Green Lantern Proved He's the Ultimate Meta Hero in the Perfect Way
Kyle Rayner, one of Earth's many Green Lanterns, holds a special place for many fans, since his art skills led to genuinely unique constructs.
In one of the most adorable, and meta, ways possible, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner proved he wasn't like any of the other Corps members. In 2001’s Superman #170, Superman and Lois share an adventure with their dog Krypto, and while they duke it out with, and try to evade, Mongul, readers are treated to a second story - a children’s story about Krypto, written by Clark Kent and illustrated by Kyle Rayner! The issue is written by Jeph Loeb, illustrated by Dale Keown, inked by Cam Smith and colored by Tanya and Richard Horie.
In the early-1990s, under an editorial mandate, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, grief-stricken over the destruction of Coast City, went insane and slaughtered the entire Green Lantern Corps as well as their leaders, the Guardians of the Universe. The sole surviving Guardian, Ganthet, traveled to Earth and gave the last Green Lantern ring to artist Kyle Rayner. Over time, Rayner proved himself as Green Lantern, and he retained his ring when Hal Jordan, revealed to have been under the influence of Parallax, returned as a Lantern. Kyle Rayner has gone from strength to strength, acting as the Corps' 'Torch Bearer' to carry them through the dark times, and eventually becoming an ultra-powerful White Lantern by unlocking the entirety of the Emotional Spectrum. However, this incredible power sometimes obscures the fact that Rayner's artistic talent is core to both his powers and his outlook.
The story, set not long after Krypto returned to continuity, begins with Lois and Clark walking the dog, struggling to control the super-powered canine. The walk is cut short when Mongul, and his sister, Mongal, attack the trio, and while Krypto and Superman fight the evil pair, Lois tries to get to safety. Eventually, Krypto and Superman are able to overcome Mongul and his sister, but Superman also realizes that Krypto is too dangerous to be let out into the general public, so he grounds the dog in the Fortress of Solitude indefinitely. Interspersed throughout the main story is another tale, made up to resemble a children’s book, also about Krypto. Told in simple narration, the story features illustrations of Krypto (looking more like a puppy) as he goes through his day, getting into mischief. Readers then learn this cute children’s story is written by Clark Kent and illustrated by Kyle Rayner!
When he was introduced in 1994’s Green Lantern #48, Rayner was intended to be a different kind of Green Lantern than Hal Jordan or John Stewart, who were military men. Rayner was an artist, and this shone through in his character’s earlier years; the hard-light constructs Rayner created with his ring far outpaced his predecessors, and Rayner’s co-creator Ron Marz insisted that Rayner never create the same thing with his ring twice. However, as Rayner has begun spending more and more time in space, his artistic background has been downplayed, which short-changed everything that made Rayner a distinct Green Lantern in the first place.
This story serves as an excellent reminder that Rayner was an artist before becoming one of the greatest Lanterns ever, and that it's vital to the character's identity. However, there's also something enjoyably meta about a comic-book superhero who draws comic-book superheroes. As a writer and artist, Clark Kent and Kyle Rayner have the potential to embody the people creating their adventures, and even to tell stories of their own.
In addition to being one of Earth’s premiere Green Lanterns, Kyle Rayner is an artist, a fact that sometimes gets the short shrift in his stories, but fans got an unbearably cute, and meta, reminder of this fact in Superman #170.