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Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner
Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner, Vol. 1
From Ron Marz, Darryl Banks and Romeo Tanghal comes GREEN LANTERN: KYLE RAYNER VOL. 1, collecting the classic Green Lantern adventures long out of print!
Hal Jordan had been Earth's Green Lantern--a proud hero in an even prouder tradition. But even heroes have their limits, and when his hometown of Coast City was destroyed by Mongul, Hal Jordan reached his. When the Green Lantern Corps' creators refused Hal the power to change the past, something inside him snapped. He crossed the line he had sworn he never would, and stripped the Guardians of the Universe and their legendary Green Lantern Corps of every shred of power they had, killing many of them in the process. He became a man consumed with his own rage, and an era of heroism ended.
The ring and legend of the Corps, however, would not be extinguished. The lone surviving Guardian has come to Earth and bequeathed the final power ring to a young man named Kyle Rayner. With it, a new chapter in the legacy of Green Lantern has begun. But this time, there's no one to train the new bearer of the ring, and he must learn to wield it in a trial by fire against some of the DC Universe's most powerful threats!
For the first time ever, this volume collects GREEN LANTERN #48-57, NEW TITANS #116-117 and R.E.B.E.L.S. #1.
Hal Jordan had been Earth's Green Lantern--a proud hero in an even prouder tradition. But even heroes have their limits, and when his hometown of Coast City was destroyed by Mongul, Hal Jordan reached his. When the Green Lantern Corps' creators refused Hal the power to change the past, something inside him snapped. He crossed the line he had sworn he never would, and stripped the Guardians of the Universe and their legendary Green Lantern Corps of every shred of power they had, killing many of them in the process. He became a man consumed with his own rage, and an era of heroism ended.
The ring and legend of the Corps, however, would not be extinguished. The lone surviving Guardian has come to Earth and bequeathed the final power ring to a young man named Kyle Rayner. With it, a new chapter in the legacy of Green Lantern has begun. But this time, there's no one to train the new bearer of the ring, and he must learn to wield it in a trial by fire against some of the DC Universe's most powerful threats!
For the first time ever, this volume collects GREEN LANTERN #48-57, NEW TITANS #116-117 and R.E.B.E.L.S. #1.
351 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2017
50 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Ron Marz
1,644 books122 followersMarz is well known for his work on Silver Surfer and Green Lantern, as well as the Marvel vs DC crossover and Batman/Aliens. He also worked on the CrossGen Comics series Scion, Mystic, Sojourn, and The Path. At Dark Horse Comics he created Samurai: Heaven and Earth and various Star Wars comics. He has also done work for Devil’s Due Publishing’s Aftermath line, namely Blade of Kumori. In 1995, he had a brief run on XO-Manowar, for Valiant Comics.
Marz’s more recent works includes a number of Top Cow books including Witchblade and a Cyberforce relaunch. For DC Comics, he has written Ion, a 12 part comic book miniseries that followed the Kyle Rayner character after the One Year Later event, and Tales of the Sinistro Corps Presents: Parallax and Tales of the Sinestro Corps Presents: Ion, two one-shot tie-ins to the Green Lantern crossover, The Sinestro Corps War.
His current creator owned projects include “Dragon Prince” (Top Cow) and “Samurai : Heaven and Earth” (Dark Horse).
Photo by Luigi Novi.
Marz’s more recent works includes a number of Top Cow books including Witchblade and a Cyberforce relaunch. For DC Comics, he has written Ion, a 12 part comic book miniseries that followed the Kyle Rayner character after the One Year Later event, and Tales of the Sinistro Corps Presents: Parallax and Tales of the Sinestro Corps Presents: Ion, two one-shot tie-ins to the Green Lantern crossover, The Sinestro Corps War.
His current creator owned projects include “Dragon Prince” (Top Cow) and “Samurai : Heaven and Earth” (Dark Horse).
Photo by Luigi Novi.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 13, 2018
I'd forgotten just how dark this book was at the time. Starts off with the Emerald Twilight story line where Hal Jordan destroys the Green Lantern Corps and becomes Parallax. I was mad for years for what they did to Kilowog. Kyle then receives the only remaining GL ring Greatest American Hero style with no instruction on how to use it. There's some light-hearted moments as Kyle learns to use the ring right up until the moment where "fridging" came from. It's one of the most awful moments in comics. I remember Kyle being a more care-free lantern but I don't see how after what he is put through in this book. I do love how Kyle uses the ring far more inventively than Hal Jordan ever did. You can see the artist in him in his constructs. There's a couple of Kyle's appearances that are utter crap. R.E.B.E.L.S. has some truly awful artwork and the New Titans crossover was rough.
April 21, 2022
This was a pretty fun read!
We have the fall of Hal Jordan as we enter the emerald twilight arc and reading it after rebirth was a fun experience, its not a bad story but Johns uses it to craft his lore and an epic GL saga so in that regards a must read story and we get introduced to Kyle which was fun!
We have him fight against some new villains like Ohm and hanging out with his new GF alex and also battling Mongul and a team up with Superman which was fun, his fan-boy worship of Clark really was weird and true of so many people imo and then encountering Major Force and what he does to Alex and how that changes him and also the palce where "Fridging" came to be from but yeah a tough moment for Kyle, encountering Hla and fighting him during Zero hour.. the main event is bad but the tie in here was okay and then we have him crossover with the Legions and hang out with ex-GLs which was weird and then those issues with Titans as they fight Psimon.. umm yeah a decent story and leads him to a new team!
So yeah good volume overall with a new character and which has loads of potential going ahead and does well to show his strengths and weakness and give him a tragedy to evolve from and also setting up the fall for one of the most imp dc heroes which leads to an epic run way down the line but yeah good story and I like the art so much better because of the re-colorings and all. Marz writing is simple and action filled and many people might like it because of that so yeah.
We have the fall of Hal Jordan as we enter the emerald twilight arc and reading it after rebirth was a fun experience, its not a bad story but Johns uses it to craft his lore and an epic GL saga so in that regards a must read story and we get introduced to Kyle which was fun!
We have him fight against some new villains like Ohm and hanging out with his new GF alex and also battling Mongul and a team up with Superman which was fun, his fan-boy worship of Clark really was weird and true of so many people imo and then encountering Major Force and what he does to Alex and how that changes him and also the palce where "Fridging" came to be from but yeah a tough moment for Kyle, encountering Hla and fighting him during Zero hour.. the main event is bad but the tie in here was okay and then we have him crossover with the Legions and hang out with ex-GLs which was weird and then those issues with Titans as they fight Psimon.. umm yeah a decent story and leads him to a new team!
So yeah good volume overall with a new character and which has loads of potential going ahead and does well to show his strengths and weakness and give him a tragedy to evolve from and also setting up the fall for one of the most imp dc heroes which leads to an epic run way down the line but yeah good story and I like the art so much better because of the re-colorings and all. Marz writing is simple and action filled and many people might like it because of that so yeah.
January 9, 2023
Starting off a lot stronger than it finishes, this is a collection of Kyle Rayner stories that serve to establish him as the new Green Lantern as well as his dynamics with other DC mainstays. What works is the different ambiance he brings to the role. A freelance artist wielding a weapon that thrives off the creativity (and willpower) of the user? It should be a winning combination. Where this could be improved is the choice of stories used. None are particularly awful, and all seem to serve a purpose when it comes to enriching Kyle's personality, but the noticeable shifts in quality and art can be distracting. Not to mention that many of the arcs feel hastily mashed together without any thought when it comes to fluidity. Overall, it's a good starting point if you're looking to start exploring Kyle Rayner comics as long as you're prepared to jump around a little.
June 18, 2018
Nice volume collecting the rise of Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern. Also includes some of Emerald Twilight and Zero Hour to bring the fall of Hal Jordan into perspective. Kyle's one of my favorite GLs ever, especially after his star turn in Tom King's recent The Omega Men: The End is Here, so this was a nice retrospective. The last few issues starring the New Titans were particularly awful, though, and some of the 90s era art work is just hard to look at.
