Broken back, Madness, Death, Usurpers, Amputation!

[Kara Zor El]

In the early 90's DC decided to do stuff to the major iconic heroes that had never been done before in continuity. It was all about increasing sales and revitalizing the franchise. Superman was killed and remained dead for a year. Batman had his back broken and remained in a wheelchair for about as long, Wonderwoman lost her mantle and got to wear little black shorts and a leather jacket, Hal Jordan became a psychopath and Aquaman lost his hand.
These storylines as I say were an attempt to get new readers. It worked. But were they good stories. Some people think this was DC's worst of times. Full of gimmicks, multi covers, stickers, foil, wraps and crippled heroes.
I liked what they did. I enjoyed all of those runs.
Did anyone else like them?
If so which one was the best?
And which ones are best forgotten?

[jaguarshark]

In the early 90's DC decided to do stuff to the major iconic heroes that had never been done before in continuity. It was all about increasing sales and revitalizing the franchise. Superman was killed and remained dead for a year. Batman had his back broken and remained in a wheelchair for about as long, Wonderwoman lost her mantle and got to wear little black shorts and a leather jacket, Hal Jordan became a psychopath and Aquaman lost his hand.
These storylines as I say were an attempt to get new readers. It worked. But were they good stories. Some people think this was DC's worst of times. Full of gimmicks, multi covers, stickers, foil, wraps and crippled heroes.
I liked what they did. I enjoyed all of those runs.
Did anyone else like them?
If so which one was the best?
And which ones are best forgotten?
I enjoyed Knightfall to an unhealthy degree. Looking back at it now, I realise a lot of that was because 7 year olds aren't very critical, but there were some great things happening there. I liked how the character of Bruce Wayne was strengthened by opposition, with the actions of Azrael reminding us of the heroism of the real deal. And I thought the way that Bruce ultimately defeated Azbats was brilliant.

'Death of Superman' was okay, but kind of stupid in parts, 'Funeral For A Friend' was ridiculously maudlin except for the Kirby riffs (obviously it was supposed to be sad, and it had some great moments, but it went on a little too long and reverently considering it was all just a comic story) and 'Reign of the Supermen' was freaking brilliant. All the build-up was really worth it for that story, which I think holds up as an example of a good story told in that oft-dismissed era.

Too often, the 'Knightfall' and 'Death of Superman' sagas are lumped in with the rest of the '90s 'EXTREME!' stories, when they were really commenting on the trend rather than participating in it, for the most part.

I couldn't tell you about Wonder Woman- never been that interested- but I liked the attempts to give Aquaman a more distinctive character. Hal Jordan as a psychopath didn't work for me, though, even if it did have its roots in my beloved 'Reign of the Supermen'.

[david r]

All of comics in the early 90s were suffering from gimmicks. I would say, that DC Comics came out slightly ahead than Marvel and Image in terms of quality.

I thought the Death of Superman was above average. Knightfall had it's moments. And don't forget that DC also launched Vertigo in 1993, which was a shining star of quality. Who else had such stellar comics then?

Also, Mark Waid began his tenure on the Flash in 1992, and that was a definitive run for the Flash.
Green Lantern was a good book back then too. I'd say that DC had their books in better shape than Marvel.

[Eliseu Gouveia]

I like to pretend I didn´t read comics in the 90s.

[Choppa]

Anyone notice how there are tons of references to Superman's death all over the place, but Knightfall rarely ever gets mentioned? The last two times that it was were the pic of Bane breaking Bruces back in IC and a quick reference to Shondra Kinsolving in HUSH. That's it.

[Kara Zor El]

Anyone notice how there are tons of references to Superman's death all over the place, but Knightfall rarely ever gets mentioned? The last two times that it was were the pic of Bane breaking Bruces back in IC and a quick reference to Shondra Kinsolving in HUSH. That's it.
I wonder why that is?

[Captain Jim]

In the early 90's DC decided to do stuff to the major iconic heroes that had never been done before in continuity. It was all about increasing sales and revitalizing the franchise. Superman was killed and remained dead for a year. Batman had his back broken and remained in a wheelchair for about as long, Wonderwoman lost her mantle and got to wear little black shorts and a leather jacket, Hal Jordan became a psychopath and Aquaman lost his hand.
These storylines as I say were an attempt to get new readers. It worked. But were they good stories. Some people think this was DC's worst of times. Full of gimmicks, multi covers, stickers, foil, wraps and crippled heroes.
I liked what they did. I enjoyed all of those runs.
Did anyone else like them?
If so which one was the best?
And which ones are best forgotten?

I wasn't reading a lot of comics at this time, but I did come back on board (near the end) for Knightfall, which I thought was an excellent story. Knightquest was less so, but it did have its moments. Of course, nobody believed that Jean Paul would be Batman forever, but it was an interesting change of pace for the time being. It was interesting to watch his spiral downward as his dementia grew. And this also served as the backdrop for Robin to be launched in his own title. For awhile it was one of my absolute favorite books back then (talking about Robin here, the early issues by Chuck Dixon).

[Kara Zor El]

I wasn't reading a lot of comics at this time, but I did come back on board (near the end) for Knightfall, which I thought was an excellent story. Knightquest was less so, but it did have its moments. Of course, nobody believed that Jean Paul would be Batman forever, but it was an interesting change of pace for the time being. It was interesting to watch his spiral downward as his dementia grew. And this also served as the backdrop for Robin to be launched in his own title. For awhile it was one of my absolute favorite books back then (talking about Robin here, the early issues by Chuck Dixon).
Yeah I enjoyed that initial run of Robin too and the Catwoman run that came out of Knightfall too. Jim Balent had me drooling everymonth and when he put her in that wedding dress, well........ cor!!!!
I enjoyed Nightquest a lot. There were some good villains that came along then. I liked the way that people close to Batman like Gordon, Superman and Joker new something was not right. They either knew Azbats was an imposter or at least something was out of the ordinary.
They have never done a trade of that series have they? Too messy with all the different bat books not quite fitting together as I remember.

[shyguy]

Death of Superman isn't a very good story at all (the entire Justice League and Superman all start acting like idiots around Doomsday instead of using their powers in ways that could have dealt with him rather easily), but I like the Return and the characters that came out of it.

I like all of the Knightfall stuff still; I think the story was better crafted than DoS and makes more sense.

