“In Brightest Day, in Blackest Night. No evil shall escape my sight.” The Green Lantern, the protector of Space Sector 2814, has said that oath for decades. As a character, Green Lantern has been a mainstay of DC Comics since 1940, with many different heroes wielding the emerald Power Ring. Soon, DC Studios will tackle a Green Lantern TV series for HBO, simply called Lanterns. So now is the perfect time to take a deep dive into the many decades of Green Lantern comics from DC. And to help you choose, we present to you the ten greatest Green Lantern comic book runs of all time.

10. The Green Lantern

by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp

Grant Morrison is one of the greatest writers in modern comic book history, having written definitive runs for DC’s Superman, Batman, Justice League, and Wonder Woman. While we can’t say their Green Lantern run is a truly definitive run for the character, it definitely contained many interesting moments. In 2018, Morrison took on Green Lantern Hal Jordan, for a new ongoing series simply called The Green Lantern. The intricately detailed artwork for almost the entire run was provided by UK artist Liam Sharp, doing some career-best work.

Morrison, in their usual way, wanted to get weird with it. They focused more on Hal Jordan than the cast of thousands of the previous few years of GL mythos. In Morrison’s portrayal, Hal Jordan is an ordinary guy, just one whose mind expanded after years of experiencing cosmic incidents, death, and rebirth. Not everything lands in this run, as sometimes Morrison gets too esoteric for their own good for a Green Lantern title. But some of the ideas, and especially Sharp’s artwork, make this one to check out if you love Green Lantern.

Issues in Grant Morrison’s Green Lantern Run:

The Green Lantern #1-18, Blackstars #1-3 (2018-2021)

9. Green Lantern War Journal

by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos

Even though he’s DC’s first African American superhero, there are too few instances where John Stewart headlined a solo Green Lantern title. The first time was the short-lived, yet weird and brilliant Green Lantern: Mosaic back in 1992. But in 2023, DC gave John another shot at a solo ongoing title, in the excellent Green Lantern: War Journal series. This book comes from the creative team of writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and artist Montos.

This series featured John Stewart attempting a quiet life on Earth, hoping to retire from the hero car. But soon, John is forced to wear the Power Ring once more when a deadly mystery emerges. This series reconciles the contradicting versions of the character. Was he the idealistic architect from the ‘70s, or the hard-nosed Marine from the 2000s era Justice League cartoons? Well, why not both? Sadly, this book is ending after just 12 issues this year. Yet the 11 issues we did get so far were pretty fantastic and worth your time.

Issues in Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos’ Green Lantern War Journal Run:

Green Lantern War Journal #1-12 (2023-2024)

8. Green Lantern Corps (vol. 1)

by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton

In the early ‘80s, Green Lantern comics were stuck in a rut. Hal had left Green Arrow behind and became a solo act after a decade. Yet aside from the back-up Tales of the Green Lantern Corps from a young Alan Moore, nothing about Green Lantern as a comic was very exciting anymore. DC decided to retire Hal and replace him with John Stewart for an extended period, and later Guy Gardner. But even that didn’t increase sales significantly. So with the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC decided to change things up big time. Green Lantern would become a superhero team book.

With issue #201, Green Lantern became Green Lantern Corps. On writing duties was Avengers and Batman veteran Steve Englehart, with stylized art by Joe Staton. After the events of Crisis, the Guardians departed this reality, leaving their Corps members to chart their own destinies, abolishing space sectors. A group of Lanterns led by Hal Jordan became a team, including John Stewart, his alien wife Katma Tui, Guy Garnder, the alien chipmunk GL named Ch’p, and a brand new Lantern named Kilowog, who would become a fan-favorite. This run proved the GLC as a team book could work, even if the series only lasted 24 issues. For some reason, this series isn’t collected today, an oversight DC should correct right away.

Issues in Steve Englehart and Joe Staton’s Green Lantern Corps Run:

Green Lantern Corps vol. 1 #201-224 (1986-1988)

7. Far Sector

by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell

This limited series was written by sci-fi author N.K. Jemisin, and illustrated by Jamal Campbell. It focused on an entirely brand new hero, the Green Lantern Sojourner  “Jo” Mullein. And yes, she’s another Green Lantern from Earth (really, that’s like ten Earth Lanterns now. Enough DC!) A former military officer and ex-cop, Jo has been recruited by the Guardians of the Universe to keep the peace on a planet in the furthest known reaches of known space. She even uses a special Power Ring that slowly recharges on its own instead of needing to recharge with a battery.

The story of Far Sector starts as Jo Mullein becomes a cosmic detective, investigating the first murder victim in 500 years on a distant world. Unlike most G.L. stories, Far Sector actually remembers that the Green Lantern Corps aren’t really space soldiers, they’re actually space police. And in space and on Earth, policing, and what it means to those with no power, creates complications. This is a relatively recent series, released in 2020. But it’s a fantastic standalone story that deserves a lot more attention. Thankfully, Sojourner  “Jo” Mullein has since been incorporated into the larger DC Universe.

Issues in N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell’s Far Sector Run:

Far Sector #1-12, 2020-2022

6. Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn

by James Owsley, Keith Giffen, Gerard Jones, and M.D. Bright

After the end of the Green Lantern Corps, there were only two Green Lanterns on Earth again—Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner. Guy was in the popular Justice League International series, but Hal Jordan, the OG, was without a home. So in 1989, DC decided to give Hal Jordan’s origin story a modern, post-Crisis update, with the limited series Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn. It was a testing ground to see if Hal was popular enough to headline an ongoing series again. The book, by writers James Owsley, Keith Giffen, and Gerard Jones, with art by M.D. Bright, was an instant hit, spawning an immediate sequel, and eventually a new ongoing series.

This six-issue mini-series added important new elements to Hal’s backstory, like the fact that he wasn’t all that perfect and upstanding before becoming a Lantern anymore, struggling with many personal issues before Abin Sur’s Power Ring chose him. These problems included prison time for a car accident that he caused while under the influence. Emerald Dawn also introduced the idea that future arch-villain Sinestro was Hal’s trainer as a GL, something that remains a facet of his story to this day. The art by the late M.D. Bright is the right mix of modern and classic, making this still a fun read today.

We should note that one of the three writers on Emerald Dawn, Gerard Jones, is a convicted criminal charged with fairly horrible crimes, which is likely why the series has remained out of print.

Issues in Keith Giffen, James Owsley, Gerard Jones, and M.D. Bright’s Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn Run:

Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #1-6 (1989-1990), Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn II (1991)

5. Green Lantern (vol. 2)

by John Broome, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane

The foundation for everything we know and love about the Green Lantern mythology is firmly rooted in the Silver Age stories of writers John Broome, Gardner Fox, and artist Gil Kane. Yes, a Golden Age Green Lantern existed before during WWII, Alan Scott. Yet it was these 1960s stories that defined who and what Green Lantern really is as a concept for the rest of time. In 1959’s anthology title Showcase #22, they took the name Green Lantern and built a whole new sci-fi mythology around it. With a new lead hero, Hal Jordan, rooted in the Atomic Age space race of the day, Green Lantern as a series was much better on the second try.

During this iconic Silver Age Green Lantern run, they not only introduced Hal Jordan. They also introduced the entire Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians of the Universe, Sinestro, and so many other concepts that remain to this day. Yes, the characterizations of the characters are often bland and one-note. There’s an undeniable goofiness to it all. That was just the era. Not to mention, Hal’s adventures and adversaries are way too Earth-bound during this time. But the imaginative storytelling and Gil Kane art will win you over. Even if it would take a later generation of writers to truly make Green Lantern great.

