The Green Lantern Season Two #10 Annotations

Page 1- The return of Hyper-woman!

Here she appears to be convening with a group of individuals in Sector None, possibly the Nomad Empire of the Golden Giants. Uber pissed at Hal's beatdown and subsequent process of her hubby has driven her to recruit these behemoths to enact bitter revenge.

I'm pretty sure they're the Toy Giants due to their rhyming as well as the common interest of retribution against the emerald knight. Interesting that they know of the Ultrawar as well... Could they have sent Zundernell to assassinate Hal and Carol?

Page 2- The Golden Destroyer vs The Star Sapphire!

Zundernell is revealed to be the Destroyer, not a weapon used by him.

Bro looks massive btw. Roided as mess.

Page 3- "Sound the Death-Knell!"

Over-speak, Over-sky, Opti-humans; Morrison sure loves his emphatic nouns.

Batwoman, Sister Terrific, and Female Green Arrow return from last issue.

Page 4- I love the frown on the green box construct.

"Air-hostess" is one way to put it.

Page 5- Quitley style in excelsis. We also get a little more elaboration on the inverse dynamic between Earth 11 Hal & Carol.

I guess we're back to the Star-Sapphire alternate persona from pre-Johns retcons during his run.

"War over a misunderstanding..." Ultrawar strikes again!

Page 6- Showdown of the Sapphires!

Reverse gender roles on Earth 11 crack me up. Batwoman revealed to be Kathy Kane (Katrina Netz?) on this Earth.

Page 7- Chad Hal's "brah" is great.

Seems like he has a toxic parasite relationship with the Lantern Ring (not unlike Volthoom) paralleling Earth 0 Sapphire and the Predator entity with both yielding alternate personas triggered by toxic love.

Morrison's multiverse vibration trope is brought back, taking out Zundernell with a mere dissonance.

Page 8- Exposition page!

Its revealed that Zundernell was transformed back in Issue #7, activating the Golden Destroyer identity and sending him across the Multiverse to kill Green Lantern/Star Sapphire duplicates.

Sister Terrific then explains that Zundernell's transformation has allowed him to tune the Multiverse like a radio to locate the Sapphire/GL analogues, as well as unleash the horrors of...

Page 9- The Dark Multiverse!

I spy nightmare analogues (and its freaking hard with the painted style; no shade Liam)

• Lantern Gauntlet type Darkseid
• Emerald Knight Richard Nixon
• Starro spore GL
• A Manhunter
• Pink skeletal Pterodactyl (Possibly from Silver Age Green Lantern #30 "Tunnel Through Time")
• An evil Ring with a demonic face (Volthoom analogue?)
• Green Dragon/dog creature (Maybe Silver Age Green Lantern #38 but it's a stretch)

Page 10- "The bright things fear the dark..."

As the Dark Multiverse horde begins to phase into Earth 11's dimensional plane, Batwoman gets cut by what appears to be a Dark Multiverse analogue of Lord Malvolio.

UUGO and the Green Moon, headquarters of the Guardians of the Multiverse, return to aid against the Destroyer. If you'll recall, UUGO was introduced as "Planet Green Lantern" back in the Silver Age Green Lantern #24, where Hal helped him disperse a violent pressure buildup inside of his core.

Page 11- A Team-up of Two Carols!

Carol cements the Will & Love target that Zundernell has been tracking.

Season One #11 presented us with Zundernell's deceased squire Glyptus, whom the Sapphires use to draw him out of the Golden Destroyer persona.

The cupid arrows are a great detail.

Page 12- Guardians of The Multiverse!

Len Lewis, Stan Lee Just Imagine Lantern, continues his and Carol's discussion from Issue #7, claiming animosity while referring to Zundernell as a Toy of the Nomad Empire. At this point, it's safe to say that the Destroyer was summoned by the Golden Giants.

Zundernell can't handle it anymore, torn by a clash of polar identities, activating his self destruct.

Page 13- The Lanterns send the Golden Lantern off Earth 11 and onto UUGO for containment.

Page 14- Hal and his Ring (or should I say Pengowirr) have a great dynamic that brings so much more to the Lantern mythos.

