Rereading Green Lantern Issues...
Every time I reread Kyle's run on Green Lantern, I'm incedibly amused by the fact that pretty much everyone Kyle knows figures out he's Green Lantern without him telling them. His mom asks him about it, his dad has those news clippings, Terry's got his sketches... I bet Radu even knows, even though I haven't reread those issues to be sure.
I just think it's funny.
Of course, to be fair, it's not surprising that Kyle does stuff like this or transforms in the middle of a coffee shop, or spends a lot of time flirting with his green girlfriend in public while in costume and expects no one to notice.
Really, Kyle's quite the capable Green Lantern, but he hasn't the sense God gave little green apples. He probably should just ditch the mask all together and embrace his public identity. It's not like MORE of his loved ones would die.
Okay, that was in poor taste. Heh.
Still though, it says something that even HAL managed to keep his identity more of a secret than Kyle does, even with the not-inconsiderable brain damage the man must have suffered thanks to all those tree limbs and newspapers and signs.
I admit, while I do enjoy the Guy-and-Kyle-in-space concept, I kinda miss seeing Kyle blunder through the whole secret identity business. He was so endearingly, wretchedly bad at it. :-)
Oh well, I'm sure he has other things to be endearingly stupid about. :-)
I just think it's funny.
Of course, to be fair, it's not surprising that Kyle does stuff like this or transforms in the middle of a coffee shop, or spends a lot of time flirting with his green girlfriend in public while in costume and expects no one to notice.
Really, Kyle's quite the capable Green Lantern, but he hasn't the sense God gave little green apples. He probably should just ditch the mask all together and embrace his public identity. It's not like MORE of his loved ones would die.
Okay, that was in poor taste. Heh.
Still though, it says something that even HAL managed to keep his identity more of a secret than Kyle does, even with the not-inconsiderable brain damage the man must have suffered thanks to all those tree limbs and newspapers and signs.
I admit, while I do enjoy the Guy-and-Kyle-in-space concept, I kinda miss seeing Kyle blunder through the whole secret identity business. He was so endearingly, wretchedly bad at it. :-)
Oh well, I'm sure he has other things to be endearingly stupid about. :-)
posted by kalinara @ 6:00 AM
9 Comments:
At March 10, 2008 8:07 AM,
Elayne said…
Are you sure this isn't just somewhat sloppy and internally inconsistent writing? After all, characters don't actually exist but for the writers and artists.
At March 10, 2008 9:31 AM,
SallyP said…
Bwhahahaha!
It's true, it's absolutely true. I really don't know why Kyle even bothers with a mask anymore. He must just like it as an accessory.
It's a good thing that Kyle is so sweet...not to mention cute. Because he IS on the dim side.
At March 10, 2008 9:44 AM,
kalinara said…
Characters have writers and artists? Gosh, I thought they sprang full-form out of the ether!
Seriously, I like you a lot, Elayne, but you can be awfully tedious about this subject. And since you refused to get the hint the previous times you've made this complaint, I will be blunt. Just because I don't mention a creative team by name, does not mean that I'm forgetting they exist or trying to disparage their creative contributions. It means that I either expect the readers of this blog to know already (considering that Kyle's Green Lantern run features all of three main writers, it's not exactly comparable to say Batman in this regard) or I don't think the individual names of the creative teams are pertinent to the discussion. In this particular case, I think it's a combination of the two.
The interesting thing about something like comics, which involve characters and concepts that tend to get passed around various writers is that we're able to talk about characterization essentially independant of any singular creator.
Besides, my whole point in this post is that it's not inconsistent. If it IS the product of sloppy mistake, it's the same mistake made across at least three creative teams and two series. (Specifically: Ron Marz (GL), Judd Winick (GL), Grant Morrison (JLA)).
Ultimately with a product like this, I think it's fair to say that a mistake made repeatedly and by more than one writer becomes characterization.
I'm not expecting you to necessarily agree with me about this subject especially considering how personal I understand it is for you. But considering that my particular knack for personalizing the characters/stories without necessarily addressing individual creators has been a consistant element of my blogging style for over two years now, despite your sporadic complaints on the subject, I think it's fairly safe to say I'm probably not going to change my ways now. If it truly bothers you, you're more than welcome not to read. I would understand completely.
At March 10, 2008 9:48 AM,
Julio Oliveira said…
Heh. Yes, Radu knew he was GL, and even asked him to save him from some foreign mob/secret service (I don't remember which now). Hell, I think even his blind jazz musician neighbour (and he had one too, Radu was kinda like a mini-Soho) knew.
Maybe is some brain trauma induced by Alexandra death?
Also slightly related on of the last topics. I think Kyle and Wonder had a wonderful friendship on Morrison JLA and some of the specials (she giving a playful punch on his chin on JLA:Superpower when he was closing his face because Antaeus didn't want to bond with him is really nice). I think since he was dating Donna and also because she helped train him during his "hero's journey", Wonder Woman thinks of him like "that silly brother-in-law that I have".
I don't he can't see woman as friends like Hal. I just think that he is the kind of guy that counfound that type the relationship he is in, the kind that fall in love with woman friends ease... the poetic type.
At March 10, 2008 3:28 PM,
Anonymous said…
It kinda makes sense- as Kyle is also the least educated of the Lanterns- Hal's an AF officer- so he has to have a degree (well, almost has to- it would be rare for one not to and would have been mentioned), Guy has a degree from Michigan, and John has a degree via GI Bill. Kyle- didn't he do one semester and drop out?
That said, that doesn't necessarily imply a lack of common sense, though I think it may be a factor.
When you think about it, how many non-teen superheroes have never went to college? (Kyle's in his 20's now right?)
At March 11, 2008 7:46 PM,
notintheface said…
I believe Kyle did go to college,Arstal. I think he majored in art.
As far as Kyle's secret I.D. goes, his fellow Justice Leaguers didn't help matters. There was a period during the Morrison JLA run where it seemed like every issue had one of the JLA calling him "Kyle" in public:
Superman: "A hero's secret identity is his most prized possessio... hey, Kyle! Ocean Master's coming right at you! Make a construct with your ring!"
At March 11, 2008 11:08 PM,
Anonymous said…
And this is the guy who designed a mask which actually covered part of his face. (Mock the crab-mask all you like, I'm fond.) Oh, Kyle, honey, it's so sweet that you're trying, but you realize that all you're actually doing is hiding your cheekbones? Which is a *tragedy*.
At March 12, 2008 10:21 AM,
SallyP said…
They ARE lovely cheekbones. Fortunately for us, he's not hiding his hindquarters.
heh.
At March 12, 2008 10:05 PM,
Anonymous said…
Actually, I think most of the blame can be laid at Kyle's friends, co-workers and girlfriends.
I mean, even before Kyle got a green-skinned girlfriend -whom he first met after she broke into his apartment without permission and set up shop, he was dating Donna Troy and palling around with John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Connor Hawke - all superheroes with open identities who made no efforts to hide who they were.
And ignoring Radu's background in Romanian Intelligence, he'd have to be a pretty poor landlord not to start noticing the supervillian attacks that took place on his roof or the explosions that seemed to center on that Rayner kid's apartment. :)
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