The eighty-ninth issue of Green Lantern and Green Arrow ends the run of the series for the time being. In this finale for the venerable Silver Age comic written by Denny O'Neil and drawn by the regular team of Neal Adams and Dick Giordano, we get a plea for the environment.
Green Arrow is much amused by reports of vandalism by an eco-terrorist named Isaac. An investigation indicates that his target is Ferris Industries which is testing a new jet which is somehow impacting the surrounding forests in severe ways.
Green Arrow runs afoul of some security guards while Green Lantern goes to Carol Ferris and investigates there. Eventually Arrow meets Isaac and finds out that he is a former scientist who now battles to preserve the natural world in the face of civilization. GL and GA meet and argue about what to do and fight with Arrow winning the day with a gas arrow. But Isaac rejects Arrow saying the gas is harmful too. Green Arrow is confused, but then both heroes again fall victim to the security guards who also capture Isaac.
The trio are chained to the wings of jet airplanes and left. Arrow using strength derived from years of working with his bow is able to finally free himself and Green Lantern, but is too late to save Isaac who dies rather than compromise his ideals, a martyr to his cause. Later aghast, Green Lantern uses his ring to destroy the prototype aircraft.
This one is a bit of mindflip, as Isaac is truly a fanatic but who has goals which seem necessary and even in their essence admirable. But his methods are so extreme that his zealotry overshadows his message. I'm not sure O'Neil meant for that to be the case, but that's how I read it. It's asking too much of a comic to nuance a conversation between economic development and environmental awareness, but that seems needed here as the extremes as presented seem to undermine the message.
And that's a wrap for the series, at least as a stand-a-lone. The heroes will join The Flash comic as back ups for several issues. The O'Neil and Adams team will produce four of those stories.
More to come still.
This is a verdant vintage Dojo post.
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