Summary
- Earth has an abundance of Green Lanterns, making some members feel redundant and out of place.
- Kyle Rayner, once the only Green Lantern, is struggling to find his role among the many Earth Lanterns.
- There needs to be a way for Kyle and other Green Lanterns to stand out and feel appreciated, even if they don’t have their own comic books.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Green Lantern #8!DC Comics is the first to admit that it has introduced a few too many Green Lanterns. Most sectors in the DC Universe are lucky to have two Lanterns patrolling their space, but Earth has several times as many. The numerous Green Lanterns could be accidentally making some members feel downright redundant.
In Green Lantern #8’s backup story “Good Talk” by Ron Marz and Dale Eaglesham, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner is out in space, talking things over with a construct of his former girlfriend, Alexandra DeWitt. Kyle tells the manifestation how confident he felt being the only Green Lantern around.
Kyle goes deeper and admits that while he loves being a part of the Green Lanterns, it’s getting harder for him to find his place. The pressure is getting to Kyle because while he knows something is going on with the Emotional Spectrum, Green Lantern has no idea what to do.
Kyle Rayner Feels Lost with So Many Other Green Lanterns
Earth has always been a special case when it comes to its Green Lanterns. After Hal Jordan broke tradition to become the first Earthling in the Green Lantern Corps, the interstellar peacekeeping force took on others from the planet like John Stewart and Guy Gardner. When Jordan destroyed the Corps, it was Kyle who carried the torch until the organization returned. And in recent years, the DC Universe has only gotten more Lanterns from Earth such as Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz and Sojourner ‘Jo’ Mullein. And that’s not even counting heroes like Alan Scott or Teen Lantern Keli Quintela.
Kyle’s not wrong to feel out of place. In the past, new Lanterns from Earth would join the Corps when other members weren’t up to the task. But now, nearly everyone from Earth who’s been a member of the Corps is an active Green Lantern. Unfortunately, only a few can get the spotlight and right now, that happens to be Hal and John, the leads of Green Lantern and Green Lantern: War Journal. There’s just not enough space for Guy, Jo, Jessica, Simon, and Kyle to have equal time as a featured Green Lantern, and Kyle is feeling it.
Is There a Place for Kyle Rayner in the Green Lantern Corps?
It’d be nice if every Green Lantern could have a book on the stands, but that’s a hard ask. But Kyle doesn’t necessarily need to anchor a book, he just needs something in his life that helps him stand out from the pack. Kyle was once the DCU’s sole Green Lantern, but he’s quickly becoming a face in the crowd. A hero with Kyle’s record deserves a spot somewhere. Maybe with a new superhero team or maybe working with the Titans. DC Comics has so many Green Lanterns, but it needs to start finding a place for them to feel appreciated.
Green Lantern #8 is on sale now from DC Comics.
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Green Lantern #8 (2024) |
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