Warning: The following contains spoilers for Green Lantern #2 by Geoffrey Thorne, Dexter Soy, Marco Santucci, Alex Sinclair and Rob Leigh, on sale now.
The Green Lanterns are known for their bright emerald uniforms. But after the tragic events of Geoffrey Thorne, Dexter Soy and Marco Santucci's Green Lantern #1, in which a Guardian and several lanterns were killed, a more somber attire is in order. The second issue opens on John Stewart delivering the heart-wrenching news to the Green Lantern Corps and instructing them to don their mourning uniforms to prepare for the Guardian's funeral service.
The most striking feature of the Lanterns' funeral garb is the lack of color. For the most part, they still wear the emerald emblem of the corps on their chests, but aside from that, they appear primarily in black. Many of their uniforms still have touches of green like a pair of gloves here or a mask there, but for the most part, they are strikingly subdued. Guy Gardner's shock of red hair feels almost inappropriate against the sorrowfully simple palette of black and dark green. This is a far cry from the jaunty attire readers have come to associate with the Green Lanterns, but this is hardly the first time we've seen a Green Lantern in black.
It is difficult to see these new costume designs without being reminded of Kyle Rayner whose origins are linked to a different, earlier series of tragic events. In Ron Marz's 1994 Green Lantern run, Hal Jordan nearly wipes out the Green Lantern Corps in "Emerald Twilight," drawn by Bill Willingham, Fred Haynes and Darryl Banks. Jordan has a psychotic break after the destruction of Coast City and attacks Oa. He defeats several lanterns and steals their rings. Jordan even kills Sinestro.
In a last-ditch effort to keep the spirit of the Green Lantern Corps alive, the Guardians send Ganthet to Earth to choose a new champion. Ganthet gives the ring to the first person he finds: Kyle Rayner, who struggles to adjust to these colossal new responsibilities but developed into a charismatic character. In Green Lantern #51, by Ron Marz, Darryl Banks and Romeo Tanghal, Kyle's girlfriend suggests he redesign the costume to make it more unique to him. Following her advice, he opts for a black uniform with a white chest and stomach, green gloves and boots, and a green mask over his eyes.
At the time, the new design seemed like a simple update: something a little edgier for Rayner, who first appears wearing a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt. But, in the context of the corps's recent costume change, Rayner's outfit seems to serve a greater purpose. Consciously or subconsciously, he has plenty to mourn. After all, he picks up the Green Lantern mantle immediately after the events of "Emerald Twilight." At the time, Kyle is unaware of the brutality that transpired on Oa, but the ring he wears is the product of several guardians sacrificing the last of their life forces. And he uses it to drape himself in a brooding black not dissimilar to the official mourning uniform seen on Oa decades later. Much like Rayner, John Stewart and company embody the grief of their entire community.
The similarities to Rayner's uniform may prove to be prophetic. At the end of Green Lantern #2, the central power battery is violently destroyed. Rayner can be seen floating alone in space. His ring appears to be powerless and Oa has been reduced to rubble, so the chances of him being rescued appear to be quite slim. Rayner's situation looks as grim as that of Oa and the rest of the corps. Unfortunately, mourning uniforms may be required for some time. It is tragically appropriate that they are so aesthetically comparable to Kyle Rayner's signature look.
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