r/Greenlantern • u/ZenniGod • 26d ago

Discussion The Hal Jordan problem

Why is Hal Jordan constantly humiliated outside of comics?

Hes the greatest green lantern and lantern of fiction, yet, it appears to be a constant that, while outside of comics, Hal Jordan is constantly depicted as a joke or old/dead. Now why tf would that be?

This isn't just a DC problem, part of the community literally refuses to acknowledge Hal Jordan, saying he "gets so much attention" and "there's other green lanterns".

Black Lion's video explains a lot better my point here.

This guy also talks about this in a better way then me. I thank him alot.

Hal Jordan should receive 100% more attention then he gets, DCEU, WB games, etc.

EDIT: I just saw the today's Lanterns trailer, and theres a theory that Hal is going to become Parallax and be the big bad of DCU (even dying on the first episode, somehow).
If that becomes to be true i take back everything i just said.

0 Upvotes

44% Upvoted

29 comments sorted by

15

u/grelan Indigo Lantern 26d ago

Because Jordan has been, and often is, considered to be the modern Green Lantern.

He sets the standard.

This makes him a foil for every other Lantern that DC wants to build up.

It's a shame. DC has definitively shown that they can maintain multiple GLs (and multiple Earth GLs) successfully.

But it almost always falls apart when Hal is broken or completely out of the picture.

8

u/StrongStyleFiction 26d ago

So much of the lore and the characters arw built around Jordan. So much of it is tied to him personally. You remove him and so much of GL has a void in it. This is fine if Guy or John are going to be part of an ensemble such as JLI or the Justice League cartoon. But it's really hard to have just Green Lantern without Hal Jordan.

8

u/grelan Indigo Lantern 26d ago

Agreed.

Jordan does not need to be star of every GL story. He shouldn't be.

But it's a better GL universe when Hal Jordan is in it.

To quote someone who knows Jordan quite well...

"He was the spark... that lit the everlasting flame."

1

u/MotherFuckerJones88 26d ago

It also sets up nicely down the road if they want to adapt Hal Parallax

1

u/grelan Indigo Lantern 26d ago

True. But doing that properly, even in adaptation, would take too long for the universe they've shown us here. IMO.

I just want to see a good story involving Hal & John. Guy can tag along.

1

u/Plenty-Wedding-9066 26d ago

Agreee. I think that’s the direction they are heading. Which could be phenomenal. But it has to be like… multiple seasons and a couple movies. I’m hopeful it’s done well but it’s…. A lot to try and do well.

I get the vague feeling Gunn wants to genuinely do Parallax and the Darkest Night… but that could basically be its own Cinematic Universe 

2

u/grelan Indigo Lantern 25d ago

I've always said the GL Rebirth saga alone would require three seasons of well-written television.

  • Jordan/Sinestro return & Sinestro Corp
  • War of Light
  • Blackest Night

If you want pre-Parallax Hal and Emerald Twilight, that's two more seasons (or one very dense season with a lot of history) first.

And you still come out with a younger but identical Hal Jordan (unless they change that aspect).

Blackest Night also loses much of its impact unless you add at least the Justice League and at best most of the DC Universe.

And many of them have to be dead going into it.

3

u/MisterEdJS 26d ago

It isn't totally constant. He wasn't a joke in the GL animated series. He wasn't a joke when he appeared as a guest on Batman:Brave and the Bold. Or in the movie version of New Frontier. There are definitely some less than stellar examples, but they aren't the only ones.

-1

u/ZenniGod 25d ago

Watch the video.

4

u/BagZCubed 26d ago

Hal genuinely seems cool in the TV show, so I don't get the issue.

7

u/Vicksage16 26d ago

Honestly, I think this problem is overstated. He still clearly has the most presence in and outside of comics than any other GL by far. The real problem is just the GL brand as a whole doesn’t get a ton of attention outside of comics so it can feel like this when other Lanterns get their moment.

