Green Lanterns VS The Gambler (Rebirth)

I love that Jessica deals with proper anxiety attacks – given what she’s been through it’s actually completely realistic and it’s astounding she can even function as a rule. Those of us who’ve suffered with trauma and anxiety know where Jessica is coming from and I always feel oddly proud of her when she pulls off moments of overcoming it..

I know there are some who would probably whine that “how is she a GL when she keeps being overcome BY fear?” but that’s part of why I love her so much and they’re missing the point: the message isn’t “you have no fear”, it was never “you have NO fear”, because every person can be vulnerable to fear, everybody gets scared. It’s that you can OVERCOME it.

And her fear is Great Fear indeed, so the fact she daily manages to battle it and has gone from being agoraphobic to being able to even leave the apartment every day, is just…it’s beautiful. It’s such a powerful message, to have a Green Lantern struggling with bonafide PTSD and still being allowed to be a Green Lantern. Green Lanterns, who are known for being brave, who are known for overcoming Great Fear, can still always be hit by it…it makes them very human, to see this. But to know she can overcome it, that that is in her if she can just get a handle but to see her struggle with it…

God, it’s beautiful to me. It really is. Because there are days when my own anxiety has felt insurmountable, and I know she’s fictional and all but it’s such a good message to show that even the people with the proven potential to be the bravest and strongest among us, can suffer from that. And it’s such a hopeful message too, to show someone going through that and managing (at least sometimes) to power through it.

And I know too that some people are gonna be like “But wait, she got better! Why are we still on this?” But. Given the previous two arcs have ended more or less on Triumphant Moments for Jessica, it’s actually kind of necessary to have her backslide like this, because YES, there are people who think you just “get better” from depression and anxiety, and you don’t. You really don’t. You have better DAYS, but it can often sneak up on you again.

The trick is to remember that there’s always the possibility for another Better Day…but that can be really hard to remember when you’re having a panic attack or depressive bout. And people with PTSD, like Jessica, will never fully get rid of those. They will always be prone to it, because there’s been a permanent bit of damage to their very brains (yes, really, there’s neurological impact). But to see someone with that Strength having that same battle is really moving. You know she has it in her, but it’s hard for her to believe that – and boy, can I empathize with that.

For all its flaws, this is one thing that has always resonated with me about “Green Lanterns” as a comic: I’ve always loved and connected with Jessica Cruz, ever since I started learning about her character. So while it’s been somewhat uneven here and there, I adore this series and I hope it sticks around for a while because I love being able to read about her. 🙂