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Over the decades , there have been literally thousands of characters to maintain the power ring ofDC Comics’Green Lantern . But few Emerald Guardians have ever shone as brightly asKyle Rayner . unluckily , Rayner ’s light has dim in late years , and it ’s all because of the heroic legacy that he has pioneered .
With other fan - favored Green Lanterns like John Stewart or Jessica Cruz , it ’s no admiration that not every Green Lantern gets adequate metre to shine . But in the last few year , Kyle has hardly been much more than a backdrop fiber - a dramatic shift for the eccentric who wasDC Comics ’ adept Green Lanternfor the better part of a decade .
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Unlike his Lantern predecessors , Kyle was not induct into the Corps because he was particularly desirable . When Rayner is first given a doughnut in the Sir Frederick Handley Page ofGreen Lantern # 50by Ron Marz and Darryl Banks , he is n’t the usual fearless candidate choose by the ring for his great willpower . Instead , Kyle is an everyman , the expert of a bad situation in which a desperate Guardian of the Universe find himself frantically searching for someone to carry on the Green Lantern bequest . Further distinguish Kyle from his feller Lanternslike Hal Jordanor Guy Gardner is that he knows fear . As such , Rayner struggles with copious insecurity over his ability to inhabit up to the legacy . Ultimately , he does so marvelously , even outdo the previous Green Lanterns in the eyes of many fans , and as the first Green Lantern to “ get the better of great fear , ” he ’s dish out as a templet for his Lantern successors .
Since Kyle ’s sentence as the primary Green Lantern , fans have been introduced to more than a few worthy Corpsmen of the pallium . Whether it ’s Simon Baz , Jessica Cruz , or most recently Jo Mullein , DC Comics has knocked it out of the green with one new fan - favored Lantern after another . Unfortunately , this has left Rayner in an awkward position . In many ways , Kyle is treat like the leave middle child between the definitive olderLanterns like Jordan or John Stewartand the new generation of Ringslingers like Baz , Cruz , and Mullein . And though these new Lanterns have deservedly been in the spotlight , the roots of their characterizations can be trace back to Kyle .
Like Kyle Rayner before them , neitherSimon Baz nor Jessica Cruzsaw themselves as particularly worthy of their Green Lantern anchor ring , but since their debut they have proved themselves as rightful heroes and beloved fiber . Likewise , Jo Mullein ’s journeying as a lone Lantern inFar Sectorby N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell mirrored Kyle ’s time as the Torchbearer under an exclusively unlike curing of circumstance . While all ofthese Green Lanterns are worthy of admiration , it ’s unfortunate that DC ’s former primary Green Lantern is portrayed as little more than a side fictitious character in recent old age as this influx of awe-inspiring raw Lanterns has led to Kyle Rayner consider a backseat to this new generation .
As DC Comics ’ upcomingDark Crisisby Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere will be centered around bequest , it ’ll be interesting to see whether or not the bequest of this iconic Green Lantern is explored in profundity . After all , within the DC Universe , there ’s an entire Green Lantern Corps of awing characters to explore . But even whenDC Comicsforgets , there ’s only oneKyle Rayner Green Lantern .
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