Customer Reviews

Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

In the 60's, the Green Lantern concept was expanded from its original "mystical ring" role. Instead of being one guy, it became a legion of superheroes, each wearing a green ring and protecting a certain sector of space from invaders. Their bosses, who issued the rings and controlled their power source, were small, wizened aliens "the Guardians" whose tiny bodies housed great power.

Sound a little like Star Wars? Well, both Green Lantern and Star Wars borrow heavily from an old scifi book called "Lensmen." It was a great concept for a comic book, especially with the power rings. An imaginitive Lantern could conjure up anything with his ring (tanks, monsters, giant hamburgers). The ring had to be recharged every 24 hours, so running out of power was always part of the drama.

This idea was pretty good, but Green Lantern never caught on much with fans. Hal Jordan, who was the main Green Lantern throughout most of the run, was bumbled by writer after writer. The ring was amazing, and the cast of villains looked cool, but Hal never had much of a personality. His supporting cast (including an Eskimo named 'Pieface') was bland at best.

After decades of low sales, series cancellations, and fan indifference (besides a small, rabid few), DC Comics was ready to give free reign to Marz in "Emerald Twilight". He solidified Jordan's personality, which had been everything from "generic defender of justice" (early days) to "fickle, midlife crisis hero" (early 90s). Marz made Jordan into the misused servant of the Guardians, a talented and driven man who had been demoralized by years of service to these self-righteous 'tyrants'.

After his hometown is destroyed while he is away fulfilling an insignificant mission for the Guardians, Jordan is overwhelmed with grief. When rebuked by the Guardians, his anger and pride emerge, and he decides to seize the source of Green Lantern power and use it for his own purposes. In a Darth Vader-like move, the most skilled Green Lantern in history destroys the whole group.

Very interesting stuff, and what Jordan does after seizing power (Zero Hour and Final Night) is good too. People balk at making Jordan a 'villain', but let's face it, until Emerald Twilight, he was a superhero has-been at best.

A rushed job, a novice writer, and an exceptionally controversial decision team up to make what could have been an intriguing storyline and turn it into a farce. Ron Marz's lack of familiarity with Hal Jordan and the rest of the cast virtually bleeds through at every panel, and the awkward pacing makes me wonder where Kevin Dooley (the editor) did his job. Melodramatic, unrefined, and ultimately unworthy of the character ruined by this farce. This comic helped mark the end of the speculator craze when even other members of the industry condemned it.

While the premise of "Emerald Twilight" starts off promisingly (legendary GL Hal Jordan goes rogue), it ultimately falls apart with no real resolution to make sense of it all. There are simply too many places where characters betray their established histories (Hal killing, the Guardians resurrecting villains) or the logic of the plot is nonexistent (how can one GL possibly accomplish everything Hal does in this story?). DC Comics legend has it that this storyline was put together in a very rushed manner when former GL writer, Gerard Jones left (or was let go) abruptly. Frankly, the lack of plotting and attention to detail shows.

Absolutely dreadful. This is the sort of dark, bloody and vandalistic exercise that helped send the comics industry into its current tailspin.

If you're a new reader and you've never read Green Lantern before, this book won't mean anything to you. The plotline is confusing, full of characters that you don't know who they are, actions flow in a reckless sequence and it lacks suspence and creativity. If you've been reading Green Lantern for years now, the book is not only a creative disaster, but it will disrespect your passion for the true and nobel hero that Hal Jordan has always been to you. If you can't relate to Hal Jordan because you don't know him, try to imagine that a villain has blown up Metropolis and Superman goes crazy, turns into a villain himself and murders other fellow heroes throughout the planet. That's what's they did with Hal Jordan. Don't wait your time and money with this book, the creators were just trying a cheap way out to introduce a new character, it was purely made for commercial reasons, no art not talent involved.

This had to be the story to end all stories and in this case, it did. No more will we EVER get to enjoy stories of Hal Jordan, the best of the best in the Green Lantern Corps, thanks to Dooley and Marz. Their inferior wannabe Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, was borned from this monstrosity. Destroying not only Hal Jordan, but we also lost the Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians and indirectly, Guy Gardner, Alan Scott, Jade, John Stewart and even the Darkstars! These three issues were like a nuclear bomb going off and destroying so much for so little in return. I hope Marz and Dooley are proud of this mistake, and it has taken DC almost seven years to semi-salvage anything from this mess. Please, if you were a GL fan, don't bother looking at this pile for a good story, cuz it didn't happened, and don't be duped into becoming a Marz zombie...

RIP Hal Jordan (and John Broome and Gil Kane)

This is probably the grossest excess of comics of the period. Written only to fuel the speculator feeding frenzy of the time, Emerald Twilight throws out the whole premise of the series over it's three collected issues. Steadfast hero, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, becomes a mass murderer for no apparent reason and performs numerous acts impossible within the canon of the series before becoming Parallax, who looks like a Nazi on St. Patrick's Day. Only recommended if you're looking for a guide on how not to produce a good comic.

As an avid reader of Green Lantern for many years, I was very disappointed in the quality of Emerald Twilight. In fact, many fans have dubbed this work "Emerald Toilet". The plot is VERY weak, the timing is irrational, and there are plot holes large enough to drive a Galaxy-class Starship through.

This book was selfishly devised by Kevin Dooley and a few other managers at DC Comics to introduce a new character, but the story is so weak, convoluted, and out of sync with GL history that the true reason for its publication is crystal-clear: to introduce a new character (Kyle Rayner), while sacrificing the noble existing character (Hal Jordan).

The story is poor, the pace of the action is ridiculous, and the content demonstrates that Ron Marz and Kevin Dooley have little respect, and even less knowledge of the Green Lantern legacy.

Do not waste your money on this worthless collection of falderal.

well in Hal's place..absolute power corrupts absolutely...This story is what I call the "Hall of Fame" storylines.
Hal Jordan; a silver age superhero with a ring that's power is only limited to his imagination and will.
Saved the planet and the universe many time over. After a meaningless misson put upon him buy the Gaurdians, he come home to find Coast City reduced to ashes. Everyone he knew and loved (except for Pieface & Carol). Grief and guilt consumes him and even though it part selfish but noble, tries to bring everthing back. But it's denied and he's accused of breaking rules.
Now wouldn't something snap inside you if that happened to you?
What would you do? How far are you willing to go to do it?
Wait to you see when he chose and judge him for yourself.
I'll bet you enjoy every shocking moment of this now classic story.

Those of you who were in love with Hal Jordon (former Green Lantern) may not approve of this storyline, but if you're a general fan of comics it doesn't get any better. This story is about Hal's fall from grace, and although, as some will say, the writing isn't as good as in other books, the story is written with, and fueled by, raw emotion - something drastically missing from some comics these days. It's an adrenaline rush to read a comic where something actually HAPPENS, rather than a return to the status quo - people die, a world crumbles, a hero falls. Obviously you NEVER see this type of story very often (without it being reversed a few months later) which makes this one a couragous tale to tell. Never mind that it during a time when "shock" stories were the fad - this one actually stuck. That's why you should try it out.