Between the destruction of the Central Batteries and the treachery of the United Planets, it’s been a time of particularly volatile change among theGreen Lantern Corps. That’s why I’m so excited to see some old faces popping up in recent issues, andI’m even more delighted to discover that the greatest romance fromGreen Lantern: The Animated Serieshas finally been brought back for comic continuity.
InGreen Lantern Corps#2 – written by Jeremy Adams and Morgan Hampton, with art by Fernando Pesarin – Razer, newly inducted into the Green Lantern Corps, accompanies John Stewart, Kilowog, and Hawkwoman to what remains of Thanagar. When Stewart asks how Razer is holding up handling a Green Lantern Ring, Razer’s answer reveals much about his backstory, previously unexplored in the comics.
“With Rage, it was easy to…let go. And with Hope…I find that in the promise of a person,“Razer explains,confirming his history as a Red and Blue Lanternand alluding to his tragic romance with Aya.
As A Huge Green Lantern Fan, I Am Thrilled DC Is Ready To Return To Razer & Aya’s Tragic Romance
Green Lantern Corps#2 – Written By Jeremy Adams & Morgan Hampton; Art By Fernando Pasarin; Ink By Oclair Albert; Color By Arif Prianto
New readers picking upGreen Lantern Corps#2 might not fully appreciate the significance of this dialogue exchange, but DC diehards know that it is another step on the long road for theGreen Lanternfranchise’s greatest romance. If you’re like me, and you’ve invested a lot of energy into shipping this couple, this is a major development. While the story of Aya and Razer still has a long way to go,fans are now hyped at the possibility that their love story still has another chapter to be written in the pages of DC Comics. Allow me to explain.
Razer and Aya are both original characters created forGreen Lantern: The Animated Seriesin 2011. Originally a Red Lantern and an antagonist, Razer eventually joined Hal Jordan and Kilowog on their mission to stop the Red Lantern incursion. For her part, Aya started out as the onboard AI for the protagonists' starship, the Interceptor, before creating a physical form for herself and becoming a Green Lantern in her own right. Aya and Razer were bound together from the very beginning, with Aya modeling her physical body off of memories of Razer’s murdered lover.
With the show canceled after its first season, Razer and Aya’s story was left as a cliffhanger.
Aya and Razer’s relationship swiftly became one of the major driving forces behindGreen Lantern: The Animated Series, arguably even overshadowingHal Jordan’s comparatively bland heroics. Unfortunately, with the show canceled after its first season, Razer and Aya’s story was left as a cliffhanger: after a brief villainous turn, Aya sacrificed herself to save the day and Razer was left searching the cosmos for any trace as to where she has gone. Fan support for the pairing was so strong that in 2013, Razer’s voice actor Jason Spisak even dubbed over fan comics encouraging DC to continue their story somehow.
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Fan Support Kept This Relationship Alive For Over A Decade
Fans received an update on the characters in 2018, with theJustice League Actionepisode “Barehanded,” in which Hal Jordan teamed up with Space Cabbie when his ring went missing; Space Cabbie’s new onboard system was heavily implied to be Aya. Later, the 2022 episode ofYoung Justice, “Encounter On The Razor’s Edge!” explicitly continued Razer’s quest for Aya on New Genesis, as he remained torn between the forces of Hope and Rage. The quiet continuation of their stories in the background of DC’s animated shows years after their original cancelation highlights just how beloved their romance was.
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Now,Green Lantern (2023)has brought Razer and Aya to DC comic continuity for the first time.Razer first appears at the endof Jeremy Adams and Xermanico’sGreen Lantern#6, greeting Hal Jordan as an old friend; subsequent issues confirmed that his general history as a Red and Blue Lantern from his animated appearances remained intact. Likewise, Jeremy Adams and Fernando Pasarin’sGreen Lantern#19 markedthe comic book debut of the Interceptor, with Jordan adding that"we don’t have our artificial intelligence on board anymore,“indirectly referring to Aya, and enforcing her canonicity as well.
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Razer And Aya Have Transcended Their Single-Season Origins
I think it’s amazing how two characters from a single-season, prematurely canceled show that aired over a decade ago have found purchase in the hearts of so many people that their love story has continued in the background of different shows and media for years before finally coming back home to the comics that inspired their series. True, characters from animated series, like Harley Quinn, often immigrate into comic book canon. However, the fact that Razer and Aya’s romance has stayed alive for so long despite lacking regular publication issomething truly unique across the entirety of DC’s media empire.
With Razer now a fully-fledged member of the Green Lantern Corps and the team set to explore deep space to restore balance to the Emotional Spectrum, DC is positioned to fully commit to bringing back Green Lantern’s best romance.
With Razer and Aya now integrated into comic canon, I hope that it is only a matter of time before their romance can finally take the spotlight once again. Razer and Aya’s unique connection truly elevatedGreen Lantern: The Animated Seriesbeyond the sum of its parts, giving the show a far more lasting impact than its single season would suggest. With Razer now a fully-fledged member of theGreen Lantern Corpsand the team set to explore deep space to restore balance to the Emotional Spectrum, DC is positioned to fully commit to bringing back Green Lantern’s best romance.