There is an afterword by Ron Marz, who wrote most of this book, but I think it was published some time ago in an earlier collection. It would have been great for DC and Marz to face the event known as the "refrigerating of women" and the way that particular event galvanized many women creators, especially Gail Simone, into getting involved in the comics storytelling aspect. It would be great if DC took the time to add forewards/afterwards/whateverwards to these older collections, putting the stories in historical context, and maybe including essays addressing some of the out of date situations.
Hopefully, DC will continue collecting Kyle's stories (and Connor Hawke's too).
There is an afterword by Ron Marz, who wrote most of this book, but I think it was published some time ago in an earlier collection. It would have been great for DC and Marz to face the event known as the "refrigerating of women" and the way that particular event galvanized many women creators, especially Gail Simone, into getting involved in the comics storytelling aspect. It would be great if DC took the time to add forewards/afterwards/whateverwards to these older collections, putting the stories in historical context, and maybe including essays addressing some of the out of date situations.
Hopefully, DC will continue collecting Kyle's stories (and Connor Hawke's too).
December 19, 2017
My first exposure to Kyle Rayner was while reading Connor Hawke’s time as Green Arrow in the late 1990s. I wanted to read more of him and this collection made that super convenient. It gives a nice overview of what happened to Hal Jordan prior to Kyle getting the ring, and it’s also a great introduction to Kyle.
I’m not the biggest fan of Green Lantern so it was hard to get into the story at first. However, Kyle is such a charming character that it didn’t take long for me to love him. A superhero who’s an artist, wears cool leather jackets and lives in Greenwich Village? I never realized it was everything I could have wanted.
Another thing that pleasantly surprised me was Darryl Banks’ art. Kyle looked great; he had cool hair and great style. So many 90s comics have extremely cringey artwork that makes it hard to read due to the second hand embarrassment.
Overall, it was a great read that makes me excited to get the second volume when it is released in March.
I’m not the biggest fan of Green Lantern so it was hard to get into the story at first. However, Kyle is such a charming character that it didn’t take long for me to love him. A superhero who’s an artist, wears cool leather jackets and lives in Greenwich Village? I never realized it was everything I could have wanted.
Another thing that pleasantly surprised me was Darryl Banks’ art. Kyle looked great; he had cool hair and great style. So many 90s comics have extremely cringey artwork that makes it hard to read due to the second hand embarrassment.
Overall, it was a great read that makes me excited to get the second volume when it is released in March.
January 19, 2018
Good start to the Kyle Rayner Green Lantern run. It starts out pretty lighthearted but gets VERY dark and serious pretty quickly, as Kyle finds out that playing superhero isn't just fun and games.
The R.E.B.E.L.S. issue wasn't very good, and the artwork was awful. I wasn't really into the Titan issues, either. The core lantern issues, however, were all really good.
The R.E.B.E.L.S. issue wasn't very good, and the artwork was awful. I wasn't really into the Titan issues, either. The core lantern issues, however, were all really good.
May 8, 2020
90's comics get a really bad rap and this collection which includes the origin of Kyle Rayner proves how that reputation is not always correct. Kyle's stories in New Guardians and Green Lantern Corps from New 52 made Kyle not only my favorite Green Lantern but earned him a spot on my top 5 favorite (revised adult) superhero list.
So naturally I wanted to go back and read his first appearance and following stories. Now, if you know me, you know I couldn't just start with his first appearance in Green Lantern #48, I had to go back and read the 47 comics books that lead up to Kyle's debut- a few of those issues do deserve the bad rep that 90's comics have. Kyle's first appearance in #48 consist of only one panel of his character, unnamed, looking towards the sky-foreshadowing, so most of this volume does deal with Hal Jordan's break down which leads to Earth needing a new Green Lantern. I enjoyed the early issues of Kyle reluctantly becoming a super hero, without any training, which is one of the reason I like his character so much. This collection does have that dark grittiness that turned off many long time comic fans in the 90's, and does include the infamous "woman in the refrigerator" as it came to be called, plot device of violently killing women as a catalyst to motivate the hero. The art work too is a little cringy at times, but I am still all in and have already started volume 2.
So naturally I wanted to go back and read his first appearance and following stories. Now, if you know me, you know I couldn't just start with his first appearance in Green Lantern #48, I had to go back and read the 47 comics books that lead up to Kyle's debut- a few of those issues do deserve the bad rep that 90's comics have. Kyle's first appearance in #48 consist of only one panel of his character, unnamed, looking towards the sky-foreshadowing, so most of this volume does deal with Hal Jordan's break down which leads to Earth needing a new Green Lantern. I enjoyed the early issues of Kyle reluctantly becoming a super hero, without any training, which is one of the reason I like his character so much. This collection does have that dark grittiness that turned off many long time comic fans in the 90's, and does include the infamous "woman in the refrigerator" as it came to be called, plot device of violently killing women as a catalyst to motivate the hero. The art work too is a little cringy at times, but I am still all in and have already started volume 2.
February 19, 2022
I’ve never really been interested in Green Lantern comics until I came across a post about Kyle Rayner online. A twenty-something freelance artist given the most powerful weapon in the universe in the back alley of a bar? I wanted to read about that, I love seeing stories where heroes come into their own and start from nothing.
Kyle Rayner takes on the mantle of Green Lantern and he has no idea what he’s doing. He sees the ring as an opportunity to get his life and his act together. But he soon realizes all that power may not be worth the price. I wasn’t really into Green Lantern like I was with BatFam or Flash Family, but Kyle was such a great character it wasn’t hard to ease into starting a new DC series. He’s charming and has some funny lines. I liked that he was an artist in his early 20s living in NY before becoming the Green Lantern he was just figuring out life and now he has to figure out being a hero on top of that. His background and work experience makes him an interesting hero. He’s creative and solves problems from an angle that other heroes normally wouldn’t take. I think this volume does a good job of establishing Kyle’s character and approach to being Green Lantern. 4.5 ⭐️
Kyle Rayner takes on the mantle of Green Lantern and he has no idea what he’s doing. He sees the ring as an opportunity to get his life and his act together. But he soon realizes all that power may not be worth the price. I wasn’t really into Green Lantern like I was with BatFam or Flash Family, but Kyle was such a great character it wasn’t hard to ease into starting a new DC series. He’s charming and has some funny lines. I liked that he was an artist in his early 20s living in NY before becoming the Green Lantern he was just figuring out life and now he has to figure out being a hero on top of that. His background and work experience makes him an interesting hero. He’s creative and solves problems from an angle that other heroes normally wouldn’t take. I think this volume does a good job of establishing Kyle’s character and approach to being Green Lantern. 4.5 ⭐️
October 5, 2021
One of the greatest Green Lantern stories along with some other gems. The fall and ultimate demise of Hal Jordan and the introduction to one of my favorite Green Lantern corps, Kyle Rayner.
May 27, 2020
Eu quis tanto gostar do Kyle Rayner. E meu sentimento agora é de que a leitura desse encadernado foi exatamente o maior obstáculo na minha vontade de conhecer esse Lanterna.
A grande parte dos fãs mais antigos do Lanterna Verde tiveram seu primeiro contato com o herói durante a fase do roteirista Ron Marz, responsável por revitalizar a revista e alcançar novos leitores em parte por simplificar a mitologia do personagem. Ao tirar de cena a tropa, os guardiões e o próprio portador do anel, Marz ganhou uma liberdade rara quando se trata de escrever um personagem que já completava 50 anos na época.