New power battery upgrades given to Hal at the beginning of this season = new abilities which come in handy in this situation. Golden Giants are definitely appearing in the next two issues, and with greater numbers than before.

RIP Zundernell.

Page 15- Hal & Carol part ways as he rebuffs her advances.

Page 16- The Trial of Hyperman continues!

I love the design of Justice M'lud.

Page 17- Mechandro narcs on Powerlord, probably because he got yeeted back in Issue #5.

Hyperman's personality altering kryptonite is revealed to be in fact crystal meth! In retrospect, its kind of funny to think that Hal Jordan survived with a crippled power ring against a junkie Superman. 

Page 18- Hyperwoman arrives with a barrage of interstellar marital issues. Crazy that Morrison turned this bumbling family of Super-knockoffs into a dysfunctional band of psycho murderers.

Page 19- Superwoman and Strong Girl of the United Planets Superwatch; featured in the back half of Season One.

Hyper-woman gives them a warning of what's to come, what with her enlistment of the Nomad Empire earlier this issue.

Trilla-Tru deserves the credit for this bust, she's definetly been one of the standout aspects of this run and I hope she appears following Season Two's conclusion.

Page 20/21- The Wedding of Hyper-Boy and Princess Illistra comes to its climax! Speak now or forever hold your peace!

Great splash btw. Hyper-Boy neglects his parent's ulterior motives, "Why can't I be the princess!"

"How about we just have a war instead?" Ultrawar strikes again!

Page 22- Now for the real proposal...

Let him down easy Carol!

Page 23- Hal comes to the raunchy realization that he almost committed selfcest! Yikes!

The "will they/won't they" continues as will and love must diverge once again.

Page 24- "Contest of Crowns", hrm.....

I know that next issue takes place on Athmoora, the D&D planet from Season One #9, with lovable sidekicks Fekk and Samandra.

Here's the solicit: Hal Jordan’s future as a Green Lantern is threatened when the Young Guardians’ plans to restructure the Corps move into high gear. What’s a guy to do but take a vacation? But when Jordan arrives on the swords-and-sorcery world of Athmoora for some R&R, he comes face to face with the biggest threat the universe has ever known—and a coalition of foes determined to bring his career and his story to its apocalyptic end! You cannot miss the game-changing two-part finale of Morrison and Sharp’s epic run...

I predict that the Nomad Empire of Golden Giants amasses Hal's rogues gallery from across both Seasons for a final showdown. Possible enemies include:

• Belzebeth
• Controller Mu/Blackstars
• Weaponeer 666 and Revenge Squad
•  Volgar Zo & Dhorians
• The Shepherd
• Evil Star
• Myrwhydden
• Glorigold & Brontorr

Sadly, next issue only comes out in February, with the finale, and Morrison's final DC work, scheduled for March :(

Worlds will die, hearts will break, and the union of will and love shall shock the multiverse like never before. Multi-Crisis on Intimate Earths!

The Green Lantern Season Two #9 Annotations

Page 1 - Planet Kranaltine: Throneworld of the Crown Imperium and Headquarters of the Superwatch. In Pre-Flashpoint continuity, Kranaltine is ruled by Prince Gavyn, one of the many Starmen.

We first saw this planet back in issue #9 of Season One, and now we are in the midst of Hyperman's Trial for the murder of Lantern Vray. Jordan was ordered to stakeout Earth for the perpetrator, and engaged the Hyperfamily back in Issue #5.

Hyperwoman had previously enlisted Powerlord back in Issue #3, where she acquired the Eterniglass in order to trap Jordan in a time-point so that they could kill him.

The Hyper-family first appeared in a Silver Age Superboy story (Superboy #144): they are a bunch of weirdo reverse Kryptonians who gaslighted silver age Superboy to use him as a guinea pig in their experiments. They escaped from their dying homeworld and settled on Trombus, a planet orbiting a orange sun (which gave them super-powers).

It's revealed in Issue #5 that Hyperman has killed Vray in order to satisfy his sadistic urges as a result of emerald wavelength poisoning.

Page 2 - Trial of Hyperman!

Hal attempts to debunk Hyperman's facade of drugged viciousness while recapping the events of Issue #5.

Sharp returns to the new "painted style" he's been using this season. I, of course, am a huge fan.

