DCU Comic Book Reviews

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #30

The Green And The Gold

February 2010

Written by J. Michael Straczynski

Pencils by Jesus Saiz

Inks by Jesus Saiz

Cover by Jesus Saiz

Synopsis

A lifetime ago, Kent Nelson (aka Dr. Fate) strips away the Gray Man’s power.  Afterwards, Hal Jordan asks if he is okay.  Dr. Fate tells him he will be fine.  They shake hands.  A lifetime later…Jordan is on a distant world, wounded from an attack, and unable to get away.  His ring’s power is almost gone.  He could die.  However, there is power within the ring.  Jordan wants to see it.  Dr. Fate appears.  Dr. Fate tells Jordan that long ago he put a part of his essence in Jordan’s ring (when they shook hands) to be used when Jordan needs it most, like now.  But to save Jordan, Fate won’t be able to return his essence back to himself in the past.  Jordan tells Fate that in Jordan’s past Fate will die, but now knowing he will die, and how he will die, Fate can return and save himself.  Jordan can take care of himself, Fate should return and save himself.  Fate disagrees.  He was brought to his moment and place for a reason and that is to save Jordan.  So that is what he will do.  A lifetime ago, Fate wonders why his essence fails to return.  He then believes nothing has been lost.  It was vanity that wanted him to see the future and vanity is always destructive in the end.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This issue took a little bit to get going, with the confusing sequence at the beginning with the Gray Man followed by the strangeness attack of the robotic bees, two events that are not in any was connected.  However, once Fate re-appeared, the story kicked into high gear, revealing the essence of the story that Straczynski wanted to tell:  the question of freewill versus fate as embodied by the characters (Green Lantern and Dr. Fate) that represent these thoughts.  The discussion between the two is brilliantly written, with an argument that manages to go around in circles as neither really understands the other’s point of view.  It is both thought provoking but it is more than just a dry recitation of the merits of both sides of the argument.  Straczynski brings the characters alive, infusing them with personalities, their “voices” accurate, so that the conversation is entertaining.  This was a joy to read.

I am not sure what to make of the last panel, with Fate’s summation of what he had attempted to do and its outcome.  On the one hand, it does encapsulate the issue and provide a nice moral conclusion regarding the things that will undo us.  On the other hand it is heavy handed, since vanity is never mentioned in the issue up to that point and it seems a little odd that Fate would even give into vanity in the first place. 

I like the little moment when Jordan asks how Fate got into his ring and Fate mentions the weakness to the color yellow.  Straczynski doesn’t explain it further, just allows the art and Dr. Fate’s appearance to allow the reader to make the connection.  To often writers don’t allow the art to tell the story along with the words.  Straczynski and Saiz underplay it here and it works. 

Comic Connection

The Gray Man is a mystical villain who collected dream energy.  Although it was supposed to an honor to be the Gray Man, that particular Gray Man felt it was punishment.  He asked that he be stripped of the power and the Lords of Chaos agreed.  It is that event from Justice League International, issue #7 (November 1987) that is seen at the beginning of this issue.

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