Eu tive interesse no Lanterna desde criança assistindo o John Stewart na clássica animação da Liga da Justiça, o verde já era minha cor favorita desde então e ter um anel que concretizasse todas as minhas vontades foi meu sonho infantil por um tempo. Lá no final da adolescência meu interesse por Battlestar Galactica e ficção científica reacenderam minha vontade de saber mais sobre as aventuras espaciais do Lanterna, mas ainda demorei uns anos pra que tomasse a coragem de enfrentar a cronologia do personagem. Foi então que descobri a fase do Kyle Rayner, que deu uma espécie de soft reboot da série e era recomendado por podcasters de gibi e fãs do herói como uma das melhores portas de entrada para novos leitores. Na mesma época a DC lançava os Novos 52, mas o reboot pouco alterou ou apagou o histórico do personagem. No fim das contas Novo Amanhecer, o primeiro arco do novo Lanterna para novos leitores, não me conquistou. O que de fato me veio me cativar algum tempo depois foram as histórias do Hal Jordan, sua origem em Amanhecer Esmeralda, as histórias com o Arqueiro nos anos 70 e as irregulares edições da era de bronze, o herói falho, mas de bom coração, um ser humano tentando fazer a coisa certa com seus poderes sobre-humanos (que ocasionalmente conversava com uma estrela-do-mar alienígena).
Porém eu sempre soube o que me aguardava enquanto lia as histórias do Hal ludibriando vilões interestelares com sede de poder, eu sabia o que os anos 90 me reservavam, o fim estava próximo eu podia sentir. Certo dia, inspirado pela bravura dos portadores do anel, me senti forte e destemido o suficiente para finalmente ler o trágico fim do meu, agora favorito, Lanterna. Chateado, choroso, mas não muito decepcionado eu terminei o volume de Crepúsculo Esmeralda que reunia as últimas ediçõesainda bem que nada é tão definitivo assim nos quadrinhos de Hal Jordan como Lanterna.
E é aqui que entra o livro Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Vol. 1 em questão. Finalmente eu poderia ler as histórias que tanto haviam me recomendado antes e agora eu tinha todo o background necessário pra entender como Kyle Rayner foi um Lanterna importante para os fãs e para o universo DC. De fato as minhas partes favoritas do volume são os momentos em que Kyle protagoniza, descobrindo os novos poderes e a nova responsabilidade, interagindo com alienígenas em um bar intergaláctico do outro lado do universo, se mudando pra Nova York e lutando com Mongul ao lado do Superman.
O maior problema aqui é a organização e seleção das histórias do encadernado. Só a derrocada de Hal Jordan toma as primeiras 80 páginas do livro, me entenda, eu aprendi a aceitar e respeitar o arco Crepúsculo Esmeralda, mas a minha ideia ao pegar um livro de título Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Vol. 1 é ler um pouco mais sobre o Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner. Outros problemas como a desproporcional crueldade de certos acontecimentos da história são quase perdoáveis porque expressam o espírito do seu tempo, histórias violentas foram um modismo persistente e irritante durante os anos 90 e nada vai mudar isso, só nos resta aprender com os erros do passado. Porém o espaço que havia para redimir as escolhas, às vezes reprováveis, de Marz é desperdiçado com histórias medíocres de outros títulos da mesma época com a escassa participação do novo Lanterna. A sensação que fica é de que depois de mais de 350 páginas ainda conheço pouco do personagem que dá título ao compilado.
A arte agradável e sem exageros do Darryl Banks evita os excessos que podem ser vistos nas outras histórias do livro sem a assinatura do artista, o que facilita a leitura. Também é preciso destacar o bom trabalho de Banks na criação do novo uniforme do herói, o design conseguiu combinar a criatividade de artista visual do Kyle com a imponência própria de um Lanterna.
Esse volume foi conturbado, mas não sem os seus méritos, seu maior defeito foi não entregar o suficiente do personagem que motivou a minha leitura. Dito isto, eu ainda quero gostar do Kyle Rayner.
A grande parte dos fãs mais antigos do Lanterna Verde tiveram seu primeiro contato com o herói durante a fase do roteirista Ron Marz, responsável por revitalizar a revista e alcançar novos leitores em parte por simplificar a mitologia do personagem. Ao tirar de cena a tropa, os guardiões e o próprio portador do anel, Marz ganhou uma liberdade rara quando se trata de escrever um personagem que já completava 50 anos na época.
Eu tive interesse no Lanterna desde criança assistindo o John Stewart na clássica animação da Liga da Justiça, o verde já era minha cor favorita desde então e ter um anel que concretizasse todas as minhas vontades foi meu sonho infantil por um tempo. Lá no final da adolescência meu interesse por Battlestar Galactica e ficção científica reacenderam minha vontade de saber mais sobre as aventuras espaciais do Lanterna, mas ainda demorei uns anos pra que tomasse a coragem de enfrentar a cronologia do personagem. Foi então que descobri a fase do Kyle Rayner, que deu uma espécie de soft reboot da série e era recomendado por podcasters de gibi e fãs do herói como uma das melhores portas de entrada para novos leitores. Na mesma época a DC lançava os Novos 52, mas o reboot pouco alterou ou apagou o histórico do personagem. No fim das contas Novo Amanhecer, o primeiro arco do novo Lanterna para novos leitores, não me conquistou. O que de fato me veio me cativar algum tempo depois foram as histórias do Hal Jordan, sua origem em Amanhecer Esmeralda, as histórias com o Arqueiro nos anos 70 e as irregulares edições da era de bronze, o herói falho, mas de bom coração, um ser humano tentando fazer a coisa certa com seus poderes sobre-humanos (que ocasionalmente conversava com uma estrela-do-mar alienígena).
Porém eu sempre soube o que me aguardava enquanto lia as histórias do Hal ludibriando vilões interestelares com sede de poder, eu sabia o que os anos 90 me reservavam, o fim estava próximo eu podia sentir. Certo dia, inspirado pela bravura dos portadores do anel, me senti forte e destemido o suficiente para finalmente ler o trágico fim do meu, agora favorito, Lanterna. Chateado, choroso, mas não muito decepcionado eu terminei o volume de Crepúsculo Esmeralda que reunia as últimas edições
E é aqui que entra o livro Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Vol. 1 em questão. Finalmente eu poderia ler as histórias que tanto haviam me recomendado antes e agora eu tinha todo o background necessário pra entender como Kyle Rayner foi um Lanterna importante para os fãs e para o universo DC. De fato as minhas partes favoritas do volume são os momentos em que Kyle protagoniza, descobrindo os novos poderes e a nova responsabilidade, interagindo com alienígenas em um bar intergaláctico do outro lado do universo, se mudando pra Nova York e lutando com Mongul ao lado do Superman.
O maior problema aqui é a organização e seleção das histórias do encadernado. Só a derrocada de Hal Jordan toma as primeiras 80 páginas do livro, me entenda, eu aprendi a aceitar e respeitar o arco Crepúsculo Esmeralda, mas a minha ideia ao pegar um livro de título Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Vol. 1 é ler um pouco mais sobre o Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner. Outros problemas como a desproporcional crueldade de certos acontecimentos da história são quase perdoáveis porque expressam o espírito do seu tempo, histórias violentas foram um modismo persistente e irritante durante os anos 90 e nada vai mudar isso, só nos resta aprender com os erros do passado. Porém o espaço que havia para redimir as escolhas, às vezes reprováveis, de Marz é desperdiçado com histórias medíocres de outros títulos da mesma época com a escassa participação do novo Lanterna. A sensação que fica é de que depois de mais de 350 páginas ainda conheço pouco do personagem que dá título ao compilado.
A arte agradável e sem exageros do Darryl Banks evita os excessos que podem ser vistos nas outras histórias do livro sem a assinatura do artista, o que facilita a leitura. Também é preciso destacar o bom trabalho de Banks na criação do novo uniforme do herói, o design conseguiu combinar a criatividade de artista visual do Kyle com a imponência própria de um Lanterna.
Esse volume foi conturbado, mas não sem os seus méritos, seu maior defeito foi não entregar o suficiente do personagem que motivou a minha leitura. Dito isto, eu ainda quero gostar do Kyle Rayner.
May 1, 2023
3.5 stars
Some of the iconic GL stories in one place.
Some of the iconic GL stories in one place.