Page 3 - "Sentients of the jury..."

The defense brings up Hal's murder of Volgar Zo, the Dhorian planet trader he killed back in Season One #3. If you'll recall, Hal did this in order to be dismissed from the Corps in an ultra-sting infiltration of the Blackstars.

Hyperman looks hilarious to Hal's lack of amusement.

Page 4/5 - We get more info on the Wedding of Hyperboy and Princess Illistra: arranged marriages and trade deals included.

Fomalhaut is the brightest star in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus, the "Southern Fish", and one of the brightest stars in the sky.

Hyperwoman went AWOL back in Issue #5 after claiming that "something is happening on Throneworld and that she is the only one who can stop it."

Page 6/7 - Hal catches Trilla Tru up to speed on the Ultrawar and his encounter with the New Guardians.

Though Hal rejected his position as the Limbo Lantern, it seems as if the experience inclined him to realize that he needs to stay close to those most important to him. Hal mentions that he has been steered to reunite with a number of his past exes; this was evident in the page back in Issue #7 with the past loves each embodying a light of the emotional spectrum.

This season alone, Hal met with:

•  Eve Doremus in #2
• Jill Pearlman in #3
• Olivia Reynolds in #4
• Nurse Olaqua in #6
• Thaal Sinestro in #8 (Anti-Matter universe)
• Carol Ferris in this issue

It definitely feels like this Season is ramping up to something lovely.

 Vegan as in the planet/star system Vega, not the diet.

Page 8 - The paneling layout is excellent on this page.

A big criticism of Morrison's run early on was his lack of continuity from Vendetti's Hal n' Pals ending, where Hal and Carol were reunited on the final page. The first issue immediately opened with Hal banging Eve outside during a erotic comet shower.

Page 9 - Wonderful cover recreation (definitely homaging Silver Age shock/twist covers)

Proposing with a Power Ring; always a ladies man eh Hal?

As for two universes, that would be Earth-0 and...

Page 10 - The return of Earth-11!

We last saw Star Sapphire Carol Jordan in Issue #11 of course of Season One. Earth-11 if you'll recall is the so called gender swapped Earth, though we learn later that that isn't all to it. Boom Cube is new (Boom Tube + Transmatter Cube?).

The style shifts on this page are beautiful.

Page 11 - The Golden Destroyer descends on the Multiverse!

Zundernell was revealed earlier this season to belong to the race of Golden Giants who inhabit the artificial toy world, but was abandoned by his people. In Issue #7, we saw him get transported away from imprisonment on UUGO while proclaiming that the Multi-Crisis has begun and the Nomad Empire is returning.

This page presents us with Zundernell in a new form as the cosmic weapon Golden Destroyer. As evident by Carol's dialogue on page 9, it seems like he is attempting to locate her specifically or alternate counterparts in general.

This page presents what looks like Zundernell scanning the Multiverse for possible incursions that could propel the Ultrawar. Sharp's cobalt Bleed returns from last season's issue 10.

Page 12 - Coming of the Incel Lantern!

Carol gives Vendetti fans their post Hal&Pals epilogue, explaining that he dipped on her after a little while, pretty in character for Jordan if you ask me.

Reminder that this is Hal Ferris of Earth 11. 

Page 13 - Male power-fantasy ring AI is very reminiscent of Earth 3's Volthoom Power Ring, except more pathetic than abusive.

Page 14 - "Well, here I am, sports fans!"

Morrison has always been savage with the commentary, not even the nice guys are safe!

Page 15 - Implied that E-11 Hal went across the Multiverse looking for his Sapphire.

Panel layout is great as always.

Page 16 - The Secret History of Earth 11!

Not a gender swapped Earth, but a feminist one! Incel Guardians = Incel Lanterns, with the Star Sapphires as the dominant police force in the universe.

Page 17 - Our real "Wedding of the Trillenium" would have come about if Hal had proceeded with his proposal to Carol.

E-11 Carol explains that if they had kissed, Zundernell would have tracked the resulting "Orgone Flash" and annihilated both of them. Orgone is a pseudoscientific concept variously described as an esoteric energy or hypothetical universal life force; people use it to protect from EMF's or whatnot.

Page 18 - A little iffy on this page.

