Speaking of Crazy... Hey DC!... What's with the gun?

[SW3D]

...Does this cover offend you?

 

Really? An Arab-American with a gun? This cover reeks of an unnecessary racial stereotype in an already sensitive and uptight world...

 

...And...

 

...In light of a number of domestic and international tragedies where gun toting psychopaths have orchestrated mass murders... Did we really need an image of a Green Lantern, who, by the way, already wields the most powerful weapon in the universe, aiming a gun at us? Really?

 

Maybe DC stands for Dumb Covers? (Well I had another word in mind but I chose in favor of self-censorship because I didn't want to offend an already offended audience).

 

Let's hear your thoughts and opinions.

 

See more journals by screenwriter3d

[RockMyAmadeus]

[Ronnylama]

I do not understand. Amadeus was an outstanding musician. A prodigy, of sorts, we do not see today. Then again, one might listen to Sinfonia Concertante to get a deeper glimpse into up front and personal. Perhaps then one might expect to listen before one hops around...

[miraclemet]

I dont get offended by it (but then again Im not an Arab-American).

 

But I do think DC's characterization of this new Lantern is weak.

 

Reads very stereo-typical, uninformed, and I cant figure out if they are trying to be provocative or if Johns is trying to be provocative, or what... I'm all up for a new Lantern, and this guy could be interesting but making decisions that he has to be masked, with the Arabic lettering on his arm, with the finger-less gloves, with a gun is a pretty lame attempt to be edgy and dark.

[GamingEtc-migration]

Nothing about this current GL or the cover in question even enters into the realm of offending me. I'm not overjoyed with the costume, but that's just personal preference. As for the gun, I really like the justification of being able to defend yourself when the ring is out of commission which seems to happen to GLs about 17 times an issue. You would think after Hal had been almost killed 58 billion times from ring issues, he'd be carrying a piece in his boot for years now, the argogant . And for the record, I hate the modern Hal Jordan. Hate. Kyle Rayner is GL for me.

[Jeffro.]

More importantly, why would someone who has the power of Green Lantern at his fingertips need a gun??

 

(caveat - I haven't read it)

[miraclemet]

More importantly, why would someone who has the power of Green Lantern at his fingertips need a gun??

 

(caveat - I haven't read it)

 

yeah I read it and I cant even remember if there was a point where he both had the gun and had the ring... though I do remember he's not so good at using it... (still cant fly after having it for 3-4 issues).

 

 

[revat]

Nothing about this current GL or the cover in question even enters into the realm of offending me. I'm not overjoyed with the costume, but that's just personal preference. As for the gun, I really like the justification of being able to defend yourself when the ring is out of commission which seems to happen to GLs about 17 times an issue. You would think after Hal had been almost killed 58 billion times from ring issues, he'd be carrying a piece in his boot for years now, the argogant . And for the record, I hate the modern Hal Jordan. Hate. Kyle Rayner is GL for me.

 

I've wondered that many times... They should have backup defense or weapons. Some type of lightweight space body armor, at least for hardcore missions. And some weapons strapped, and constant combat training (fighting and weapons) training just in case. Just like real soldiers/cops. If you're in a combat zone, yes you have a sniper rifle (if you're a sniper) or are flying a fighter jet (if you're a pilot), but you still carry your sidearm just in case, especially if you're on a mission.

[Jeffro.]

More importantly, why would someone who has the power of Green Lantern at his fingertips need a gun??

 

(caveat - I haven't read it)

 

yeah I read it and I cant even remember if there was a point where he both had the gun and had the ring... though I do remember he's not so good at using it... (still cant fly after having it for 3-4 issues).

 

 

As I recall, no previous GL resorted to firearms while trying to master the ring.

[Dark Prime 0]

personaly i say your reading into things, it's a cover imo who cares what they ment by it

 

being PC is one of the dumbest things ever, oh god who's going to be offended by this or that......who cares stop being so sensitive about every little thing it's a cover of a book that's it why read into it more. maybe DC wants there to be a GL that uses a gun who's to say with their revamp

[SW3D]

It's not just about being sensitive or politically correct... it's also about not insulting my intelligence. You have to understand... the writers and artists have a responsibility... to communicate... through images and words. And the content they're communicating has a powerful message behind it, whether they understand this concept or not. Putting a gun in the hands of a Green Lantern makes diddly squat sense, no matter how you look at it... and knowing his ethnic background, it does even more harm than good!

 

And speaking of his background... yes, we can all agree, Simon Baz has not mastered the ring... obviously he's new to it all and has no Corps training whatsoever... but in the beginning, neither did Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, or Kyle Rayner when they first started out... but I don't recall any of them having a gun in their hands... especially in their debuts. So why does Simon Baz have a gun in the first place? The simple answer... he's a criminal... a car thief... really?... that's the best DC could come up with? That's the very best character bio and background hatched by the brilliant minds at DC? There's nothing else they could have thought of? I know a lot of Muslim people and Arab-Americans... none of whom are gun-toting car thieves. To me, it's just sheer lazy writing and characterization... it's a total cop-out! Again... don't insult my intelligence.

 

And, assuming the readership is familiar with the Green Lantern mythology, are intrinsically aware of the kind of super-powered threats the Green Lantern's have faced... when, ever, has a gun proven useful? Will bullets stop Hector Hammond? Will bullets stop Sinestro? Will bullets stop the Manhunters? Will bullets stop Parallax? Will bullets stop Superboy Prime? Will bullets stop the Anti-Monitor? Will bullets stop... well, you get the point. So the gun is meaningless. Simon Baz's debut cover image would have been so much more iconic without the gun. Put that base instrument of death into the hands of the Punisher and that makes total sense. Put it in the hands of a Green Lantern...and you may as well hand it over to the Silver Sufer... and that's just sheer stupidity!

 

And, for the record, I'm not Arab-American, but I don't need to be Arab-American to be offended!

[Silver Collector]

Nope. What should he have, a shoulder fired rocket?

[Udidar]

My first impression on seeing that cover was that the new GL was a roid user. I mean, look at the viens popping out of his arms and all he's done is rip through a paper! The 90's wants thier gloves back also.

I get offended by people getting offended by everything. What if the new GL was a black man, would that not be offensive then? And putting a gun in Punisher's hands, that makes perfect sense. Some guy going out and killing any bad guy he comes across is a ok. ( Actually for some of the scum out there, heck yeah) But wouldn't Punisher be offensive to law enforcement? Heck you could say Thor is offensive as he claims to be a god. Lots of people believe there is no intelligent life outside Earth, so wouldn't comics depicting aliens be offensive to them? There is always going to be someone that is offended by something you do or say.

I do think its cool that DC is trying to bring in other ethnicities as super heroe's. You dont see many hispanic or asian or arab hero's in mainstream comics.