Overall, I think 90's comics get a bad rap because the gimmicks (there have always been gimmicks in comics and always will be) tended to be more obvious (i.e. you can see them by looking at the cover) and because people tend to ignore a bunch of good comics and concentrate on, like, five crappy Image comics and the Marvel and DC titles that swiped from them.

There was a lot of good stuff during the 90's, and I enjoyed DC's 90's output a lot more than what's happening now.

[Choppa]

Marketing completely killed Azrael's character. The whole idea of him suddenly going crazy was completely out of left field after Sword of Azrael showed that he had it under control, and was obviously a lame plot device used to get fans to hate him. I wish they had used someone else so that Azrael wouldn't have ended up cancelled and forgotten. That's the only thing that bugs my about the 90's.

[David Atkins]

In the early 90's DC decided to do stuff to the major iconic heroes that had never been done before in continuity. It was all about increasing sales and revitalizing the franchise. Superman was killed and remained dead for a year. Batman had his back broken and remained in a wheelchair for about as long, Wonderwoman lost her mantle and got to wear little black shorts and a leather jacket, Hal Jordan became a psychopath and Aquaman lost his hand.

I loved every one of those storylines you mentioned there. :D

As for ones that should be forgotten, how about the death and return of Green Arrow? Ollie should never have been killed off in the first place, but once they did it they should have left it at that.

[Armless Penguin]

I loved every one of those storylines you mentioned there. :D

As for ones that should be forgotten, how about the death and return of Green Arrow? Ollie should never have been killed off in the first place, but once they did it they should have left it at that.

Dixon's run on Green Arrow with Connor Hawke was the best part of DC's '90s craziness for me, though it would have been nice if Ollie hadn't had to die for the character to get his "own" book.

I found Death of Superman ok, but pretty out of character, enjoyed Reign of the Supermen enough, and avoided Knightfall, except for the references in the other Bat books, which at that time were pretty good. Hal going crazy was meh to :rolleyes:, but like with Connor I really enjoyed Kyle, so that sort of evened out.

[Babylon23]

I thought Knightfall was well executed, but the followups leave a little to be desired. Death of Superman was awful, but Reign of the Supermen was very cool.

Emerald Twilight was one of the worst examples of wiping a character out and replacing them as quickly and messily as possible. For me, Hal Jordan's sudden madness and annihilation of the GLC was a horrible mistake that tainted much of the subsequent Kyle Raynor stories. There was any number of ways the removal of Hal Jordan could have been handled, but Ron Marz went for the cheapest option.

[marshal99]

I don't see why Hal can't suffer a mental breakdown like any other person ?

It was perfectly logical , Hal is only human. He was off risking his life fighting in space for the guardians in that darkstar/legion crossover when the whole reign of the supermen were around. He was not present when Mongul and Cyborg destroyed his city , he only came back around the time when the real superman , steel and superboy was fighting in engine city , he didn't have much time to think about what happened to his city when Mongul fought him. It was only much later once it soaked in that he realise that all his city that he's suppose to be from and protect and all his friends are gone , it is not really impossible for Hal to break down from that especially after the guardians stop him from using the ring. Coast city was his responsibility , and he wasn't there when it happened , he failed millions of his people and he wanted to lash out and blame someone and because it was the guardians that send him off to space and the ones who prevent him from using the ring power for his own gain , of course hal would take it out on them.

[Choppa]

^I feel the same way. The yellow fear monster crap is stupid.

[PastePotPete]

I became a collector of comics beginning with The Death of Superman. Before that time I'd pick up a Fantastic Four or an Archie Double Digest every once in a while for a car trip. After Death of Superman, I learned everything I could about the DCU. I also remember seeing a poster at the comic shop that advertised the upcoming "Reign of the Supermen" and featured all four usurpers of Superman's namesake in silhouette. I had to know who those characters were. When all four were revealed it was fun to decide which ones I was going to follow (Steele and Cyborg Superman).

And I also picked up Knightfall and Knightquest and Emerald Twilight. Love all those storylines. People pick on the early nineties because it's so recent. The last era is always the one you're most embarrassed of. The eighties was considered lame until we got some distance from it. Now, eighties retro is chic. It just takes time.

[Kara Zor El]

I became a collector of comics beginning with The Death of Superman. Before that time I'd pick up a Fantastic Four or an Archie Double Digest every once in a while for a car trip. After Death of Superman, I learned everything I could about the DCU. I also remember seeing a poster at the comic shop that advertised the upcoming "Reign of the Supermen" and featured all four usurpers of Superman's namesake in silhouette. I had to know who those characters were. When all four were revealed it was fun to decide which ones I was going to follow (Steele and Cyborg Superman).

And I also picked up Knightfall and Knightquest and Emerald Twilight. Love all those storylines. People pick on the early nineties because it's so recent. The last era is always the one you're most embarrassed of. The eighties was considered lame until we got some distance from it. Now, eighties retro is chic. It just takes time.

I remember that Reign of the Superman poster very well and I couldn't wait for them to appear. It was great marketing and a great story to boot.

[CjP]

Anyone notice how there are tons of references to Superman's death all over the place, but Knightfall rarely ever gets mentioned? The last two times that it was were the pic of Bane breaking Bruces back in IC and a quick reference to Shondra Kinsolving in HUSH. That's it.

If you mean in the DCU, I think it's because Superman is more of a public figure (Batman may or may not still have been in 'urban legend' mode, I get confused about that), so events pertaining to a worldwide hero will naturally carry more wieght than a vigilante mostly operating in Gotham.

If you mean in real life, well, Supes was always more publicly appealing than Bats, and that cover of his cape as a torn flag (correct me if I'm wrong, I wanna say Superman #75) was one hell of an image, probably one of the single most striking covers I've ever seen.

[The Batman]

i thought all those early 90's DC stories were great fun. Knightfall - awesome; Death/Reign/Return - Awesome; Emerald Twilight - Awesome.

[Sean Walsh]

Anyone notice how there are tons of references to Superman's death all over the place, but Knightfall rarely ever gets mentioned? The last two times that it was were the pic of Bane breaking Bruces back in IC and a quick reference to Shondra Kinsolving in HUSH. That's it.

As well as Bane breaking Judomaster's back in INFINITE CRISIS #7 in the exact same manner he did that dastardly deed to Bruce...

[Sizzle]

I enjoyed Knightfall. KnightQuest was not very good. KnightsEnd had one of my favorite issues of all time. Robin #8, the last couple of pages is a great interpretation of Batman's relation to his Rogue's in my opninon. All the crazies in Arkham acting up when Bruce puts the costume back on for the first time.