The debris seems to imply that the Earth 11 Justice Guild built a Lunar Watchtower (similar to Morrison's JLA run) and it was destroyed by the Golden Destroyer.

Page 19 - Marsha Manhunter, that's great.

"All powerful Living Weapon from the Dawn of Time..." We saw a great deal of abandoned Monitor tech left on Earth 15 back in Season One #11, with Zundernell self teaching while marooned. Golden Destroyer could have been among the rest.

With what we've been told, Carol's plan goes a little like this:

• Trick Zundernell into thinking E-0 Carol is E-11 Carol
• Occupy E-0 Carol with E-11 Hal
• Prevent E-0 Hal from engaging with E-0 Carol in order to avoid Orgone Flash
• Bring E-0 Hal to E-11
• Draw Golden Destroyer attention away from E-0 Carol and E-11 Hal by kissing E-0 Hal

And with a kiss, the Destroyer finds his target...

Page 20 - Batwoman, Miss Terrific, and a female Green Arrow analogue.

Incel Hal gets dropped in a cross dimensional backhand.

Page 21 - E-0 Sapphire arrives, declaring war on Earth 11!

Miss Terrific confirms that what caused damage to the moon was...

Page 22 - Zundernell, Golden Destroyer!

Zundernell reveals his true motive to capture Star Sapphire, whom he describes as "the heart of all".

Nomad Empire mentioned again, claiming the need to "repossess what was once theirs". Could this be a callback to the Golden Giants from #4; Zundernell enacting their final revenge?

 Carol's hubris comes in the form of lack of consideration; Lantern for Lantern, Sapphire for Sapphire.

As the Wedding of Hyperboy and Princess Illistra enthralls the denizens of Kranaltine, the true Union of the Trillenium shocks the Multiverse as Will and Love remain in constant synchrony across endless worlds.

LOVESTRUCK LANTERNS: The Many Flames of Hal Jordan

 

WHAT IS THE ULTRAWAR: Cataclysm for the Corps in Morrison's The Green Lantern

 

The Green Lantern Season Two #8 Annotations

Page 1- So this issue is presented in reverse chronology (similar to Morrison's Pax Americana) and is focused on the Anti-Matter counterpart to Hal Jordan known as Weaponeer 666. The backwards narrative really fits in with the whole reverso-verse/anti-world environment we are presented. The whole "begin at the end" places emphasis on the narrative style as well.

Here we begin in the present with 666 being tortured by his superiors, the Qwa-Masters, in an attempt to discover why he destroyed the "Lightning Forge". Remember to keep the pain/punishment mention in mind as we go through this issue.

Starting this season, Sharp has began experimenting with more painted/photo-realistic art to much criticism. It suits this issue especially well due to the sci-fi horror "gigeresque" look that Sharp implements, though I've enjoyed this new technique throughout the entire series.

Page 2- One Hour Ago: Here we have 666 holding what appears to be a dead lover (who will be revealed later on) as he his confronted by the Anti-Matter Trilla-Tru, who calls back to her decapitation by a hulked out Crassus Qwipe 6 in Issue 6. The implication is 666 has screwed up beyond repair, with our pain motif triumphant over the ravaged corpse of love.

Page 3- Trilla seems livid, revealing both her intention to replace 666 for his insubordination as well as her reluctance to stop 666's lover from running into the explosion at the Lightning Forge.

Page 4- One Hour & Ten Minutes Ago: In a great contrast to the Weaponeers dialogue in the positive universe being backwards, now we have Hal and the other Lantern's speech reversed, only natural of course. Morrison's use of the Anti-Verse and its inverted universal order can be seen back in "JLA: Earth 2" where the League discovers that they can only win if they lose.

Hal leaves his counterpart with a realization and a warning: though he and the other Lanterns could eradicate the Weaponeers at any moment, they choose not to.

The Lightning Forge appears to be where the Weaponeer Qwa-Bolts are manufactured, harkening back to Qwardian/Weaponeer mythology of the Thunderers. 

Page 5- It appears that 666's intention was to have Jordan destroy the Forge, but our Emerald Knight outsmarted him, leading to him having to do the job himself at the cost of his lover. 

Page 6- One Hour & 18 Minutes Ago: Outside view of the Lightning Forge, with the Qwa-Master's going boom-boom in their pants.

