This Month In Gay Comics History: Green Lantern 154 & 155
Judd Winick's Green Lantern run included the 2-part "Hate Crime" arc in 2002 that dealt with a homophobic attack on Kyle Rayner's friend, Terry Berg, and the emotional conflict of the hero's inability to prevent the atrocity. Penned by the noted Pablo & Me writer, it proved to be an emotional story backed with a one-year anniversary tribute to 9-11 that was anything but a 'very special issue of Green Lantern'. What we get here is an array of responses to the act fear, from his attackers raging selfish behavior to Terry's boyfriend's sole survivor syndrome. Steve's account of the attacks relates some real, visceral homophobia. It's a Green Lantern story at its most fundamental- the effects of fear, and the byways that willpower must go to defeat it.
By beginning the story after the attack has already occurred, Winnick makes it about the emotional response to a social issue from every social level, gradually at first as Kyle grapples with anger, the common impetus for vigilante service, but then it expands with a look at the collective response from the supers community featuring a showdown with Batman at the Justice League HQ. We get a look at the hope from everyone, from the sterile-but-heartfelt news report to President Luthor's claims for hate crime legislation. Do you see, Johns? This is how you make a Green Lantern story with a deep exploration on emotions without the need for a colorful pageant.
So you're off in space trying to ease the pain by blowing up a few asteroids, when the spirit of vengeance shows up and asks
It's a very touching story, and yet it also balances the ongoing history while moving the plot ahead. Kyle talks to Hal as the Spectre and gets a lesson in finding inner peace. By the end of the issue, Kyle has decided to do good on other planets and places John Stewart back in the saddle. I mentioned it back in that discussion over Darwyn Cooke's statements, which inspired me to reread the issues, but it bears repeating: This is a great comic book that concerns itself with mature themes and doesn't "[cater] to the perverted needs of forty-five year old men". You can have sequential art be literature, and look, no rape required. It's all fine if you prefer simple stories like Bone at the cow races, but you certainly can't discount the medium's enormous capacity to create opportunities for complex emotional reading. Cooke seems to be saying the comics aren't the proper medium to explore these subjects, and I wholly disagree. The story is strengthened by being placed in context with superheroes, by showing that these evils can't be stopped by time-defying speed demons, by bringing it down to the mundane level and pleading with society to change. That's the power comics can have, and should exploit.
Rubber Justice
Posted to Mature on 8 September 2010
· Comments (3)
Other stuff like this: green lantern, Homophobia, judd winick
3 Comments
Do you know which (if any) TPB has this story in it? I'd love to read it but man, I am waaaaaaay out of the loop on superheroes in that time frame.
Also, this story as an expression of the struggle between fear and will? Seriously, that is a brilliant observation.
Klarion, I believe it is collected in Green Lantern Passing the Torch.
The Kyle Rayner (written by Winick) was the first arc I started on, he's still on of my fave GL's for a few reasons.
It's lame that most of Kyle Rayner's regular life arc, or earthside stories haven't been detailed much since the rebirth of Hal Jordan.
Terry was an interesting side character in his own right.
Anyone who goes back to read Winick's run on Green Lantern should check on his last issue, if I recall correctly there was a bit of a controversy about what happens in the last couple pages.