In the first issue of Absolute Green Lantern, readers see Hal Jordan walking alone and talking to himself. As he’s walking, he’s stopped by a police officer who almost shoots Hal for not taking his hand out of his pocket. The officer didn’t know that he was protecting him. For all that did. The ink-black hand that possesses Hal kills the officer. It murders again when he’s attacked in a diner.
At the end of the issue, Jo Mullein shows up in a Green Lantern uniform wearing a power ring. She said that something drew her to this diner, and it led her to Hal. When Hal’s new power attacks Jo (issue No. 3), she retaliates with her first construct and takes him down. She tells him to get "all his crap under control." or she’ll do it for him.
As he's lying on his back, Hal looks up at Jo and asks how she’s controlling it. That led this writer to think Hal has access to the Green Lantern, too. Just not like Jo does. The end of the issue almost confirms this theory, but also that Hal Jordan may be the real villain of Absolute Green Lantern.
Absolute Green Lantern No. 3 creative team
- Writer: Al Ewing
- Artist: Jahnoy Lindsay
- Colorist: Jahnoy Lindsay
During Absolute Green Lantern No. 3, John Stewart learns that there’s something about gold that weakens the green bubble that encases their town. He noticed that a single gold ring was the only thing that got through the construct when a biker crashed into it. Before John, Hal, and Jo could gather people and their gold to escape their prison, Abin Sur appears and judges John Stewart. With a flash of light from Sur’s hand, John Stewart disappears.
That’s the second friend Hal’s lost thanks to Abin Sur (Guy Gardner being the first). Hal says this isn’t going to end until someone stops it. It looks like Hal will be that someone as he paints bullets gold (or yellow). We can guess that he’s going to take what he learned and use it on Abin Sur.
So far, Hal hasn’t done anything wrong. He can’t control whatever’s inside him, so the murders aren’t on his hands. However, whatever is possessing him is responsible, and it's unclear what it is. That being said, this writer thinks it’s Abin Sur, and the reason the Green Lantern ship (that looks like the logo) fell on the city is because Hal killed Sur.
In Absolute Green Lantern No. 4, we could see Hal Jordan shoot Abin Sur after Jo Mullein is judged. Sur may well then inhabit Hal’s body so he can survive. Sadly, as Sur is the only thing keeping the Green Lantern ship floating, gravity will do what it does after the character dies, and the ship will likely crash. That would explain why Hal says the deaths are his fault.
Whether or not Hal is completely to blame is unclear, but he isn't faultless. This is the DC Comics Absolute Universe, and things are upside down. Maybe the fear inside Hal corrupted Sur, and he needs the light from Jo to get his head on straight. That's why he's black instead of green.
Regardless of the reason, I think we're looking at a not-so-heroic version of Hal Jordan. One who's consumed by fear. This is probably going to lead to the beginning of the Yellow Lanterns and the arrival of Sinestro. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to learn the truth. Just remember you heard it here first.