Issues in John Broome, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane’s Green Lantern Run:

Showcase #22-24, Green Lantern vol. 2 #1-60 (1959-1960)

4. Green Lantern Corps

by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason

Everyone cites Geoff Johns’ epic run on Green Lantern as peak superhero storytelling. As well they should. But during the Johns era, the companion Green Lantern Corps ongoing series from writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason was often just as good—sometimes even better—than the flagship book. After the successful Green Lantern Corps: Recharge mini-series, DC took a chance on an ongoing GLC series again. This series almost totally takes place in space, with Honor Guard Lanterns John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, and others taking center stage.

In addition to the Earth Lanterns, exciting new characters like Sinestro’s replacement GL, Soranik Natu, were introduced in this series. When Green Lantern Corps was read simultaneously with Johns’ main Green Lantern title, it all felt like one epically large cosmic story when read together. Although Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons wrote the first couple of arcs, Peter J. Tomasi takes over for most of the rest of the run. Throughout all of this, you get the gorgeous artwork of Patrick Gleason. That alone makes this run an all-timer.

Issues in Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s Green Lantern Corps Run:

Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #1-47 (2006-2010),

3. Green Lantern/Green Arrow

by Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams

By the end of the Silver Age, American comics were changing. More college kids than elementary school children were reading them. The stories themselves started to deal with more mature subjects and complex characterizations—especially at DC’s rival Marvel Comics. So in 1970, DC tasked young writer/artist duo Dennis O’Neil and Neil Adams, who also reinvented Batman, with reinventing Green Lantern as a socially relevant series. And they brought on Green Arrow as a co-lead, creating one of the comics’ best bromances. Green Lantern officially changed to Green Lantern/Green Arrow with issue #76.

During O’Neil and Adams’ “Hard Travellin’ Heroes” run, Hal Jordan represented conservative, establishment America. Oliver Queen’s Green Arrow was recreated as an almost hippy, hyper-leftist superhero. The two were oil and water, and they traveled America facing the issues of the day, like racism and drug abuse. Even Manson-like cults! Sometimes the writing was a bit preachy and on the nose, but the artwork and dynamic storytelling from O’Neil and Adams always sold it. This run saw the introduction of John Stewart, another reason it’s a milestone series. Hal and Ollie would remain partners for the entire ‘70s. Yet it was the O’Neil/Adams run that is the gold standard, even still.

Issues in Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’ Green Lantern/Green Arrow Run:

Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76-89 (1970-1972)

2. Green Lantern (Vol. 3)

by Ron Marz and Daryl Banks, Paul Pelletier

In 1994, the comic book industry took a giant hit when the so-called comic book crash happened. Sales on once-popular franchises like Green Lantern, which a couple of years prior had three titles and a quarterly, were in freefall. So DC gambled. As a result of events during their Death and Return of Superman storyline, Hal Jordan lost his marbles, killed what remained of the GL Corps, and became the villain Parallax. All in the mere span of 3 issues. Only one power ring remained, and it went to a twenty-something slacker in a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt. And with that, Green Lantern was reborn.

In 1994’s Green Lantern #50, the last Guardian of the Universe gave out-of-work artist Kyle Rayner the last Power Ring, and he shaped himself into the universe’s last Green Lantern. A total 180 from Hal Jordan, Kyle was more like the readers—young, relatable, and more interested in art than airplanes. Ron Marz took on writing chores with Daryl Banks on pencils, and together they created a hero for the ‘90s that remains a fan favorite. Kyle had Spider-Man levels of average-guy superhero soap opera, all while trying to live up to a legendary legacy. Marz wrote the first issues, during much of which Green Lantern was once again a backbone of DC’s publishing line. Hal returned a decade later, but Kyle’s run as GL is undeniable.

Issues in Ron Marz’s Green Lantern Run:

Green Lantern vol. 3 #48-125 (1994-2000)

1. Green Lantern (vol. 4, vol. 5)

by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Ethan Van Sciver, Doug Mahnke

When it comes to Green Lantern comic book runs, few would argue that writer Geoff Johns‘ nearly ten-year run on the title is the GOAT. When Johns came on board for GL in 2004, the character was in a downturn. Kyle Rayner was still the main Lantern, but the series had lost steam after a decade. Especially without Rayner’s creator Ron Marz at the helm. Hal Jordan had gone from villain to dead to the ghostly hero the Spectre. The Corps was disbanded. It was a bit of a broken franchise. Writer Geoff Johns fixed all that almost overnight, starting with the blockbuster mini-series Green Lantern: Rebirth.

In Green Lantern: Rebirth, Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver re-energized the series by bringing Hal Jordan back from the dead, as well as his main rival Sinestro. They also created a plausible explanation for Hal’s turn to the dark side a decade earlier, creating the fear entity Parallax, which we learned possessed Hal. During the Johns run, alongside artists like Ivan Reis and Doug Mahnke, they expanded the Green Lantern mythology like no ever had before. Together, they created some of the best ongoing superhero yarn-spinning of the last few decades.

During his tenure, Johns created the Sinestro Corps, introduced the concepts of the Emotional Spectrum, the other colored Lantern Corps, like the rage-fueled Red Lanterns, the Third Army, and maybe the peak of the franchise, Blackest Night. This mini-series introduced the zombie-like Black Lantern Corps, made up of the animated corpses of dead DC characters. Geoff Johns’ run on Green Lantern was so epic, that no writer since has ever been able to top it. For a brief time, Geoff Johns turned Green Lantern into DC’s second-biggest franchise after Batman. And it will be a long time before its light goes out in the hearts of fandom.

Issues in Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern Run:

Green Lantern: Rebirth #1–6 (2004–2005), Green Lantern vol. 4 #1–67 (2005–2011) Green Lantern vol. 5 #0–20 (2011–2013) Blackest Night #0-9 (2009-2010)

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When people think of DC Comics hero Green Lantern, they tend to think of one of two characters — Hal Jordan, or John Stewart. But there’s another Lantern from the planet Earth who debuted after Hal, who has his fair share of fans, and has since the mid-‘80s. We’re talking about Guy Gardner, the loud-mouthed insufferable braggart with a power ring. And now, Firefly and Castle actor Nathan Fillion will play Guy Gardner in Superman: Legacy, and even beyond, according to James Gunn. But who is Guy Gardner, and why do people even like this big jerk?

Guy Gardner: Earth’s First Backup Green Lantern

Although he’s thought of as an ‘80s character primarily, Guy Gardner first appeared in 1968’s Green Lantern #59. In that issue, they established that the dying alien Abin Sur, who bequeathed his Green Lantern power ring to pilot Hal Jordan in his famous origin story, only gave it to him due to close proximity. Guy Gardner was Abin’s other choice, but was simply too far away to be eligible for selection. In this early appearance, Guy was a physical education teacher, and also a football player. He’s chosen as Hal’s backup as Green Lantern of Sector 2814 whenever Hal was incapacitated, but his time as Hal’s replacement was short-lived.

Guy Gardner ended up hit by a bus while trying to save one of his students during an earthquake, resulting in a brain injury. Hal’s new backup Lantern then became John Stewart, who was far more popular with readers. Guy only made a handful of appearances for much of the next decade following John’s introduction. He was eventually knocked into the Phantom Zone, home of Kryptonian criminals like General Zod, who tormented him for an undetermined period of time. Although he was eventually rescued by Superman and Hal Jordan, his mind was shattered. He ended up in a deep coma for years.

Guy Gardner Becomes the Green Lantern of the ’80s

During the ‘80s, Hal Jordan quit the Green Lantern Corps, and John Stewart became the permanent ring slinger of Sector 2814 (which included Earth). Guy was all but forgotten by DC writers, left to languish in a permanent off-panel coma. But during the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Guy awakened finally. The Guardians of the Universe, the Green Lantern Corps’ immortal alien bosses from the planet Oa, offered Guy a permanent power ring at last.

However, Guy’s traumas—his head injury, his time in the Phantom Zone, and his subsequent coma—had left him brain-damaged. He was also not happy to find that Hal Jordan was dating his girlfriend Kari Limbo when he was gone. During this era, they also revealed that he suffered an abusive childhood at the hands of his father while growing up in Michigan. His personality was no longer that of a kindly teacher. He was now brash, antagonist, and rude. They gave Guy a new costume, designed by artist Joe Staton, and he really became a whole new character. One with a fairly ridiculous (yet iconic) new bowl cut to match his new attitude.

