Warning! Spoilers for DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration by DC Comics below.
DC Comics' newest Green Lantern has one of the more unique looks among the Corps and a new tale just explained the heartwarming backstory behind the ensemble. Tai Pham, one of the youngest Lanterns at 13, wears a Vietnamese ào dài as part of his Green Lantern uniform. When a Yellow Lantern calls his look a "dress," the costume's origins are revealed.
Tai Pham first debuted in Green Lantern Legacy by Minh Lê and artist Andie Tong. The heartwarming story reveals Tai was the grandson to a Green Lantern Corps member, and when she es away, the ring chooses him to replace her. Green Lantern Legacy focuses on Pham taking over his grandmother's legacy, getting great responsibility and power with his new ring, and combating racist bullies. Tai's story was contained to the original graphic novel, but in a new story, the heartwarming reason behind his uniform is showcased.
In the story 'Dress Code' from DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration #1 by Lê, Trung Le Nguyen, and Aditya Bidikar, the Vietnamese-American Green Lantern returns, as he faces off against the Yellow Lantern Arkillo. When he's told his suit looks like a dress, the story flashes back to Pham with his grandmother eating at a restaurant. In similar fashion, a bully tells Tai "nice dress, kid," in reference to his ào dài. Pham feels dejected by the comments, but his grandmother tells him that when she first came to the United States, people told her she shouldn't wear the ào dài as much as she did. But she suggests Tai she felt proud and powerful in it while imparting a great bit of wisdom, saying "why fit in when you can stand out?"
The comic flashes back to Pham's fight with Arkillo. When the beast tells him again he's wearing a dress, Tai responds by telling him "thanks I made it myself... to help me stand out from the crowd." He takes down Arkillo and cheekily says if he ever changes sides, he will help him design a new uniform.
"Dress Code" is a particularly sweet story about being proud of the culture you come from, no matter what other people think. Pham's grandmother gave touching advice about standing out even when people are looking down at him. Tai took the wisdom to heart, helping him inspire his uniform design, which he proudly wears as a member of the Green Lantern Corps. DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration is in stores now.
