Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
SPOILERS for some new-this-week comics.
The mini continues to be a delight, with Al Ewing scripting it in a psuedo-1960s trying-too-hard-to-be-hip-and-with-it but in a knowing and funny way that is entertaining and not “cheugy,” to use a new slang term I just learned the other day. Steve Lieber’s art tells everything in a thankfully clear and concise manner, something that’s not easy with a book that’s throwing as much wackiness at you on every page.
One note: for someone who’s had his share of eyeball troubles over the last few years, there are repeated examples of eye injury to which I perhaps had a more visceral reaction than most. Not that the fella receiving said injuries didn’t have them coming, natch.
Another note: I knew this Metamorpho series was released in part as synergy with his appearance in the coming Superman movie. However, there is even more synergy than I expected with that film which pops up in this new issue. An unusual mix of characters, and a retconned origin, maybe, for our favorite Fab Freak? It’s a wild ride and well worth reading, with or without its need to cross-promote with a film.
Speaking of an unusual mix of characters, some folks just turn up out of nowhere in the back half of this new issue of Green Lantern, which piques my interest after a handful of perfectly competent but not necessarily outstanding issues. Which isn’t a ding, by the way…I read and enjoyed them just fine, each issue providing exactly One Standard Unit of Green Lantern Comics and that’s what I want when I pick up a Green Lantern comic.
The thing about the Green Lantern franchise is that it’s come a long way from “dude with a magical science ring that fights crime,” usually based on Earth but with the occasional special story in space, with maybe some other Green Lanterns showing up once in a while. Now it’s a premise that’s sort of…about itself, I suppose, stories about the Green Lantern organization and related Corps and dealing with the aftermath of previous internal Corps conflicts from issues, and series, past. Sometimes I just want our GL Hal Jordan beatin’ up the bad guys without having to worry about…the Sad Lantern or whatever’s going on in the book now.
Yes, I know, You Can’t Go Home Again, and my nostalgia for the Green Lantern I read in the early ’80s is coloring my opinion here. And in fairness, a lot of this new series is Hal-centric, and the new Green Lantern Corps title will hopefully pull away a lot of that other stuff and simplify this book.
This makes it sound like I don’t like the other GL stuff, with the entire army of Lanterns and all the space shenanigans and whatnot, but honestly, I do. But I don’t want that to be all GL is. It all gets to be a little navel-gazing-y and too much, sometimes.
Okay, back to what I was saying at the start. Green Lantern, Hal, is apparently going to Hell…I mean, like, literally, entering through a portal and everything. And with him is Zauriel, who is, as you recall, a straight-up angel from Heaven who was in the Justice League for a bit, because Grant Morrison. And also there is the Phantom Stranger, whom I don’t think Hal has met outside any Justice League appearances, I think. Wait, did the Stranger show up during any of those Hal-as-Spectre comics? Anyway, it was weird for these two to suddenly be there, but I’ve gone from “yeah, this comic’s okay” to “you now have my interest,” especially with the person Hal immediately runs into. I’m really anticipating a new issue of Green Lantern for the first time in a while.
The comic is full of edgy, and sometimes gross humor, and it’s trying really hard to be irreverent and in the style of the TV show. It only sort of half-succeeds, even with whatever nominal involvement James Gunn his own self has with this comic. It’s entertaining enough and has its moments, such as the dialogue exchange of “You killed him!”/”He started it!” which did get a good chuckle out of me. However, it suffers in comparison to the previous Peacemaker series scripted by Kyle Starks, if only because we all suffer in comparison to Kyle Starks, whose witty and quirky dialogue and unique ideas left huge shoes to fill.
All that said, I do like this new series, and it’s probably not fair to be all “but it’s not like what it was in the past!” which is also the problem I was having with Green Lantern above…and yet, with a slight shift in perspective, is a virtue for the Metamorpho comic. At least I’m not the World’s Biggest Peacemaker Fan, dating back from the Charlton Comics days, penning angry letters to DC every week to protest how they’ve made his favorite hero a complete goofball.
Dang, is Metamorpho only a mini? I had thought it was an ongoing. It’s a Bob Haney-fied blast!
“Wait, did the Stranger show up during any of those Hal-as-Spectre comics?”
Yeah– for a multi-issue arc. DeMatteis wrote a cute level of connection between the Stranger and Hal’s niece.
There was also some kind of business between them when Spectre-Hal was in the process of resurrecting Green Arrow in Kevin Smith’s GA run.
Your point stands, though: not much interaction between the two of them in 60+ years outside big group scenes.
As an aside, Green Lantern was one of my dear departed stepdad’s favourite superheroes.
