their's Kyle Rayner. I really tried, and tried HARD, to like this guy. I even bought his title for a time to follow his adventures. But, unlike thousands of others, I never could get myself to like him. I especially hated his jokes he constantly cracked and I instantly called him, "Spider-Man with a power ring." And NOT in a good way.

The Emeralds Knights storyline was just about the last straw I had for the character. Hal was brought back only to be sent back, nothing changing. It was like taking candy from a baby and thought that the whole thing was pointless. To this day, I question why Ron Marz wrote that storyline. That's when I dropped the title and gave up ever liking Kyle Rayner.

GL: Rebirth, though, almost made me like the guy. He was written very heroic in that story, which was good to see. So, please buy that book alongside this one if your going to buy this one. I can't stress that enough. The two definately go together.

the first Half is not very good and really to be honest is very bad, we have a hero who has been around since the silver age of comics turned into a killer who makes the joker look sane, all done in the space of 3 issues in a rushed editoral mandated story line, there is no reason for Hal to go nuts even, all his cloest friends and even his girlfriend was not even in the city when it blew.

but on the plus side you have Kyle, he gets more room, he's the new guy DC wanted, it's kind of like spider-man in a lot of ways for the DC universe, he gets this power, has no idea what to do, makes mistakes aned people he loves will pay for it, but it's good, problem is it's also short, just as he starts to really get going it ends, his rookie years would continue for another 100 issues or so.

there are many betetr green lantern trades to check out, but if you need to see jordons fall or kyles start then get it.

Shows the fall of Hal Jordan and the rise of Kyle Rayner. Good story telling if you are a GL fan.

Having first read Emerald Dawn, Emerald Dawn II, and The Road Back, I figured this story would be just as well-written. I found Emerald Twilight to be really weird compared to the previous titles. I know Hal Jordan suddenly snapped, but he seemed to over-react to the situation. Everything happened so fast. If there was more time taken to "accomplish" all of his tasks then I think I would have enjoyed it more. That being said, A New Dawn was very well-written and Kyle Rayner was a very interesting character to read about. I especially liked Superman's appearance with a mullet (quite humorous, indeed). Because of the cool idea of Emerald Twilight (but poorly executed) and the great execution of A New Dawn, I give it a fairly good rating.