andersonh1 wrote:We're not going to agree on this, so all I'll say is that when the single married character left in DC's stable of characters is on his way to divorce, it's not hard to see how 2+2 = 4.
And that's the problem, you're seeing it as the same thing when it simply isn't. Apples to oranges. Animal Man's divorce is something that's come about as an organic part of the storyline, not because of anything else.
Even leaving Buddy Baker aside, DC has made a very clear statement by wiping out every marriage across the board. And it makes no sense. If police and firemen and members of the military can get married and have families, there's no reason superheroes can't do the same thing. It makes sense for some, and it doesn't make sense for others.
Again, the reason for which was a big event that de-aged the majority of those characters, taking them back to a point in their lives BEFORE they ever got married. I don't see how that's a "clear statement" about marriage when that very clearly has absolutely nothing to do with it. It was a result of making the DC universe younger again, not a statement about marriage. I really think you're reading too much into it, seeing something that DC isn't actually saying.
Red Lanterns #23
Atrocitus awakens in space to find his loyal cat Dex-Starr had saved him. He's tempted to take the Red ring from him but decides to track down another they'd recently sent out instead. Meanwhile, Guy contacts Hal asking to be pulled out of this assignment, having trouble coping with how easily he found himself killing the pirate Barg in the previous issue. Hal promises he'll send Saint Walker to purge the Red energy from him as soon as he can. On the planet Styge Prime, Atrocitus and Dex-Starr have tracked down what they believe to be a Red Lantern ring, but instead find the embodiment of Hate, the Butcher, being held captive. Like we've seen happening to the others, The Butcher is weakened and dying seeking to join the others, but with little choice, joins with Atrocitus. Guy contacts Hal once again wanting to know what's taking so long, but Hal informs him the Blue Lantern Corps has been destroyed by Relic. His green ring fully looses its charge and Guy finds out Bleez has been listening in...
This issue makes me wish we'd seen what had become of the Emotional Embodiments after Krona's attack on the Green Lantern Corps. How is it some them were roaming around the universe, while others went to live inside the Central Batteries of their respective color? Of all the Entities, I'd have expected Atrocitus to have held onto the Butcher, given his interest in exactly that way back during Blackest Night when he thought the Specter was their Entity. It's nice to see the continuity between the other books here, with the Butcher suffering from the same thing as the others, and Hal telling Guy about Relic. It seems clear Guy is much more effected by the Red ring this time around.
Green Lantern #23.1
This issue deals with the origins of Relic. It's interesting to see a glimpse of his universe. Not only were there Lanterns like in the current universe, but the use of the spectrum had become part of every day life, with entire cities being made of constructs. We find out, similar to what's been happening, one by one the lights went out for the "Lightsmiths". Relic believed this was due to the Spectrum being part of the light of creation, and using it caused creation to run dry and end the universe. And so as the universe was being destroyed, he crossed the Source Wall as it crumbled, and somehow was preserved for the creation of the DC universe.
I have to wonder, Relic had said there were no White Lanterns in his universe when he saw Kyle... Does he know about the Emotional Embodiements? Their condition seems to be connected to what's going on, but there is no mention of such creatures from his universe. I loved seeing the look at the universe he came from, and how they'd used the spectrum. Seeing that not only did the "Lightsmith's" use the light but 'civilians' as well is a cool idea.
I also flipped through 23.2, the Mongul issue, while I was at the store. I'm not sure where continuity fits in here, given this is his first appearance in the New 52, he's in charge of Warworld once again. I gather this is actually the first Mongul rather than his son, which might mean that the whole Yellow Lantern Mongul story doesn't exist anymore. Didn't decide to get it because I didn't see that it really had anything to do with Green Lantern, other than just to reintroduce the character for the New 52, and as a potential future villain.