The Death of Superman was OK, I agree with Alan Moore that the final fight between Supes and Doomsday was not that well done. These guys, with the power to almost level planets are standing in the street just punching each other. I liked Reign for the most part. Superboy was kind of annoying until Johns got a hold of him though. I really like John Henry Irons.

I think Superman's Death would have a greater impact as he is the greatest of all in the DCU. He is the person all the other characters look to in a crisis. And (like in the movie) he probably would be treated as a messiah like figure.

Hal Boredom could of stayed gone, I had no love loss for him.

Aquaman more then any could of stayed the way he was. I liked David's view of the character in Norse light. He did not have to be a dick though, but I liked the look of the character and his attitude in most cases. I think it is what the character needed to try and shed the big joke that he's seen as by the public.

[Captain Jim]

I believe this was also the era in which Green Arrow Oliver Queen was replaced by Conner Hawke.

[Armless Penguin]

I believe this was also the era in which Green Arrow Oliver Queen was replaced by Conner Hawke.

Yea, which was only THE GREATEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE+5!!111

*Clears throat*

That one was good.

Dixon's run on Green Arrow with Connor Hawke was the best part of DC's '90s craziness for me, though it would have been nice if Ollie hadn't had to die for the character to get his "own" book.

[Babylon23]

^I feel the same way. The yellow fear monster crap is stupid.

To each their own. I thought that Rebirth was a well-crafted story that made sense of the poor characterisation and rushed plot presented in Emerald Twilight. Plus, it managed to return Hal without displacing, killing or driving Kyle crazy, ensuring that fans of both characters could continue reading about their favourites.

[Jeff-E]

Until DC introduced Kyle, chopped off Aquaman's hand, broke Bat's back, and offed the big blue boy scout I didn't read it. Afterwards I even had subscriptions to certain DC titles. I perfer a one handed Aquaman, and Kyle will always be GL to me. I collect the current GL series, but I'll probably drop it soon (I will keep Corps however and I love Ion). Anyway the mid 90's to me was the era that got me to read DC. Before that the only real DC I read was Death in the Family where Jason got the pepsi knocked outta him by the Joker. I tried to read some before this era and couldn't do it, I always have and probably always will hate Superman (even though I collected the Superman/Batman series until #27 go figure) but since the 90's I've atleast given Bat's a shot. No Mans Land is one of the best comic stories ever, and I love the Titans, and there are a few others I now pick up, and even though IdentCrisis, and InfCrisis almost shoved me away some of the current titles keep me to some degree in the DCuniverse, but without the shake up's for shock, and sales of the 90's this would not be the case.

[Choppa]

To each their own. I thought that Rebirth was a well-crafted story that made sense of the poor characterisation and rushed plot presented in Emerald Twilight. Plus, it managed to return Hal without displacing, killing or driving Kyle crazy, ensuring that fans of both characters could continue reading about their favourites.

Why makes it a poor characterization? It was a pretty logical step given what happened.

[shyguy]

Yeah, I think Hal's going nuts made more sense before Johns threw the Yellow Fear Monster into the mix. I mean, I'd probably go crazy if my hometown were nuked and a bunch of little blue bald guys were telling me to suck it up, too.

I can see why Hal Jordan fans were upset, but since I've never given a whit about the character the characterization didn't seem especially wonky. And definitely not as bad as "An evil yellow space bug made me do it."

[Eliseu Gouveia]

You know, i could never empathise with Hal fans until DC screwed Cassandra Cain.

Now I can understand how it feels like to see a character we like crapped all over.

[Babylon23]

Why makes it a poor characterization? It was a pretty logical step given what happened.


Hal had seen whole worlds destroyed in the past, and lost most of those closest to him. He'd been through Hell, and always pulled through. He possessed one of the strongest willpowers in the universe. No matter what happened, he always had a level of self control.

Now, for him to despair over the loss of Coast City makes sense. Even losing faith and giving up the ring works. For him to go completely crazy and wipe out the entire GLC was completely out of character, and was a hastily prepared story designed to remove him, the Corps and the Guardians as quickly as possible to make way for Kyle Raynor.

Now, I had no problem with Hal being replaced. It was just the way in which it was done that I take objection to. The character deserved better than the shoddy treatment he received.

Of course, then came Zero Hour. The less said about that the better.

[marshal99]

Why makes it a poor characterization? It was a pretty logical step given what happened.

Amen , better than having a lame excuse like a yellow fear monster made me do it. They should never have killed Parallax Hal off in the first place and then made him come back as the spectre , it was pretty lame. Putting Hal in as the spectre was probably Johns idea as well seeing how Day of judgement was written by him , when that idea didn't take off , Johns backtrack and came out with a lame plot to put Hal back as GL.

[marshal99]

Hal had seen whole worlds destroyed in the past, and lost most of those closest to him. He'd been through Hell, and always pulled through. He possessed one of the strongest willpowers in the universe. No matter what happened, he always had a level of self control.

Now, for him to despair over the loss of Coast City makes sense. Even losing faith and giving up the ring works. For him to go completely crazy and wipe out the entire GLC was completely out of character, and was a hastily prepared story designed to remove him, the Corps and the Guardians as quickly as possible to make way for Kyle Raynor.

Now, I had no problem with Hal being replaced. It was just the way in which it was done that I take objection to. The character deserved better than the shoddy treatment he received.

Of course, then came Zero Hour. The less said about that the better.

Hal seeing other worlds destroyed as opposed to seeing his own city destroyed is a HUGE load of difference.
The thing was ,like i said , he was busting his balls risking his life in that legion/darkstar crossover for the guardians when coast city was destroyed. Wanting to bring back a resemblence of coast city with his ring and being denied by the guardians after doing a huge service for them will definitely bring out the extreme. It's human reaction. The guardians were totally unsympathic in his time of need and that caused him to go over the deep end. I can definitely understand that.

[J. Robb]

While trying to recreate the success of "Death of Superman" was a big part of those stories, I think DC was also trying to create a new "age", a new generation of characters. This was especially obvious in "Zero Hour".

Those stories brought in quite a few new readers, and I think trying to use that momentum to start a new era in the DCU was a good idea, though its execution was questionable. In the end though, the old fans outnumbered the new, and the clock has been turned back.