December 18, 2020
The beginning of Kyle Rayner's career as Green Lantern will always be marred by the fact that it featured one of the worst examples of the trope that it would come to be the name for - Women in Refrigerators. Between that and the haphazard way they handled Hal's descent into madness (over the course of a three issue arc, he goes from one of their best to a stone cold killer.)
However.
Despite the rocky start, I adore Kyle as a character, and a lot of the adventures that would happen to him later are quite fun to read. Kyle starts out as an amateur, but gets better as he goes on, becoming more established in the greater DCU. He's not Hal Jordan, and that's a good thing - he felt more vibrant and more lively. Even his handling of Hal would become better as time went on, both with the eventual fate of Hal Jordan (sacrificing his life during Final Night) and with the portrayal of a younger Hal Jordan in the Emerald Knights saga.
It's a rocky road from one of the darker ages of comics, but one of the things I liked most about this era was that characters were allowed to progress and change, and legacies advanced. Wally West stepped into his own as the Flash. Kyle Rayner progressed and became a good Green Lantern in his own right. Connor Hawke did his best to honor his father as Green Arrow. Impulse burst onto the scene as a ball of energy, and sure, he wasn't the Kid Flash people had known, but he was quite fun in his own right.
It was a messy time of a lot of experimental stories, but a lot of them were fun to read. And for me, Green Lantern was kind of my stepping stone into the larger universe. I started right around issue #100. And I wanted to know - who are all these characters? So tracking down Green Lantern books led me to wanting to read more Superman, and then read Zero Hour since it featured Jordan's reign as Parallax. And then I wanted to know about Crisis, and then the Flash, and so on. It was my window into the universe at large, and Kyle will always have a special place in my heart as a result. He'll always be my Green Lantern.
However.
Despite the rocky start, I adore Kyle as a character, and a lot of the adventures that would happen to him later are quite fun to read. Kyle starts out as an amateur, but gets better as he goes on, becoming more established in the greater DCU. He's not Hal Jordan, and that's a good thing - he felt more vibrant and more lively. Even his handling of Hal would become better as time went on, both with the eventual fate of Hal Jordan (sacrificing his life during Final Night) and with the portrayal of a younger Hal Jordan in the Emerald Knights saga.
It's a rocky road from one of the darker ages of comics, but one of the things I liked most about this era was that characters were allowed to progress and change, and legacies advanced. Wally West stepped into his own as the Flash. Kyle Rayner progressed and became a good Green Lantern in his own right. Connor Hawke did his best to honor his father as Green Arrow. Impulse burst onto the scene as a ball of energy, and sure, he wasn't the Kid Flash people had known, but he was quite fun in his own right.
It was a messy time of a lot of experimental stories, but a lot of them were fun to read. And for me, Green Lantern was kind of my stepping stone into the larger universe. I started right around issue #100. And I wanted to know - who are all these characters? So tracking down Green Lantern books led me to wanting to read more Superman, and then read Zero Hour since it featured Jordan's reign as Parallax. And then I wanted to know about Crisis, and then the Flash, and so on. It was my window into the universe at large, and Kyle will always have a special place in my heart as a result. He'll always be my Green Lantern.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2020
Synopsis: Surprisingly, this begins with Emerald Dawn, which is the story arc in which Hal Jordan single handedly destroys the Green Lantern Corps after the destruction of his home town, Coast City. He kills friends and guardians and absorbs the Central Power Battery. Ganthet, the last living guardian, gives the last power ring ever to Kyle Rayner on earth. Kyle uses this power to get back with his photographer girlfriend Alex DeWitt. Together they try to benefit each other, Kyle with his superhero status and Alex with her photography cred. Kyle faces off against Mongul and meets Superman. A homeless man, who witnessed Ganthet give Kyle the ring, gives a green piece of metal to a company, who kills him.
The company hires Major Force to track down Green Lantern with the only lead they have, which is Alex DeWitt. While Kyle is out doing superhero things, Major Force interrogates Alex. When Alex refuses to give up any information on Kyle, Major Force strangles her to death and stuffs her in the fridge for Kyle to discover later. Kyle fights Major Force, but they're interrupted and Kyle leaves. The green material turns into a power battery for Kyle and Alan Scott updates him on the history of the Green Lantern Corps. The next issue is confusing because it jumps to Kyle fighting Parallax on Oa, which results in Oa being destroyed.
Kyle is then lost in space where he meets a former Green Lantern named Dara. They sleep together and she steals his ring, only to discover it won't work for her. She then kills herself. I'm not even going to attempt to cover the next issue because I had no idea what was going on, but basically Kyle finds his way back to earth. Kyle is possessed by Psimon who wants to kill the Teen Titans, even though they aren't the same ones as before. Eventually, Kyle breaks Psimon's control and he and the Teen Titans defeat Psimon together.
Review: So I originally bought this to get a better idea of Kyle Rayner's character because from what I have read of him, I didn't like him. However, he's an important Green Lantern and I felt I owed it to him to give him another chance. I definitely liked him more after reading this.
However, I thought it was a bit of a rough start. Kyle is kind of a douchebag. He uses his powers to get back with Alex, who really doesn't seem all that interested in him. I dunno, Kyle is a deadbeat. I'm still wondering why in the world Ganthet looked at Kyle and was like, "Yes, this is the one that will be suitable for the last Green Lantern ring." But I have to give credit where credit is do, throughout this volume, it becomes more and more clear how alone he is. It's quite a legacy that has been placed on his shoulders.
I want to get to the most controversial part of this book: "fridging." The term "fridging" originated with Kyle's story arc in which his girlfriend, Alex, is murdered and shoved in a fridge for him to find. This is done purely to further Kyle's own plot as a hero. It's fucked up, I'm not going to lie. The way Alex dies is upsetting to look at and even more unsetting when you see what has been done with her body.
What I find the most ironic is that Ron Marz has a short essay in the back of the volume and it begins with the fact that both he and Kyle made mistakes. However, at no point in the essay does Marz bring up Alex's death, though that would certainly seem to be what he's talking about when he says "mistakes." I don't know, it was annoying. Like just come out and say, "yes, I killed a woman off to further Kyle's plot." Look, the truth is, I didn't even like Alex that much. I thought she was a desperate fame seeker, but she didn't deserve to die like that over Kyle.
Not only does one woman with ties to Kyle die, but two die. The second is Dara, who blows her own brains out because Kyle's ring doesn't work for her and she cannot live without being a Green Lantern. I was more forgiving of this and I felt the emotional impact of it. It goes to show you the true depths of Hal's actions in Emerald Twilight. Kyle's reaction to both Alex and Dara's deaths also made me like him more. He's angry with Alex's death and with Dara's there's just this look of despair. He does care about life.
Some of the issues, I didn't get what was going on because I didn't know the characters, but I'd like to mention Emerald Twilight. I liked Emerald Twilight a lot. It sucks to watch a hero fall, but at the same time, I love watching them go back and fuck up everything in their path. I hate the guardians so it was satisfying to watch them die, not gonna lie. Also, I just love Hal's Parallax costume. So dope.
Overall, not bad. I think I'll definitely be checking out the other two volumes.
The company hires Major Force to track down Green Lantern with the only lead they have, which is Alex DeWitt. While Kyle is out doing superhero things, Major Force interrogates Alex. When Alex refuses to give up any information on Kyle, Major Force strangles her to death and stuffs her in the fridge for Kyle to discover later. Kyle fights Major Force, but they're interrupted and Kyle leaves. The green material turns into a power battery for Kyle and Alan Scott updates him on the history of the Green Lantern Corps. The next issue is confusing because it jumps to Kyle fighting Parallax on Oa, which results in Oa being destroyed.
Kyle is then lost in space where he meets a former Green Lantern named Dara. They sleep together and she steals his ring, only to discover it won't work for her. She then kills herself. I'm not even going to attempt to cover the next issue because I had no idea what was going on, but basically Kyle finds his way back to earth. Kyle is possessed by Psimon who wants to kill the Teen Titans, even though they aren't the same ones as before. Eventually, Kyle breaks Psimon's control and he and the Teen Titans defeat Psimon together.
