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Warning: Spoilers for Green Lantern #19
Green Lantern and Star Sapphire’s blossoming relationship is igniting drama in the Justice League, as their teammates question whether pursuing their romance is wise. Romances between superheroes are a widely debated topic, considering the many ways such relationships have gone south throughout DC lore. All eyes in the Justice League are on Green Lantern as he makes the controversial decision to mix his personal and professional lives.
In Green Lantern #19 by Jeremy Adams, Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, and Jason Paz, Star Sapphire gets caught up in a battle alongside the Justice League until Green Lantern – her current boyfriend – swoops in to save the day. He offers for her to join him in escorting a sea monster back underwater, and she agrees with a smile.
As they fly off, Batman comments, “That could be a problem.” Clearly, Batman disapproves of the relationship between Green Lantern and Star Sapphire, and it’s difficult not to see why he wouldn’t be supportive of this Justice League romance.
Green Lantern & Star Sapphire’s Relationship Sparks Controversy in the Justice League
Batman’s Worries About Green Lantern and Star Sapphire Aren’t Unfounded
Batman has reason to call Green Lantern’s relationship with Star Sapphire into question, since their history is notably tumultuous. The two have been “on-and-off” for decades, with their relationship falling apart every time they try to rekindle it. This instability stems from the Green Lantern Corps constantly pulling Hal away from Earth and, by extension, Carol. As of Green Lantern #12, they’ve found their way back to each other, but there’s no telling how long they’ll last. If they were to break up, it would compromise their effectiveness if Red Tornado assigned them to a mission together, thus negatively impacting the Justice League overall.
Star Sapphire was formerly a Green Lantern villain before giving up her powers for a normal life, but she’s now reclaimed them to join the Justice League. To follow her heroic endeavors, check out Justice League Unlimited by Mark Waid and Dan Mora!
Even if their relationship doesn’t fall apart, there are still downsides to Green Lantern’s love interest being a fellow hero. In this issue, Hal invites Carol on a mission that will pull them both away from the Justice League. She declines this offer, putting her loyalty to the League first, but Hal then says that he expects her to come to his rescue if he’s ever in danger. Star Sapphire could abandon the Justice League at any moment to rush to Green Lantern’s aid, proving that her priorities are not aligned with the team’s. Romances distract superheroes, which Batman is well aware of.
Has Romance Affected the Justice League Negatively? Batman Believes So
Superhero Relationships Create Major Risks for the Justice League
Green Lantern and Star Sapphire are far from the first Justice League romance, though many of the others set a precedent that is less than ideal. Superman and Wonder Woman infamously fell for each other during DC’s New 52 reboot, but they later returned to their respective civilian love interests to avoid the complication of dating a superhero. Stargirl and the Captain were also together for a time until their peers’ opinions made things awkward and forced Billy to break things off. Superhero romances bring their fair share of challenges, and they only get more troublesome from here.
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You May Think Spider-Man Has the Messiest Superhero Romance, But You’d Be Wrong
Spider-Man’s love life is infamously rough, but one of DC’s Green Lanterns puts him to shame with the worst romantic track record of any superhero.
When superheroes attempt to date each other, they run the risk of breaking each other’s hearts and forming rifts within the Justice League. In a team that’s defined by bringing heroes together under an “unlimited” structure, division of any kind should be avoided. Green Lantern Jessica Cruz‘s romance with the Flash fell flat, for instance, and they haven’t interacted much since. In the worst cases, love triangles can form within the team that pit heroes against each other, as is the case with Nightwing’s love interests. Ultimately, the risks to the Justice League outweigh the positives, suggesting that they should be banned.
Justice League Romances Aren’t Always Destined to End in Flames
Even If It Isn’t Wise, Superheroes Should Be Allowed to Date
The Justice League has definitely spawned a fair share of dysfunctional pairings over the years, but that doesn’t mean every superhero romance is doomed to fail. In fact, some Justice League love stories have managed to secure happy endings. Green Arrow and Black Canary are one of the most popular examples of two heroes making a relationship work. Although they’ve faced challenges – including cheating scandals – they’ve nonetheless stood the test of time. Moreover, Oliver and Dinah have shown on many occasions that they can operate on missions without their love compromising their goals. Romance is indeed possible between superheroes; it just takes effort.
Justice League romances aren’t always the most logical idea, but love defies logic, and no couple knows that better than Green Lantern and Star Sapphire.
Batman isn’t wrong to be wary of Green Lantern’s latest relationship, considering how his past Justice League flings have fared – such as his disturbing romance with Arisia, a hero much younger than him. Still, he and Star Sapphire deserve a chance to explore their feelings, and to deprive them of that would be cruel. If they’re happy together, then Batman should allow their relationship to play out as it’s meant to, for better or worse. Justice League romances aren’t always the most logical idea, but love defies logic, and no couple knows that better than Green Lantern and Star Sapphire.
Green Lantern #19 is available now from DC Comics!
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