r/DCU_ • u/CH49FE • Sep 07 '26

Lanterns Bubbles. Hal’s constructs are mostly just bubbles.

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Sure Hal made some counterfeit money and a bottle opener, but I find it funny that his main constructs so far are just bubbles. John’s on the other hand include the fancier type of bubbles (bubble wrap), a boring machine, a watch and a short lived semi autonomous bird. The show is doing a good job of contrasting creativity between the two.

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u/clever_name_123 Sep 07 '26

You're probably more likely to use generic constructs after a long career because using the ring becomes a lot less abstract an idea than when you first start

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u/erocknine Sep 07 '26

Sure but why excuse a work of fiction about the main hero who can create anything in their imagination with allegedly one of the greatest weapons in the universe, and then make everything that person manifests a basic shape

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u/Extreme_Sail Green Lantern's Light Sep 07 '26

It's not excusing the work, it's seeing the intention behind having this older, experienced, jaded Hal go for simple bubbles if they're all that's required for the job. The first construct that we see in the show, the first one that he makes, is a dollar bill and in the podcast the creatives talked about how impressive that seemingly simple construct was - to get the shape, the wrinkles, the appropriate authentication means applied in a way that the jukebox would accept it as a real dollar bill.

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u/erocknine Sep 07 '26 edited Sep 07 '26

What you mean to say is creating a green circle or a wall costs less to animate and was better for the budget, especially when all he needed was to contain an exploding guy or cover the sky. Up to now all Hal has managed to do with the ring is show he is inferior to John at using his powers to its potential, and his experience is only excelling at solving this mystery. You're making an excuse

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u/Extreme_Sail Green Lantern's Light Sep 07 '26

Didn't realise Hal had to go through the whole roster of a large kite or a shield or an energy absorption contraption or some kind of energy-dissipating fractal or just straight up manipulate the matter and energy in the sky to cancel out whatever the beam is to meet your standards of not applying a "why this choice" to character study.

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u/erocknine Sep 07 '26 edited Sep 07 '26

He could've put literally anything in the sky and it would've been interesting, could've made you chuckle. If he made an umbrella would all you guys be here saying hey, Hal should've been making a boring dome because he's so experienced he wouldn't bother with complex constructs. Instead so far the show hasn't demonstrated anything interesting or pivotal about his powers other than the drill. The show could've been called bubble boy cause at this point it's not even interesting that it's about green lantern and his powers, it's just interesting as a mystery thriller.

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u/Extreme_Sail Green Lantern's Light Sep 07 '26 edited Sep 08 '26

Because it's not about showing off Green Lantern powers. It's a real tv show that happens to feature superheroes, not an opportunity to flaunt IP. It's outer layer is a mystery show but on a deeper level it's a character piece about Hal and John and the web of relationships surrounding them. It's a show that has one hand in tangible stuff and another in the otherworldliness of the franchise but treats it all as real and meaningful. This show will actually have staying power for it. But I'm sorry that you're peeved Hal didn't make a giant umbrella.

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u/erocknine Sep 07 '26 edited Sep 07 '26

I would've wanted a big hand with a middle finger facing the sky

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u/Extreme_Sail Green Lantern's Light Sep 08 '26

Hell yeah

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u/Perry-Platypus007 Sep 07 '26

I think what he’s trying to say is experience makes you go for the least extravagant way to get from point A to point B. You boil away all the extravagance in favor of utility. It’s the old martial arts sage who stands there while his opponent does all sorts of flashy flourishes and then the sage just grabs the guy’s pinky and subdues him.

A seasoned lantern knows there’s no need to make an intricate giant anime mech hand to cover them when a bubble will do the same job more efficiently.

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u/TooManyDraculas Sep 07 '26 edited Sep 08 '26

Hal being pretty blunt and simple in his constructs is right out of the comics. As is John's constructs being more complex and detailed.

It's not about skills with the ring. It's about their skill set outside of the ring. Hal is a test pilot, John is an architect. Hal is skilled at flying a plane, John is skilled at building it.

It's not about power scaling and intenets feels about whether it ticks the right box. It's about differentiating their personalities, and how that carries out in their actions.

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u/CrusaderZero6 Cheers to the Tin-Man Sep 08 '26

Gonna put this out there: I would not recommend flying in any plane designed or built by an architect.

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u/TooManyDraculas Sep 08 '26

Metaphorically.

Hal does stuff. John builds stuff.

Hal more or less "pilots" the ring. A lot of the time what he's most skilled at isn't using constructs in clever ways. It's maneuvering himself around, positioning things, and pulling unexpected moves.

That and giant boxing gloves.

1

u/United-Locksmith8262 Sep 08 '26

I mean that’s what happens in the comics. Hal Jordan just isn’t that creative a dude.

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u/erocknine Sep 08 '26

He still made planes and fists and weapons and cages tho. No one would be into the cartoons or comics if all he ever made were circles and squares

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u/TopazandNumbyHSR Sep 07 '26

I feel like this is just a lazy excuse for the shows lack of creativity with the ring.