I recently ordered a copy of GL #60 from 1968. The villain Lamplighter is basically just the Molecule Man in period costume, but the issue’s cover — an extreme close-up of the right half of Hal’s utterly terrified face — is strikingly unconventional even today.
I’m not interested in following the Green Lantern comic, but my first exposure to the Green Lantern series was the period when the comic was retitled Green Lantern Corps (written by Steven Englehart). So, I wouldn’t say this is the first time the Green Lantern comic has been written in that manner.
I did buy the Showcase Presents: Green Lantern volumns, and fell in love with the John Broome Green Lantern, which I found to be like a proto-Grant Morrison. So, I appreciate the classic Hal Jordan characterization.
Then, the J.M. DeMatteis Hal-Spectre was also amazing, although that was pretty far removed from a typical Green Lantern tale.
Those are my experiences with Green Lantern.
More people should be protesting the complete goofballification of Peacemaker.
DC should just rename the character “Goofball”…
I’m familiar with Element Woman, in addition to Metamorpho, but what’s up with that cover? Is there now a Metamorphfido, the Element Dog? Is there now a Deathamorpho? And what’s going on with Blondeplaneamoroho? Isn’t it all a bit Metamorphoverkill…???
My issue with the Corps is how they (and the Amazons) are used as cannon fodder. I blame Johns for that, but I think it might have started before him.
@Hal Shipman
I’m perfectly fine with the idea of DC using Guy Gardner as cannon fodder –but I suppose that since he’s in the new Superman movie, instead of Hal (Jordan), we will continue to be stuck with him for the foreseeable future.
Also, I say the Bat-Family, Flash-Family, Super-Family, Wonder-Family, and probably even the Aqua-Family are about due for a culling, as there are way too many Robins and boring Bat-side kicks, way too many
Kid Flashes and second banana speedsters, way too many Wonder Girls and Amazonian afterthoughts, way too many Superboys and Kryptonian kooks, and way too many Aqualads and watery wannabes crowding out the other, more unique heroes in the DC stable.
Was the Metamorpho series always intended to be a mini? I noted earlier today that no issues had been solicited after #6, but I don’t ever recall seeing any announcement that it was a limited…
No, Metamorpho was cut down to a mini just recently. From the solicitation for #1:
“Join us for this covalent bond of friends and foes in the brand new ongoing series from superstar team Al Ewing and Steve Lieber!”
And I hit “submit” too soon…
Anyway: It seems like Al Ewing has a lot of goodwill from publishers, but is having a hard time getting his more unusual ideas to actually sell. Which is too bad because books like Metamorpho and Avengers, Inc. are really fun.
I think the problem is pairing him with middle-of-the-road artists on his B-tier characters/series. I appreciate Steve Lieber’s professionalism, but I don’t particularly want to spend $4 an issue for art I consider just competent. The combo of Ewing and a more distinctive artist would be more of a sales draw, I think.
Now that I say that, though, his Defenders minis had Javier Rodriguez, and they didn’t get to finish their trilogy. So maybe the market just isn’t in the mood for B- and C-listers at the moment.
I love Al Ewing’s take on Metamorpho. It’s in my whittled down pull list. Mike still needs to repost that Metamorpho theme from some DC album long forgotten. You all can find it on YouTube, but I like Mike posting these oddities. Then try and get the song out of your head.
Once the book becomes a trade, buy it from Mike. It really is one of the things I look forward to, books or otherwise.
@ Wayne Allen Sallee
Here is a link to the Plastic Man and Metamorpho theme songs from that’70s record:
https://youtu.be/Dz2liqSIHAo?si=9aEHAo08uyvVTzXy
“penning angry letters to DC every week to protest how they’ve made his favorite hero a complete goofball.”
What else COULD he be with that LUDACRIS HELMET? Ol’ Toilet Bowl head!
” GL #60 from 1968. The villain Lamplighter is basically just the Molecule Man in period costume, but the issue’s cover”
Gil Kane? He had something!
“Metamorphfido, the Element Dog?”
Pitbull Metamorpho is adorable!
“for someone who’s had his share of eyeball troubles over the last few years, there are repeated examples of eye injury”
What’s next, Injury-to-the-Eye covers making a comeback?
“I’m perfectly fine with the idea of DC using Guy Gardner as cannon fodder”
Clown or Cannon-Fodder, the only thing he’s good for!
” are about due for a culling, as there are way too many Robins and boring Bat-side kicks, way too many”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, RE-KILL JASON TODD.
“Peacemaker”
That’s either a photo on that cover, or someone is REALLY GOOD at painting Eagles!
The Phantom Stranger and Green Lantern were together in Brave and the Bold #20