Bruce is intimately aware of his own hypocrisy. He wields power, yet he fears men who wield the same. He trains himself to recognize the warning signs of men consumed by power. Recklessness, self-righteousness, callous overconfidence. He’s not so foolish to believe that he’s incapable of these things. He hopes he would see it within himself, but knows it’s far more likely that someone close to him would see it first.
He wants to categorize Hal Jordan as recklessly powerful, wants to rip the power away from the man as soon as he challenges Bruce. As much as Bruce fears his own power, he is a man, and men rarely have the strength to step away from power. To see the casual way in which Hal forces Bruce’s attention inwards is to be told to stand down.
It’s not recklessness that afflicts Hal Jordan. Nor is it righteousness or confidence. It’s experience. It’s respect and understanding of power, it’s the ability to wield it and be wield by it. His movements are graceful, his hold on power gentle by design. He’s a man that’s seen what power does to people, a man that has been touched by terrible power.
Hal’s ability to sense one’s hold on power, it pulls Bruce in. There’s a man who can challenge and be challenged. There’s a man who has failed and will fail again, but will not deny it.
