Emerald Twilight

Issues: Green Lantern #48-50 (1994)

Superheroes are characters that are known for their heroism and inability to do evil. And if you look at the origin of comic book superheroes, that is how a lot of them started off. But as time went on and writers and artists started to create stories for more mature readers, the superheroes reflected the imperfections and weaknesses of those readers.

Green Lantern Hal Jordan is one character that had a dramatic fall from a noble and shining hero. In fact, he became one of the greatest villains to threaten the DC universe. 

PC: Andrew James Rocha

The early 1990's was a bleak time for comic book superheroes. Superman was beaten to death, Batman had his back broken, and Green Lantern...well, Green Lantern went on a murderous rampage across the universe.

"Emerald Twilight" begins with the aftermath of the destruction of Hal Jordan's hometown, Coast City, by the combined forces of the Cyborg Superman and the alien tyrant Mongul. If you think that this story is about how Hal rebuilds the city and saves thousands of survivors, you're mistaken and this might not be a storyline for you.

Hal Jordan goes into a deep depression and attempts to use the power of his ring to resurrect Coast City, which is in violation of his duty as a Green Lantern. The Guardians of the Universe condemn Hal Jordan for using his ring for personal gain and demand he relinquish his weapon. This sends Hal Jordan into a rage and he begins a vicious trek to the homeworld of the Guardians, battling many of his fellow Green Lanterns and friends along the way, stealing their power rings and leaving them for dead in the coldness of space.

This is the story of how a fearless hero becomes a violent villain. And it makes complete sense since Hal Jordan is a man who has lost everything and even though he has the power to get it all back, he is told "no". I think we all can somewhat understand Hal's anger and desperation. 

I would say that "Emerald Twilight" is a story for readers who want a superhero story that reads more like an ancient Greek tragedy, or for readers who want to know more about the background to current Green Lantern stories. "Emerald Twilight" is not only about the fall of Hal Jordan, but also the introduction of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner and the monster Parallax.
 

Writing	Art	Character Development	Overall Enjoyment
8	6	8	9