John’s constructs are built from the inside out. You look close, you can see every nut and bolt that makes it work. Nothing he creates is hollow. Gardner’s ring is like a leaky water faucet. Sparks always fly. Even when he’s just standing still. His willpower can’t wait to get free. He opens it up. And attitude disappears in a storm of emerald energy. Kilowog steps up to bat. His ring is the only one that makes a sound. Like a cannon exploding. A green light fades into the air around Parallax. Kyle’s sketching in his head. It sharpens into view. Constantly being refined by his own imagination. Kyle’s never satisfied. He’s an artist. Time to join in. For me it’s about precision. Doing exactly what I need to do to get the job done. Concentrated power. Focused ambition. Tangible glory.
This book was my introduction to Green Lantern, and I remember adoring this section, because it really gets into how the specific character will always shape how the Ring is actually used, and the way they each use their Ring tells you so much about them: John – by the book, the methodical engineer; Kyle – the visual-minded creative; Guy the loose cannon; Hal the “direct” approach (appropriate for a former fighter pilot), etc. And the artist really went to town with rendering it. This is one of the most memorable sections of the book and I think I’ll always be fond of it.
Thanks for sharing your memory and what you liked it about! I’m glad Geoff John’s wrote this and started the Green Lantern series’ rehabilitation.