Guy Gardner Becomes the Justice League’s Useful Idiot

Guy became super jingoistic, a parody of “rah-rah” ‘80s Americanism. He loved to quote Ronald Reagan, and tried to emulate the action movie characters of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. The other members of Earth’s Green Lantern Corps all couldn’t stand him, so he joined the newly formed Justice League International in 1987. There, Guy’s popularity soared, mainly as the member readers loved to hate. He constantly rallied to be elected leader of the team, even if no one else wanted it in the slightest.

His braggart, bullying ways constantly got on his fellow Leaguers’ nerves, until finally, Batman sucker punched him. Guy awoke from this latest head injury now a sweet, kindly sap. Irritating his fellow Leaguers in all new ways. But eventually, his “jerk” persona reemerged. Despite this, he began a romance with Ice, the only JLI member who saw Guy’s good side buried underneath the bravado. JLI writers Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis wrote Guy as the butt of the joke, but one that readers grew to love regardless.

Warrior: Guy Gardner’s New Superhero Alias

In the ‘90s, Guy underwent several transformations. He decided he was tired of being second and third fiddle to Earth Lanterns like Hal Jordan and John Stewart. He challenged Hal Jordan to a ring-free fistfight over who is the greatest Green Lantern. Hal won, leaving Guy humiliated and defeated. He turned in his power ring, and his role in the Corps. But he was later able to procure the villain Sinestro’s yellow power ring, and became a superhero once more. Finally, wearing the old yellow-powered Sinestro ring, he got his own ongoing series, simply titled Guy Gardner.

Although this iteration of Guy Gardner with the Sinestro ring lasted a few years, even helping Superman fight the monster Doomsday. Passed over to be Earth’s Green Lantern for new kid Kyle Rayner, eventually Guy received yet another makeover in the mid-90s. It was revealed to him that he had alien DNA, passed down from a race called the Vuldarians. These Vuldarians had tampered with mankind’s genetic code, particularly those of Gardner’s ancestors. With the genetic code unlocked, Gardner could now shapeshift his body into literal weapons. The unlocking of his code also cured him of many of his personality disorders, making him far less of a jerk than before. He took on the codename Warrior, and they changed his series to Guy Gardner: Warrior. He also opened a bar for the superhero crowd, appropriately named Warrior’s.

Guy Gardner Undergoes His Own Green Lantern: Rebirth

In the early 2000s, writer Geoff Johns reinvigorated the Green Lantern franchise, turning it into one of DC’s biggest sellers, right next to the Batman titles. He brought Hal Jordan back to life in Green Lantern: Rebirth, after ten years of being dead. He also removed all traces of the Vuldarian DNA from Guy Gardner, and returned him to Green Lantern status. This included his classic costume as well. Guy was brash again, but less of an outright jerk and bully. The Guardians of the Universe tasked Guy with training the next generation of Lanterns, and he reluctantly agreed. He fought in several significant battles during this era, like the Sinestro Corps War, the Blackest Night, and others.

Guy Gardner Trades a Green Ring For a Red One

During this time, Guy Gardner joined the Red Lantern Corps. Rage fueled the Red Lantern rings, much as pure willpower fueled the Green Lantern rings. Although he was seemingly a member of these anger-fueled ring bearers, he was actually still working undercover for the Green Lantern Corps, under orders from his frenemy Hal Jordan. He was a main character in the series Red Lanterns, where he tried to turn the crimson warriors into a force for good. Not long after, he was able to wield both red and green rings. But eventually, Guy’s Green Lantern ring purges the red energy, and Guy became a true Green Lantern again.

Nathan Fillion Will Play Green Lantern Guy Gardner in James Gunn’s DCU

Guy has had limited exposure in most outside comics media. Hal Jordan was the Green Lantern in the Super Friends cartoon, while John Stewart was the resident Lantern of the Justice League animated series. However, Guy Gardner has made a few appearances over the years, including guest starring roles in series like Young Justice, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and the 2011 Green Lantern animated show on Cartoon Network. But now, he’s about to get this biggest audience of all time, thanks to the Man of Steel.

After many years of fans dream casting Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Hal Jordan, he played the role in animation eventually three times. First in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, then in Justice League: Doom, and Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Now, James Gunn has cast his old friend in Superman: Legacy. That means Fillion will be the first big screen Lantern since the 2011 Ryan Reynolds movie.

Fillion recently shared of his DCU role:

The reality is that people have flaws. We all have quirks. We all have vulnerabilities. You could have the most wonderful family, but be like, ‘Oh, my God, my dad drives me nuts. He’s got this one thing.’ Everybody’s got something, and I love to lean into those faults and flaws. It’s what makes people real and what allows audiences to relate, because we all know what that is. We all have our own. We witness it in other people. Guy Gardner is 90% flawed and doesn’t care. That’s one of his flaws. I think there’s a real freedom in playing that. So, for a guy who likes to play flaws and flawed people, Guy Gardner is a gold mine.

Gunn has promised that Fillion’s Guy Gardner would continue on in the DCU. Although the upcoming Lanterns series will focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, it seems that Fillion will at least appear on it once. For someone once viewed as the “third most famous Green Lantern,” Guy Gardner has a bright future ahead.

Originally published on July 13, 2023.

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The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, first appeared in All-American Comics #16 in 1940. Armed with a magic ring and a multi-colored costume, he was a far cry from later sci-fi Green Lanterns like Hal Jordan and John Stewart. But as the first bearer of the name, he still has iconic status. In recent years, DC has reinvented Alan as a hero who struggled to keep his gay identity a secret. Now, writer Tim Sheridan (Teen Titans Academy, Masters of the Universe: Revelation) is exploring the original Lantern’s secret past, in the new mini-series Alan Scott: Green Lantern.

Nerdist: Many write most LGBTQ characters these days from a very 21st-century perspective. But in your new series, you’re approaching it from a mid-20th-century POV, where things were completely different. Being discovered as gay could literally cause you to lose everything, even your life. How different was it writing a queer character from this perspective over say, a Gen Z gay in 2023?

Tim Sheridan: Well, there’s no way around the fact that I am reporting from 2023. So some of my sensibilities, are going to find their way into it. It’s not a historical document, right? It’s a comic book, and there are some slight liberties we take in trying to keep within as honest a historical framework. But I think that this period we’re dealing with wasn’t just a difficult period to be a closeted queer person. I think if you weren’t a straight white man during that period, there was a lot of adversity. There were a lot of things that you came up against.

In some ways, Alan is a lot like I was when I was growing up. Where you’re able to hide in the light, and people look at you and they don’t necessarily know that you have a secret identity. And so that’s something that Alan is grappling with, and I think a lot of people in that period would’ve grappled with. I wish I could say that that wasn’t the case today, but I think today people are still dealing with coming out of the closet, and being honest about who they are. If it’s not something that you wear on your skin or with the way you outwardly present to the world, you have a choice. And it can be a very tragic choice. Certainly, the consequences in the 1930s and 1940s were dire for someone like Alan Scott.

But the other side of that coin is Alan Scott’s a hero, and he’s a born hero. So what does that mean for someone like him in that period of time? Those are the things that I was thinking about. And like I said, there’s no way to completely divorce ourselves. We know that we’re looking back through a window in time with all of the advantages of living in the present.

Alan Scott had a circuitous route to becoming an LGBTQ character. First, his son Obsidian came out as gay in the ‘90s. And then an alternate Earth version of him was a gay man in the New 52 era. Now, the original version of Alan is a gay man. Before his very late in life coming out, did you perceive Alan as a queer hero who was basically closeted? Or did it come as a surprise when DC made the decision to make him a queer hero?

