Liberty

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What's so great about Hal Jordan?


 Justice?
 Justice?
Hal Jordan seems to be the most popular of the Green Lanterns and yet I find it hard to understand why.  He was not the first Earth Green Lantern and there are four other human lanterns to choose from.  All of them seem cooler and better than Hal hands down.  
 
Why other Lanterns Are Better
Let's start with Alan Scott.   Alan is the original Lantern way before Hal.  He has the golden age look and feel.  He also has Jade as a daughter who is a great character in her own right.  In Addition Alan has the most unique power, origin and costume of all the earth Lanterns.
 
Guy Gardner is the smart-@$$.  He is the less than reverent, rebel with his emotions bubbling to the surface.  I remember watching the special features of the recent Green Lantern cartoon and they attributed a similar attitude to Hal.  In the cartoon I would agree and I liked the cartoon but, that is not the Hal I see in the comics.  Hal seems much more dry in his comics.  Guy is also the crazy one who has been burned over and over again.  Despite that Guy has a heart of gold that he tries not to let anyone see.  This can be seen in his romance with Ice and his friendship with G'Nort who wouldn't have even been in the league if it wasn't for Guy.
 
 Is this for real?
 Is this for real?
Guy was also chosen to be the Green Lantern when Abin Sur crashed his ship on earth.  Hal only got the ring because he was closer.  How would the mythology of the Green Lantern be had Guy been selected before Hal? 

John Stewart has two neat personalities.  In the DC Animated Universe John is a marine. (once a marine always a marine)  It gives a whole new aspect to the Corps.  In the comic books he is the human Green Lantern who doesn't wear a mask.  He is a man of the people and he even got married unlike most superheroes.  John is also the only main Green Lantern who is a minority and  is one of the most popular superheroes of color ever.
 
Kyle Rayner seemed like a younger Hal Jordan in the beginning and he did have the horrible origin story of his girlfriend being cut up and put in a refrigerator.  Kyle however came into his own as a more relaxed hero.  He is also the most creative of the Green Lanterns.  Being an artist he makes really neat constructs with his ring and has a much more modern uniform than the other Lanterns.
  

 Hal takes advantage of Kari's loss.
 Hal takes advantage of Kari's loss.
Why Hal Is Not That Great
To me Hal has always had a "Superman" like attitude.  He has also always had a self-righteous attitude and, yet seems more screwed up than any other lantern and most heroes.  Look at his track record.
  1. Hal is a quitter.  He quit being a Lantern for a time. 
  2. Hal doesn't get along with his fellow Lanterns.   He took away Guy Gardner's ring and tried to take away John Stewart's. 
  3. Hal can not be counted on.  He inadvertently trapped Guy into the Phantom Zone and thought he was dead but before his body would have even been cold he hits on Guy's fiance Kari Limbo. a very short time.  Can anyone really blame Guy for his anger...Oh yeah Hal can.
  4. Hal is not a team player.  When Guy was put in charge by the Guardians during Crisis of Infinite Earth's Hal turns on him.  Again he quit the corps and the League and tried to take other lanterns rings and get members kicked out of the league.
  5. Hal has a questionable relationship with a very  young woman.  Hal has a serious relationship with Arisia.  Arisia was a young teenager who willed herself to look older.  Hal himself said that he still thought of her as a child and then a very short time later had his relationship with the young girl.  Tell the judge "she looked 18"  and see how far it gets you.  Later, even after the age reboot of Arisia he is seen hitting on an underage Supergirl.  All the while reminding himself that he has food in his refrigerator that is older.
  6.  Hal with Arisia
     Hal with Arisia
    Hal has problems with Alcohol.  Hal is the only superhero I know of who went to prison for drunk driving.
  7. Hal is a weak protector.  Hal is the only hero I know to loose his "protected city" completely.  Other heroes have had tragedies in their city but under Hal's watch Coast City is completely destroyed.  Every man, woman, child and blade of grass is wiped out.
  8. Hal is unstable.  Hal went mad with the loss of Coast City and tried to will it back with his ring.  He then went and killed all the remaining Green lanterns and became Parallax.  Yes, I know after the fact a story was written saying he was possessed but that didn't really fit what happened originally.  When going back and reading the stories it never seemed fit.  Lets face facts the Parallax story was made up just to bring Hal back.  I maintain he was too far gone to come back.
  9. Hal has an evil soul.  Hal became the Spectre because his soul was in purgatory for his sins.  Supposedly this was for killing all the Green Lanterns.   In the DC Universe the Spectre is the Wrath of God himself.  This brings up many questions.  Is God wrong in having Hal in purgatory?  Was Parallax more powerful than God and was he able to stay undetected for a time?  Did God not care that Hal was possessed and therefore not responsible.  Was Hal in purgatory for something else?  I'm still not sure.  This is just one of the problems with the reboot.
  10. I CAN'T!?!
    I CAN'T!?!
    Hal Jordan is prejudice.  Hal had a friend Tom who he referred to by the racist name "Pieface" or "Pie".  Now in his defense Hal seemed to treat Tom with respect in most cases but calling him Pieface is not that respectable. Hal also had weak relationships with people of color.  (see image)
 
