It’s the end of the mini-series telling us about the early days of the DC Universe’s Golden Age Green Lantern, who was recently retooled as a gay man.
The book opens with the Justice Society having joined Alan and boyfriend-turned-enemy Red Lantern to battle mutual enemy Crimson Host. After a short tussle on the streets of 1941 New York, Red Lantern – Vlad – ends the fight decisively.
The red energy vaporises Stalin’s pet metahumans, disappointing Alan, who points out that they were already defeated. Whyever would Vlad do that?
With his power source apparently gone – we later learn he’s internalised the red energy – Vlad is arrested. Later, Alan visits Vlad in prison, bemused at the terrible things he’s done.
‘I do.’ Ugh. What is wrong with Alan? I get that he had a passionate thing with Vlad back when he was pretending to be a clean-cut US soldier armed Johnny Ladd, but that was years ago. Never mind murdering enemies of America. Vlad earlier killed male prostitutes to get Alan’s attention. He’s not a misguided person, he’s not the product of a bad childhood; he’s a sane adult who sees others as lesser, and plays God with them. And Alan goes down in my estimation for not even trying to compartmentalise his feelings, for not being able to put head above heart.
Outside, Alan confronts FBI boss J Edgar Hoover, who’s been blackmailing him over his sexuality, forcing him to spy on the JSA.
And then, in the present day – Alan is telling the tale to his son Todd, the hero known as Obsidian – he explains how come, given he seemed ready to organise Stonewall 1941 right there, he married not one, but two women. And had twins. Surely he’s bisexual, not gay, thinks Todd.
Well that makes sense. To Alan, at least. He’s totally, utterly gay, especially when he was having affairs with some women and marrying others. Now he’s a slick Mick who seems to be modelling his look on The Man Who Got Away.
Why not just have him be bi? He swung more towards the fellas in his youth, then met women he liked, now he’s more chap-centred and thinking of his lost love, the man who used him from the beginning?
Plus, we get a confusing epilogue with 1941 Alan writing a letter to his future self which seems to say he’s been looking in on his future children. It makes no sense at all.
Writer Tim Sheridan overreached this issue, trying to reconcile Alan’s 80-year comics history as a straight man with his more recent ‘Keep it gay, keep it gay, keep it gay’ bit. I like Todd and sister Jennie-Lynn, the heroine Jade, but given everything that’s happened in this book was fully expecting them to be gayed away, made kids not of Alan and the original Thorn but, I dunno, Magneto and Bova the cow lady. I could even have lived without them being around full stop, I’m sure they’d be back in a continuity or two. But nope, Obsidian and Jade survive, beloved kids of a thoroughly gay dad who kept shagging gals.
And Alan still being in love with his murderous, faithless ‘Johnny’ 80 years later, that’s just bizarre.
The art by Cian Tormey, coloured by Matt Herms, and with a few pages inked by Jordi Tarragona, is great. I especially like Tormey’s JSA members – hint, DC – and the depiction of Forties North America. Weirdly Beardy Red Lantern remains deeply unattractive. The storytelling is clear and stylish throughout, while the colouring reflects Alan’s mood – so much passionate red. And the letters of Lucas Gattoni are terrific, from the title lettering reflecting the All-American Comics logo on.
David Talaski’s cover is gorgeous, the haircut and beard trim he’s given Vlad the Bad certainly helps.
I’ve enjoyed a good few aspects of this mini-series – the historical setting, the fresh spin on Alan’s origin, meeting Red Lantern. Then again, I’ve been frustrated by Alan’s crashing naivety, and disappointed that Red Lantern has been pretty much mentoring him in the ways of the ring – as the first GL we met in the DCU I’d prefer Alan to have worked things out himself. And then there are my reservations about this issue. So overall, I’d say Alan Scott: The Green Lantern has been an interesting, good-looking read, but hasn’t achieved its primary purpose, to sell me on the idea of Alan as a proud gay man. Bisexual, yes. But solely gay? Nope.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
Excellent points all around!
-Matthew Lloyd
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Why thank you!
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It’s funny. Gaying up Alan Scott bothered me. Mostly because I didn’t want to lose Obsidian but just that it didn’t seem to fit and you needed to ignore his previous history completely. This issue lost you but it won me over. Sheridan acknowledged the history and made it work for me. I’ve known more than a few gay men who lied to themselves so completely they had considerable sexual history with women before they admitted to themselves they were gay. I’m kinda hoping Molly died because I liked the character and would have to see her told her husband was living a lie unintentionally and be dumped. It’d even make sense if her loss and how it affected him differently than would fit with the lifelong lies he told himself would make a believable catalyst to him coming out.