Sheridan: I think I was surprised that they were willing to do it. Surprised in a good way. I never considered it. I’m a big Obsidian fan and a big Infinity Inc. fan, and I love that character and I love what they introduced with that character. I think in a lot of ways, I hunger for more stories about Obsidian and what his life’s been like. I didn’t expect it, and it was a delight for me because I think it makes a lot of sense.

On the Watchmen TV series, they dealt with and touched on the idea of being closeted gay heroes during the golden age. And so the idea of taking a character like that and introducing this new layer of information about everything that they were dealing with during all of those adventures and all of that time and all the things we saw play out for them? I just think it opens up an incredible new level of storytelling that we can reach with this character. And a new audience that we can really talk to about this character.

So, like I said, I was surprised and delighted. I never dreamed that I would get a chance to add my voice to Alan’s and to the canon. And it was only because Geoff Johns, when we worked on Flashpoint Beyond, started setting up this concept for the new Golden Age. And he called me and said, “I think you should write a story about Alan Scott as a closeted gay superhero in the 1940s. I think you’re the one to do it.” Honestly, I was completely terrified. Because I’ve never written a story with a lead character who was gay first of all, but also who was like me in any way, really. And so I said, “Okay, let’s do it. Let’s see what we can do.”

In the old ‘40s Green Lantern comics, Alan had a sidekick named Derby “Doiby” Dickles. He was a taxi driver with an ultra-thick New York accent. Not to give away a big spoiler, but in this mini-series, you reveal that he’s fully aware of Alan’s sexuality. Even though he’s a ‘40s street tough kinda guy, he accepts him. What made you decide Derby knew, and that Derby would be ok with it despite the times?

Sheridan: Well, for me, knowing how Derby, aka Doiby, knowing the way he worships the Green Lantern, as an inseparable sidekick, I wanted Alan to have some kind of confidant. Somebody who knew more about him than everyone else, the way that Doiby always did. They were tight. So for me, it made sense to have Doiby be a sort of sounding board and a confidant for Alan Scott.

He’s outside the world of superheroes. He’s outside the world of the JSA. These are things that remain complicated for Alan at this point in the story. The JSA has just formed. He is terrified that he is endangering the Justice Society by being, as he sees it, by the laws of the day, a criminal. He’s a criminal in his own bedroom. And he knows he stands for the law, and here he is, someone who is breaking it and knows that he’s breaking it. So to have somebody like Doiby outside of that circle as a sounding board for him was important for me in terms of how to tell the story.

Doiby represents that. A glimmer of hope for a world that could eventually accept someone like Alan. He’s a rarity, certainly in 1941, Doiby Dickles. But this book is about a beacon of hope. And the Green Lantern himself should be a beacon of hope. And I think his inextricable partner, Doiby Dickel, should also represent that hope for a better future

Cian Tormey’s art is incredible in this. It has a throwback flavor while still looking modern. His illustrations of Alan and his boyfriend really convey how these two characters really love each other.

Sheridan: I don’t think I’m overselling it when I say that he’s doing the best work of his career on this book. And he’s somebody who even from issue to issue, or from the six-page DC Pride story that we did, and then to issue one and issue two, his work just gets richer, and better. And more emotional. The storytelling gets better. He really has locked into something, and I’m very happy for that for him. I’m very happy to see that for him. But I’m thrilled and relieved that it’s happening in our book.

I’m very grateful that he signed on, and our relationship has been amazing. We didn’t know each other before and we just kind of threw ourselves in and we started having four-hour conversations, just talking about the character, talking about the world. He’s a huge history buff, and specifically US history. Cian was born in Ireland and he lives in Spain, but he’s a huge of US history and is well-read, so it’s been a joy to get to say things to him and have him bounce some ideas back.

As the first superhero named Green Lantern, Alan Scott retains a kind of prestige at DC. But he’s also often cast aside, or thought of as a footnote to the overall Green Lantern mythology. What do you plan to do to fight people’s notions of Alan as just the “rough draft“ of Green Lantern?

Sheridan: I’ve seen people say that before, the “rough draft Green Lantern,” oh my gosh. I don’t think about Alan that way, and I’ve never thought of Alan Scott that way. I believe there’s so much great work done over decades to connect and flesh out the connection to the mythology. But I think that work has been done, and I think he’s an integral part of Green Lantern history. He is an inspiration to the ones who come after him. And I think that’s the exciting thing about doing a story about a golden age hero that we know is going to be someone who inspires other heroes, not just the public.

There has always been room to expand upon the lore and mythology surrounding Alan’s Green Lantern. And that’s where Geoff Johns’ creation of the Golden Age Red Lantern character, Alan’s arch nemesis, the Soviet answer to the Green Lantern, comes in. Vladimir Sokov is his name, and that’s where that gets really exciting. Geoff created a dynamic where this character, this important figure in Alan’s life became removed from time. And then in a very sort of huge Geoff Johnsy way, reinserted back into the timeline. This book takes place in and around the origins of Alan, and also the origin of the arch nemesis relationship between the Red Lantern and the Green Lantern. And so it’s incredibly exciting to add to the lore and the mythology like this.

Alan Scott: Green Lantern #1, the first of a six-issue mini-series by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey, is on sale now.

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On the surface, it doesn’t seem like DC Comics’ Green Lantern mythology and the Star Wars saga have a ton in common, aside from both being space opera adventures. But upon closer inspection, both of these franchises have had incredible parallels, going back to their very beginnings. Was George Lucas influenced by Green Lantern comics when creating the Jedi, or coming up with Anakin Skywalker’s arc? Honestly, we’d say probably not. But nevertheless, the similarities are striking, And it’s been an ongoing thing for decades.

The Green Lantern Corps and the Jedi Order

In DC Comics lore, the Green Lantern Corps has been a peacekeeping force for literally hundreds of thousands of years. With their emerald power rings, they can channel energy from the Emotional Spectrum because of their innate willpower to create constructs and energy weapons. They draw their power from an energy that has existed since the dawn of creation. Also, they are usually paired with another Lantern, in a senior officer and rookie partnership. Every time they charge their rings, they take a solemn vow to the Corps, in the form of a spoken oath.

In Star Wars, the Jedi Order has also existed for thousands of generations, with a select few thousand acting as guardians of the peace for trillions of beings. Only a very select handful of sentient beings who can wield the Force had have allowance to train as Jedi. Similarly, potential Green Lanterns must be innately special for the ring to choose them. And not every sentient being can wield a ring, just as not every sentient being has an aptitude for the Force. Like the Lanterns, after initial training, they pair Jedi in a master/apprentice relationship. And like the Green Lanterns, they must also take a vow to the order. Of course, one of their own once decimated both the Lanterns and the Jedi Order, only for them to rebuild again.

Oa and Coruscant, the Bright Centers of the Galaxy

The home world of the Green Lantern Corps is the ancient planet Oa, the center of the known universe. There, the immortal Guardians of the Universe preside over their intergalactic representatives and issue orders to their Green Lanterns. Oa, in more recent comics, has also become the home of the United Planets, an intergalactic governing body. At the center of the Star Wars galaxy is Coruscant, which is home to the Jedi Temple and has been for centuries. The same Temple where the Jedi Council presides over its thousands of Jedi Knights, in a similar manner to Oa’s Guardians. Like Oa, Coruscant is also the seat of galactic government, first with the Republic, and later, the Empire.

The Fall of Hal Jordan, the Fall of Anakin Skywalker

The Star Wars saga centered on the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker. But we didn’t see his actual transition into Darth Vader until the prequels. But the Green Lantern comics gave their premiere ring wielder, Hal Jordan, almost the same arc as Anakin would have, over a decade earlier. The Guardians of the Universe considered Hal Jordan to be the greatest Green Lantern of all time, a gifted pilot even before he received the power ring. Eventually, though, things went very sour.

