Written by Ron Marz.
Art by Darryl Banks; Romeo Tanghal; Steve Mattsson; & Albert De Guzman.
Cover Art by Darryl Banks; Romeo Tanghal; & Steve Buccellato.
SUMMARY:
Entitled “Second Chances,” DC Comics released this issue for October 1994. Continuing their duel from Zero Hour # 0, an inexperienced Kyle Rayner faces Hal Jordan’s delusional Parallax one-on-one. An interdimensional time warp deposits the two combatants on Oa. The desolate planet is now strewn with the Guardians’ corpses and grim evidence left of Green Lanterns that Jordan previously destroyed.
The idealistic (and somewhat naïve) Rayner does all he can to thwart an unhinged Jordan’s scheme to manipulate time and correct reality’s perceived mistakes. Yet, will becoming Green Lantern again finally snap Jordan out of his psychosis? Rayner is forced to make a potentially catastrophic decision, if only to save the universe from his predecessor’s madness.
REVIEW:
Like with DC’s other ongoing titles, the Issue # 0 gimmick sought to provide a jumping-aboard checkpoint for new readers. Green Lantern # 0, however, is a mixed bag justifying this experiment. The art squad’s mostly satisfactory visuals (the last page is the issue’s best) deliver the necessary goods. More so, writer Ron Marz succeeds in crowning his own creation, Kyle Rayner, as DC’s sole Green Lantern and Jordan’s worthy successor.
In order to accomplish this task, Marz brusquely trashes Jordan’s emerald legacy of nearly forty years. Hence, for long-time fans, it is cringe-worthy to see this iconic Justice Leaguer now reduced to a pathetically clichéd and semi-coherent psychotic to make Rayner a fan favorite.
Aside from Rayner’s plot similarities to Luke Skywalker, Issue # 0 concludes the controversial “Emerald Twilight” transition dating back to Green Lantern # 48. Too bad for DC, it would take a company a full decade to recognize that Rayner was not the cure for Jordan’s waning star power. Instead, as of 1994, what was sapping the title’s popularity was DC’s own mediocre Green Lantern storytelling dating back to the mid-80’s that prompted its desperate switch to Marz’s Rayner.
Unlike the revitalizing mid-80’s shift from Barry Allen to Wally West for The Flash, this poorly-conceived Jordan-to-Rayner switcheroo proved a slow-brewing disappointment. Reading Issue # 0 suggests why that outcome was not much of a surprise.
Note: In 2004, Geoff Johns retroactively corrected Marz’s misguided storytelling with the Green Lantern: Rebirth mini-series.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There is a two-page “Ringside” letters-and-answers column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5 Stars