Review: So I originally bought this to get a better idea of Kyle Rayner's character because from what I have read of him, I didn't like him. However, he's an important Green Lantern and I felt I owed it to him to give him another chance. I definitely liked him more after reading this.
However, I thought it was a bit of a rough start. Kyle is kind of a douchebag. He uses his powers to get back with Alex, who really doesn't seem all that interested in him. I dunno, Kyle is a deadbeat. I'm still wondering why in the world Ganthet looked at Kyle and was like, "Yes, this is the one that will be suitable for the last Green Lantern ring." But I have to give credit where credit is do, throughout this volume, it becomes more and more clear how alone he is. It's quite a legacy that has been placed on his shoulders.
I want to get to the most controversial part of this book: "fridging." The term "fridging" originated with Kyle's story arc in which his girlfriend, Alex, is murdered and shoved in a fridge for him to find. This is done purely to further Kyle's own plot as a hero. It's fucked up, I'm not going to lie. The way Alex dies is upsetting to look at and even more unsetting when you see what has been done with her body.
What I find the most ironic is that Ron Marz has a short essay in the back of the volume and it begins with the fact that both he and Kyle made mistakes. However, at no point in the essay does Marz bring up Alex's death, though that would certainly seem to be what he's talking about when he says "mistakes." I don't know, it was annoying. Like just come out and say, "yes, I killed a woman off to further Kyle's plot." Look, the truth is, I didn't even like Alex that much. I thought she was a desperate fame seeker, but she didn't deserve to die like that over Kyle.
Not only does one woman with ties to Kyle die, but two die. The second is Dara, who blows her own brains out because Kyle's ring doesn't work for her and she cannot live without being a Green Lantern. I was more forgiving of this and I felt the emotional impact of it. It goes to show you the true depths of Hal's actions in Emerald Twilight. Kyle's reaction to both Alex and Dara's deaths also made me like him more. He's angry with Alex's death and with Dara's there's just this look of despair. He does care about life.
Some of the issues, I didn't get what was going on because I didn't know the characters, but I'd like to mention Emerald Twilight. I liked Emerald Twilight a lot. It sucks to watch a hero fall, but at the same time, I love watching them go back and fuck up everything in their path. I hate the guardians so it was satisfying to watch them die, not gonna lie. Also, I just love Hal's Parallax costume. So dope.
Overall, not bad. I think I'll definitely be checking out the other two volumes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2019
Alright... I picked up this graphic novel because I haven't read a ton of Kyle Rayner, but whenever he appears in other comics, I really like him. I did not realize going into this (though I probably should have) that I was getting Hal's mental breakdown of murder or the famous "girlfriend in the fridge" moment. So... wowzers. First: Hal having his entire city destroyed and then using his ring to "reconstruct it," then being reprimanded by the Guardians for his abuse of power, and then going on to destroy the GL Corps--that whole thing was pretty intense. I'm sorry Batman... you stay in Gotham and be cheerful. I'll just be over here with Hal Jordan, going on this incredibly dark roller coaster of psychosis. Follow that up with Kyle's girlfriend (who totally was nothing but a plot device.... Kudos to us for learning not to do that with our female characters--at least, I haven't read any others that blatant).... Yeah... all of that together was a pretty crazy read. That said... it was also a heck of a page-turner. Even though it was a 350 pages, I devoured it in one sitting. And despite all the dark moments, there were still some fun ones: Kyle learning how to use his ring, as well as a couple of nods to the Marvel Universe (namely Kyle referencing the Hulk and then him moving to Bleecker Street and coming across Wong from "Doctor Strange"). The team-up between Kyle and Superman was also pretty exciting, and there was some pretty cool space action. That said, the final stories--the first about the space Civil War and the other about the Teen Titans--didn't grab me as much. I don't have any emotional ties with those space people, and these Teen Titans I haven't read much about, so I didn't have much investment there either. This collection was about Kyle, and while I definitely liked getting to see him grow in the order of publication--making those last stories still really nice tie-ins--they didn't have the same "What's going to happen next?!?" pull that the rest of the collection did. Still, this is definitely worth a read, if for no other reason than you get: (1) Kyle's origin; (2) Hal's downfall; and (3) The famous fridge. It's an interesting time in comic history, to say the least, and an intriguing look at how comic storytelling has changed and evolved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2020
Eu sei até qual edição vocês tão pensando. Ela tá aqui mesmo, mas, na boa, o que é a edição da guria na geladeira perto de qualquer gibi do Mark Millar? Ou do Garth Ennis? Na época foi chocante, mas hoje em dia, depois de ver The Boys...
Enfim, a história começa com o Crepúsculo Esmeralda, a queda de Jordan e a destruição da Tropa dos Lanterna Verdes, três edições bem fortes em que o Halzito passa o terror em todo mundo, e o que eles fizeram com o Killowog continua imperdoável até hoje.
Enquanto Oa é destruída, Kyle Rayner vai fazer um xixi no beco do lado do boteco e encontra um anão azul que entrega um anel verde para ele, e aí ele vira o último Lanterna Verde.
Tirando a questão da geladeira que, na hora, deve ter parecido uma boa ideia, mas não é; o interessante é o crescimento do Kyle, as dúvidas, as derrotas, as vitórias até o momento em que ele aceita que ele é o último Lanterna Verde e foda-se, tem momentos na vida que a gente faz o que tem de fazer e azar, ninguém precisa gostar, ninguém precisa aprovar, a única necessidade é acreditar em quem a gente é. E nós somos bem maiores do que pensamos.
Claro ele se envolve na Zero Hora, afinal era o evento da época e envolvia o Parallax, ele se perde no espaço - numa das melhores edições ele encontra uma ex-Lanterna e as coisas não correm como o planejado -, ele dá uma coça do Mongul - com a ajuda do Superman - e no Major Força, ele recebe lições de vida do Alan Scott, ele se muda pra Nova Iorque e ele se envolve num crossover com os Titãs da época - Arsenal, Donna "Darkstar" Troy, Terra, Mutano, Miragem e mais uns que eu não sei bem quem são - que é ruim de doer, horrível, terrível, sério quase estraga todo o resto. Eu acho que, há críticas, mas é um bom começo para o "Torchbearer".
Enfim, a história começa com o Crepúsculo Esmeralda, a queda de Jordan e a destruição da Tropa dos Lanterna Verdes, três edições bem fortes em que o Halzito passa o terror em todo mundo, e o que eles fizeram com o Killowog continua imperdoável até hoje.
Enquanto Oa é destruída, Kyle Rayner vai fazer um xixi no beco do lado do boteco e encontra um anão azul que entrega um anel verde para ele, e aí ele vira o último Lanterna Verde.
Tirando a questão da geladeira que, na hora, deve ter parecido uma boa ideia, mas não é; o interessante é o crescimento do Kyle, as dúvidas, as derrotas, as vitórias até o momento em que ele aceita que ele é o último Lanterna Verde e foda-se, tem momentos na vida que a gente faz o que tem de fazer e azar, ninguém precisa gostar, ninguém precisa aprovar, a única necessidade é acreditar em quem a gente é. E nós somos bem maiores do que pensamos.
Claro ele se envolve na Zero Hora, afinal era o evento da época e envolvia o Parallax, ele se perde no espaço - numa das melhores edições ele encontra uma ex-Lanterna e as coisas não correm como o planejado -, ele dá uma coça do Mongul - com a ajuda do Superman - e no Major Força, ele recebe lições de vida do Alan Scott, ele se muda pra Nova Iorque e ele se envolve num crossover com os Titãs da época - Arsenal, Donna "Darkstar" Troy, Terra, Mutano, Miragem e mais uns que eu não sei bem quem são - que é ruim de doer, horrível, terrível, sério quase estraga todo o resto. Eu acho que, há críticas, mas é um bom começo para o "Torchbearer".