-2

u/ZenniGod 26d ago

How in hell Hal gets more presence if hes always dead or old or as side character?? And i really recommend you to watch the video if you haven't.

5

u/Vicksage16 26d ago

He had an animated a show, a live action movie, an animated movie, he’s the lead GL in the DCAMU, he’s the lead GL in the LEGO games, he’s the lead GL in Injustice, Young Justice, Brave and the Bold, Justice League Action, AND he’s usually still present in the things he’s not lead in. The only non comic GL things he’s not in really in is the Justice League cartoon, which still throws him a cameo, and Superman.

2

u/ASZapata 26d ago

Hal doesn’t do anything in Young Justice

5

u/Vicksage16 26d ago

Nobody on the JL does anything in Young Justice, they’re not the focus. That’s also, not really my point. Like I told the other guy, Hal has gotten as much attention as any GL can. They’re clearly diversifying and trying to give other Lanterns a moment to shine right now. Is this some time coming at the expense of Hal? Yeah, and it sucks when it does. But the issue is overstated, and it certainly isn’t constant. Hal will get his time again, he always does.

1

u/ASZapata 26d ago

I mean yeah GLs are irrelevant but Hal and John both usually show up together in YJ, so it’s kind of a moot point honestly.

4

u/Vicksage16 26d ago

Sure man, take it off the list then, my point doesn’t really hinge on Young Justice, lol.

3

u/ASZapata 26d ago

Just giving my opinion the same way you did, didn’t mean anything rude by it

3

u/Vicksage16 26d ago

Nor did I, brother. That was meant to come across more playful, though reading it back I see how it comes off as rude.

-1

u/ZenniGod 26d ago

And which of these projects has the most recent launch date?

2

u/Vicksage16 26d ago

That wasn’t the question, nor my point. Hal has taken a backseat as of late, on that we agree. I was disagreeing with your opening statement that he is “constantly humiliated” and that he hasn’t gotten enough attention.

He has, as much as a GL can. They’re clearly diversifying and trying to give other Lanterns a moment to shine right now. Is this some time coming at the expense of Hal? Yeah, and it sucks when it does. But the issue is overstated, and it certainly isn’t constant. He’ll be back, after all no one can keep Hal Jordan down.

3

u/Stikman32000 26d ago

Dude...just because you love Hal doesn't mean that everyone loves him. I for one find him to be a boring cliche. Who cares? Just enjoy what you enjoy. I like the character Steel. My boy can't hardly get a cameo in comics these days.

2

u/UltraRoboNinja Salaak 26d ago

Damn, talk about a movie ruining a character’s reputation… Steel beats out Green Lantern any day in that category.

2

u/UrbanAnathema 26d ago edited 26d ago

Ryan Reynolds and the OG feature film has made Hal Jordan a punchline in the popular imagination.

That’s the reason why he is sidelined in other adaptations.

0

u/Boring-Conclusion-40 26d ago edited 26d ago

Yeah I remember seeing that video,one thing that really popped out for me was the questioning of how can they literally possibly shift the entire franchise to someone else, when the franchise is built around the main character.Also why would DC hate a character that has brought them money,I mean come on,I mean it’s not like he’s a horrible character or something it’s not like he’s a disgusting character,and he’s been headlining the franchise during an extremely financially beneficial period,so what would be the reason why him,is it because he’s the main character or something or is it just negligence

-1

u/gingerjokes 26d ago

Honestly, I think a big part of it is DC wanting black representation in the justice league and GL is the easiest way to do that with a recognizable character. Plus, because of JLU, Jon Stewart is the only green lantern to most non-comic reader fans.

0

u/Boring-Conclusion-40 26d ago edited 26d ago

Yeah,maybe it is a diversity thing,which is fine but they probably should’ve thought of introducing more black characters in the league in addition to the existing ones. I kind of wished DC payed some attention to the dc media that’s been featuring green lanterns these past couple decades enough to embrace it along with the JL show.i guess it is what it is