Hal has so many poor qualities and they are so many Green Lanterns to choose from.  I do not understand his popularity.  I do not understand when there are so many other Lanterns to choose from people still think of Hal as a good hero.  He has been rebooted over and over again because he always does scuzzy or lame things that make him look bad.  You can reboot Batman and say he was always a ham sandwich but that doesn't change things in the past stories.  This is just another point of proof to his being a less than great hero. Who is your favorite Earth Lantern, and why?  I also ask again What's so great about Hal Jordan?
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OldIdiotAccount

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Pretty Good. I Bet $exy Merc & GreenLantern555 Have Something Mean To Say About This. My Favorite Is Alan Scott.

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B'Town

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I don't know what the heck is so great about Hal?!! 
 
 You seem to have sold me.  Hal sucks.  :}   I'm going to trust you on this.
 
Actually I am fairly new to the whole lantern thing, I have only read sporadically over the years.  I may be more into it now than ever, I liked Blackest Night and now Brightest Day. 

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Liberty

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@Fortanono:   Good things or bad things?
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Liberty

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@B'Town:  A knockout fan has to have good taste.  Thanks.
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ManuelPrez

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Edited By ManuelPrez

wow u have done a great research. But Hal Jordan is still the face of the GL. meanwhile John and kyle are my fav. human members of the GL Corp.

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Liberty

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@ManuelPrez: 
I guess that is the problem.  Why is Hal the face of  the GLC?  He should be drummed out.
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geraldthesloth

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Edited By geraldthesloth

Hal does suck, there's nothing relatable to him..there's nothing cool about him. He has one point that he's been riding since rebirth and that was "I fear nothing now" games gotten old fast.

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Son_of_Magnus

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Sideburns? 

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Liberty

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@geraldthesloth: 
Amen brother.
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Liberty

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@Son_of_Magnus: 
What?
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ComicCrazy

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He is fearless, he has more willpower apparently than all the rest, He was the first human to actually join the Green Lantern Corps (I know Alan Scott but he wasn't part of the corps), and in my opinion he has the best origin. I'm not trying to start a fight but these are just reasons why I think Hal is great.
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Son_of_Magnus

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@Liberty said:
" @Son_of_Magnus:  What? "

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sexy_merc

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I don't agree with some of the points, like number 3. It wasn't inadvertent actually. There was a problem inside Hal's old Lantern and it wasn't functioning properly so he gave Guy that and a new ring, I believe. When the battery exploded, I think Guy was transported into the Phantom Zone but Hal didn't willingly do that. Him and Superman even wen to search for Guy and Hal was genuinely grief-stricken by the incident, even Superman commented on Hal's emotions. Everyone though Guy was dead, so the thing with Kari was just Hal comforting her and one thing led to another. Similar instances have happened in real life and comics. Guy was the only one who said Hal did everything on purpose and that was only his anger talking, in the actual comic, Hal was really torn about it.
 
In the comics as Hal as the Spectre, it was explained that many of the good deeds he had accomplished as a Lantern was overshadowed by the Parallax incident but the guy's whole hometown got destroyed. He was never really evil, even when he was Parallax.
 
There are other points I'd like to address but I don't have the time right now.
 
Nice post though, and Hal isn't my favorite Lantern by the way, but I do like him. Kyle will always be my favorite character because I can relate to him very very well and he was the first hero I ever read and comics I followed from the start of his journey to the end.

