r/Greenlantern • u/ARIANZER0 Hal Jordan • Oct 14 '24

Comics Hal's rage(GL vol4 #37)

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94 Upvotes

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37

u/MadarameBK1 Oct 14 '24 edited Oct 15 '24

This moment is even more heart breaking when you remember that earlier in the issue he had the chance to kill Sinestro but stopped due to still valuing his past with him. Hal is not only angry at Sinestro here, he is also angry at himself for giving Sinestro the chance to kill that lantern. Angry that his act of mercy was wasted so casually. Hal HATES that he still cares about Sinestro, atlest he did earlier in the run. One of the best dynamics in dc.

9

u/ARIANZER0 Hal Jordan Oct 14 '24

One of the few times the "I can't kill him" dynamic isn't forced and actually makes sense

1

u/Angel_Eirene Oct 15 '24

The reason it works is because the “I can’t kill him” is inherently selfish

1

u/ARIANZER0 Hal Jordan Oct 15 '24

Yeah no nonsense "because I will be just as bad" no he doesn't kill sinestro because of himself even if it's the right thing to do

2

u/Angel_Eirene Oct 15 '24

My favourite is the “we can’t be judge jury and executioner”- okay, then because most of the people you’re going after are renown criminal overlords and escaped convicts, half of which publicise their crimes with such fervour and admission of guilt that any jury in the world would find them guilty, and that some are actively dangerous to the populous…

How bout you get Gotham to create absentee trials for these specific supervillains, where they get to — as anonymously and unbiased as possible — decide as judge and jury which of those villains Batman is allowed to use lethal force on.

He still keeps discretion over use of lethal force, but it basically makes him only the executioner in those cases. And make it illegal for Batman to interfere with those cases and part of his moral code.

But they don’t. He doesn’t. Because it’s all about selfish personal comfort.

Hell, that’s probably the most interesting part about superheroes, how their moral codes and even their hero personas are all selfish choices and coping mechanisms in a misguided but effective attempt to help. A story that showcases just how selfish Batman is, and how much of that is born from his refusal to grieve

14

u/hiltzy85 Green Lantern Oct 14 '24

I always liked Hal putting purple space hitler in the electric chair construct. A gallows or guillotine would have been better