[Babylon23]

Hal seeing other worlds destroyed as opposed to seeing his own city destroyed is a HUGE load of difference.
The thing was ,like i said , he was busting his balls risking his life in that legion/darkstar crossover for the guardians when coast city was destroyed. Wanting to bring back a resemblence of coast city with his ring and being denied by the guardians after doing a huge service for them will definitely bring out the extreme. It's human reaction. The guardians were totally unsympathic in his time of need and that caused him to go over the deep end. I can definitely understand that.

Unfortunately, none of this addresses the fact that Hal was one of the strongest-willed characters in the DCU, and that he'd seen plenty of death and destruction in his time, including the loss of a lot of close friends and loved ones.

As I said, to each their own. As a longtime Hal Jordan reader, I saw this as a writer who didn't understand the character, and who wanted to get rid of him ASAP. The Hal I remember would have gone after Mongul, not the Guardians and the Corps.

[marshal99]

1) He defeated Mongul and had him imprisoned

2) at that time , superman had seemingly destroyed cyborg

Willpower has nothing to do with it , in the face of overwhelming grief or pain. But it's all about opinion , to each his own. :)

[Babylon23]

But it's all about opinion , to each his own. :)

Agreed. There's been enough debate about this one over the past 10 years. Anyway, both character are active in their own titles at the moment, so everyone's happy.

[Tennoarashi]

The Diana development, I did like - especially the opening of her detective agency and the like. I just hated that outfit; should have brought back the all-white turtleneck-jacket-boots ensemble or so.

[dancj]

I hated The Death of Superman and A World Without Superman, but I loved The Return of Superman enough to make up for it.

Knightfall was decent, as was Kightquest: The Crusade, but Knightfall: The Search was terrible, and Knightsend was a bit of a let-down with the exception of the very good final issue.

When Hal Jordan became a villain was the only time I ever had any interest in him so for me that was good.

Wonder Woman's story was okay, but William Messner-Loebs has written a lot better.

I didn't read Aquaman, but I liked his new look.

Of course, nobody believed that Jean Paul would be Batman forever
You would think wouldn't you, but there were quite a few furious (and not very bright) fans who thought the change was permanent.
Jim Balent had me drooling everymonth and when he put her in that wedding dress, well........ cor!!!!
Argh - my eyes! Jim Balent's Catwoman was grotesquely out of proportion. His Batman was fine, but I'd keep him away from any comic with female characters (except maybe Power Girl who's just about the only DC character who actually is built like that).
Marketing completely killed Azrael's character. The whole idea of him suddenly going crazy was completely out of left field after Sword of Azrael showed that he had it under control, and was obviously a lame plot device used to get fans to hate him. I wish they had used someone else so that Azrael wouldn't have ended up cancelled and forgotten. That's the only thing that bugs my about the 90's.
Azrael was created with the sole purpose of becoming Azbats. He had to seem like he had it under control in order for Batman to give him the mantle in the first place. It doesn't mean it has to stay under control for ever (just like you know that Ewan McGregor's character is only temporarily straight at the end of Trainspotting)

[Kara Zor El]

Hal had seen whole worlds destroyed in the past, and lost most of those closest to him. He'd been through Hell, and always pulled through. He possessed one of the strongest willpowers in the universe. No matter what happened, he always had a level of self control.

Now, for him to despair over the loss of Coast City makes sense. Even losing faith and giving up the ring works. For him to go completely crazy and wipe out the entire GLC was completely out of character, and was a hastily prepared story designed to remove him, the Corps and the Guardians as quickly as possible to make way for Kyle Raynor.

Now, I had no problem with Hal being replaced. It was just the way in which it was done that I take objection to. The character deserved better than the shoddy treatment he received.

Of course, then came Zero Hour. The less said about that the better.

I thought it was believable, within the DCU.

And if they hadn't have done it we would never have gotten what is in my opinion one of the best covers of all time. Hal looking like Jack Nicolson in The Shining with all the GL rings on his fingers. I love that cover. found it here it is -

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k86/lozpool/greenlantern.jpg

[TheTen-EyedMan]

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=54524&zoom=4

Apparently it doesn't let you do pictures. Click on it.

Green Lantern 49.

The day Keven Dooley Died.

[Kara Zor El]

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=54524&zoom=4

Apparently it doesn't let you do pictures. Click on it.

Green Lantern 49.

The day Keven Dooley Died.

I justs loves that picture. All that power. Gimme, gimme, gimme!!!!!!:evilsmile

[Choppa]

Azrael was created with the sole purpose of becoming Azbats. He had to seem like he had it under control in order for Batman to give him the mantle in the first place. It doesn't mean it has to stay under control for ever (just like you know that Ewan McGregor's character is only temporarily straight at the end of Trainspotting)

Well you're basically agreeing with me by saying that he was created to be destroyed. Either way it was marketing that drove the character to unpopularity.

As for the control thing, the scene where Bruce asks him his name and he says "Jean Paul Valley" instead of Azrael makes it pretty clear that he had it under control. Even if his sudden inability to fall under the system was planned beforehand, it doesn't fit with what we saw beforehand in Sword.

[Choppa]

As for Hal, it wasn't the sudden destruction of Coast City that drove him to grief, it was the culmination of seeing so many people in his career suffer without him being able to do anything about it. When it his him personally and the Guardians denied his request to undo it, he felt betrayed that his loyalty to the corps had not helped him when he really needed it.

It was a logical way to pave the way for Kyle, not just something they threw together for shock value. Hal was so black and white and boring. This gave him some depth.

[cactusmaac]

Knightfall is the reason I'm reading comics today. I saw the cover of the issue where Bats is surrounded by flame versions of Scarecrow and Poison Ivy in a second-hand book store in Pakistan in 1995 and thought it looked like it was worth a read.

Seeing Batman slowly being worn down and destroyed throughout the arc - and for the eight-month period before Knightfall officially kicked off - made for great storyline fodder and was far more interesting and grown-up than what I expected superhero comics to be. Best moment was seeing Batman beat the hell out of Joker all the while repeating Jason's name. The final issue where Bane destroys him is probably the only comic besides Transformers #75that depressed me for days.

Knightsend, Sword Of Azrael and Venom were all great stories. Knightsquest was awful though. Both Bruce's search and Azbats in Gotham were the subject of some pretty medicore. Only part of that arc I've kept is the Tally Man two-parter, the one where Azbats shuts down a baby-smuggling ring and the one where Gordon turns on his brutal tactics.