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Liberty

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@ComicCrazy: 
No fights here friend.  Just conversation.  Being fearless and having the strongest willpower doesn't make a hero.  Lex Luthor has both for example.  I think Hal is a villian now and is a lousy Green Lantern.  I stated ten pretty hard reasons why he is a lousy Green Lantern and a villain.  What about those points?
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Liberty

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@Sexy Merc: 
I think you miss understood what I wrote. Hal inadvertently gave Guy a battery that was booby trapped.  Everything you said was true but I think Hal's emotions of guilt were real because he actually was guilty of taking advantage of Kari while she was emotionally unstable.  Kari and Hal did not have a past that should have resulted in what happened.  Hal thought Guy was dead but he was "comforting" Kari before his body would have even gotten cold.
 
As for the Spectre thing I'm not sure what you were trying to say.  I look forward to your next post.
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Amegashita

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  It's good to point out a characters bad and not his good.  Hal Jordan is my favorite Green Lantern, and not because I like Green Arrow.  As a child of a military family it's easy to relate to him for me.  A lot of your points I disagree with completely.  Unstable soul?  Try losing a city of people under your watch and tell me you won't feel guilty.  Untrustworthy?  Outside the whole Parallax thing talk to Ollie, he'll tell you how trust worthy Hal really is.  Going to jail for a DUI is really a dumb reason not to like a character.  Based on that kind of logic, Red Arrow sucks because he did drugs for a time.  Mia Dearden sucks because she has HIV.  I don't like how you're putting down Hal because you like other Lanterns more.  It's such a flawed thinking.

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ComicCrazy

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@Liberty said:
" @ComicCrazy:  No fights here friend.  Just conversation.  Being fearless and having the strongest willpower doesn't make a hero.  Lex Luthor has both for example.  I think Hal is a villian now and is a lousy Green Lantern.  I stated ten pretty hard reasons why he is a lousy Green Lantern and a villain.  What about those points? "


I think you made some extremely excellent points and you did a great job of expressing your opinion but I just have a connection with Hal that I don't with others and I do think that he is a cool character and I think he is the most human of all the Green Lanterns. Also what I said about willpower and stuff I just think that it makes him more powerfull. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I don't think Hal is a selfish character or a villain. Also I just think it has partly to do with who I read first and that was Hal so that has something to do with it.
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sexy_merc

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@Liberty said:
" I think you miss understood what I wrote. Hal inadvertently gave Guy a battery that was booby trapped. "
He didn't know it was booby trapped though. He just couldn't get it to work so rather than consulting the Guardians, he left his possessions in the hands of Guy. They were pretty close at that point which is why he felt more guilt afterwards. Hal didn't know the problem with the Battery was inside it and he even investigated the Central Power Battery to try to find out what was wrong. Hal was also the one who told Guy to be a Green Lantern at that point since Guy was having doubts himself.
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geraldthesloth

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With that said.
 

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Liberty

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@Amegashita: 
No offense meant.  I'm glad to get a Hal supporter to post.  You are the first one who said Hal is your favorite.  If I missed Hal's good deeds please tell me.  I thought John being a Marine Corp vet was pretty cool in comparison to Hal  As far as his unstable Soul I asked several questions about that.  Something is messed up there that hasn't been satisfactorily explained in any book I read.  I didn't say he was untrustworthy about about Parallax I said he was unstable and loosing a whole city under his watch makes him a pretty lousy hero.  No other hero that I know of has failed so completely.  As far as the DUI.  That is a serious crime and he is suppose to be a "Superman" type character.  It was just one of his many failures.   As far as Red Arrow in concerned he does suck but that is for another blog:)  The whole point of this blog  is about the amount of times and the level in which he fails.  I'm not picking on him because I like another Lanterns.  I'm calling him into accountability .  He is suppose to be a superhero.  Hell, He is suppose to be one of the best superheros and I don't even think he is the best Green Lantern.  As a matter of fact I don't think he is better than any of the lanterns I listed. 
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Liberty

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@Sexy Merc:   I know.  I am not disputing those points it is the speed in witch he went after Kari that needs to be called into question.  As far as him telling Guy the truth about his origin it was pretty weak.  He knew Guy's destiny and kept it from him for years.
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darkcloakx

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my favorite GL is john stewart. 