When an alien despot destroyed his hometown of Coast City, killing millions, Hal suffered an unbearable loss. And he wanted more power from the Green Lantern central battery to undo it all. When the Guardians denied him, telling him he must accept loss, he went on a rampage and killed almost the entire Green Lantern Corps. He siphoned all the power from the main battery on Oa, emerging as the villain Parallax. After a few years as a bad guy, he ultimately redeemed himself, and died saving the Earth during the Final Night event, reigniting a dying sun.

Sound familiar? Anakin Skywalker was already a great pilot when he became Jedi, and as the Chosen One, many considered him the most powerful Jedi ever. When he was asked to let go of loss by wiser Jedi, he decided he couldn’t, and needed more power to save his wife from death. He kills all the Jedi in their temple, and becomes Darth Vader. As we know, in his final act in Return of the Jedi, he ultimately redeemed himself. Of course, Hal Jordan’s dark side turn was later retconned as a possession. And Hal got to come back to life with a clean slate. But for over a decade, Hal Jordan was DC’s Anakin Skywalker analogue.

The “Last” Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, and the “Last” Jedi, Luke Skywalker

When the Jedi Order fell, eventually one farm boy named Luke Skywalker picked up a lightsaber and embarked on a journey that would make him the last Jedi. But Luke Skywalker’s world-famous story was somewhat reflected in the Green Lantern comics of the early ‘90s, when a new, younger Lantern named Kyle Rayner became to the Green Lantern Corps what Luke Skywalker was to the Jedi Order — the last of his kind. Or, depending on your point of view, the first of a new kind of Jedi.

When Hal Jordan broke bad and destroyed the Corps, only one ring remained. The last Guardian went to Earth and gave the final power ring to a young slacker named Kyle Rayner. He became the “Torchbearer” for the whole Lantern Corps, the only Lantern left, much like how for years Luke was the last Jedi. Kyle even spent some time under the mentorship of former Lantern John Stewart, in an Obi-Wan/Luke-style relationship. He eventually reignited the Green Lantern Corps again after a decade. And he had an epic battle with Hal Jordan, who became his nemesis, much as Luke did with Vader. And thanks to some time-traveling adventures, Hal became like a father figure to Kyle, completing the Luke/Vader parallels.

Multi-Colored Power Rings, Multi-Colored Lightsabers

In the Green Lantern mythology, each color ring represents a different aspect of the Emotional Spectrum. Green is willpower/courage, while blue is hope, purple is love, and indigo is compassion. All of these same colors represent the lightsaber hues of members of the benevolent Jedi Order. And these are all emotions and attributes a Jedi must display. Of course, in the DC Universe, the different colored rings each have a separate corps of their own. And there is only one Jedi Order in Star Wars. But their colors match the “good guy” rings in the pages of DC Comics.

Meanwhile, the emotion of rage fuels the Red Lantern rings. In Star Wars, only a Sith wields crimson blades. But the emotion of rage powers both the Red Lanterns and the Sith. In the Green Lantern comics, greed fuels the orange power rings. In Star Wars: Ahsoka, we see our first orange lightsabers, held by mercenaries who were former Jedi. As mercenaries, they’re in it for the money, so we’d say orange sabers represent greed as well. In both DC and Star Wars, white and black power rings/lightsabers are coveted and rare, worn by few (or one). The only colored lightsaber that’s doesn’t really line up with a corresponding power ring is yellow. In Green Lantern comics, yellow represents fear. In Star Wars, Jedi Temple guards hold yellow sabers, as does Rey eventually.

Will we see more Green Lantern and Star Wars parallels in the future? If the past several decades have been any indication, we think the answer is a definite yes. In the comics, we’ve seen Green Lantern and Star Trek crossover. Here’s hoping we see some power rings ignite next to some lightsabers. How fun would that be?

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A Green Lantern series for HBO Max has been in the works since 2019. It was originally meant to focus on many members of the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps. But then it was announced that the series would focus on one character—Green Lantern John Stewart. Now, it appears the final iteration of an HBO Max Green Lantern series has arrived. As part of their master plan for the on-screen DC Universe, James Gunn and Peter Safran announced a new DC television series called Lanterns. This live-action Green Lantern DCU entry will star Hal Jordan and John Stewart. According to the DC duo, this is “a True Detective-type mystery with our two Lanterns. A terrestrial-based mystery… that leads into the overall story… We find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are basically supercops on ‘Precinct Earth.'”

Many of you out there might think Green Lantern is just that guy infamously played by Ryan Reynolds once. But we’re here to tell you all about the 50-year legacy of John Stewart. And why he’s one of DC Comics’ most important characters.

John Stewart, contrary to popular belief, was not DC Comics’ first Black superhero. That honor belongs to Mal Duncan, one of the early members of the Teen Titans. A few months before Stewart appeared, Jack Kirby’s Forever People hit newsstands, which included the character Vykin the Black. Regardless, it’s safe to say that John Stewart’s Green Lantern is DC’s most prominent African-American superhero today. He has totally eclipsed the earlier debuting characters.

John Stewart’s Historic DC Comics Debut

The creative power duo of writer Denny O’Neil and artist Neal Adams created John Stewart, appearing in 1971’s Green Lantern/Green Arrow #87. This creative team reinvigorated the Green Lantern comics starting in 1970, making it more socially relevant (and allowing DC to compete with Marvel). Despite the existence of the Black superheroes previously mentioned, there was no one headlining a book, even for an issue. John Stewart did that, making his debut historic as Green Lantern.

The story “Beware My Power” introduced John Stewart as a headstrong young man, an architect who had a distaste for authority. So Green Lantern Hal Jordan and John butted heads from the very start. Especially seeing as how Hal was essentially a space cop. But because of John Stewart’s fearlessness, the Guardians of Oa chose him as Hal’s backup Green Lantern. Hal’s backup at the time, Guy Gardner, sustained serious injuries and couldn’t fill the role.

One of John Stewart’s first assignments as Green Lantern was to protect a racist politician. Despite his personal issues with the politician, Stewart completed the mission successfully. And he exposed the same politician for various crimes while doing so. This impressed Hal Jordan, who then realized the Guardians of the Universe made the right choice in selecting Stewart as Green Lantern. Sadly, readers wouldn’t see much of John Stewart after this debut on a regular basis. At least not for some time.

John Stewart Becomes Earth’s Primary Green Lantern in the DC Universe

After that issue, for much of the 1970s, John Stewart only appeared sporadically. DC had created a cool new character but didn’t seem to know what to do with him. Finally, in the early 1980s, Hal Jordan quit the Green Lantern Corps. This meant John Stewart became the Green Lantern for Sector 2814 full-time. John Stewart headlined the Green Lantern series and was the prominent Green Lantern of Earth during Crisis on Infinite Earths. It was during this time that John ditched the mask and secret identity. And he let the entire world know who he really was. He also began a romance with a fellow Lantern, Katma Tui, from the planet Korugar.

After this point, no one would ever sideline John Stewart again at DC Comics. John Stewart headlined the Green Lantern Corps team book, which put him side by side with Hal Jordan and other Lanterns. After his wife Katma was murdered, John lost his way. In his arrogance, he accidentally let a planet die during the DC event series Cosmic Odyssey. The weight of these actions would bear heavily on him for years. He finally headlined his own series in the early ’90s, Green Lantern: Mosaic. There he became the guardian of the patchwork world of Oa. And he achieved nearly godlike powers. Although it only lasted 18 issues, this series was critically acclaimed.

From Green Lantern to Darkstar, and back to Green Lantern Again

In the mid-’90s, John Stewart and all other Green Lanterns became depowered, when Hal Jordan lost control and became the villain Parallax. He destroyed all the power rings but one, which went to a new character, Kyle Rayner. For a few years, Rayner was the only Green Lantern in the universe. But as Green Lantern, he sought mentorship from John Stewart, preserving his presence in the DC Universe. Stewart was now part of another intergalactic peacekeeping force, the Darkstars. But When Rayner decided to create new rings and expand the Corps, one of the first people to get a new ring was Stewart.

