Review: Green Lantern #0

Simon Baz of Earth....

Earth's new Green Lantern, Simon Baz!  Review on Green Lantern #0










(Click photos to enlarge)

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click photo to enlarge awesomeness

After a year of getting teased, the new Green Lantern's origin is finally revealed in this issue.  Simon Baz is the newest Green Lantern Corpsman recruit of Sector 2814 and joins Guy, Kyle, John, and Hal as Green Lanterns from Earth.  The biggest highlight of his origin is showing to the audience the harsh reality of Middle Eastern people living in the United States.  This stirs up controversy because many ignorant people will think that DC is negatively portraying Arab-Americans, but its actually highlighting how wrong people view them in the post 9/11 era.  The theme of the issue basically is telling you not to judge him based off his ethnicity, but judge him off based on his character.  The rest of the story goes on about his current position in life is in a struggle and that being a criminal isn't a bad option.  Despite of the crime he committed, you get a sense that Simon Baz stands up for things that a worth fighting for.  But here is something interesting many fans thought about: What if the new Green Lantern was a Middle-Eastern woman instead?  Would it make a much more interesting story because women's rights over there are terrible?  And to have that woman get the universe's most powerful weapon, a Green Lantern ring, it could've been more story driven completely shown a positive take on women in the Middle-East.

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Green Lantern Annual #1

As far as when this issue takes place, it pretty much happens about the same time as Green Lantern Annual #1.  One thing to mention that is not a spoiler is that Baz is not the First Lantern.  [POTENTIAL SPOILERS if you didn't read the Annual]  He got his ring from Thaal Sinestro and Hal Jordan when they both died-ish from Black Hand.  However if any of you have read Green Lantern since the beginning of the DCN52, you would know that Sinestro created a ring under his control for Hal.  This means that if they both died, then Hal's ring will fuse back with Sinestro's ring before it chooses a replacement.  

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Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps

But recently Hal was able to override the ring with the help of Natromo of the Indigo Tribe so that he can control it all to himself.  So what does this all mean for Simon Baz?  It means that when Hal's and Sinestro's rings fused back to one again, it made the ring "unstable" which can possibly mean that Baz will not be able to fully control it unless he gets help from Hal Jordan, Sinestro, the other Green Lanterns of Earth or even the Indigo Lanterns.  So this could explain why he needs the real gun.  Sometimes the ring might not be controlable in combat situations, so the gun comes as a back up plan.  A lot of fans already showed displeasure of a Green Lantern yielding a real weapon, but it will all play in the story which is fine by me.  The ones that are complaining and bitching about this are the ones who haven't even read this yet.  They're the ones that judge the book by the cover.  Its not like DC drew him up with a handgun without reasoning behind it.  People who assume without giving it a fair chance shouldn't read comic books period.

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Justice League of America coming spring 2013

This issue was a great origin story and a good look into the Baz's character.  The next issue will be a great one because it will explore his potential as a Green Lantern as well as hopefully answering questions about Hal and Sinestro.  This is all about to tie in with the other Green Lantern titles: GL Corps, GL New Guardians, and Red Lanterns for the Rise of the Third Army.  But overall I am definitely looking forward to learning more about Simon Baz.  I feel like he will slowly become a new favorite of mine.  He has a unique character and will be a member of the upcoming Justice League of America series!

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