GL comics.
My friend Corey and I were talking about comics today. Specifically, we were talking about Steve Englehart’s run on Green Lantern (and the series it turned into, The Green Lantern Corps) from the late-80…and we were just laughing and laughing. We both really loved these comics…not because they were any good, but because they were just equal parts silly, over-the-top, and outright insane. Englehart brought us a dead Green Lantern kept alive by his ring, a funny-animal GL (Ch’p), Kilowog hanging out with Gorbachev, Arisia aging herself with her ring to pursue a relationship with Hal Jordan, bizarre sexual tension between Hector Hammond and Star Sapphire, of all people…all kinds of craziness was going on in this comic. And there was a real sense of menace (well, B-movie level menace) from the villains, too…old GL nemesis Sinestro seemed more dangerous than ever, and before he became a buffoon (and way before he became some kind of shape changing alien warrior…wha huh?), Guy Gardner was a fairly threatening villain as well.
Anyway, these GLs were a hoot. Just plain ol’ stupid fun comic books. You look at some of the fans in the online message forums, and you’d think there’s no room for a comic that makes you laugh anymore. They’re all so serious, and and so concerned with the characters’ “dignity.” Sigh. I’ll tell you what…Englehart’s GL was a damn sight more entertaining than that whole Jim Lee/Batman/Hush thing.
(post updated 7/2016)
