Today, Drew and Spencer are discussing Green Lantern: New Guardians 23, originally released August 21st, 2013.
Drew: There’s an old joke about a man who goes to the doctor, and after running several tests, the doctor returns with his diagnosis written on a piece of paper. He gives the man the paper, but instructs him never to read it, and is then rudely kicked out of the office. The man is similarly shunned when he shows the paper to his boss, his friends, and his family, but each time, they tell him not to read it himself. The joke can build for however long the teller likes, but eventually, the man shows the paper to the pilot of a plane in mid-air, and the pilot insists that the man exit the plane immediately. The man opens the door, and facing certain death, finally decides to read the diagnosis. He pulls it out of the pocket, and it is promptly blown out of his hands and out the door. When done right, we’re lead to believe that there’s an actual punchline, but ultimately, the “joke” is on us — it only exists to fuel our frustrations. I doubt that is what Justin Jordan set out to do in Green Lantern: New Guardians 23, but as Relic begins showing his own piece of paper around, there’s a similar feeling that the story is shutting us (and only us) out of the information that ultimately drives the narrative. Continue reading
Retcon Punch 