Death of Superman as an event was great. My sister told me that Superman had been killed by somebody called Doomsday, and my brother and I laughed at her, saying everyone knows only kryptonite could kill him. I read the Stern novel and enjoyed it. Didn't really become a Superman fan until I read For All Seasons, although I started to appreciate Superman's iconic appeal. Actual comics were allright although reading Miracleman made me think the final battle should have been a lot more apocalyptic.

Kyle was GL when I started. I liked his adventures just fine. Judging from some of the pre-Kyle comics written by Gerard Jones, he was a lot more intersting than Hal.

Similarly Balent's Catwoman was the version around when I started reading. I prefer his take to Cooke's. Breasts aside, she was feistier, more feline and more dangerous. That's the version Bats should be knocking boots with.

[Choppa]

I liked Az's part of Knightquest. It was interesting to see him take on Bruce's enemies and their reactions to him. The Search thing bored me to tears. I don't even think I finished it.

[cactusmaac]

Anyone notice how there are tons of references to Superman's death all over the place, but Knightfall rarely ever gets mentioned? The last two times that it was were the pic of Bane breaking Bruces back in IC and a quick reference to Shondra Kinsolving in HUSH. That's it.

Superman's death was a much bigger event and Superman has had few memorable big stories over the years. Batman's had Contagion, No Man's Land and Murderer in recent years.

[Kara Zor El]

I liked Az's part of Knightquest. It was interesting to see him take on Bruce's enemies and their reactions to him. The Search thing bored me to tears. I don't even think I finished it.
I nenjoyed most of Knightquest. There were a few dull moments but on the whole it entertained me as it dids you Choppa and like you I found Bruce's quest dull. I finished it and it was such an anti climax. I always felt that Bruce should have got better not through someone's special healing powers but by his own sheer determination, stamina, strength and willpower. He should have remained in the cave as Azbats went out and preocupied with his own grueling healing exercises missed the boat on Azrael going under the system. They could have had some interesting scenes together in the cave. With Az making Bruce feel finished but still somehow keeping at it.

[Captain Jim]

Hmm, well just to be different, I liked The Search. All except maybe the first part in Justice Leage Taskforce (IIRC).

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I don't see why Hal can't suffer a mental breakdown like any other person ?

Because guys selected to be part of the Green Lantern Corps aren't supposed to be like any other person, they're supposed to be the best of the best. Green Lanterns are not supposed to be like everybody else. That's been a part of the character's history from the very beginning. They aren't just a bunch of normal folks with magic rings.

Now, if DC had created a bunch of new characters who were just everyday people with magic rings and then had one of them go nuts and kill off all his friends, that'd be be fair enough. But since they'd already established very thoroughly that Green Lanterns weren't like everybody else in the 35 years prior to Emerald Twilight, it didn't make any sense.

[Kara Zor El]

Because guys selected to be part of the Green Lantern Corps aren't supposed to be like any other person, they're supposed to be the best of the best. Green Lanterns are not supposed to be like everybody else. That's been a part of the character's history from the very beginning. They aren't just a bunch of normal folks with magic rings.

Now, if DC had created a bunch of new characters who were just everyday people with magic rings and then had one of them go nuts and kill off all his friends, that'd be be fair enough. But since they'd already established very thoroughly that Green Lanterns weren't like everybody else in the 35 years prior to Emerald Twilight, it didn't make any sense.
Having said that though, which is a brilliant point by the way, you also have to remember that no ordinary human being has had to witness and suffer in his lifetime what Hal Jordan had done up until the point he snapped. Apart from anything else, the utter, diabolical, reality of your home city that you have sworn to protect and have family and loved ones living in, are totally oblitterated by a messed up, reconstructed astronaught pretending to be a half metal Superman, and a big yellow guy with fat fingers and a purple one peice suit, is enough to drive any extraordinary human being over the edge. Having a strong willpower will not necessarily stop someone from a having a mental breakdown. Not even a superhero.

[amorn]

PHEW! at first i read 'Brokeback,madness.....'

[Babylon23]

Because guys selected to be part of the Green Lantern Corps aren't supposed to be like any other person, they're supposed to be the best of the best. Green Lanterns are not supposed to be like everybody else. That's been a part of the character's history from the very beginning. They aren't just a bunch of normal folks with magic rings.

Well said Bored. I tried making the same point earlier, but you've summed it up better than I could.

To add to this, I'd also remind people that Hal was considered the greatest of the GL's. In a group that's comprised of the best of the best, that's no mean feat.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Having said that though, which is a brilliant point by the way, you also have to remember that no ordinary human being has had to witness and suffer in his lifetime what Hal Jordan had done up until the point he snapped. Apart from anything else, the utter, diabolical, reality of your home city that you have sworn to protect and have family and loved ones living in, are totally oblitterated by a messed up, reconstructed astronaught pretending to be a half metal Superman, and a big yellow guy with fat fingers and a purple one peice suit, is enough to drive any extraordinary human being over the edge. Having a strong willpower will not necessarily stop someone from a having a mental breakdown. Not even a superhero.

Oh, there's no denying that Coast City's destruction would have screwed Hal up. But, given his tenuous relationship with the city at the time--none of his close friends or family were living in Coast City at the time--the reaction didn't fit the character in any way shape or form.

Had Coast City's destruction prompted Hal to abandon Earth altogether and sever all close personal ties, I think that would have worked. But having this character, who is supposed to be the greatest of a group that is considered to be amongst the most mentally and morally formidable collection of beings in the universe, suddenly start chopping his friends' hands off or outright incinerating them for getting in his way doesn't really track given how thouroughly they'd established his personality up to that point.

Again, had this been another character with a history of mental instability, like, say, Daredevil, it might have worked. But there was nothing in the character's history to indicate that he had a amputation fetish or that he was hiding homocidal rage.

[Void]

I loved azbats. It was pretty cool to see bats totally broken and then recover. Azbats suit was a nice change from batmans pretty bland costume. I still don't understand why wayne doesn't upgrade his batsuit to better combat crime.

Death of superman also brought me into the dc fold. They were trying something different and while the comics weren't always spectacular it was time for something new and different at DC.

Hal as parralax was the definition of badass. It was fitting that the best of the lanterns would fall the farthest. Hal's breakdown made him seem more human than than the fearless automoton of many, many years. I do sympathize with hals fans, but in all honesty the GLC needed a kick in the butt.

