As you probably know, there is much talk out there about a new Green Lantern movie in development. The exact details are of course anyone's guess but what this article is going to focus on is a character that you might not have heard of………. or maybe forgotten? We all know about Hal Jordan and Jessica Cruz, even Guy Gardner and John Stewart, but do we know who might be the most powerful Green Lantern of them all?
Green Lantern Origin
Simon Baz is a Green Lantern for Sector 2814 (Earth). A former mechanic, street racer and car thief, he is the partner of Jessica Cruz and a member of the Justice League. Simon Baz was a typical Lebanese American teenager growing up in Dearborn, Michigan. Unfortunately, when he was ten years old, he and the rest of his family watched their television in horror as airplanes flew into the World Trade Center. This made him and his family a suspect everywhere they went and often forced him to defend his family, especially his sister.
Bad luck took over Simon Baz, as an adult as he lost his job after the financial crisis and went into a life of illegal street racing and car robberies. After a bad car theft attempt, he was eventually arrested and questioned. Because of his background, federal agents were brought to the scene to question Simon Baz as he was transported to Guantanamo Bay. That is where the Green Lantern Ring found him, formerly Hal Jordan’s ring.
Powers and Abilities
Emerald Sight: For reasons unknown, Simon Baz has unlocked an extremely rare power among Green Lanterns known as the Emerald Sight which allows a Green Lantern to receive glimpses of the near future.
Driving: From his street racing and carjacking days.
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic): Simon Baz was trained by Wonder Woman when it comes to combat.
Firearms: Simon Baz is skilled in the use of firearms.
Indomitable Will: Simon’s willpower is extraordinarily strong, even for a Green Lantern. He was able to wake his best friend and brother-in-law, Nazir Amar from his coma, which was considered impossible. He also briefly cured a Red Lantern of her rage by himself.
Mechanical Engineer: Simon has a degree in engineering, followed by a job in an automotive plant.
First Appearance
To find the 1st appearance of Simon Baz, more than likely you waited in line, depending on your LCS, back in 2012. You see, Simon Baz was introduced in DC Comics – The New 52, Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) in 2012. Such a cool cover by Jim Lee. The comic book teases Trinity War, which would occur more than a year after this issue was published. The fact of the matter is, I love 1st appearances in FCBD comic books, there the highest return on investment possible if you’re a speculator (they're FREE) and probably the easiest comic book to collect if you’re a pure collector and hoarder.
Another Simon Baz comic book worth getting along with the 1st appearance FCBD issue is the origin issue: Green Lantern #0 (2012). Released a couple of months after FCBD, it tells the origin story behind Simon Baz and how he was chosen by the Green Lantern Ring. A good read.
Conclusion
The thing about comic book collecting is when people go right, it doesn’t mean you have to go right with them. This is a character that could be in any movie, HBO series, or new cartoon episode. Especially being a partner of Jessica Cruz, probably one of the more popular Green Lanterns out there, if you see one, more than likely you will see them both. Also, being of Muslim descent and the popularity Kamala Kahn is getting with Marvel, can help bring this character to fruition. So back to my point. There are 6 Green Lanterns from Earth - Simon Baz, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Jessica Cruz, and Guy Gardner. It can honestly be any one of them on the big screen. You just never know.
The census is extremely small when it comes to the 1st appearance and Origin of Simon Baz. Believe it or not, according to the CGC census, there are only 43 graded of the FCBD issue with an FMV of $40 according to GoCollect. Green Lantern #0, has a slightly higher FMV, probably due to the character appearing on the cover, of $48 and ironically 48 total graded on the census. There are two other covers for Green Lantern #0 worth mentioning, the Combo Pack Edition and the 1:25 sketch cover variant. But just like with anything else, the slightest hint of something will see those numbers soar as more and more people will submit and grade what they have. But you don't want to wait till then. Collect what you want to collect but be it known, on this day, you now know who Simon Baz is – the Green Lantern.
Please share your thoughts and comments you have on Simon Baz? Who do you think is the most powerful Green Lantern of them all? Do you see him appearing on to the big/small screen? Which Green Lantern is your favorite? Who is another character in comics you would like a Character Spotlight on? Please share. Until next time comic book junkies...................................
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