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Liberty

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@ComicCrazy:   I think you hit the nail on the head.  I think hal has maitained his popularity by simply being the fist Green Lantern that many of us read.  If that is the case as we get older he may become less popular.  A new reader today has a whole corps to read and at least three regular GL books to choose from.  Perhaps he will fade away one day.
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GreenLantern555

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@Liberty:
@geraldthesloth:
@Sexy Merc:
Hal is not the greatest Green Lantern but is is not the worst by far. Hal has the greatest origon story of every Lantern of sector 2814. He has willpower coming out of his willpower. Not a hero? Just because he is fearless and has a lot of willpower isn't why he is considered a hero it's because he saves lives! I mean, come on? He was a founding member of the JLA because of his heroism. I am sick and tired of people saying Hal is a terrible Lantern because of the Parallax thing. Parallax chose him because he was the strongest GL at the time and had no fear. Parallax > Hal so there wasn't anything he could do about it. His good outweighs his bad by far. 
 
Hal is famous because he WAS the first Earth Green Lantern CORPS member ever. The only thing Alan Scott shares with the corps is his name.  
 
Abin Sur's ring chose BOTH Guy and Hal at the same time. Not one over the other. Hal was closer. Just because he was closer doesn't make him less qualified. 
 
Evil soul? God HImself chose Hal to have The Spectre posses him to make up for what Parallax had him do. I mean, the whole reason Hal came back to life was because he reignited the sun! And you say he's not heroic?! 
 
Once again, Hal is the not the greatest Green Lantern anymore, Kyle is IMO, but he is still my favorite because even with all that happened in the past, he still chooses to protect people in need. He doesn't want glory or fame. He just wants to do what's right. I will say as well that now Hal is a little dry, but I believe he will get better (fingers crossed) 
 
I am tired of people making "I hate Hal" threads! Leave the character alone! He is more of a hero than most can dream of. He deserves respect. I'm not saying he has to be your favorite, but I am tired of him being the most hated character because people only look at the bad in him.
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ComicCrazy

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@Liberty said:
" @ComicCrazy:   I think you hit the nail on the head.  I think hal has maitained his popularity by simply being the fist Green Lantern that many of us read.  If that is the case as we get older he may become less popular.  A new reader today has a whole corps to read and at least three regular GL books to choose from.  Perhaps he will fade away one day. "

That could be the reason he is popular but like I said before I have different reasons for liking him a lot as a character. By the way nice topic it seems to be generating a fair bit of buzz.
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Amegashita

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@Liberty:  I was raised in an Air Force and Army household, Marines?  My dad would spew blood from his eyes if I ever even thought about them.  You can't say he's a lousy hero because he lost his city.  He's only a lousy hero if he doesn't care about the city lost.  And I don't like Roy either =P.  A lot of heroes fail but it's how they deal with failure that makes them a hero.
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GreenLantern555

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@Liberty: And that wasn't meant to be rude towards you. Just in general. 
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Liberty

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@GreenLantern555: 
I really disagree with you (respectfully)  I am in no way trying to bash you personally.  I know Hal has done many heroic things but he is incompetent in my opinion.  Why would God have him in purgatory if he didn't deserve it?  Far be it for me to get into theology because that is not what this blog is about but would God have Hal's soul suffer in purgatory because he was possessed through no fault of his own?  The whole Parallax story made him a solid villain.  There was no turning back.  The whole sun thing was just another weak plot point made for the sole purpose of resurrecting Hal.  That said lets put it in perspective.  I'll give an example.  In he last episode of Justice League Unlimited Lex Lutor saved the world.  Does that make him a great hero.  Booster Gold saved not just earth or the universe but the whole damned Multi-verse.  Does that mean he is the greatest hero of all times?  Hal has readers and fans because they grew up reading his books and they have a soft place in their hearts for him but he is no hero.
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Liberty

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@Amegashita:   Good point.  as a side not I life in a family that is Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.  Let's just say everybody has an opinion.
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GreenLantern555

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@Liberty: 
1)
  If you think of purgatory as what the Catholics do, it's not a bad place. It's a waiting ground. He wasn't suffering. God put him there so The Spectre can have a soul and body to posses. If he went to Heaven he couldn't return. 
2) If you are saying the whole sun thing doesn't count because it was a plot for him to return then the Parallax story shouldn't count because it was a plot to get rid of him because he was falling in comic sales. You can't just overlook the fact he saved the solar system. 
3) Lex Luthor saved the world for self-fish reasons. It's not what you do, it's the reason you do it that makes you a hero. Booster Gold did that because it was his duty. 
4) No hero?! If he is not a hero then please explain to me what a hero is because everything he does is for other people, nothing is for himself. He does everything he can to save others lives. Risks his life. Fight being who are skies above him in power. If that isn't enough to be a hero, I don't know what counts. 
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Liberty