People need to stop blaming marz though. He did the best he could with the time he had. It was DC not marz who chose hal's future. Place the blame where it belongs.

[Super Buddies Forever]

Hal Jordan suffering the mental breakdown would have been brilliant (cries of anguish from his fans notwithstanding) had they simply given it more time. They essentially had him break down in one issue (48), go nuts in one issue (49), and cross the line in one issue (50). In the rush to have it all done by the 50th issue, it came off very poorly. It needed at least five issues, probably more, to be done justice.

That said, I loved his stint as Parallax. Before the Yellow Fear Monster copout, Hal Jordan was one of the most intriguing characters in the entire DCU. The whole Spectre deal that came after gets a bad rap, but I would enjoy it when he would appear to guide Kyle ala Obi-Wan Kenobi.

[Fenix]

well, since I´m one of those who restarted his comic hobbie because of all that stuff, back broken, deaths and crazyness back in the ´90s, I could say that I have enjoyed those runs pretty much.

Hal going crazy was something that pissed me off back then, but because of that I became a GL fan. Ironic, isn´t it? Besides, Kyle life was very interesting for me and very relateable-moronic stuff aside-.

Wonder Woman losing her mantle and drawn by Mike Deodato was one of my first TPBs ever. I remember me thinking "woww, a good story and a beautiful Diana with an attitude!"

About Batman, all I can say is that I was intrigued at first, bored at last. Azbats was a character I couldn´t stand.

Big Blue death was and is -I guess- one of the best "deaths" in comics. I remember I was hooked from begining to end. And His resurrection was also very good.

I didn´t read Aquaman so I´m blank there.

[Babylon23]

I do sympathize with hals fans, but in all honesty the GLC needed a kick in the butt.

Actually, I agree with you here. As much as I love Hal, the book was less than stellar at that point. I just wish they'd gone about things in a better fashion.

People need to stop blaming marz though. He did the best he could with the time he had. It was DC not marz who chose hal's future. Place the blame where it belongs.

Fair enough. I don't really know the back story behind DC's decision making at the time.

Hal Jordan suffering the mental breakdown would have been brilliant (cries of anguish from his fans notwithstanding) had they simply given it more time. They essentially had him break down in one issue (48), go nuts in one issue (49), and cross the line in one issue (50). In the rush to have it all done by the 50th issue, it came off very poorly. It needed at least five issues, probably more, to be done justice.

If they'd shown a slow breakdown over time, with events building on top of one another until he eventually cracked, I'd have accepted it a lot more than what we did get. The "suddenly mad" thing just didn't work for me.

[Buried Alien]

If they'd shown a slow breakdown over time, with events building on top of one another until he eventually cracked, I'd have accepted it a lot more than what we did get. The "suddenly mad" thing just didn't work for me.

Subtly, the stresses that were pushing Hal Jordan towards madness had been building (in the real world) since 1971, when Hal was first forced to confront his personal doubts in the famous O'Neill/Adams GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW series. Throw in that decade (1970s) when Hal was cut off from Carol Ferris and his original career as a pilot, his temporary resignation as GL during the mid-1980s, the deaths of Barry Allen and many of Hal's GL Corps friends during and in the aftermath of CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, the retconned-in drunk driving origin in EMERALD DAWN, the loss of Arisia, and then FINALLY the destruction of Coast City, it wasn't all that improbable. It seemed like it was happening over a rushed few issues, but quietly, subtly, it had been building for over twenty years before EMERALD TWILIGHT.


Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Bored at 3:00AM]

People need to stop blaming marz though. He did the best he could with the time he had. It was DC not marz who chose hal's future. Place the blame where it belongs.

The decision to have Hal Jordan rebel against the Guardians & the Corps because of the destruction of Coast City was certainly DC Editorial, specifically Mike Carlin, Denny O'Neil, Archie Goodwin and Kevin Dooley. However, the details of the story and the characterization within the plot they handed to Marz is his responsibility and, while I think he's taken far too many knocks from fans, he is to blame for some of the worst parts of Emerald Twilight--namely the utterly gratuitous and nonsensical mutilation of Broodika and the pointless murder of Kilowog. Both of these were Marz's decisions and he's admitted as much.

Emerald Twilight still would have been a pretty lackluster story without those two elements, but their inclusion really pushed it into the realm of absolute dreck in my books. It was 90s excess at its worst. Hey, look! I can make otherwise heroic and noble characters act horribly and commit horrific acts of violence! Wee! Aren't I kewl!?

[dazzler_slave]

For me, the 90's were not as bad as they seem to have been for others. We have had a similar discussion in the X-Boards about 90's X-Men. So here are my thoughts on the big events:

Batman - Knightfall was quite good. I enjoyed seeing them trot out all of Batman's villains one after the other (of course this was before that became routine, a la Hush). The back breaking was so shocking to me at the time! But I will say it was all handled really well. I wasn't as big a fan of Knightquest as I felt it dragged on for far too long, and by the time Knightsend came around, I was just glad it was over.

Superman - I really enjoyed reading the death of Superman and Funeral For A Friend. They were emotional and interesting. I loved Reign of the Supermen. What a great storyline that doesn't get the accolades it should!

Wonder Woman - I dunno. I like Artemis as a character now, but she has been developed since then. Back then she was just such a stereotype of the macho, angry warrior woman. I did not really think it was handled well, and it seems to just be an excuse to put Diana in an S&M costume.

Green Lantern - I have to admit, I am not the biggest Hal Jordan fan, so I usually only collected GL when the stories involved John or Guy. That is, until Emerald Twilight. I enjoyed Kyle and became a regular reader of GL after that. Though, I will say that I can totally understand why people were pissed off and hated Emerald Twilight. When a favourite character is treated like that, it's like a slap in the face. I recentlly went through the same emotions with Scarlet Witch in Disassembled.

Aquaman - the hand amputation was the best thing to ever happen to him. During the Peter David run, Arthur was interesting, engaging, dynamic and exciting. It was the first time he actually earned the right to be one of the big 7, and as far as I'm concerned, since he lost the wild hair and militant costume and went back to being a blonde pretty boy in green tights, he has devolved back to that boring Silver Age joke of a character. We'll see how the current Busiek run plays out, though.

Green Arrow - killing Oliver and replacing him with Conner was a mistake. While a great supporting character, Conner just isn't interesting enough to carry a series. Plus, we lost all the fire and strength of conviction that Ollie had. The series lost any and all distinctiveness.

