Hal Loves Me, Hal Loves Me Not…
Posted by Don MacPherson on August 10th, 2009
Quite a bit has been made of a scene that James Robinson wrote in Justice League: Cry for Justice #2 in which it’s suggested, nay revealed that Green Lantern Hal Jordan participated in a menage a trois with a couple of shapely super-heroines. I can understand others’ frustration with that snippet of dialogue, as it really adds nothing to the story or characters. But it another bit of dialogue on the next page that I found more distracting and frustrating.
In it (see right), Green Lantern and Green Arrow discuss their disdain for Gotham City, and in the process, they also share their thoughts about its “late” champion and their former teammate, the Batman, AKA Bruce Wayne. Decades ago, the members of the Justice League were all close friends, but in recent years, DC’s writers have opted to define some relationships among heroes through friction. As such, Hal’s suggestion that he didn’t care for Bruce Wayne works. I welcome such dynamics among characters today over the saccharine Super Friends camaraderie of yesteryear.
However, that segment of Robinson’s script irked me a little because of something that another one of DC’s writers penned months ago. Flashing back months ago to Blackest Night #0, Geoff Johns also had Hal Jordan sound off on what he thought of his fallen colleague. As you can see (at left), the result was quite different…
Someone has to make up his mind. No, not Hal Jordan. I’m referring of course to editor Eddie Berganza (and associate editor Adam Schlagman), who managed the production of both comic books.
Then again, they’re just super-hero comics. What really needs editing and continuity control are Sarah Palin’s talking points.
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August 10th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
nice one there. and better with the Palin point.
August 11th, 2009 at 8:35 am
Different conversational partners, different moods, different crises in progress. Hal might not say the same things to Barry as he would to Ollie, perhaps? And sometimes you’re more willing to admit that a particular friend drives or drove you halfway nuts with their thinking than in other moments.
It might be that simple.
August 11th, 2009 at 9:50 am
While Dwight’s suggestion points toward a possible intentional dichotomy (which I don’t think is the case), it does suggestion a plausible explanation so as to maintain continuity.
I think the simpler answer is editing oversight.
August 11th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
It’s ok. I think most people will just block Robinson’s run on Justice League out of their minds in the long run anyway, thereby fixing the continuity error.
August 11th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Hal Jordan is a pimp.
Write it down.
August 11th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
If one reads the text Hal was confessing to ollie that truth be known he did not like Bruce. for Cry for Justice probably is set before Blackest Night for after all Hal respects Batman but that does not mean he had to like him.
August 11th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Demoncat wrote:
If one reads the text Hal was confessing to ollie that truth be known he did not like Bruce. for Cry for Justice probably is set before Blackest Night for after all Hal respects Batman but that does not mean he had to like him.
1) Both stories take place in the aftermath of Batman’s death in Final Crisis.
2) In one, Hal says he didn’t like Bruce. In another, he says Bruce was his friend.
3) Is the notion that DC editors made a mistake/missed something so hard to accept? Why is there a need to rationalize the two disparate scenes to be possible?
August 12th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Don wrote:
Is the notion that DC editors made a mistake/missed something so hard to accept? Why is there a need to rationalize the two disparate scenes to be possible?
Trying to win a No-Prize?
August 12th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Jerry wrote:
Trying to win a No-Prize?
Wrong publisher.
August 13th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I think [people accept the mistake their just trying to ratuonalise the continuity.
I [personally think it could be Hal disliked Bats but considered him his equal and respected him enough to call him a friend.
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
What really needs editing (out) is dragging politics into everything.