I am a product of my generation, and as such my earliest memories of DC’s comic book heroes come from the cartoon show Superfriends. Hardcore fans will hopefully accept that Superfriends is an umbrella term for the many series produced by Hanna-Barbera, some of which I am old enough to have caught first run, others I saw in endless reruns. Being a bit of a weirdo, I was less interested in Batman or Superman, and more into the Wonder Twins — Zan and Jayna with their pet monkey Gleek who fought crime by turning into buckets of water — Apache Chief, who could get very tall while wearing a vest, and Green Lantern, who could power himself in flight and seemingly create anything so long as it was green.

Green Lantern’s powers struck me as both perfect and silly. Like wishing for unlimited wishes, his abilities were as vast as his imagination. But it was all due to his dopey magic ring. Nothing about him specifically. Also, in the Superfriends’s iteration, he was powerless against anything yellow. (Better than Golden Age comics GL, who was useless against wood.)

But I loved it when he showed up, which wasn’t all the time. Years later when I began reading GL comics, I got to learn more about what makes the most well-known Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, tick.

Jordan and the other GLs were chosen for their position as interstellar purveyors of justice due to their strong will. Positive role model! But in some versions, another character trait was a key prerequisite: No Fear.

The new series Lanterns on HBO Max seems to be leaning into Lantern fearlessness more than usual. The phrase “are you afraid?” is repeated several times in the first episode. And while I hardly want to be known as a poster boy for cowardice, I’m not so sure how smart of a philosophy this is.

Fear is important. Otherwise we’d be bungee jumping all day before double-checking that we’re properly strapped to our harnesses and turning to mush. We’d be eating chicken kebobs off the grill without scrutinizing the inner temperature and ending up with salmonella. We’d be driving on the New Jersey Turnpike. (Well, some maniacs actually do this still!)

You and I only exist because our evolutionary forefathers had some finely tuned fight-or-flight impulses. I know it wouldn’t make for a very good sticker to put on a skateboard, but maybe Some Fear is okay? A Smidge of Fear? I think there’s an equation here that makes sense, and a dedication to No Fear may not be the best way to go through life. Then again, the Guardians haven’t bestowed upon me a power ring.

Am I draining the fun out of superhero comics? Let me know if you agree that a degree of caution is the truly heroic way.

Jordan Hoffman, Communications Officer

Additionally, Dave and I look at a final victory lap for Superman and STARLOG — a dispatch from the film’s premiere. I have a hunch you won’t be able to guess just where it took place (clue: not Metropolis!) and who was in the audience.

To find out, just hit the “Listen” button below, and subscribe to The STARLOG Podcast on any podcasting platform.

This week’s guest on The STARLOG Podcast is author and educator Andrea Hairston, whose new book, The Redemption Center is Closed on Sundays, is a roux of sci-fi, mystery, anthropology, and (gentle) satire of life in a New England college town. It also features a crime-fighting dog.

Our conversation, in league with the work, is a little bit all over the place, which is part of the fun. Hairston talks about attending an early Star Trek convention (where she met an SF icon without realizing who he was), how ubiquitous technology can both aid and harm us, and a peek into the research she did with animal cognition experts before letting her imagination run wild.

Take a listen to hear Hairston talk about the unusual cast of characters in her latest work, the importance of maps, and the correct name for the doohickey on a sundial that causes the shadow. (Points to you if you know it already.)

The new episode of The STARLOG Podcast, like the ones before it, is on whatever podcasting platform you prefer. Or you can just click the little “listen” button below.

SCI-FI

Chances are you know René Laloux’s cult film Fantastic Planet, but few in North America have ever seen the full version of his later (and maybe even nuttier?) sci-fi adventure Gandahar. Janus Films is bringing a 4K restoration of the director’s cut in late August and early September to an arthouse cinema near you. (Note: not just New York and Los Angeles, check listings!) Take a look at the trailer.

SCIENCE

The James Webb Space Telescope has returned some head-scratching data, just like everyone hoped it would. A new report suggests that puzzling red dots may be a heretofore unknown celestial phenomenon: black hole stars. Read on for more.

CULTURE

Redditor Emrereel asked a really sharp question in r/scifi the other day: “Who are the sci-fi authors everyone in your country knows, but nobody outside it seems to talk about?” Grab a pencil, because there are some great-sounding recommendations in here that, I must confess, are totally new to me.

ETHICS

There are several curious film projects in development that seem designed to settle a score between Billy Joel and an old producer. One is being made with AI. Don’t ask me why, but read about it here.