Hawkman - This was the one true mess of the 90's. I mean we had the Silver Age Hawkman/Hawkwoman replaced by Hawkworld, so all their appearances prior to Hawkworld were retconned as Golden Age appearances. Then we had the Zero Hour debacle where all Hawkmen and Golden Age Hawkgirl were merged into some sort of hybrid alien/native american Hawkman with real wings? Terrible stuff and it made Hawkman radioactive for years after.

Flash - Wally hit his stride in the 90's, and under Mark Waid's guidance, became one of DC's best characters. He continued to get even better under Johns, but Waid started it all

So yeah, that's my take on the big guns of DC in the 90's!

[marshal99]

Green Lantern - I have to admit, I am not the biggest Hal Jordan fan, so I usually only collected GL when the stories involved John or Guy. That is, until Emerald Twilight. I enjoyed Kyle and became a regular reader of GL after that. Though, I will say that I can totally understand why people were pissed off and hated Emerald Twilight. When a favourite character is treated like that, it's like a slap in the face. I recentlly went through the same emotions with Scarlet Witch in Disassembled.


Hal's situation was very different from Scarlet witch. She has had time to come to terms with the situation with her children and has done so (and if you read JLA/Avengers , it was Vision that reacted wildly not her ) and if anything , during Kurt Busiek's time in the avengers , She and Vision actually rekindled a bit of what their relationship were in the past because Vision had regained back his memory and did not want to stand in the way of the Simon/Wanda relationship. Unfortunately , it all goes away when some hack comes along and destroy everything just to implant his own vision of the avengers.
Hal loss was very recent. His old flame , Kari Limbo , his friends , his hometown all were gone just like that. I can somewhat understand he did what he did . You have to remember that Hal has butted heads with the guardians in the past so he's not exactly the choirboy.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Hal loss was very recent. His old flame , Kari Limbo , his friends , his hometown all were gone just like that. I can somewhat understand he did what he did . You have to remember that Hal has butted heads with the guardians in the past so he's not exactly the choirboy.

No one is saying Hal was ever a choirboy and nobody is saying that Hal never had serious disagreements with the Guardians. But why on Earth would a guy like Hal Jordan suddenly start chopping people's hands off and murdering his friends because of his hometown got blown up? My friends got killed so I should go out and kill some more of my friends? Huh? Insanity isn't just some catch-all for nonsensical behavior.

I can buy the idea that Hal might try to bring the dead back to life with his ring and get royally pissed when the Guardians try to stop him. I can buy the idea that he'd beat the living piss outta anybody who got in his way, regardless of who they were. But chopping off a helpless opponents hand? Why? What purpose does that serve? That's just sadistic and cruel. And, in 35 years, Hal had never shown any sign whatsoever of that kind of dark side. Ever.I can certainly buy Hal snapping Sinestro's neck, given the fact that Hal had already executed him after he was tried by the Corps for galactic genocide. But killing Kilowog? Why? Again, it made no sense. He could have easily flung him five miles away where he couldn't bother him. It was a completely unnecessary thing to do given the hundreds of non-lethal ways of dealing with Kilowog. It was the writer shouting to the reader: "Look! We're serious! He's eeeeeeevil!". It didn't track with either the established character or the story that was being told.

We're talking about a guy whose entire profession prior to even becoming a super-hero required him to not snap under not only physical stress, but mental stress as well. How many test pilots do you read about in the newspapers going nuts and murdering their friends over some tragedy that's happened in their lives? I'm betting you never have. There's a reason for that. Test pilots are a different breed. And Hal Jordan was supposed to be amongst the best test pilots ever.

Look, I can understand why some bought into the story, but, not to put too fine a point on it, generally the people who did like Emerald Twilight either never cared for Hal Jordan that much or weren't that familiar with the character and his established personality in the first place. For instance, if you had never heard of Superman prior to reading a story of him cheating on Lois Lane, I'm sure you would probably think that was in-character too and be able to come up with several perfectly good reasons why Superman would cheat on his wife. However, anybody whose been following Superman for the past few decades would probably be having an embolism.

Likewise, readers who either didn't like or know too much about Hal, generally thought Emerald Twilight made sense. Those who liked and understood the character's personality were left scratching their heads.

[marshal99]

I've been reading Hal for a long time , was a hal fan , and i thought emerald twilight was done quite reasonably well. I already stated my reasons , yeah , he needlessly killed Kilowog but once he went over the edge and started beating the corps members and taking their rings , everything becomes easier for him to reason and there was no going back.He basically became oft-centered , he reasoned that if he takes all the power , he can remake the universe (ala zero hour) and bring everything back so the death of kilowog and the corps will be inconsequential as he will bring everyone back to life including his city.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I've been reading Hal for a long time , was a hal fan , and i thought emerald twilight was done quite reasonably well. I already stated my reasons , yeah , he needlessly killed Kilowog but once he went over the edge and started beating the corps members and taking their rings , everything becomes easier for him to reason and there was no going back.He basically became oft-centered , he reasoned that if he takes all the power , he can remake the universe (ala zero hour) and bring everything back so the death of kilowog and the corps will be inconsequential as he will bring everyone back to life including his city.

Fair enough. If the story worked for you, it worked for you, but let me ask you something: What were the earliest Hal stories that got you into the character? Emerald Dawn? Action Comics Weekly?

[marshal99]

Nope , way back in the 2nd volume of green lantern with the corps. Stopped reading much when the guardians left and the corps relocated to earth.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Nope , way back in the 2nd volume of green lantern with the corps. Stopped reading much when the guardians left and the corps relocated to earth.

I really dug those stories. GL #200 is one of my favorite covers.

[marshal99]

I like the cover of #150 with Hal leading the qwardian corps.:D

[jaguarshark]

I like the cover of #150 with Hal leading the qwardian corps.:D
I was never into Green Lantern much- I dug the concept, and I'd pick up an issue here or there, but that was about it- but I loved the 'Showcase' collection. Was any of the stuff in the later runs better than those early issues?

[Kara Zor El]

How many test pilots do you read about in the newspapers going nuts and murdering their friends over some tragedy that's happened in their lives? I'm betting you never have. There's a reason for that. Test pilots are a different breed. And Hal Jordan was supposed to be amongst the best test pilots ever.

