DC Finally Gives Its Most Underrated Green Lantern Their Due

It’s time for a Green Lantern to shine brighter than ever as they’re getting a chance to step up in a major way. While many DC heroes share their mantles with additional heroes, there are more Green Lanterns than any other hero in the DC Universe. To be fair, they all serve as part of the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar peacekeeping organization that protects over 3000 sectors of space. But the Earth has had the privilege of having several members serve as active Green Lantern Corps members, from seasoned ones like John Stewart to newer ones like Keli Quintela.

With practically a dozen Earth-based Green Lanterns, it’s hard for them all to grab the spotlight. While Hal Jordan has been anchoring the main Green Lantern title, other heroes like Jessica Cruz and Guy Gardner have been part of an ensemble cast in Green Lantern Corps. I’ll give DC Comics points for trying to give everyone adequate face time, but the truth is, some Green Lanterns have been sorely neglected. But now, as Hal prepares for a brand-new adventure, a fan-favorite character is getting the chance of a lifetime to serve as the sole Green Lantern of Earth.

Kyle Rayner is Stepping Up to Be DC’s Main Green Lantern

In Green Lantern #32 by Jeremy Adams, Montos, Romulo Fajardo, Jr., and Dave Sharpe, Hal Jordan is prepared to make the biggest step of his life. He brings Carol Ferris to the City of Love for a romantic evening so that he can pop the question and ask his love to marry him. Hal has been having visions about the future, and more than anything else, he wants Carol to be a part of it. Unfortunately, their evening is spoiled by Cupid, who is making a getaway after stealing an old relic.

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DC Has Completely Wasted Kyle Rayner’s Potential and They Need to Fix That

Green Lantern and Star Sapphire track her down and bring the criminal to justice. But as it turns out, the relic Cupid stole contains a fragment of the Star Sapphire that Carol draws her power from. Carol is implored by a mysterious voice to track down the rest of the fragments to unlock the full potential of the Star Sapphire. So sadly, there isn’t a proposal. Carol has her new mission, and Hal has been delaying his mission long enough. After bidding goodbye to Carol, Hal heads to the moon to find Kyle Rayner.

Hal and Kyle have a long talk, where the former tells the latter how proud he is of him, going so far as to say that Kyle is the best of all the Green Lanterns. Hal reveals that he has to go away for a while to pursue what it is he’s seen in his visions. He asks Kyle to keep the Earth safe in his absence, which Kyle readily agrees to. Hal departs in a sudden green eruption, leaving Kyle behind to protect the Earth as the planet’s only Green Lantern.

Kyle Rayner is Finally Getting the Recognition He Deserves

I’ve always been a fan of Kyle Rayner, and if anyone deserves to be the main Green Lantern of Earth for a while, it’s him. Let’s not forget that for a long time, Kyle took that responsibility on his shoulders. And that was without having a fraction of the training or experience now. But instead of being forced into this role out of happenstance, Hal passed this responsibility onto Kyle because Jordan knows that Rayner is more than capable of it. It’s not that Kyle is the only person for the job; it’s that he’s the best suited for it.

Now I know that every Green Lantern has something going for them. But for my money, Green Lanterns don’t get much better than Kyle. Aside from keeping the legacy of the Corps alive, Kyle is the only person who has mastered the Emotional Spectrum, unlocking the power of the White Lantern. In fact, he still has the ability to access the full range of the spectrum (albeit in short bursts). While Hal is undoubtedly a master at wielding the Emerald Light, having a Lantern that can tap into alternate powers is a great asset for Earth.

This is a good thing for Kyle. He hasn’t had a book of his own for a long time, and he hasn’t really gotten much time in the Green Lantern Corps series. He’s a great hero who has been in sore need of a space to prove to readers everywhere how awesome he really is. What challenges will he face as the only Green Lantern of Earth? I’ve honestly got no clue. But as someone who has been stanning Kyle Rayner for years, I’m quite excited to see him start this new chapter and show how brightly he can shine.

What do you think about Kyle Rayner being Earth’s new main Green Lantern? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!