Hal Jordan and Barry Allen's captivating friendship is celebrated as Dark Crisis pays homage to Brave and Bold team-up: Green Lantern and the Flash
The following article contains spoilers from Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4, on sale now.
Hal Jordan's Green Lantern and Barry Allen's Flash learned to work together, despite major personality clashes, long before they shared the beginning scene in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 (by Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere). The pair's friendship is the thoroughly enjoyable subject of the 1999 limited series: Flash/Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold (by Mark Waid and Tom Peyer). The series celebrated the speedster and the Emerald Knight as kindred spirits, recounting the adventures that helped seal their mutual respect and solidarity.
With a lot of comedy stemming from the funny interactions between Hal and Barry, the series also touched on heartfelt moments between the two. Williamson was right to give a big nod to the duo. During their battles the two proved extremely compatible. Both were able to compromise and collaborate to escape from traps and conquer villains. Hal and Barry have a friendship worthy of remembering as the torch is passed to a new generation of speedsters and Lanterns.
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Dark Crisis #4 begins with Barry Allen and Hal Jordan reuniting when Barry's Flash finds Hal Jordan trapped in one of Pariah's new Earths: Sector John Stewart. In the midst of the rescue, Barry and Hal exchange some snide remarks only old chums would know are in good fun. Williamson was right to add the nod to not only the duo, but to Waid's recounting of their lives together in The Brave and the Bold series. Not many other creators know these characters as well as Mark Waid.
Waid's 1999 series recounts the times "before Wally West and Kyle Raynor." Jordan's Green Lantern and Allen's Flash help each other in simple ways, but they also come up with some complex maneuvers to get themselves out of trouble. The friendship finds its feet as the two superheroes learn more about each other's personalities, but also what it's like to be a speedster versus a Green Lantern. Barry quickly learns Hal is a womanizing bachelor who bounces between odd jobs. Hal discovers Barry is shy and devoted to his wife Iris. The Flash learns to be a Green Lantern is a complicated job, while Hal finds himself looking up to Barry's more structured lifestyle. Their differences often cause conflict during their escapades, but they always find a way to reconcile through lighthearted jokes. Hal has a number of pet names for the Flash. For Hal, "Swifty," immediately becomes "Lead Butt," whenever Barry is late.
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The most memorable sketch from the duo's adventures has them up against extraterrestrial Science Minister, Saraar of the Doragians. Barry and Hal are trapped inside a Constrictor: an alien-made pink bubble prison. Barry is not able to vibrate through the Constrictor's walls and Hal is unable to find its weak spot with his Lantern ring. Green Lantern helps the Flash see that the problem lies in the randomness of the molecules making up the bubble by conjuring special magnifying goggles. The pair bursts the bubble when Green Lantern causes a vibration to stack the structure's molecules into a herringbone pattern through which The Flash is able to cross. Their bond is also strengthened on a memorable extraterrestrial camping trip with their older counterparts. Jay Garrick's Flash and Alan Scott's Green Lantern join Barry and Hal and the quartet share their origin stories with the group. During the trip, the four have plenty of time to tease each other about their respective idiosyncrasies, but they also unite and get creative when battling some of their strangest foes.
The obvious camaraderie between Barry and Hal observed in Dark Crisis pays homage to their unlikely affection for one another formed during the early adventures recounted in Waid's series. Throughout the series The Flash and Green Lantern worked together, one pulling on their strengths when the other was weak. When Barry needs a map, Hal conjures one. When Hal needs a quick get-away, The Flash carries him to safety. Barry and Hal's lighthearted friendship (and at times rivalry) as portrayed in Waid's miniseries is worthy of Williamson's nod in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths and reminds fans there are plenty of fun stories to revisit involving Barry Allen and Hal Jordan.
Elliot Swan has been devouring comics since 1996. Elliot mostly savors stories about queer/Black/womyn/Latinx/non-binary heroes in all-genre/all-inclusive comics. He is an artist and is proud to have designed and pained a mural that's installed above his favorite comic shop in Yellow Springs, Oh. Elliot left NYC to build a homestead and write about his first love: sequential art. With an MA degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from The New School, Elliot tends to look at the social scientific side of comics, but also loves to talk superhero fashion, deliciously bizarre crossovers and creepy characters.
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