September 20, 2024
Green Lantern as '90s Slacker Everyman!
I have to admit: I'm a little biased about these comics. I grew up on Kyle Rayner as the one-and-only Green Lantern, and so these stories are foundational to me. Of COURSE Hal Jordan went crazy and destroyed the Corps! Of COURSE Ganthet, the last Guardian, handed the ring off to the first worthy person he could find! Kyle Rayner was my everyman superhero as a kid: an easygoing artist with a wildly overactive imagination who has to figure out how to be a hero when all that power and responsibility just gets dropped into his lap.
Coming back to these books as an adult, I find that, for the most part, I still love 'em! Ron Marz's scripting is charmingly naturalistic, with lots of quipping and banter-- you get to know and like Kyle as a character VERY quickly, even though he starts out as a pretty flawed guy. But the real star of the book is the artwork: penciller Darryl Banks and inker Romeo Tanghal give the book a crispness, a level of detail, and an energy that draws you right in.
Now... I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the elephant in the room: the violent and unnecessary murder of Kyle's girlfriend Alex. It's obvious that Marz is trying to shape Kyle into something fairly close to DC's version of Spider-Man, and unfortunately, he decided to do this by giving him a Gwen Stacy of his own to grieve. It's gratuitous and misogynist, and it's not even the only edgy killing-off of a female character in this volume... but it IS the most famous (this is where the term "fridging" comes from). I can't justify it or apologize for it; it sucks.
But there IS more to this volume than its biggest, ugliest problems. It's a rocky start for a fantastic character, and from here, things would only get better...!
I have to admit: I'm a little biased about these comics. I grew up on Kyle Rayner as the one-and-only Green Lantern, and so these stories are foundational to me. Of COURSE Hal Jordan went crazy and destroyed the Corps! Of COURSE Ganthet, the last Guardian, handed the ring off to the first worthy person he could find! Kyle Rayner was my everyman superhero as a kid: an easygoing artist with a wildly overactive imagination who has to figure out how to be a hero when all that power and responsibility just gets dropped into his lap.
Coming back to these books as an adult, I find that, for the most part, I still love 'em! Ron Marz's scripting is charmingly naturalistic, with lots of quipping and banter-- you get to know and like Kyle as a character VERY quickly, even though he starts out as a pretty flawed guy. But the real star of the book is the artwork: penciller Darryl Banks and inker Romeo Tanghal give the book a crispness, a level of detail, and an energy that draws you right in.
Now... I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the elephant in the room: the violent and unnecessary murder of Kyle's girlfriend Alex. It's obvious that Marz is trying to shape Kyle into something fairly close to DC's version of Spider-Man, and unfortunately, he decided to do this by giving him a Gwen Stacy of his own to grieve. It's gratuitous and misogynist, and it's not even the only edgy killing-off of a female character in this volume... but it IS the most famous (this is where the term "fridging" comes from). I can't justify it or apologize for it; it sucks.
But there IS more to this volume than its biggest, ugliest problems. It's a rocky start for a fantastic character, and from here, things would only get better...!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2019
3.5 stars
I’ve always been a fan of Green Lantern - in the character’s many different forms. However, it was the Kyle Rainer version from the mid-90s that I grew the most attached to. So I was happy to see DC Comics collecting the early issues of Kyle’s start as GL in two separate volumes (and was disappointed to see that DC cancelled plans for a 3rd or any future volumes).
The creative team had the unenviable task of getting rid of Hal Jordan and GL Corp and soft-restarting the whole series around just one single Green Lantern ring bearer. The story can be rough and brutal, and the tasteless way in which writer Ron Marz does away with Kyle’s girlfriend still feels wrong 20+ years later. I understand Marz wanted to give Kyle some motivation, some context to understand the dangerous new word that he had entered by accepting the Green Lantern ring, but how he went about it was just wrong. He could have achieved the same outcome, even provide Kyle with devastating loss as a motivator, without treating the character of Alex in such a callous fashion.
That being said, the new design for Green Lantern is fun and unique. The art looks great from Darryl Banks. The book’s focus on Kyle learning his way can be fun and entertaining.
The drawbacks to this collection are the included issues from REBELS ‘94 and The New Titans. They really don’t provide anything interesting regarding Kyle’s new adventures as GL, in fact they read almost contradictory to what Ron Marz was just getting started with in his writing.
I might be slightly influenced by the nostalgia factor, but I really enjoyed reading this collection, and look forward to reading Volume 2.
I’ve always been a fan of Green Lantern - in the character’s many different forms. However, it was the Kyle Rainer version from the mid-90s that I grew the most attached to. So I was happy to see DC Comics collecting the early issues of Kyle’s start as GL in two separate volumes (and was disappointed to see that DC cancelled plans for a 3rd or any future volumes).
The creative team had the unenviable task of getting rid of Hal Jordan and GL Corp and soft-restarting the whole series around just one single Green Lantern ring bearer. The story can be rough and brutal, and the tasteless way in which writer Ron Marz does away with Kyle’s girlfriend still feels wrong 20+ years later. I understand Marz wanted to give Kyle some motivation, some context to understand the dangerous new word that he had entered by accepting the Green Lantern ring, but how he went about it was just wrong. He could have achieved the same outcome, even provide Kyle with devastating loss as a motivator, without treating the character of Alex in such a callous fashion.
That being said, the new design for Green Lantern is fun and unique. The art looks great from Darryl Banks. The book’s focus on Kyle learning his way can be fun and entertaining.
The drawbacks to this collection are the included issues from REBELS ‘94 and The New Titans. They really don’t provide anything interesting regarding Kyle’s new adventures as GL, in fact they read almost contradictory to what Ron Marz was just getting started with in his writing.
I might be slightly influenced by the nostalgia factor, but I really enjoyed reading this collection, and look forward to reading Volume 2.
September 19, 2020
Kyle Rayner's 1990s run as Green Lantern begins here...eventually, but first, we get the three-issue story of Hal Jordan's fall from grace in the wake of Coast City's fall. It's weird to have a book centered on a specific hero and that hero not to show up until the third issue in, but I give it a pass because Jordan's fall is important in setting up Kyle's run plus the story is tragic, but also well-written.
As for Kyle Rayner's early run, it's a mixed bag. As a result of Hal did, things are different, the corps is no more and he's feeling his way in the dark. In a way, the early issues of the book give off a youthful sort of Spider-man feel to them. However, the book takes an infamous dark turn with the original "woman in the refrigerator" story. Whatever, you think about "the woman in the refrigerator" critique of comics in general, in its original context, it comes the heck out of nowhere in what had been a fairly light series. It's an embarrassing bit of 1990s excess.
The storyline is decent, though very episodic, with the big focus being that Kyle's a bit out of his depth even though deep down, he does have what it takes to be a Green Lantern. He starts on Earth and then is taken into space because of the Zero Hour event, and then makes he way home through space and arrives home in time to get a crossover with the New Titans book.
Character work is probably the big highlight. The book does do a good job establishing Kyle and he's also portrayed as a very creative user of the ring.
Overall, even though the book had some missteps, I find myself interested in Kyle and curious at what happens next. So I'd call the book a win. It's about 3.5 star book, which is a decent beginning.
As for Kyle Rayner's early run, it's a mixed bag. As a result of Hal did, things are different, the corps is no more and he's feeling his way in the dark. In a way, the early issues of the book give off a youthful sort of Spider-man feel to them. However, the book takes an infamous dark turn with the original "woman in the refrigerator" story. Whatever, you think about "the woman in the refrigerator" critique of comics in general, in its original context, it comes the heck out of nowhere in what had been a fairly light series. It's an embarrassing bit of 1990s excess.
The storyline is decent, though very episodic, with the big focus being that Kyle's a bit out of his depth even though deep down, he does have what it takes to be a Green Lantern. He starts on Earth and then is taken into space because of the Zero Hour event, and then makes he way home through space and arrives home in time to get a crossover with the New Titans book.
