By injuring them they could be taken out of commission for a while, instead of dying. An example is; if Hal Jordan looses his ring and falls from a hundred feet up, breaking all of his bones but surviving. Then I know that Hal isn't going to be Green Lantern for a while but I know that he will be back, and I won't have to wait for another Green Lantern: Rebirth. It could also mean that a sidekick or co-star could take the lead in the book while the former star is in the background, trying to recover or offering support.