Green Lantern #73

Green Lantern #73 (On Sale: October 14, 1969) has a great cover by Gil Kane. It is moody and effective.

"From Space Ye Came --" by Mike Friedrich, Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson has some beautiful artwork. After the last few issue where Joe Giella and Vince Colletta butchered Gil Kane's wonderful pencils, it is great to see an inker up to the task. Returning to Coast City Hal Jordan runs into his old buddy Pieface from Ferris Aircraft, who now owns half a dozen gas stations. Later after checking into his hotel an off-shore oil rig explodes and as Green Lantern Hal caps it and cleans up the mess. All the while, people watching from the beach, particularly the women, are digging the Green lantern hero vibe.

When finished with the clean up Hal meets his adoring throng, one of whom is old flame Carol Ferris. Hal grabs Carol and flies way with her for some private time. She explains that she has broken off her engagement to millionaire Jason Belmore because she can't get Green Lantern out of her mind or her heart. Sensing that he is about to fall back into a big pile of emotional drama, Green Lantern abruptly leaves. back in her apartment Carol pulls out a sapphire brooch given to her by Jason. Both Carol and Hal are engulfed in thoughts of love for the other, but Hal decides to talk to Pieface about it only, when he leaves his hotel he finds the oil well has blown again.

Once more he cleans up the mess only before he can return to being Hal Jordan, guests in the hotel are being chased by giant apparitions of famous guests from the hotel's past. While keeping people from harming themselves in the panic, Hal finds himself being attacked by the ghostly faces. As Hal uses his ring to try and determine who created the apparitions they quickly dissipate and are replaced by a very real Star Sapphire.

She explains that she has been creating the problems in Coast City to weaken Green Lantern's resistance so that he will consent to be her regal consort. Hal uses his ring against Sapphire and forces her to change back to her real identify of Carol Ferris. As she feels her identity slipping, Sapphire issues one final mental command, transforming Green Lantern to his other identity and banishing him to outer space.

Hal finds himself floating in space unaware the he is Green Lantern! This is Mike Friedrich's first Green Lantern in more than a year and the next to last one he would write. Reprinted in Showcase Presents:Green Lantern Vol. 4 TPB.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.