Warning! Spoilers ahead for Absolute Green Lantern #1!I didn't see this coming, but I'm actually into the Absolute Universe's spin on making Green Lantern's fall from grace during the "Emerald Twilight" saga is historically one of the most controversial things in DC history.

Believe me, I've never been a fan of the evil Hal Jordan, even if that era was technically before my time. To me, Hal has always been a hero and a kick-ass Green Lantern, so anything otherwise has felt like blasphemy to me. That being said, while Absolute Green Lantern #1 treads familiar territory, I'm coming around to what it seems to be doing with Hal.

Absolute Green Lantern Makes Hal Jordan a Tragic Villain

Hal is Less of a Villain, More of a Victim of Bad Luck

In Absolute Green Lantern #1 by Al Ewing, Jahnoy Lindsay, and Lucas Gattoni, a flashback reveals the town of Evergreen, a small community where Hal and several of his friends live. Hal meets John Stewart and Jo Mullein in a diner to discuss their lives and jobs over lunch. But what seems like a normal day is interrupted when a structure in the shape of a Green Lantern Corps symbol suddenly appears in the middle of town. The gang investigates it and Hal touches the glowing green structure, right as Abin Sur suddenly appears.

Fast-forward several days later, Hal Jordan is walking down the highway, looking disheveled and disturbed. A police officer approaches Hal and notices him acting suspicious, hiding his left hand from the officer's view. The cop orders Hal to show his hand, drawing a gun to get Hal to comply. Hal does as he's told and reveals his hand to the officer, which somehow annihilates the officer in a flash. Hal continues going down the highway, stopping at a small diner to get water. The event in Evergreen makes the news and Hal starts to reveal what happened.

Hal tries to tell everyone he’s using his will to hold back the killer energy...

The diner’s patrons start to get perturbed at Jordan’s story and demand to see his hand as well. One customer grabs Hal’s arm and discovers that Hal’s hand is glowing with black energy. The energy surrounds and absorbs the customer. Hal tries to tell everyone he’s using his will to hold back the killer energy, but a waitress shoots Hal, causing the energy to go wild and absorb everyone in the diner. The energy also heals Hal’s wounds, causing Jordan to realize his new weapon isn’t going to let him die.

I Love the Absolute Universe's Twist to Green Lantern's Mythology

Yes, Hal is Turning Rogue, But He's Desperately Trying Not To

Part of the reason I've never liked the idea of Green Lantern being a villain is because it just never felt right to me. I know Hal lost a lot after Coast City was destroyed, but I just didn't buy that he would slaughter the Corps to bring it all back. People can say what they want to about the Parallax retcon, but that made more sense to me than Hal destroying something he loved because he lost something else he loved. But if I hated that, why is it that I seem to like Absolute Green Lantern then?

For starters, this is an alternate world that has no impact on the Prime Universe. Big changes are far more amenable when they're made to variants instead of than the mainline versions, and I have no problem when something like Absolute Green Lantern wants to go in a direction like that. I've been into the rest of the changes for the Absolute Universe, whether it's Flash losing his legacy or Diana being a badass witch who was raised in Hell. But more than just being an interesting take, it’s Hal’s characterization that makes his villainous turn so interesting to read.

Hal was even ready to let himself die just so others wouldn't be hurt by him...

In "Emerald Twilight" and beyond, Hal seemed to just not care about the pain he was causing. But in Absolute Green Lantern, Hal is extremely aware of how screwed up this situation is and doesn't want to hurt anyone. He tried to warn people that he was a danger and did everything he could to prevent them from provoking the dark energy that's affixed to him. Hal was even ready to let himself die just so others wouldn't be hurt by him, making him a far more sympathetic and entertaining antagonist to read.

I'm Quite Curious Where Hal's Villainous Turn is Going to Take Him

One Issue In and I'm Already Rooting for Him

I'm a huge Green Lantern fan and while I feel like I should be mad about him being presented as the opening antagonist, I'm actually really engaged. Hal's not a bad guy, just a guy with incredibly bad luck. But this is the Absolute Universe, where heroes have to overcome greater challenges than before, and what greater challenge is there for someone like Hal than coming back to the light after falling to darkness? I just hope that Absolute Green Lantern keeps this energy up as Hal tries to find a way back to normal.

Absolute Green Lantern #1 is available now from DC Comics.