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@GreenLantern555: 
  1. I got the word "suffering" from his comicvine page but, I think being in limbo is suffering.  Especially if it is for an extended time.  I think Project Superpowers handled this idea well. 
  2. I'm not saying it doesn't count I'm saying it was poorly written.  You do make a good point however because he whole path toward his becoming evil was even worse.
  3. Booster Gold is the Greatest ;)
  4. I think Hal has done many things for selfish reasons.  To name only a few he quit the corps for selfish reasons.  He hide his identity when John and Guy don't for selfish reasons.  I also think his relationship with Kari and Arisia was for selfish reasons and his taking away Guy's ring was selfish.  If I see two people who are completely equal and good in every way and, I kill one but save another am I a hero?  Hal has done many heroic things granted but, he has made too many mistakes and his ring should be taken.  Hal is a police officer of sorts.  If he did the things like I listed he would not be well respected, or promoted and he would likely be fired. 
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sexy_merc

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Why don't we just erase every comic book character from existence and just have Kyle Rayner stories.
 
:D

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Dude, you nailed it.
 
If I could favorite this I would.
 
I have a love-hate relationship with the GL stories right now, and all the discomfort I have stems from Hal Jordan. I'm surprised people like him, since he has the least personality of all the Lanterns. The only time I really like him is when he's with Green Arrow. Usually he's a very dry character in epic situations.  And you can tell how boring he is from his constructs. Guy's constructs are crackling with energy, passion, and will power. John's constructs have a lot of depth, calculation, and thought put into them. Kyle's constructs are imaginative, innovative, and often funny. What does Hal make? Boxing gloves and goddamn Jets. Geeze, we get it. You're a pilot. Let's move on.
I can understand if some people are drawn to him because of he's the first Lantern of the Silver Age, but other than that I don't get why people are drawn to him. It's probably because he was featured as the most important GL in Blackest Night. But I'd much rather read about John, Guy, or Kyle.
 
*Sigh*

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Liberty

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@Captain13:  I could not agree with you more and thanks.  I appreciate your comments.
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Hal was an A$$hole until he came Back from the Dead... Then he became awesome somehow.

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GreenLantern555

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@Liberty:  
1) It's not suffering. No one suffers. It's a plan between this one and Heaven. It's basically like Earth. Think of it like a lobby. 
2)I loved how it was written, but that's my opinion. 
3)I love Booster ;-) 
4) He quit the Corps because he didn't feel like he could put everything he needed into it. He didn't want to make a mistake because his head wasn't in it. If you went through what he did, you'd want a break as well. Hal is a player, you can't hate on him for that ;-) Hal as never chosen to kill anyone over the other so I don't know what that example was about. His heroics outweigh his bad choices BY FAR. All the mistakes that were made were not fully his fault. People make mistakes and so do heroes and even the people that were affect by his mistake realize that.
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@Liberty: I think one important thing to keep in mind is that purgatory is not a place of suffering. It is an in between place. 
The most important thing about Hal, I think, is that over the many years he has been in comic he's done innumerable brave and selfless acts. Sure he failed Coast City-- it may be one of the biggest failures of any hero in the DCU-- but that doesn't negate his current or past deeds. Hal is a vain, womanizing, selfish, extremely flawed character. That doesn't stop him from being a hero. For all his faults, he still has many moments of self sacrifice and bravery. As long as he endangers himself to help others and to do what is right, he will remain a hero. 
 
Edit: agh typos
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GreenLantern555

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@Captain13 said:
" Dude, you nailed it. If I could favorite this I would.  I have a love-hate relationship with the GL stories right now, and all the discomfort I have stems from Hal Jordan. I'm surprised people like him, since he has the least personality of all the Lanterns. The only time I really like him is when he's with Green Arrow. Usually he's a very dry character in epic situations.  And you can tell how boring he is from his constructs. Guy's constructs are crackling with energy, passion, and will power. John's constructs have a lot of depth, calculation, and though put into them. Kyle's constructs are imaginative, innovative, and often funny. What does Hal make? Boxing gloves and goddamn Jets. Geeze, we get it. You're a pilot. Let's move on.I can understand if some people are drawn to him because of he's the first Lantern of the Silver Age, but other than that I don't get why people are drawn to him. It's probably because he was featured as the most important GL in Blackest Night. But I'd much rather read about John, Guy, or Kyle.  *Sigh* "
I hate it when people bring up the "creativity" factor. It's doesn't what you make, it's how you use what you make. Creativity doesn't make a good Lantern. It's your ability to protect and serve. 
 
