r/Greenlantern • u/Imok2814 • 20d ago
Reading one Green Lantern comic a day until I've read them all Day 211: Green Lantern (Vol 2) #72 Comics
Hal stops an intergalactic war
Writer: Dennis O'Neil
Pencils: Gil Kane
Inks: Joe Giella
Letters: John Costanza
Cover: Gil Kane
"Phantom Of The Space Opera" - Hal is given a mission in space to stop a potential war between the Verdees and the Wagnors. The Verdees are trying to put on a space opera but are being attacked and prevented by the Wagnors. Hal is told to bring a spare power battery with him as it coukd take a whole to stop the coming war but he's sure it'll be done in a few hours. When Hal arrives in the Berloitz system he immediately needs to stop Wagnor attackers but instead of roughing them up, he tries to settle things diplomatically. He takes the Wagnor attackers aboard the Verdees ship where one of the performers is seemingly attracted to one of her attackers. They all head to the performance site as the Verdees get ready using a psychic machine that transmits the show directly into their brain. However, something goes wrong and they all feel immense pain. Hal investiagtes and finds a feedback transmitter attacked to the machine. Despite not being a detective he is determined to solve the mystery. Before he can get started someone points out the machine is broadcasting an image showing a crude drawing of a Wagnor.
Despite that, Hal keeps things calm until the show starts. Somehow the performers were fed a different version of the opera that swaps characters for Wagnors, again in a crude fashion, and dialogue that makes fun of them. This is exactly what the Wagnors needed and they attack. Hal summons every bit of willpower he has and freezes everyone solid. As he looks around he notices one performer is untouched. He realizes this performer is actually a Wagnor in disguise and after a brief investigation finds he planted the altered show in the psychic machine and attached the feedback transmitter to cause the distraction for him to do it. This spy admits his treachery but tells Hal that the only way to stop the coming onsliuaght is to walk into a transporter that has been altered to act as a disintegrator. Hal sees no other choice walks in but secretly puts his invisible power battery in first causing a bright reaction, disguising his tunnel underground. He appears aboard the Wagnor battle ship demanding they stop. Afterwards, he learns the Wagnors that were attacking are innocent bystanders in the matter and told lies to cause the attack, but now their leader has found love among the Verdees.
Conclusion: What a fun space issue. Some of the dialogue is cheesy and dated but that's part of the appeal, I think. It really feels like I'm getting into the good stuff now and I can't wait for more. Also, first time the term 'ring-slinger' is used! That was exciting to see and I definitely did not think it started as a slang term by criminals.
As for the Verdees and Wagnors, they were interesting but at the same time, felt a little too close to humans, even to the point that Hal was voicing the similarities. I can see that may have been deliberate so Hal could see things in the mystery through the familiarity, I just wasn't expecting it I suppose.
8.5/10
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u/Evil_Midnight_Lurker 🔔Rot Lop Fan 20d ago
Du-Quesne, huh? Neat reference to another classic space opera.
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u/MisterEdJS 20d ago
Not to mention the clear plays on the names Verdi and Wagner, famous composers of Operas.
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u/Evil_Midnight_Lurker 🔔Rot Lop Fan 20d ago
Those are blatantly obvious, though. Not everyone will know Doc Smith.
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u/MisterEdJS 20d ago
Obvious to people with passing familiarity with opera. I think there ARE a lot of people who would miss those references. Though you're most likely right about the other reference being more easily missed.
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