As for Vlad, Alan still wanted him to face justice for his murders. But come on, Vlad was killed over and over and over and over and revived from each. Who knows how many horrific methods they used? The Vlad who killed those men could not have been at all the Johnny who was Alan’s first love. The man he should have been. Alan was holding on to that as being Vlad’s true self but his actions proved he wasn’t about to allow mitigating circumstances to allow Vlad to escape justice.
It’ll be interesting to see how Johns handles Vlad’s daughter now. Since Johns is all Big Moments and almost zero subtlety I’m frankly expecting him to crap all over the groundwork Sheridan laid down.
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I’m trying to remember if the current JSA series, with the Harlequin’s Son, mentions if Molly is alive. We do know Michael is gay, meaning Alan has one gay son and one gay stepson… wonder if they’ve met. Anyway, I hope Molly loves as I always loved her. Also, it would help the soapiness of it all if Alan and Molly were a tad strained, relationship-wise.
That’s a lovely defence of Vlad, but he still reminds me of Arkis Chummock. I hope we never see him again!
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I’m somewhere between your reaction and Steve’s, Mart. I still buy Alan as gay, not bi, because essentially that’s what he says he is. If he wants to characterize his previous relationships as aberrations from his norm, rather than as part of his norm, that’s for him to decide. Well, as he’s a fictional character, it’s for his writers to decide, but I think it’s a valid choice. It draws a line between Molly and Thorn and the present; it’s how Alan characterizes himself, which tells us something of his character and his experiences. It might not be how we’d characterize him if we met him on the street, but I’m willing to take him at his word.
On the other hand, he’s got serious blinders on for Johnny/Vlad, and first love or not, that’s hard to excuse, given Vlad’s actions.
And I also agree that his letter to himself is nonsense — a storytelling device intended to give the book a sentimental wrap-up, but which makes no sense on the whole.
Regardless, though, I’m looking forward to more adventures of the JSA, in team or solo outings.
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I’m with you on wanting more of these series, just imagine another three being announced tomorrow, who would you like? I’d love, say, Black Canary, Hawkman & Hawkgirl and Johnny Thunder minis.
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Oh, sounds wonderful! I’d go for Black Canary, the Spectre, and… I’m tempted to say Starman, but I’d be even happier with a sequel to the Sandman mini, which was by far my favorite of the bunch.
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A history of Dinah Drake, her marriage, and her daughter taking up the mantle would be great. Loathing Green Arrow as I do, I don’t think I’ve read any stories about daughter and mother interacting. It’d also further remove the bad taste of Roy Thomas’ disturbing and stupid BC retcon.
Oddly enough, a Carter and Shiera GA adventure should use Thomas’ more modern take on the couple’s relationship. I’d want very little reincarnation though as the most recent Hawkman title seems to be a good way to put that to bed and use it more as a background than plot catalyst. If their career spans long enough in such a mini, I wouldn’t mind Hath-Set as a reincarnated villain in a sixteen-year-old boy. That’s juice up the rivalry.
And Johnny Thunder would need a new twist to work these days because even humorous comics these days would recoil at presenting Johnny as mentally deficient as anything but a team member. Maybe use the revelation after Fraction made Hawkeye a complete dumbass that Clint Barton was playacting stupidity to gain advantage on people otherwise not threatened by a man who shoots sticks at them and have Johnny playacting his extreme dimness.
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I loved this series. It worked on every level for me. Steve explained the reasons why it works far more eloquently than I, so I will just echo that with a “Yeah! What he said!”
I thought it was present day Alan that went back and left a letter for 1940s Alan, but I’m not gonna stress to much about it. The letter was just a device to get a final peek into Alan’s state of mind. End of the day, it doesn’t really matter which one of them was monologuing when I appreciated the message.
Cian Tormey’s art remained a high point throughout the series. I hope we’ll see him on a new dc property soon!
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Thanks Murray, I’ve just looked at the last couple of pages again with your reading in mind and it works… maybe I’m dense, or maybe it could be clearer. Not showing us the scuffed, decades-old letter before we see it written in the past might have wired my brain properly. Whatever the came it’s still creating a terribly unnecessary time paradox.
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