Absolute Green Lantern: What the colors actually mean

Absolute Green Lantern: What the colors actually mean I wanted to put together a breakdown of the colors in Absolute Green Lantern, because this is one of those things where knowing the regular DC version can actually make you more confused. You see a familiar color and start filling in the rules before this book has explained what its rules are. The early Absolute series gives us four levels of light. From the Oan point of view, the order goes like this: Qard is black. Chaotic action. Rao is red. Restraint from action. Sur is green. Correct action. Aur is gold. Total understanding, or enlightenment. Red being restraint is probably the easiest place to notice the difference. If you bring the usual red-means-rage assumption into this, you're already working with the wrong explanation. Guy is judged deserving of the red flame because he showed restraint. That is the actual reason we're given. Green belongs to correct action, while gold is connected to understanding. So the structure is concerned with what you do, whether you can refrain from doing it, and whether you understand what you're doing. It isn't just a collection of different emotional fuel sources. There's another detail I don't want to leave out: John specifically says this ranking is the Oan perspective. Aur being highest and Qard being lowest is how THEY understand it. There are others who look in the opposite direction and consider OA incorrect. That matters because you can learn the hierarchy without automatically agreeing with the people explaining it. The book gives us a system, but it also makes a point of telling us that system has an opposing view. For now, the useful thing to remember is black, red, green, gold: chaotic action, restraint, correct action, understanding. Don't substitute the regular Lantern color chart for this one.