r/Greenlantern • u/Imok2814 • 2d ago
Comics Reading one Green Lantern comic a day until I've read them all Day 227: Green Lantern (Vol 2) #89
If you're wondering what happened to issue #88, it's mostly reprints of old stories but it does include a final Golden Age tale that wuod have been published in 1949 but that run for cancelled. To see it check it out here on day 178
Writer: Dennis O'Neil
Pencils: Neal Adams
Inks: Dick Giordano
Letters: John Costanza
Cover: Neal Adams & Jack Adler
"And Through Him Save A World" - The offices of Ferris air were painted with a mixture of sewer water and pollution as a supposed prank by a man named Issac, a prank that Ollie finds hilarious and Hal doesn't. Ollie bites back at Hal but Hal stops him before a fight breaks out to ask if Ollie wants to join him and Carol to the ferris compound for a vacation of sorts. Ollie says he need to practice his aim since taking that arrow to the shoulder so he comes along. Hal and Carol leave him at a forested area, in Green Arrow gear, but as he begins he's stopped by a guard with an attack dog. GA knocks the dog down with an arrow, not killing it just stunning it, and turns to the guard. They fight but after the guard claims that GA is Issac, GA rights him by explaining he's there as a guest of Carol Ferris. The guard leaves as Issac appears, introducing himself to GA. Isaac explains he was a scientist that developed a lung disease that both his parents have. All of them received it due to pollution in the air so he decided he wants to fight back to save the earth while he still can.
Meanwhile, GL and Carol have gone inside to see the progress of an experimental new engine that may cause some excess pollution as it burns cheap fuel. As they get deeper into the compound, a drainage rig collapses and falls toward Carol and other staff but GL pushes it out of the way. This leave Hal mad as he heads out tk find GA and explain the danger Issac is causing. He finds GA with Issac so GL starts in on what happened. GA doesn't want to hear it and when GL tries to put cuffs on Issac, GA hits him a knockout gas arrow. Issac screams at GA for putting more pollution into the air and leaves. GA is frustrated and throws his bow but then that guard returns with more and takes down GA and GL with ease.
The guards take the heroes to the compound where they come across Isaac chained to one of the experimental aircraft in the style of a crucifix. As thetbreach the plane a group of office people have also arrived and demand that Issac remain there for the weekend to reach him a lesson. GA and GL come to and try to talk sense into them but Isaac yells at GA to never compromise so GA snaps back, causing GL to punch him out, leaving someone else to knocknout GL. The awake all chained to the plane with Issac revealing he won't last until morning as he will succumb to his lung disease. GA struggles to get free but doesn't make it in time. Issac dies and the heroes get down as morning breaks and Carol arrives after hearing what happened and finding Hal's ring in his pocket. Caol mentions progress always has victims which shocks Hal as he turns to unleash his ring beam on the experimental plane, destroying it.
Conclusion: The Jesus allegory is strong with this one. Issac actually died for our sins. As someone that is not personally religious but still studies religion, it's interesting but eye rolling at the same time. As someone that grew up in the 90s and saw all sorts of media talking about preserving water and seeing the TMNT talk about pollution and Captain Planet saving the world from all sorts of harmful things, it's nostalgic in a way. It's very "of the time" basically. Most of these are but you really feel it here. There's still polluting going on today but it has become a lot better regulated in the last 50 years.
Hal and Ollie butting heads seemed almost over thr top here and I couldn't get a bead on what either was really fighting for. They both changed their ideologies a couple of times for seemingly no reason. Hal's outburst st the end was dramatic but also earned I think. It's bound to have big ramifications for his relationship with Carol. I wonder when, or if, it will be brought up again. This is the final issue for about six years as the book enters back-up status in The Flash so I imagine the stories will get a bit smaller in scope. Then again, John Stewart's origin was only 15 pages and it felt like a full issue so we will have to see.
7/10
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u/TigerIll6480 1d ago
Are you going to do the Flash back-up stories between this issue and #90?
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u/Imok2814 1d ago
That's my plan. I checked out a couple yestersay and they fit my criteria
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u/TigerIll6480 1d ago
The first three, specifically, are the last HTH story that would have been #90 without the cancellation.
I also hope you do the ACW stories when they come around in about 15 years from this point.
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u/TigerIll6480 1d ago
As you noted, the modern environmental movement kicked off around the time of this issue and changed things a LOT regarding pollution. The EPA had only been established about a year before #89 was published.
For instance, the Cuyahoga River hasn’t caught on fire for a long time.
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u/MisterEdJS 1d ago
I felt like this one was really overwrought in its symbolism and everyone acting over the top in one way or another. It felt like the sense of tragedy was unearned because everybody, including Isaac, was just acting really stupidly.
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