Justice League and Mainstream Stardom for Green Lantern John Stewart

John Stewart’s biggest boost in popularity came in 2001. After several years of waiting, the creators of Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series brought the DC heroes together for Justice League. When they were deciding which Green Lantern to use for the team, series creator Bruce Timm chose John Stewart. He reinvented the character, making him a no-nonsense ex-marine. (The comics would later adopt this aspect of John Stewart’s backstory.) The popularity and wider reach of the TV series made it so, for many kids, John Stewart was the Green Lantern. After nearly 30 years since his creation, John Stewart finally broke into the mainstream consciousness,

An Entire Generation’s Green Lantern

The arrival of the Justice League cartoon coincided with a surge in popularity for the Green Lantern brand at DC Comics. Stewart became the lead in a new Green Lantern Corps series and was a central figure in company-wide events like Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night. Using his architectural skills, he even designed the new Hall of Justice for the Justice League. Although he was only mentioned at the end of the only season of Green Lantern: The Animated Series, John Stewart appeared across other media, such as in Young Justice, Teen Titans Go!, and several animated films. Just this year, he starred in his own movie, Green Lantern: Beware My Power. Interestingly, Aldis Hodge, who played another DC hero, Hawkman, in Black Adam, provided his voice.

John Stewart as a Live-Action DC Universe Green Lantern

When John Stewart’s Green Lantern arrives on HBO Max as part of the DC Universe, it could be the biggest spotlight the character has ever had in media. We don’t know too much about who John Stewart will be in Lanterns. But it sounds like he’ll be part of an epic adventure.

A well-deserved reward for a character who was once just thought of as another hero’s “backup guy.” John Stewart long ago outgrew that and is now one of the most prominent heroes of the DC Universe.

Originally published on October 26, 2022.

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Last year, it was announced that a Green Lantern live-action series was coming to the new HBO Max streaming service. This series was announced as being brought to us by DC television guru Greg Berlanti, who is the man behind just about every DC series on the CW and the DC Universe streaming service.

Aside from the fact that this show was said to have a healthy budget, and be at least partially set in space, we knew nothing about it. In fact, we didn’t know if it would even feature a Green Lantern at all, as they said it would showcase the “Green Lantern mythology.” For all we knew, it could have been about Larfleeze, the Orange Lantern.

But at the TCA Winter Tour, HBO Max confirmed (via Deadline), that the series would “span several decades on focus on two stories about Green Lanterns on Earth” as well as one in space “going into the Sinestro story.”

DC Comics

Well, that actually tells us a LOT. That’s two Earth Lanterns, and a new iteration of Sinestro. Given his status as Green Lantern’s number one enemy, it makes sense to focus on him as well. An intriguing factoid in this piece of news is the idea that the show would span several decades. I think we could be seeing two separate Lanterns in two totally different eras, with their stories converging at the end. This would be ambitious, and a different way to approach a superhero series.

But which two Earth Lanterns will make the cut? There have been several over the course of the past eighty years. Here are our guesses as to which Lanterns could soon become TV stars.

Alan Scott 

DC Comics

Comics’ first Green Lantern debuted way back in 1940, and quickly became one of DC’s top characters. But he was very different from the Lanterns who would come later. His ring was magic, not alien science. And there was no Green Lantern Corps. But the basics were all there. He said a mysterious oath, charged his ring with a lantern power battery, and created green constructs with his ring. He largely disappeared after the ’40s, mostly showing up in second tier roles since then.

Probability:  Low

He’s not connected to the overall Green Lantern Corps mythos, and if you change that aspect of him, you might as well just use another Green Lantern. An updated modern version of Alan Scott appeared in recent years, now an out gay man. Maybe a combination of the two, a closeted gay man in a prejudiced WWII-era America could be interesting? So I wouldn’t totally rule him out.

Hal Jordan

DC Comics

The cocky Air Force test pilot is considered to be the Green Lantern by most fans. His appearance made the character relevant for a new generation of Atomic Age kids, who loved the sci-fi angle to his stories. It was the Hal Jordan version which introduced reader to the larger world of the Green Lantern Corps space cops, as well the Guardians of the Universe. All key elements of the mythology to this day.

Probability: High

He’s the most well known and well merchandised version of the character ever, having been around now for sixty years and counting. Also, his origins really tie in to the whole Air Force, The Right Stuff era of test pilots and astronauts. So if they wanted to create a period piece set in this time period, using the character of Hal in that era would be an ideal way to go.

John Stewart

DC Comics 

John Stewart is DC Comics’ first prominent African-American hero. He became Hal Jordan’s back-up Lantern in the early ’70s. And then later, replaced him entirely. It should also be noted that John Stewart was the GL for the Justice League animated series, making him the prime Lantern for a whole generation of kids. Had the George Miller Justice League movie gone through, he would have been our first live-action Green Lantern,

Probability: High

If the series is going the period piece route, then it would be amazing to see John Stewart as Vietnam war era Marine, who is recruited into this space cop force. Also, having an African-American man become a champion of justice in the era when the Civil Rights movement was just beginning to bear fruit might be an interesting angle to explore if we are going with a show that spans decades. He also has a good “buddy cop” dynamic with Hal Jordan.

Guy Gardner

DC Comics

The second “back up” Lantern for Hal Jordan, this red-headed “tough guy” became popular as the brash and opinionated jerk of the Justice League back in the ’80s. He’s mostly famous for the running joke of constantly getting head injuries resulting in different personalities for him. But he usually reverted to loud mouth blue collar guy.

Probability: Low

He’s good for comic relief, but his arrogant ways make him hard to be a central character on any series. But fans do love him, so he does have shot. I’d say he’s a prime candidate for a guest spot or a recurring character, but not as one of the series’ two leads.

Kyle Rayner 

’90s kids have soft spot for Kyle, as he was the GL of Earth for nearly a decade in the ’90s/early 2000s. Kyle was a slacker-type artist who is gifted the ring when Hal Jordan goes bad (he was actually possessed, but that’s a whole other story). As an illustrator, Kyle made all kinds of interesting and imaginative constructs with his ring. When Hal goes bad and destroys the Corps, Kyle is the only active GL for years.

Probability: Low

Unfortunately, Kyle’s origins as a hero are too closely tied with Hal’s turn as a villain, so I would be surprised if they introduce Kyle as a co-lead on a series. He feels like a character who should come along in later seasons, should there be any. However, if the show covers the ’90s era, few things are more popular than ’90s nostalgia these days. So it is possible.

Simon Baz

DC Comics

Simon Baz is significant because he was one of the few prominent Arab-American Muslim superheroes in comics. Created by writer Geoff Johns, Baz was victim of discrimination in a post 9/11 America, and was wrongly convicted of attempted domestic terrorism. When gifted with a Green Lantern ring, he at first doesn’t trust it, choosing to also carry a gun at all times. But Batman convinced him to drop the whole gun thing (Bruce doesn’t like those much.)

Probability: Medium

Simon Baz has since become a popular GL, and has even served with the Justice League for several years. Given that Johns is a producer on this series and is his creator, there is a chance we’ll see him. But given his ties to more recent American history, it would be surprising if only because this show “spans decades.” But having a non-white lead would be a plus to be sure.

Jessica Cruz

DC Comics

Another recent GL, Jessica Cruz is important because she is Earth’s first female Lantern of note. She is also only the second Lantern of Latin descent, after Kyle Rayner, who is half-Mexican. She has in interesting backstory, as she gained the ring while being a recluse suffering from PTSD. She survived a murder attempt, and can barely overcome her fear of leaving her own apartment. And then finds herself having to overcome much greater fears by becoming a champion of Earth.

Probability: Medium

Much like Baz, her inclusion would signify a much needed attempt at diversity. In the comics, she and Simon are a team, so a show having her as a co-lead would be fascinating. But also like Baz, she’s perhaps too modern a hero to be in a show that spans several decades. I think she and Simon might be being saved for a future Green Lantern Corps ensemble movie.