@Sexy Merc
said:
" Why don't we just erase every comic book character from existence and just have Kyle Rayner stories.  :D "
Wouldn't you just love that :-P 
 
@Mediant said:
" @Liberty: I think one important thing to keep in mind is that purgatory is not a place of suffering. It is an in between place. The most important thing about Hal, I think, is that ver the many years he has been in comic he's done innumerable brave and selfless acts. Sure he failed Coast City-- it may be one of the biggest failures of any hero in the DCU-- but that doesn't negate his current or past deeds. Hal is a vain, womanizing, selfish, extremely flawed character. That doesn't stop him from being a hero. For all his faults, he still acts has many moments of self sacrifice and bravery. As long as he endangers himself to help others and to do what is right, he will remain a hero. "

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@GreenLantern555:
"

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"
 
 
On that note, Hal may be my least favorite human lantern. XD 
 
I don't dislike him as much as I used to. If anyone wants to like him, but is having a hard time, I recommend thinking of all of the GLC officers as police officers. For me I think of Hal like this: He is a guy with a lot of problems, but he's one of the most (if not the most) veteran officer on the force. With everything he's seen, everything he's been through, and everything he's had to do, he's got the right to being kind of screwed up. That keeps some of his... less likable personality traits in perspective for me.
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@GreenLantern555 said:

" @Captain13 said:

" Dude, you nailed it. If I could favorite this I would.  I have a love-hate relationship with the GL stories right now, and all the discomfort I have stems from Hal Jordan. I'm surprised people like him, since he has the least personality of all the Lanterns. The only time I really like him is when he's with Green Arrow. Usually he's a very dry character in epic situations.  And you can tell how boring he is from his constructs. Guy's constructs are crackling with energy, passion, and will power. John's constructs have a lot of depth, calculation, and though put into them. Kyle's constructs are imaginative, innovative, and often funny. What does Hal make? Boxing gloves and goddamn Jets. Geeze, we get it. You're a pilot. Let's move on.I can understand if some people are drawn to him because of he's the first Lantern of the Silver Age, but other than that I don't get why people are drawn to him. It's probably because he was featured as the most important GL in Blackest Night. But I'd much rather read about John, Guy, or Kyle.  *Sigh* "
I hate it when people bring up the "creativity" factor. It's doesn't what you make, it's how you use what you make. Creativity doesn't make a good Lantern. It's your ability to protect and serve.  
 

I don't think that you understood my point. I didn't say that I dislike Hal because of his constructs. I said that I dislike Hal because he has only the remotest traces of a personality and that blandness is reflected in his constructs. Constructs tend to mirror personalities, and like his personality Hal's constructs leave something to be desired.
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@Mediant:
The high five was for the fact that you realize he is still a hero through his many problems. He has so many problems but he still protects and serves. I could care less if he is your favorite or your least favorite. :-P
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 Geoff Johns seems to be pushing Hal to the forefront pretty hard. Yes, the stuff Johns has done is well written, but Blackest Night didn't need Hal Jordan. Hal could have stayed dead, and the main GL could have been Kyle, John, or Guy in the same position. The overall plot would probably have been the same overall, but I would have enjoyed the lead more.

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@GreenLantern555: Oh yeah. I meant to just be returning the efive and adding other part as an aside. >.>
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@Captain13:  I stand by what I said. Constructs do not mirror personalities. They mirror things in their life or things that  happened to them.  Kyle is an artist. That is why his are creative not because he is a good guy and genuine. John is an architect and a marine.. So they mirror those aspects. Guy was beaten and unloved by his father so I am guessing he had to create something imaginative to get through all that crap. Hal's father died in a plane crash so he uses the thing that ultimately made him worthy t be in the corps and gave him no fear; f-16s. Personality has nothing to do with constructs. Hal stands up for Justice and even stood up to Bats and Supes because he believed in Justice a different way. That takes guts and personality there. He is forceful and strong in his beliefs and never backs down. He would rather die than fail if it meant saving someone's life. That takes personality.
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@GreenLantern555 said:

" @Captain13:  I stand by what I said. Constructs do not mirror personalities. They mirror things in their life or things that  happened to them.  Kyle is an artist. That is why his are creative not because he is a good guy and genuine. John is an architect and a marine.. So they mirror those aspects. Guy was beaten and unloved by his father so I am guessing he had to create something imaginative to get through all that crap. Hal's father died in a plane crash so he uses the thing that ultimately made him worthy t be in the corps and gave him no fear; f-16s. Personality has nothing to do with constructs. Hal stands up for Justice and even stood up to Bats and Supes because he believed in Justice a different way. That takes guts and personality there. He is forceful and strong in his beliefs and never backs down. He would rather die than fail if it meant saving someone's life. That takes personality. "

No. You can stand by what you say, but you're wrong. In GL: Rebirth, Johns differentiates the main GL by how they use their rings/how their constructs look. Kyle is an artist. One of his main personality traits is his creativity, which is probably why he became an artist. Kyle has made constructs of everything from Superman to manga characters. John is the most calculated of the bunch, which is why he was an effective soldier and architect. He's often called the smart one, and you can see that in his constructs. None of them are hollow. If he makes a tower, it has every detail on it. If he makes a car, it has all the parts of the car in it.  Guy's constructs are very hyper and sometimes angry. Even when he's not using his ring, it crackles with energy. He's had anger problems his entire life, but his empathy for others led him to become a teacher and social worker. Notice how all of their energy constructs reflect their personal attributes.
Hal doesn't have much of a personality. His constructs, while useful, are not imaginative. The way he admires John's constructs leads me to believe that his constructs are hollow (like his personality). His ring doesn't crackle with energy, because for whatever reason he is not very wild anymore. You would think Hal is the best at flying, but he calls John the best flyer in the Corps. People often say that Hal uses jets because that's all he knows and because it's a part of his background. Well that's what imagination is for. I'm a student, but I'm pretty sure that my constructs wouldn't be just textbooks and pencils.
 
I like how every Hal fan says that he's so cool because he's fearless. Big whoop. It's not like every other GL is some big *****y. None of the Earth GLs are afraid of Batman or Superman. John has fought the entire Justice League, and Guy full on mooned Batman. Now that takes some cajones. Hal is boring like his constructs, and is nothing more than a shadow of a character.
 
"He is forceful and strong in his beliefs and never backs down. He would rather die than fail if it meant saving someone's life. That takes personality."
 
Not really since every other GL in the universe and every hero on Earth has those traits. Hal isn't unique at all.

 If anything, Hal is reckless and selfish. After his father died, his single mom wanted him to stay away from planes. She wanted to keep him safe. Most children don't want their parents to worry about them. So what does Hal do? He turns his back on his family for some cheap thrills. Bravo, Hal Jordan. Bravo.
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@Captain13 said:
" @GreenLantern555 said:

" @Captain13:  I stand by what I said. Constructs do not mirror personalities. They mirror things in their life or things that  happened to them.  Kyle is an artist. That is why his are creative not because he is a good guy and genuine. John is an architect and a marine.. So they mirror those aspects. Guy was beaten and unloved by his father so I am guessing he had to create something imaginative to get through all that crap. Hal's father died in a plane crash so he uses the thing that ultimately made him worthy t be in the corps and gave him no fear; f-16s. Personality has nothing to do with constructs. Hal stands up for Justice and even stood up to Bats and Supes because he believed in Justice a different way. That takes guts and personality there. He is forceful and strong in his beliefs and never backs down. He would rather die than fail if it meant saving someone's life. That takes personality. "

