Green Lantern Shines From Page To Screen
He's visited countless worlds in numerous galaxies, journeyed to the center of the universe, and even travelled in time. But on June 17, Green Lantern embarks on an even greater voyage: the big screen. The latest DC Comics hero to get the live-action film treatment, Green Lantern has been one of the company's mainstay heroes since the current version of the character was introduced in 1959.
Test pilot Hal Jordan comes across a crashed spaceship containing a dying alien, who tells Jordan he's been chosen to carry on the mission of the Green Lantern. He gives Jordan a green ring with the ability to create anything that the wearer can imagine, and tells Jordan he is now the protector of "space sector 2814" (which includes Earth). Jordan soon learns he's just one member of the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps, whose mission is to fight injustice throughout the universe.
While well known to die-hard (and even many casual) comics fans, Green Lantern may not have the recognition of a Superman or Batman to the average movie-goer. For those who are interested in the character's comic exploits -- or those who simply want to see more of the Emerald Knight -- BookShelf provides a sampling of Green Lantern books that should serve as an introduction to the hero.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the reader taking a "ground floor" approach - and who appreciates classic comics - Green Lantern: Greatest Stories Ever Told (978-1-40120-961-2, $19.99) offers an overview of Hal Jordan's adventures from the 1960s to the present era, and serves as a good introduction to the Emerald Knight.
In Green Lantern: Secret Origin (978-1-40123-086-9, $14.99), writer Geoff Johns expands upon the familiar origins of Hal Jordan's attainment of the GL ring, in the process laying the groundwork for a number of the Green Lantern epics to come, including Blackest Night. He also gives deeper insights into the character of Hal Jordan, the air force pilot who is chosen to be Earth's bearer of the ring.
Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War Vol. 1 (978-1-40121-870-6, $14.99) and Vol. 2 (978-1-40122-036-5, $14.99) focus on one of the Corps' deadliest enemies, the former Green Lantern Sinestro. Armed with a yellow ring which plays on the Green Lantern's weakness against anything yellow, Sinestro assembles an army to defeat the Green Lanterns and rule the universe through fear. In the series, Sinestro uses his knowledge of the Corps, along with a number of heavy-hitter super villains to strike a serious blow against his former teammates. In the course of the fighting, the Corps must deal with internal struggles as well as the outside threat, while encountering the prophecy that leads into the Blackest Night.
The biggest event in Green Lantern history - and much of the overall DC universe - was Blackest Night (978-1-40122-953-5, $19.99), the culmination of events beginning with the Sinestro Corps War. An entire spectrum of colored power rings have been revealed, each equating with a particular trait. But the last ring is arguably the deadliest, as it is the Black Ring, which is given to a number of deceased characters. But not only does the ring resurrect the dead, it gives them a vengeful drive against those still living. As much of a threat as they are, the undead are merely part of a greater prophecy which could destroy the entire universe.
For more classic tales, in terms of both the character and superhero comics in general, Showcase Presents: Green Lantern Vol. 5 (978-1-40123-023-4, $19.99) features the famed Green Lantern/Green Arrow team-up issues from the 1970s. At the time, writer Dennis O'Neill decided that "space cop" Green Lantern needed a touch of the real world in his exploits; to accomplish this, he brought in the avowed leftist Green Arrow to act as a foil to Green Lantern's "law and order" style. He also addressed a number of social ills in the stories, including poverty, racism, and drug addiction - the last setting up one of super hero comics' most famous sequences:
For more tales across the GL spectrum, Green Lantern: In Brightest Day (978-1-40121-986-4, $19.99) acts as both an introduction to the various Earth-borne Lanterns - Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Alan Scott, and Kyle Rainer - but to numerous important secondary characters as well, including Sinestro. It also features the story "Must There Be a Superman?", in which the Green Lanterns' creators examine the possibility that having Superman around has stunted the growth of humanity.
Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 (978-1-40122-702-9, $19.99) may not be the first in the series, but it collects stories from celebrated comics writers Kurt Busiek and Alan Moore, which expand the corps and focus on a number of the secondary members of the Corps. Among the tales is Moore's "Mogo Doesn't Socialize," which introduced a Corps member who was also a living planet, along with the tale of Lysandra, a Green Lantern who was unable to leave her home world.