Of course, the producers of this series could surprise us and create all-new Lanterns for the series. But given the popularity of the comics, it seems unlikely. Hopefully we’ll find out soon which of DC’s Emerald Gladiators is chosen to represent the brand on television.

Featured Image: DC Comics

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After years of being sidelined by his fellow Justice Leaguers, Green Lantern will be coming back in a big way for a new HBO Max series. I’ve suggested in the past that the Green Lantern mythology would be far better suited for a prestige, big budget episodic series. But there are certain elements we think a Green Lantern series—or more likely, a Green Lantern Corps series—should showcase. And here are what I think are the essentials which would ensure success.

Go Full Cosmic 

DC Comics

Although we exist in a virtual dream world of comic book TV shows right now, just about every single one of them is Earthbound. Because of budgetary reasons, most television shows actively stay away from getting too cosmic on us. But outer space adventure is baked into the very concept of the Green Lantern mythology. They are defined as being space cops, after all.

While a handful of adventures could (and should) take place on Earth, what we really want to see is action in space and stories set on weird alien worlds. This would have all been too cost prohibitive once upon a time, but recent big budget shows like Star Trek: Discovery and Lost in Space have proven you can do a space-based series that actually looks good.

Focus on Geoff Johns’ Seminal Comic Book Run

DC Comics

The entire Green Lantern Corps mythology began in 1959 with the introduction of Hal Jordan as the Silver Age Lantern. Over the years, we’d meet many other Corps members and the lore would expand. But in 2004, DC Comics writer Geoff Johns took over the title, and during his decade-long run on the book would he greatly expand the Green Lantern’s canvas. And he would make Green Lantern a central part of the DC Universe in a way he never had been before.

During Johns’ run, he introduced larger concepts like the differently colored Lantern corps, reveal many secrets of the Guardians of the Universe, and give DC Comics one of its biggest epic storylines ever, The Blackest Night. His run is as important to Green Lantern as a series as Chris Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men run was to Marvel. Johns run should 100% be the basis for any Green Lantern TV series. The new series would be wise to have a heavy dose of Johns’ input.

Explore the Emotional Spectrum

DC Comics

One of the key components of Geoff Johns’ seminal run on Green Lantern was the creation of the Emotional Spectrum, and it should be at the core of any new series. The Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum is an energy field fueled by the emotions of all sentient beings across the universe. The different Lantern corps have channeled and created seven powerful forms of energy based on their emotions, with a different color from the spectrum unique to those emotions.

Green is pure willpower (which one can also describe as courage), while yellow represents fear, and violet is love. Red is anger, while blue is hope. Indigo represents compassion, and orange symbolizes greed. The ultimate endgame of introducing these different corps would be to introduce the Black and White Lantern corps as well, which wield the power of life and death. This allows for several different corps with different agendas, all of which made for a decade’s worth of amazing comics stories. The Emotional Spectrum should be a key component to any mythology contained in the series.

Expand on the Guardians of Oa and Their Many Secrets

DC Comics

In the Green Lantern mythology, the Guardians of the Universe are the billion-year-old aliens who govern the Green Lantern Corps from the planet Oa. Technically, they are benevolent beings who want what is best for the universe. However, it has long been a staple of the comics that the Guardians have many skeletons in their closet. Among them are the Manhunters, a robotic police force that predated the Green Lanterns and went rogue. They were also responsible for unleashing entropy itself on the universe billions of years ago, which is why they decided to police reality in the first place. The many secrets of the Guardians of the Universe could fuel several seasons of storytelling.

Don’t Forget the Original Green Lantern, Alan Scott

DC Comics

I’ve suggested before that any Green Lantern Corps television series has got to take full advantage of the many Green Lanterns that are out there, and not just Hal Jordan. There’s not only John Stewart, but also Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, and dozens of alien lanterns we’ve met in the comics. But the Green Lantern character actually began in 1940, with Alan Scott. And although he was a very different kind of Lantern than we’re used to, including him would open up cool new possibilities for story.

Alan Scott was the first DC hero who called himself Green Lantern, and his ring was magic-based and not powered by alien science. After the early ’50s, he became a bit player in DC Comics, as the Silver Age Green Lantern Hal Jordan totally overshadowed his predecessor. But in the New 52 reboot, DC reinvented Scott as a gay man in the modern day, who lives on an alternate Earth. His ring is still magic, and he is his universe’s only Green Lantern. Including him would be a great way to pay homage to DC’s first ring bearer, and include his story in the larger Green Lantern tapestry.

Featured Image: DC Comics

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Sometimes it feels like there’s a crisis going on in the DC Extended Universe, and I’m not talking about one that takes place on Infinite Earths. The shared cinematic universe inhabited by the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and the rest of the Justice League has gotten off to a rocky start, but it seems like DC is finally hitting its stride. But with so many movies being announced, delayed, and shuffled around, it can be difficult to keep track of what will actually make its way to the big screen. So to help you make sense of it all, today’s episode of The Dan Cave is expanding on Kyle Anderson’s original DCEU round-up and will tell you all about everything that Warner Bros. and DC have coming down the pipeline.

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Release date: December 21, 2018Christmas is coming early in the form of Jason Momoa’s whiskey-chuggin’, denim-in-the-ocean-wearin’, “MY MAN”-yellin’ Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Rockquaman. Based on DC Comics’ New 52 reboot from Geoff Johns, Aquaman leans pretty heavily into the Throne of Atlantis storyline. It has everything you never knew you wanted in a comic book movie, which is to say an octopus playing the drums and Julie Andrews voicing a kraken. Plus there’s already a sequel on the way, so buckle up for the long haul!

Read our review!

Shazam

Release date: April 5, 2019

What if a child who wanted to be an adult didn’t turn into Tom Hanks, but rather Zachary Levi in a muscle suit? That’s the core conceit behind Shazam (and no, I’m not talking about that apocryphal Sinbad genie movie). It’s about a foster kid who is imbued with incredible powers by an ancient wizard and has to stop the evil Dr. Sivana from destroying the world. Honestly, this movie looks like a total blast and gives off major Sam Raimi Spider-Man vibes in the best way possible.

Joker

Release date: October 4, 2019

While the idea of a Joaquin Phoenix-starring Joker movie directed by the guy who made The Hangover and produced by Martin Scorsese sounds like an elaborate prank, it isn’t. It’s a hard-boiled 1980s thriller that shows how the Joker went from nameless nobody to the Clown Prince of Crime. Honestly, the bigger challenge here will be explaining how Joaquin Phoenix transforms into Jared Leto.

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Release date: February 7, 2020

In a Gotham City without Batman, who can stand up to the nefarious evil of organized crime? Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Huntress, Black Canary, and Detective Renee Montoya, that’s who! Based on the comic of the same name, Birds of Prey follows this band of badass ladies as they try to stop the murderous crime lord known as The Black Mask. DC also continues to dunk on Marvel by hiring female directors while Kevin Feige spins his wheels, tapping Sundance standout Cathy Yan to bring the film to life. They also now have 100 percent more Ewan McGregor in their cinematic universe, giving them the superheroic high ground. And to answer your question, yes that subtitle is very real.

Cyborg

Release date: April 3, 2020

He’s part man, part computer, all superhero. He’s Cyborg and the only thing I really know about him in the DCEU is how prominently Dr. Pepper factored into his origin story. Remember those shots in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice? There was Dr. Pepper in every single shot of Cyborg and his dad. What’s the message here? Dr. Pepper: Drink us while your child is on his deathbed? In all seriousness though, right now apart from star Ray Fisher, the Cyborg movie is a bigger question mark than the ones on Matthew Lesko’s suit.