Hal's mine projectile constructs are great.

Page 7- A devastated Trilla-tru arises (we'll see what happens to her soon) while 666 apparently informs Jordon of his motives?

Our mysterious lover is revealed as... Sinestro? The Anti-Matter Sinestro first appeared in issue 8 of last season, tasked with hunting down the Qwa-Man/666 for the Sector Dictators for bounty. Now he's apparently Anti-Matter Jordan's lover, in a somewhat understandable reversal of the norm?

Page 8- One Hour & 33 Minutes Ago: By godevil's name this panel economy is brilliant!

We get some great Qwardian geography in this series. I believe "Qwar-deen" was first mentioned last issue, but Sharp's pencils just bring the concept to life.

Page 9- Weaponeer counterparts for Maxim Tox and I believe a cross between John Stewart and Xax against a squadron of four Lanterns: Trilla-Tru, Jordan, Maxim Tox, and Volk.

The Stewart counterpart is referred to as "Qwa-Trawets" in more fun reverse terminology.

Page 10- Qwa-Trawets looks like he gets liquified by Volk's blast just as another counterpart appears. Instead of a volcano head, Volk's analogue is just a flaming beast.

Page 11- Trilla-Tru's roided Xudarian constructs give me life.

Page 12/13- Rematch between opposites, with Trilla-Tru facing off and ultimately defeating her dark twin in classic Lantern fashion. The mention of mutual annihilation via positive/antimatter collision has been brought up a number of times in this series, though the only discrepancy I can find in Morrison's work is from Earth 2; though if this rule was applied, we couldn't have had that story.

Page 16- Two Hours & 18 Minutes Ago: The long awaited return of the Anti-Matter Crime Syndicate!

Superwoman, Ultraman, and Kyle Rayner Power Ring analogues presenting tributes of both human sacrifices and what appear to be various power batteries. I don't believe the emotional spectrum exists in the Anti-Matter universe but I could be wrong.

We get a little bit of lore regarding the Anti-Verse, with Earth and the Syndicate's power in fact being sustained on Weaponeer technology. In a great bit of inversion, where the Lanterns are tasked with protecting/serving their sectors, the Weaponeer's are served by the planets under their control.

Page 17- We're greeted with the Borderman/Gamma Monster, one of whom we saw decimating the Superwatch on the Anti-Matter Mining Colony. Borderman resembles the Anti-Matter Man, a character form the Silver Age who battle the Justice League.

We also get a repeat scene from page 9 with a perspective change.

Page 18- Three Hours & 18 Minutes Ago: Post-bath coitus between Sinestro and 666 I presume?

A little background is given between the two, with the Jordan v Sinestro dynamic turned topsy turvy in this reverso-verse. 

Looking back now on Sinestro's motive during Season One and the new info on his wanted-ness by the Weaponeer's, I believe that he in fact lied about being paid to bring back 666. Sinestro could have possibly gone after his lover, who had at that point been captured by the Blackstars and smuggled through a myriad of worlds, and was transported back by the Borderman and the end of Issue 12.

I would just like to mention that Sinestro stated that he was able to defeat 666 at full power a couple of times due to his "Achilles Heel". Well, now we know what he meant by that...

We also finally get the explanation for 666's pain fascination, with the Weaponeer creed revolving around power = pain.

Page 19- Never did I think a relationship between Sinestro and Hal would be one of the most heartbreaking things to read.

"But this- losing you would hurt more than I could bear." Foreshadowing, or in this case merely reveal, 666's intention to have Sinestro die as to strengthen him. Twisted am I right?

It also makes a lot more sense why Qwa-Man/666 only got more powerful while he was weakened during his fight with the Lanterns on Weirwimm last season. More pain more gain.

Page 20- 43 Hours & 18 Minutes Ago: Taking place before Issue 6 of this season, the Weaponeers decide to go on a Lantern-Hunt in the Plus Matter Universe; this in fact is part of 666's plan to get Jordan to invade Qward and take down the Weaponeers.

Final revelation for 666's motives: everything to take down the Qwa-Masters.