No. You can stand by what you say, but you're wrong. In GL: Rebirth, Johns differentiates the main GL by how they use their rings/how their constructs look. Kyle is an artist. One of his main personality traits is his creativity, which is probably why he became an artist. Kyle has made constructs of everything from Superman to manga characters. John is the most calculated of the bunch, which is why he was an effective soldier and architect. He's often called the smart one, and you can see that in his constructs. None of them are hollow. If he makes a tower, it has every detail on it. If he makes a car, it has all the parts of the car in it.  Guy's constructs are very hyper and sometimes angry. Even when he's not using his ring, it crackles with energy. He's had anger problems his entire life, but his empathy for others led him to become a teacher and social worker. Notice how all of their energy constructs reflect their personal attributes. Hal doesn't have much of a personality. His constructs, while useful, are not imaginative. The way he admires John's constructs leads me to believe that his constructs are hollow (like his personality). His ring doesn't crackle with energy, because for whatever reason he's not very wild anymore.  People often say that Hal uses jets because that's all he knows and because it's a part of his background. Well that what imagination is for. I'm a student, but I'm pretty sure my constructs wouldn't be just textbooks and pencils.  I like how every Hal fan says that he's so cool because he's fearless. Big whoop. It's not not every other GL is some big *****y. None of the Earth GLs are afraid of Batman or Superman. John has fought the entire Justice League, and Guy full on mooned Batman. Now that takes some cajones. Hal is boring like his constructs, and is nothing more than a shadow of a character.  "He is forceful and strong in his beliefs and never backs down. He would rather die than fail if it meant saving someone's life. That takes personality."  Not really since every other GL in the universe and every hero on Earth has those traits. Hal isn't unique at all.  If anything, Hal is reckless and self-involved. After his father died, his single mom wanted him to stay away from planes. So what does he do? He turns his back on his family for some cheap thrills. Bravo, Hal Jordan. Bravo. "
Okay, I wasn't saying that Hal the most creative GL because I agree with you, he's not, but creativity and personality don't coincide. I know people who have incredible personalities, but their creativities is for s!@#. Kyle is an artist because he is creative and that alone. I know artists whose are the scum of the world but can draw incredible things. John went to school for Architecture and learn how to build things in detail, doesn't mean his personality is great. He has really bad anger problems. That doesn't affect his constructs. Guy is the only LAntern i will agree that his personality comes out with his constructs. Hal has as much personality as me or you. You gets angry, happy, sad, horny, he has emotions and acts on them. If he didn't have a personality then he wouldn't act on his emotions. Hal uses f-16s because they are important to him like art is for Kyle and building is for John.  
 
I never said he is cool because he was fearless. I mean, he watched his father die in a plane crash and now he has nothing left to fear. I love that part of his origin. I never said either that Hal was the only one to stand up to Batman but is the only GL to stand face to face with Supes and tell him off. Boring? He knocked Batman flat on his a$$! Now show m a scan of another GL doing that to Bats. 
 
I never said Hal was unique I am arguing the fact that he is a hero when others say he is not. Not really directed towards you. 
 
He left the Air Force later on to go be with his mom because he was dying. He happen to be too late. He wanted to be like his father. I mean, if you dad died and you love what he loved, wouldn't you follow your dream?
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@GreenLantern555:  On the last point, probably not. I would have probably gotten a different dream. I grew up in a similar situation to Hal--no dad, two brothers, and a struggling mom-- and I wouldn't do anything to make their lives harder. It's always been us against the world, so family comes first for all of us.
 
But Hal is a hero. He has saved thousands of lives. There's no arguing with that. What bothers me is that he is the least unique or character-driven GL, but he somehow gets the most screen time and glory?
 
Obviously since the forums are for sharing ideas, you can disagree with me, but I don't think he's the greatest or most interesting GL. And I probably won't ever like him until he becomes more unique.
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Liked I posted before, he's definitely a hero, but I dislike him not for his faults but his general blandness. It's something that is hard to explain. It seems like, by description, Hal would be a really exciting character: A maverick test pilot and the most fearless and determined hero in the DCU. But when I'm actually reading issues with him, he just feels bland and cardboard. I don't think it's as bad as it used to be. 
I think the important distinction is between Hal Jordan as a character and as a person. He's a very powerful and good, but flawed, person. He's also a lackluster and repetitive character. I hope I make the distinction clear.

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@Captain13: The ring's and personality thing is just something Johns' wrote and he is correct with their personalities in correlation with their rings and right now he is writing Hal as a fearless brick BUT if you read any of Hal's older stories, you would know his personality and how real his character was perfectly.
 
I'm pretty sure GreenLantern555 read a lot of Hal's older stories as I have a large majority of them myself but by chance, did you start reading Green Lantern when Johns started writing it? If so, that could explain a lot of your reasoning, if not, then I apologize. This isn't an attack by the way.
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@Sexy Merc: Yeah, that may be it. My first comic was when Kyle became a GL. I was really young when I got it. I stopped reading comics until High School, and I started reading GL again around the time Hal was the Spectre. The whole time I've known Hal, he hasn't been much more than a powerset.