GREEN LANTERN, Vol. 3, #3, August 1990

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Issue begins w/ Hal walking into Kudzu City, having reconnected w/ the road. But soon, there's Guy again, following Hal, badgering him about his desire to keep his "feet on the ground". The story is titled, "Sound and Fury," a blatant William Faulkner reference (The Sound and the Fury), & as well, the "backwoods" nature of Kudzu City & later some of the yokels mention a local beauty of Kudzu City, Eula Varner, which is another Faulkner stab, to a character in his book, The Hamlet.

Anyway, Hal & Guy settle into a diner where they get into a debate over who can kick whose ass w/o using their ring - the woman behind the counter holds their rings for them - & as they "step outside" for a rumble, they become quite the spectacle for the townsmen, right there next to a Civil War monument on the square. That's when the town sheriff shows up.

Once in jail, H & G get into an argument of sorts about being a GL, as Guy doesnt appreciate Hal's wanting to give up his powers, as if he doesnt need them, when Guy has centered his whole existence, & all that is good about him, to having a GL ring. It is @ this point they remember they've left their rings in the diner. In another literary reference, when they ask the sheriff to call the diner about their rings, the sheriff is reading a copy of Jim Thompson's The Killer Inside Me. The diner doesnt have the rings.

Scene shifts to John Stewart on Oa, w/ shattered Power Battery behind w/ nutso Guardian talking crazy to J & bringing J under his control & into "mind-union" & wants to tap into J's memory so that he has access to Earth. Next we see that the Guardian is using its energy to dislodge a city from the planet Maltus, to bring it to Oa.

Scene shifts back to Kudzu City where two yokels from the diner have taken H & G's rings & are figuring out how to use them. They start goin crazy on the town & the sheriff comes after them, but they demolish the sheriff's car, etc. & scared he runs back into the jail & ends up letting Hal & Guy out. Though they are @ a disadvantage, w/o their rings, Hal is able to overcome the two rookie GLs w/ his outstanding willpower & therefore re-secure his ring, as well as Guy's.

As G & H leaving town, Guy commends Hal, & though he still doesnt understand Hal's reasoning behind wanting to distance himself from being a GL, he @ least admits to Hal that Hal is indeed the "best damned Green Lantern" he's seen & their relationship seems to be somewhat mended. Guy admits that Hal is brave, even tho an S.O.B. Hal walks off...

Writer: Gerard Jones
Penciller: Pat Broderick
Inker: Bruce Patterson
Letterer: Albert De Guzman
Colorist: Anthony Tollin
Asst. Editor: Kevin Dooley
Editor: Andy Helfer

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GREEN LANTERN, Vol. 3, #1, June 1990

Issue begins w/ Hal Jordan standing on a cliff thinking deep thoughts about his life since he got the power ring (15 years ago). The ring has cost him a lot in life, his GL friends are on different planets, his Earth friends dont like him anymore, & his hair is now noticeably grey. Because of all of this, Hal dives off the cliff, which surprises some campers below as he suddenly, just before hitting the ground, transforms into GL, flying upwards into the sky. The story is titled, "Down To Earth".

Hal arrives @ Justice League Headquarters where he meets w/ Batman & others. They are glad to see Hal, the "original" GL & are eager for him to rejoin the JL. However, Guy Gardner appears & has it out w/ Hal & the others. It is clear that Guy has caused tension & also been involved w/ the ladies of the JL. Hal pulls a switcheroo & readies to leave, expressing to Batman his desire to live more like a normal person & forget about super powers for a while. Hal no longer wants the ring to define him.

Next is a page showing John Stewart flipping through channels on a television, each channel a bad news story, Stewart having a bit of an identity crisis in regard to being a GL.

Again, we have Hal w/ his deep thoughts, now walking some train tracks. "I flew small planes, sold insurance, even sold toys. But I lived." Hal jumps a train, hobo style, but after daydreaming about his times as GL, he's thrown from the train. He hitches a ride to Hope Springs, a town that used to be called Desolation (error in the voice bubbles here - find it!). Hal rolls into town & searches for a woman he once knew named Rose. It turns out she lives on a farm w/ her son & is a widow, due to her husband dying in the mines. Hal asks for work, but is turned down, though eventually allowed to stay for food & a cot.

Back to John Stewart freaking out. Talk about having killed people, needing to know if he was still a GL. He then flies off as if headed to Oa.

Hal starts in on helping around the farm, shirtless. Rose gives him some pointers. @ night Hal enjoys the stars, & spends some time w/ Rose's son Toby. But Rose hears Hal speaking about the galaxy & ends it. She eventually comes back out & stargazes w/ Hal; he wants to tell her what he's thinking "[a green flash in the void, caroming from light to light]" but instead tries to show her the Big Dipper, which she's never heard of b/c she is so grounded.

Page of John Stewart arriving @ Oa & it's a wasteland. He searches for the Guardian that stayed, he enters a cave, & finds a dead being.

Hal's doin farm work w/ shovel when Guy appears & starts harrassing Hal. They get into a tangle & Rose & Toby appear. Rose confronts Hal about being a super hero & storms off w/ Toby. Then, w/ conflicting emotions around the board, Hal grabs his jacket & leaves the farm. Back to the road, realizing that his ring finger is the "conduit to infinity"... "I will always be something more, & something less, than a man."

Writer: Gerard Jones
Penciller: Pat Broderick
Inker: Bruce Patterson
Letterer: Albert De Guzman
Colorist: Anthony Tollin
Editor: Andy Helfer
Asst. Editor: Kevin Dooley

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