Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Who Is Hal Jordan?

First Appearance: Showcase #22 (1959)

He is the original "Man Without Fear", the greatest Green Lantern, and not even death was able to defeat him. He is Hal Jordan.
PC: Andrew James Rocha

The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, was a comic book character that flourished during World War II, and he was armed with a magic lantern and ring. After World War II, superheroes lost their popularity and they started to fade out of existence.

Green Lantern might have completely disappeared if not for the resurgence of superheroes during the US's atomic age toward the end of the 1950's and the early 1960's. DC began reinventing their classic characters, starting with the Flash, and eventually reimagined the Green Lantern, this time as a pilot chosen to be a intergalactic police officer.

From Hal Jordan, entire worlds of characters and stories were born. While Alan Scott was the only Green Lantern of his world, Hal Jordan was one of thousands inhabiting different worlds. What many consider to be the Green Lantern mythos, is all a result of Hal Jordan.

For those who want to get to know Hal Jordan without reading decades worth of comic book storylines, allow me to help. Before becoming the Green Lantern, Hal Jordan was a test pilot from Coast City with a hot temper and a reckless attitude. One day, Hal was chosen by a dying alien, Abin Sur, to succeed him as the Green Lantern of space sector 2814. Armed with a power ring, Hal Jordan would become a member of the Justice League and be known by many as the greatest Green Lantern.

Besides being the main character in several comic book titles, Hal Jordan has also starred in several cartoons, including Green Lantern: The Animated Series, a show that I believe was underrated and deserved more episodes. 

Ryan Reynolds portrayed Hal Jordan in the 2008 film, Green Lantern. Although the film was considered to be a flop and disappointed many fans, I still like how the film portrayed characters like Sinestro, Tomar-Re, and Kilowog.

If you're thinking, "Hey, Hal sounds like a pretty cool character. I want to read more about him", then I highly recommend the stories listed below.

Recommend Reading
"Secret Origin"
"Emerald Twilight"
"Rebirth"

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