Character work is probably the big highlight. The book does do a good job establishing Kyle and he's also portrayed as a very creative user of the ring.
Overall, even though the book had some missteps, I find myself interested in Kyle and curious at what happens next. So I'd call the book a win. It's about 3.5 star book, which is a decent beginning.
April 28, 2019
When I was a kid I collected about 5 or so Kyle Rayner Green Lantern comics. These issues would have been collected in the Green Lantern Kyle Rayner Vol 3 if that hadn't been cancelled... anyway in my youth I thought he was the one and only Lantern and Hal always had been Parallax... anyway I'd lost all interest in Green Lantern stories and was only collecting Superman books.
Superman Transformed was also a TPB of my youth and on the opening pages of that book the Final Night story is mentioned.
Reading final night made me wanna know more about the Parallax storyline and Hal's fall from grace.
When I tried to collect Emerald Twilight, it was impossible unless I wanted to spend 60$ on an original print of the book on Amazon... until I read this story was collected in the first Volume of Green Lantern Rayner books.
So that was my reason for collecting this book, to see Hal's fall. Plus I wanted to read Zero Hour Crisis in Time.
Love the Emerald Twilight story in here and cool to see Kyle become a Lantern.
Over all the book is good but nothing amazing, really was only collected by me for that Hal story arc and to allow me to read zero hour.
I will collect volume 2 if volume 3 goes to print... otherwise wont bother getting vol 2.
Superman Transformed was also a TPB of my youth and on the opening pages of that book the Final Night story is mentioned.
Reading final night made me wanna know more about the Parallax storyline and Hal's fall from grace.
When I tried to collect Emerald Twilight, it was impossible unless I wanted to spend 60$ on an original print of the book on Amazon... until I read this story was collected in the first Volume of Green Lantern Rayner books.
So that was my reason for collecting this book, to see Hal's fall. Plus I wanted to read Zero Hour Crisis in Time.
Love the Emerald Twilight story in here and cool to see Kyle become a Lantern.
Over all the book is good but nothing amazing, really was only collected by me for that Hal story arc and to allow me to read zero hour.
I will collect volume 2 if volume 3 goes to print... otherwise wont bother getting vol 2.
Read
December 13, 2019Quite a lot happens in this book. It starts after the destruction of Coast City when Hal Jordan goes on a rampage to destroy the Guardians and becomes Paralax. The surviving Guardian, Ganthet, gives Hal’s ring to a seemingly random guy walking down the street named Kyle Rayner, who jumps into his hero role quite nicely without instruction... that is, until his girlfriend dies* and he realizes he’s in for more than he bargained. After meeting Superman and Alan Scott, he confronts a now overpowered Hal on Oa (tying in to Zero Hour). And all that’s only the first half of the book! Ron Marz and DC must’ve had a lot of confidence in their new Green Lantern because they put him through a ton in his first year. It’s exciting, if dark, stuff, though we don’t really get a break in the action to know Kyle. He’s likable enough here, but I understand he becomes more defined later on (I haven’t read many other books he’s in).
While these comics show their age a bit, they’re fairly well-written. Except the New Titans issues. Those are terrible. After George Perez left the title in the 80’s, it went to shit and stayed shit for years.
*Yes, the infamous fridge scene is here. And yes, it’s excessive and unnecessary. That’s all I have to say about that.
While these comics show their age a bit, they’re fairly well-written. Except the New Titans issues. Those are terrible. After George Perez left the title in the 80’s, it went to shit and stayed shit for years.
*Yes, the infamous fridge scene is here. And yes, it’s excessive and unnecessary. That’s all I have to say about that.
February 21, 2021
This volume starts with the tragedy of Hal Jordan in the Emerald Twilight story arc. Hal is trying to recreate the obliterated Coast City with his power and that does not end well neither for him nor for the Oa and Guardians themselves. And that opens up a path for Kyle Rainer to stumble into Green Lantern powers. He gets the final ring and it looks like now he's the last one of them all. I like Kyle as a protagonist. He's an easy-going, young half-starving artist with a great girlfriend that gets into his first awkward adventures and you'd think it'll all be good again. But unfortunately for him, it was the 90s, and, spoiler, his girlfriend abruptly ends up dead and stuck in the fridge (I guess that got that infamous meme going, huh?). After Zero Hour tie-in and a short story that ends with suicide (boy, they sure didn't pull their punches back in '94), Kyle ends up with Teen Titans. And it looks like he'll stick with them from now on. I guess the book just wasn't selling or something. I like Ron Marz's writing, the art is excellent but there's nothing coherent here, a mishmash of events and unnecessary tragedy that don't quite let the character find his footing.
January 3, 2025
oh boy.
the first little bit, which centre on hal jordan, are good. really good. the next ones, which introduce kyle, and his girlfriend alex, are also pretty good. not great, but kyle's a fun character, his relationship with alex is comics-fine, and there's interesting stuff going on there.
then we get to the moment that coined the term "women in refrigerators", which is exactly as bad as you think it is. and then it never really gets better. there's a lot of comics-nonsense, like sticking some important battles in another compendium (annoying) to whatever the hell was going on with the teen titans at the end, i'm still not sure.
the treatment of women is abysmal., which i knew going in, and probably doesn't shock anyone reading this, but damn. kyle sleeps with an alien lady (who then kills herself, because... women in comics), like twenty minutes after alex is killed, despite the fact that her on-screen murder. is only to give him angst. like, damn, i knew this was going to be sexist, but even i didn't expect it to be that bad.
be better, comics. i know you can be.
the first little bit, which centre on hal jordan, are good. really good. the next ones, which introduce kyle, and his girlfriend alex, are also pretty good. not great, but kyle's a fun character, his relationship with alex is comics-fine, and there's interesting stuff going on there.
then we get to the moment that coined the term "women in refrigerators", which is exactly as bad as you think it is. and then it never really gets better. there's a lot of comics-nonsense, like sticking some important battles in another compendium (annoying) to whatever the hell was going on with the teen titans at the end, i'm still not sure.
the treatment of women is abysmal., which i knew going in, and probably doesn't shock anyone reading this, but damn. kyle sleeps with an alien lady (who then kills herself, because... women in comics), like twenty minutes after alex is killed, despite the fact that her on-screen murder. is only to give him angst. like, damn, i knew this was going to be sexist, but even i didn't expect it to be that bad.
be better, comics. i know you can be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2019
DC Comics reprints an epic set of Green Lantern stories from the Post-Crisis era. Having been done for Hal Jordan in the 1980s this collection starts with the early 1990s as it tragically ends Hal Jordan’s run as a Green Lantern.
DC Comics in the 1990s introduced strikingly darker story-lines for its superheroes. The Death of Superman, Batman’s Knightfall, Wonder Woman’s Contest, The Dark Flash Saga and in the case of Green Lantern was Emerald Twilight in which Hal Jordan had betrayed and murdered the Green Lantern Corps.
Emerald Twilight is just a very few issues of this collection, but its importance cannot be underestimated. Heroes die, get injured, replaced or see twisted versions of themselves but rarely do they become all that in one story, and in just a few issues. Though in order to truly understand this it's suggested reading the Return of Superman story in which Hal Jordan’s beloved Coast City was destroyed by the impostor Superman and intergalactic warlord Mongul. Coming in time to see the city he loved turned into an abomination he helps the real Superman come back and defeat their enemies.
But Hal is now without a home and thought most of his friends and family elsewhere have survived others have not, particularly the millions that had looked up to him as the city’s great hero. Consumed with this loss of life and the belief that he failed his people, Hal becomes a grieving man and then an enraged savage as he covets the power to turn back the clock. He violates the rules of the Green Lanterns and seeks out power to become something dark and evil, he becomes Parallax.
All the while there is somebody new who just intends to live his life with his lovely girlfriend as he ends up with a brand-new power of being a Green Lantern and not just any Green Lantern but apparently the last Green Lantern. That person is Kyle Rayner as he ends up working this power with no training and only the great will and creativity of his profession as an out of work artist and his devotion for his girlfriend Alexandra DeWitt.
