Warning: full episode spoilers follow.
The thing about being a superhero with a secret identity is that life tends to pass you by while you're off saving the world or the universe or whatever. How many times has Peter Parker webbed up Green Goblin, only to come home and get yelled at by Aunt May for not being around to stir her soup and give her her heart medication? That's pretty much the theme of Hal Jordan's life as Season 2 of Green Lantern opens. Hal just got done saving the universe from an invasion by Atrocitus' Red Lanterns. And what does he get in return? Carol fired him from Ferris Aircraft. The Guardians replaced him as Green Lantern of Sector 2814. No respect at all.
Luckily, Hal's bout of "Parker luck" made for an entertaining season premiere. Much of this was thanks to the titular "new guy,"Guy Gardner. Some fans might have preferred that the show introduce Kyle Rayner or John Stewart before bringing Guy in, but his overconfident swagger was really what the episode needed to offset Hal's grim intensity. This is a character whose was initially best known for getting punched in the face by Batman. He manages to tick off just about everybody, and his running conflict with Hal drove the episode forward. Every time it seemed the two rival Lanterns had finally made peace, Guy would do something to set Hal off again and the fists and Lantern constructs resumed flying.
To their credit, the writers avoided painting Guy as too much of an obnoxious jerk, which is often a problem in the comics. He's got a bit of a Dudebro aura going (complete with a love of fist bumping), but he's likable enough regardless. It's a shame that the show doesn't appear to be maneuvering the two for a regular partnership, as Guy would make an entertaining foil for Hal as the latter adjusts to his new promotion.
Though her role was relatively minor, the newscaster character was a bit annoying throughout the episode. She was pretty much the apotheosis of every cartoon damsel in distress, right down to her willingness to fly right into harm's way for the perfect scoop. It was pretty bizarre to see her chopper just happen to show up in the middle of the mountains right as the Manhunters were attacking. Maybe I'm just nitpicking, but her presence was garting and generally felt felt unnecessary.
On the bright side, this episode laid the groundwork for an interesting new conspiracy dating back to the origins of the Green Lanterns. We have the mysterious, hugely powerful new villain (The Anti-Monitor?) who seems capable of controlling the Manhunters. I'll be interested to see how deeply into Green Lantern and general DC lore the writers delve in the coming episodes.
The new status quo for Hal also holds plenty of potential. As an Honor Guard, he's now pretty much free to travel wherever in the universe he chooses. That offers the show ample freedom going forward, but also leaves the danger of the series becoming meandering and unfocused. Let's hope that isn't the case.
Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following Jesse on Twitter, or on IGN.
Source : ign[dot]com
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