Test pilots can have breakdowns same as generals and astronaughts and Kings.

Some of the astronaughts who went to the moon later had breakdowns.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Test pilots can have breakdowns same as generals and astronaughts and Kings.

Some of the astronaughts who went to the moon later had breakdowns.

Who said test pilots don't have breakdowns? Look at what I said again. I was talking about test pilots going nuts and murdering their friends because of a great tragedy.

No one is saying Hal couldn't have a breakdown. Anyone can have a breakdown, even a superhero. What I'm saying is that a breakdown that involves murdering ones own friends doesn't seem very likely for a test pilot of Hal's caliber.

Look into the breakdowns of those astronauts you're talking about if you'd like. I guarantee none of them involved killing their own friends.

[jaguarshark]

Who said test pilots don't have breakdowns? Look at what I said again. I was talking about test pilots going nuts and murdering their friends because of a great tragedy.

No one is saying Hal couldn't have a breakdown. Anyone can have a breakdown, even a superhero. What I'm saying is that a breakdown that involves murdering ones own friends doesn't seem very likely for a test pilot of Hal's caliber.

Look into the breakdowns of those astronauts you're talking about if you'd like. I guarantee none of them involved killing their own friends.
In fairness, none of them were participants in a fictional, super-powered soap opera, either.

[Kara Zor El]

In fairness, none of them were participants in a fictional, super-powered soap opera, either.

Exactly, this is fantasy!!!

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Exactly, this is fantasy!!!

If we're going to start using this line of reasoning, any behavior, no matter how ridiculous, would be perfectly a-okay.

Batman marries The Joker! What the ****?! Don't worry. This is fantasy!

Wonder Woman tells battered women to just suck it up and do what men tell them! Huh!? Don't worry. This is fantasy!

Black Lightning joins the KKK! Don't worry! This is FANTASY!

Yeah, these characters exist in a fantasy world of magic, outlandish costumes and bizarre situations, but when characters start behaving in ways totally contradictory to their established personality, readers have a legit beef.

Prior to Emerald Twilight, there was no evidence whatsoever that Hal was mentally unstable and nothing to suggest that he was supressing the degree of sadism and homocidal mania he displayed in that story. Once again, my issue isn't with the idea of Hal attempting to resurrect Coast City and rebelling against the Guardians. It's the idea that he'd mutilate and murder his own friends to accomplish that goal. That just doesn't make sense to me and the vast majority of Hal fans out there.

If you can point out any past story that showed that the character was capable of this kind of behavior, I'm all ears.

[Buried Alien]

If you can point out any past story that showed that the character was capable of this kind of behavior, I'm all ears.

That's why they invented the Yellow Fear Monster. :)


Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I had a special thread dedicated to DC in the 90's ala Marvel. DC Comics seemingly knew where and how to do big storylines and deal with angry fans. Of course Marvel once they made a change back pedaled fast !

Green Lantern Grade: 8 outta 10. ( the orginal proposel had a slow nervous breakdown for Hal Jordan but DC wanted the trigger pulled asap at #50)

Hal Jordan was really pushed too far. I mean the guy had battled alcohol and had quit the Corps at one point. He had lost Carol Ferris and really seemed like he would end up alone and old with those grey temples lol.

When he lost Coast City and his reaction in GL #48 you saw a hero who had a nervous breakdown. Thats cleary what happened. He had a nervous breakdown and lost it. No stupid " yellow fear monster " garbage , Hal Jordan lost friends and his entire City he was sworn to protect and he suffered a crippling nervous breakdown where he tried to bring back everyone with his ring.

The Corps never knew what hit them. His rage grew , he got more and more power and in " Emerald Twilight " he moved to his next phase. Its just DC really had no clue how to do a Parallax ala a Magneto . They had a guy who only wanted to set things right and was a former hero but exacution fell after his death in " Final Night ".


Wonder Woman : Grade 7 outta 10

WW was replaced due to her policies in Man's World. Her mother felt she had lost her way and in " The Contest " Artmetis won to be WW. It was so/so as Dinah came back with a new costume and look and in WW #100 she would regain the Wonder Woman crown. Awesome art at times by Mike Deototo.

Green Arrow Grades : 9 outta 10 for Crossroads. 7 outta 10 for Where Angels Fear to Tread .

Green Arrow was the title that really underwent a transformation. Mike Grell has taken the character down a road where he was split off from the mainstream DCU. Grell had in 80 issues created his own GA Universe like Wolfman did for New Titans in the 80's/90's.

Oliver Queen was sad , lonely and had lost his way in " Crossroads ". He felt he didn't belong with these heroes and missed Dinah Lance who had caught him kissin another woman. He went on the road again as the Hard Travelin Hero , and encountered numerous DC heroes and villains along the way. Its the events in Crossroads that took Oliver Queen to the point of Zero Hour. Where he seemingly thought he had killed his best friend and shattered his quiver in rage & grief.

He would go on to the monestery and met his son Conner Hawke there. When he went undercover to stop a group of terrorists in Where Angels Fear to Tread , Ollie sacrificed himself to save Metropolis. The scene where he told Superman " Lose my arm , I'd rather die ! "

Batman Grades: 10/10 for Knightfall , 8/10 for Knightquest , 4/10 for Knights End.

I really think DC should get applause here. I mean the entire saga stretched over 2 years , ran in numerous books and really was quite good til the very end. I just think it dragged out too far in KnightsEnd.

The whole idea showed that no one can be Batman except Bruce Wayne. By putting Jean Paul Valley into the role and showing how he suffered from his Saint Dumas training , they created a great villain that fans would hate ...FAST. And DC won...they made fans despise Valley til Batman beat him.

Superman 9/10 for Death of Superman , 7/10 for Reign....

Well the entire thing lasted a year and it was pretty damn big. I mean this was F-CKIN Superman people. His death should be huge. Besides the " Funeral for a Friend " arc which I included in Death , I think DC hit HR's with this and Knightfall.


Thats my feelings.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

That's why they invented the Yellow Fear Monster. :)


Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Exactly. As much scorn as the Yellow Fear Monster gets, it does make all the weird behavior and crummy stories Hal Jordan had been put through since the late eighties make perfect sense. Although, I still fail to understand how a Yellow Fear Monster is any more or less silly than a Green Lantern. Space police armed with magic rings given to them by blue midgets in red dresses is a more credible idea than an alien parasite that feeds off of fear?

Different strokes, I guess...