Alex is truly a devoted spouse out to help her boyfriend as he encounters the usual feats from thieves to alien warlords to a killer that destroys him emotionally but unlike Hal Jordan does not become corrupted as he is trained up by another Green Lantern and fights Parallax in an epic battle that ends in another tragedy.
As Kyle obtains a victory, he unknowingly ends up restoring the name of the Green Lantern Corps as one man traveling the galaxy at first to simply return home but in the end fulfills the original mission of the beings that wore the ring. Adventures with some unsavory beings are also in this story as well but eventually return home to New York City and an adventure with the Titans. I can only presume that the next collection would be his time with one particular Titan as he further expands his training as a superhero.
A great collection and I truly can accept Kyle Rayner as a worthy Green Lantern. A-
DC Comics in the 1990s introduced strikingly darker story-lines for its superheroes. The Death of Superman, Batman’s Knightfall, Wonder Woman’s Contest, The Dark Flash Saga and in the case of Green Lantern was Emerald Twilight in which Hal Jordan had betrayed and murdered the Green Lantern Corps.
Emerald Twilight is just a very few issues of this collection, but its importance cannot be underestimated. Heroes die, get injured, replaced or see twisted versions of themselves but rarely do they become all that in one story, and in just a few issues. Though in order to truly understand this it's suggested reading the Return of Superman story in which Hal Jordan’s beloved Coast City was destroyed by the impostor Superman and intergalactic warlord Mongul. Coming in time to see the city he loved turned into an abomination he helps the real Superman come back and defeat their enemies.
But Hal is now without a home and thought most of his friends and family elsewhere have survived others have not, particularly the millions that had looked up to him as the city’s great hero. Consumed with this loss of life and the belief that he failed his people, Hal becomes a grieving man and then an enraged savage as he covets the power to turn back the clock. He violates the rules of the Green Lanterns and seeks out power to become something dark and evil, he becomes Parallax.
All the while there is somebody new who just intends to live his life with his lovely girlfriend as he ends up with a brand-new power of being a Green Lantern and not just any Green Lantern but apparently the last Green Lantern. That person is Kyle Rayner as he ends up working this power with no training and only the great will and creativity of his profession as an out of work artist and his devotion for his girlfriend Alexandra DeWitt.
Alex is truly a devoted spouse out to help her boyfriend as he encounters the usual feats from thieves to alien warlords to a killer that destroys him emotionally but unlike Hal Jordan does not become corrupted as he is trained up by another Green Lantern and fights Parallax in an epic battle that ends in another tragedy.
As Kyle obtains a victory, he unknowingly ends up restoring the name of the Green Lantern Corps as one man traveling the galaxy at first to simply return home but in the end fulfills the original mission of the beings that wore the ring. Adventures with some unsavory beings are also in this story as well but eventually return home to New York City and an adventure with the Titans. I can only presume that the next collection would be his time with one particular Titan as he further expands his training as a superhero.
A great collection and I truly can accept Kyle Rayner as a worthy Green Lantern. A-
April 3, 2024
Love this green lantern, Kyle Rayners a beast!!
I like john Stewart and guy Gardner, also at time enjoy hal jordan but he's such a cocky prick sometimes I can't stand him. And the fact he always tries to fuck with batman, it's like dude batman would woop that ass and take your ring off and shove it up his ass while putting Jordan's head in one of the asshole guardians heads. BUT Kyle Rayner is my man. Loved the writing and loved the back story. Wish there was ALOT more with him and I mean if we go by some of the things I've seen in OTHER Lantern stories, RAYNERS most likely the STRONGEST out of all of the lanterns and I hope in time becomes the best green lantern ever, already my favorite. But this was very well written and I loved the art and especially the character development.
I like john Stewart and guy Gardner, also at time enjoy hal jordan but he's such a cocky prick sometimes I can't stand him. And the fact he always tries to fuck with batman, it's like dude batman would woop that ass and take your ring off and shove it up his ass while putting Jordan's head in one of the asshole guardians heads. BUT Kyle Rayner is my man. Loved the writing and loved the back story. Wish there was ALOT more with him and I mean if we go by some of the things I've seen in OTHER Lantern stories, RAYNERS most likely the STRONGEST out of all of the lanterns and I hope in time becomes the best green lantern ever, already my favorite. But this was very well written and I loved the art and especially the character development.
November 16, 2024
Pleasantly surprised that unlike other 90s comics, this one doesn’t have 20 speech bubbles per panel and was easy and entertaining to read, but overall the issues were just fine. I don’t think I learned anything personality-wise about Kyle except that in his first 2 issues he was kind of cocky, so I don’t think it did a great job of introducing a brand new character that’s taking up the mantle of a beloved hero. But, sure I’ll read the next volume, if only because I’ve heard that Kyle struggles to see if he’s living up to the title, and that could be an interesting development.
Also didn’t know where to mention this, but the titans issues were SO boring. I was skimming both issues, and eventually just gave up and didn’t finish the second one. I can understand why I had never heard of that series or team up.
Also didn’t know where to mention this, but the titans issues were SO boring. I was skimming both issues, and eventually just gave up and didn’t finish the second one. I can understand why I had never heard of that series or team up.
June 13, 2025
Never really got into green lantern before other than Hal’s basic backstory but I’m glad I gave this a chance, definitely a darker story then I would have expected. I also thought emerald twilight wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be. Evil Hal Jordan is a fun villain and I think his reasoning for turning on the corps makes sense, my only complaint is that yes, he goes from being upset about coast city being destroy to “I’m going to murder all of the guardians of the universe” in three issues. But emerald twilight gave us Kyle Rayner who is my favorite green lantern. It makes sense that a graphic artist would be the best candidate for a ring that allows you to build constructs from your imagination, and he uses it in some pretty creative ways. Haven’t yet the new titans stuff yet but I’ll wrap it up after I’ve read zero hour.
February 7, 2019
I remembered liking the Kyle Rayner adventures back in the 90s when they were new and decided to see if they held up. They mostly do, and Kyle as a character has a certain charm that works. Then again, his personality may have been based off Peter Parker's. That said, there are some issues here. For one the volume includes three issues from some lesser comics that Kyle appeared in, most notably two from when he joined the New Titans, and one of those Titans issues had the pages out of order. Second, this book does include the issue that inspired the term "women in refrigerators," and that moment was actually a lot more brutal than I remembered. So, you've been warned.
April 9, 2024
I fell in love with Kyle Rayner as the series went on but here you see how flawed he is when he first gets the ring. He’s full of will but selfish and ignorant of what people need. He was so different than Hal and I loved that despite loving Hal, who had grown boring and unbeatable. Kyle gets knocked down. A lot.
The art is beautiful. The stories are fun.
I dislike what the DC universe did to Kyle, pushing him into obscurity, after the amazing world saving adventures he had. They brought back Hal who quickly grew boring again.
The art is beautiful. The stories are fun.
I dislike what the DC universe did to Kyle, pushing him into obscurity, after the amazing world saving adventures he had. They brought back Hal who quickly grew boring again.
July 14, 2020
A fun introduction to Kyle Rayner and the evolution of the Green Lantern mythos.
The collection unfortunately closes with an ill-advised three-part crossover starring the New Titans (a forgettable '90s incarnation of DC's venerable team) that hardly features Kyle and ends things on a sour note.
There's a lot of enjoyable reading before that though.
The collection unfortunately closes with an ill-advised three-part crossover starring the New Titans (a forgettable '90s incarnation of DC's venerable team) that hardly features Kyle and ends things on a sour note.
There's a lot of enjoyable reading before that though.
November 20, 2020
I liked this a lot, the stuff with Hal and Emerald Twilight was dark and tragic. It’s a lot different Hal than the one we see nowadays. Kyle is cool, he’s the one Lantern I accidentally keep running into from other series so I’ve grown quite fond of him. It’s interesting seeing how he started out since his character as developed a lot of the years.
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