Page 21- This makes 666 somewhat sympathetic in a macabre way, what with his sacrifice of his true love to aid in eliminating his overlords. Its not explicitly stated if Sinestro wanted to die to help 666 by running into the explosion, or if he just was a casualty, but nonetheless he got what he wanted.

Once again great art by Sharp.

Page 22- "It begins..."

The true War with the Anti-World is not between the Lanterns and the Weaponeers, but between 666 and the Qwa-Masters.

"HATE DEATH PAIN KILL!"

Three Jokers #1 Thoughts

Take some notes Tynion

Overhyped as mess, but its only the first issue so that complaint isn't really valid.

This book is great overall but I have to nitpick:

1. Nonexistent panel economy

Johns seems to be using a cinematic style of page by panel storytelling with the 9 panel grid and don't get me wrong, it looks great, but for a book this long awaited it seems like its just burning money.

2. ALIAS the Clown

Comedian and Criminal are all pretty good, but Clown? I think Killer or Cut-Throat would have been better than mere clown (pretty synonymous with comedian anyways). Regardless of that, Jason turning his brains into Chef Boyardee makes the name irrelevant anyways.

3. "I'm an IDEA..."

The concept of Three Jokers originated form Batman asking the Mobius Chair for the Joker's true identity for which it responded with "There are Three". This concept was highly fascinating due to the ramifications to Batman's mythos and the possible multiversal factors (a deck of "52" cards has "3 Jokers"). However, Johns and Fabok (after 4 damn years of teasing) did eventually reveal that their story would not include any multiversal aspects. I was disappointed, but am looking forward to seeing the rest of the story.

For there to have been three jokers in the DCU this entire time (and another on the way), means that they have to have met/worked together at some point with the implied creation sequence (first joker created the second created the third). At this point it seems like Johns is just rehashing Grant Morrison's wonderful "Clown At Midnight" interpretation where every so often Joker reinvents himself to cause chaos (like the three jokers now). Every time Batman builds a box around the Joker, he has to rebirth himself, super-sanity and all!

Eisner for Fabok 2021

Big themes seem to be birth, death, scars/wounds, trauma. But that comes with the territory of groundbreaking Batman/Joker events.

As as for the panel with the "what do we do next" from an unidentified speaker behind the three jokers, I'm almost certain its a lettering error because the story doesn't give any indication of there being anyone else in that room. And no, its not the fourth joker because they haven't created him yet, as evident by the dialogue.

The scene with Jason and the Batmobile seat implies that Batman is so messed up from his loved ones hurting (Jason and Babs) that he doesn't want anyone to carry the Robin burden anymore. I mean come on, even Damian died and got resurrected!

FATMAN RIP

Babs is great in this, and I caught a Travodart reference from Doomsday Clock. The Fatman killed by one of the Jokers could be a reference to the Silver Age Fatman character who helped Batman by making the criminals laugh to distract them. Now given a name, Kelani Apaka sadly met his end live to the clown prince of crime. Roger Huntoon is a Rick Veitch creation from Swamp Thing; a resident psychiatrist at Arkham better known as "Piggy". Death by rubber chicken is one of the worst ways to go.

Our three mystery men at ACE are an obvious recreation of the failed heist back in Killing Joke, with Jason revealing that they were possible felons picked up from a halfway house.

Also strange that Jason mentions Joker hasn't used Gaggy in years even though a few pages earlier he didn't even know who he was. I know Gaggy from that one BTBATB episode, but he's missing is signature nose here.

Joker and Jason's final conversation is brilliant, and I think its a shame (though it fits perfectly) that our dear clown met his curtain call at the end of the issue.

Not in Batman #428 but a great line nonetheless.

Next issue will most definitely deal with Gordon and Bats confronting the other two Jokers during their "casting call" for the new & improved Joker, as well as the search for the rest of the chemicals + fallout of Jason killing the Clown.

I guess my main motive for criticism and skepticism come from the abundant praise for this book, but I normally do this with lauded works regardless. If a book is said to really be that good, then it must be held to the standard that its fans hold it to. Three Jokers is a good book don't get me wrong, but its no masterpiece to the level of "The Killing Joke", not yet at least.

ULTIMATE DEATH METAL SNYDERVERSE READING ORDER

Just a little something I created for this not so little event. Inspired by this reading order.