Wonder Woman 1984

Release date: June 5, 2020

The year 1984 was a watershed moment in human history. It gave us Cinnamon Toast Crunch, the NES Zapper gun peripheral, and everyone’s favorite soda, Slice. Now it’s giving us a Cold War-era Wonder Woman story with shoulder pads galore, Kristen Wiig as the feline fatale villain Cheetah, and Steve Trevor’s ghost doing his body weight in cocaine! Actually, I’m not positive that last one is true, but I have no good explanation as to why Steve is back from his ill-fated flight. Maybe it’s an elaborate Weekend at Bernie’s situation? Maybe he’s Earth-2 Steve?

The Flash

Release date: LOL good one

Come closer, child, and let me tell you about the legend of Flashpoint. Some people say that on a dark and stormy night, just like this, there will be a live-action Flash movie about one of the wildest storylines of all time. It stars professional cosplayer Ezra Miller, has between one and 30 directors at any given time, and has the power to completely reimagine the DC Extended Universe. But somehow, much like Godot, we have to keep on waiting for it.And waiting.And waiting.Seriously, though, will we ever get this movie? Last we heard, WB tapped Spider-Man: Homecoming co-writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein to direct the film, which is purported to adapt the story arc about Barry Allen going back in time to save his mom’s life only to accidentally create an alternate timeline where everyone is killing each other and the world is on the verge of destruction. But hey, crazier things have happened. Specifically the fact that Gorilla Grodd has appeared on TV multiple times before this movie ever came out.

The Batman

Release date: TBD

Much like there must always be a Stark in Winterfell, there must always be a Batman movie looming on the horizon. And Bruce almighty does this movie loom. Originally, the film was centered on a battle between the master assassin Deathstroke, played by Joe Manganiello, and Batfleck. But that version has been scrapped as creative differences brew behind the scenes between Ben Affleck and director Matthew Reeves over how to proceed. Reeves reportedly wants to pull a Joker and cast a younger actor to play Batman at an earlier time in Bruce’s career, but Ben Affleck keeps flip-flopping on whether or not he’s ready to hang up the cape. To put things in perspective, you will literally see an Alfred prequel TV series before this movie ever comes out. Reeves is a great director so it’ll be worth the wait, but that’s a yikes from me.

Justice League Part Two

Release date: TBD

This time, Henry Cavill has a soul patch that he can’t shave. It will look just as weird. The real Apokolips is whatever CG monstrosity they put on top of his real mouth. All jokes aside, this film feels like it’s in limbo until DC gets its cinematic universe in order. We’ll definitely get another one at some point, but whether it pits our heroes against Darkseid remains to be seen. Whatever happens, though, it will almost undoubtedly be without Zack Snyder at the helm.

Deathstroke

Release date: TBD

While it sounds like something they’d call masturbation in an abstinence-only sex ed class, Deathstroke is in fact a master assassin, murderer extraordinaire, and nemesis to the Teen Titans, Arrow, and basically every major DC hero at one point or another. So far all we’ve seen of Deathstroke is Joe Manganiello chilling on Lex Luthor’s yacht at the end of Justice League. Warner Bros. had reportedly entered into talks with The Raid director Gareth Evans to bring this antiheroic assassin saga to life, but right now it feels like Deathstroke is sadly stuck on the island from the beginning of the CW’s Arrow with no Oliver or better beard dye in sight.

Lobo

Release date: TBD

I would say that no one wants a Lobo movie, but then again I didn’t expect Venom to shatter box office records in October either. Lobo is basically a sentient Monster Energy drink. He is an intergalactic motorcycle-riding bounty hunter who was intended to be a parody of overly grim and gritty comic book storytelling. Guy Ritchie was attached to direct at one point, and more recently Michael Bay’s name was being bandied about. If done right, this could be DC’s answer to Deadpool. If done wrong, it could be DC’s answer to Ghost Rider. Either way, I guess I’ll see it.

Justice League Dark

Release date: TBD

They should rename this movie Justice League Dank because it sounds pretty siiiick. (Sorry about that.) Basically, this is the version of the Justice League that combats occult forces, the paranormal, and all manner of magic-based mayhem. Made up of characters like John Constantine, Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Deadman, Etrigan the Demon, and Madame Xanadu, Justice League Dark fights the forces of evil too stygian and sinister for the regular Justice League. Unfortunately the film seems to be hexed against keeping a solid creative team in place. Guillermo del Toro wrote a script for it in 2013, and Edge of Tomorrow’s Doug Liman joined to direct in 2016, but left the next year.

Green Lantern Corps

Look, there’s no way this can possibly be any worse than what Ryan Reynolds subjected us to in 2011. It’s just impossible. With a script being penned by Geoff Johns, a writer known in particular for his excellent Green Lantern comics, and a tone rumored to be basically Lethal Weapon in space, this sounds like a recipe for success. All you have to do is avoid making your villain a giant cloud. Also put Guy Gardner in this movie, you cowards.

Suicide Squad 2

That’s right, folks, Twoicide Squad is happening and it might be the most anticipated movie in DC’s current lineup thanks to Warner Bros. poaching James Gunn after Marvel kicked him to the curb over some old tweets. Will Gunn include even more helicopter crashes than the first one? And set to the sweet strains of 1970s yacht rock? Will someone answer Will Smith’s question about what kind of squad we are? Will Jai Courtney finally win his Oscar for Captain Boomerang? The answers to all of these and more…probably won’t be coming any time soon. So let’s all resume trying to guess which obscure villains and B-sides we’ll eventually get when Gunn sticks it to Marvel in the wildest redemption story imaginable.

Booster Gold and Blue Beetle

Release date: TBD

It’s the story of a disgraced football star from the future who travels back in time to be a superhero and a tech genius who wears a highly advanced beetle costume must team up to save the day, presumably first and foremost from themselves. Oh, and did I mention there’s a snarky robot named Skeets? Because there’s a snarky robot named Skeets. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle is being directed by DCTV mega-producer Greg Berlanti and is eyeing Zak Penn to write the script. Little is known about it at this point apart from that it’ll be a comedy-heavy superhero buddy cop movie. Fingers crossed they’ll keep Skeets as a secret villain though, because what could be more terrifying than an evil Alexa?

Blue Beetle

Release date: TBD

Because one movie is never enough, a Blue Beetle movie is also being developed for the Jaime Reyes version of the character. Reyes, a Mexican-American teenager, is the third character in the DC Universe to don the mantle of Blue Beetle. In the comics, he discovered a mysterious scarab that came from an alien culture which had belonged to the previous Blue Beetles, and it gives him a special suit of armor that grants him superhuman abilities. Scarface remake writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer is penning the screenplay and producer Zev Forman is shepherding the project. Little is know at this time, but the movie is exciting in that it would mark the first standalone DC movie with a Latino lead.

Gotham City Sirens

Release date: TBD

No, this isn’t the story of a bunch of EMTs called to clean up after Batman, administering splints to fractured bad guy bones. It’s the movie adaptation of a comic starring Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. Suicide Squad director David Ayer is supposed to helm the film. He posted a mysterious picture of the villain Black Mask to his Twitter feed and also shared a photo of him with Harley Quinn creator Paul Dini. But given what we know about Birds of Prey, it seems like Harley Quinn has left this girl group behind, making it increasingly unlikely that this film will ever come to pass. Hey, at least we’ll always have Bright 2: Too Damn Bright.

Man of Steel 2

Release date: TBD

In the immortal words of that old McDonald’s commercial, Hey, it could happen! But probably not. At least we’ll always have The Witcher and Henry Cavill’s mysterious Instagram posts about maybe getting a tattoo made out of his dog. If you don’t believe me, look it up.

Deadshot

Release date: TBD

So that’s it, huh? We’re some sort of spin-off-icide squad? That’s right, folks, Will Smith’s Deadshot, the man who is handsome at aiming, could get his very own movie. Smith revealed he is in talks with WB about the movie on Instagram while bungee jumping in the Grand Canyon to celebrate his 50th birthday because that’s how you celebrate half a century of life in the Biggest Willie Style possible.

Nightwing

Release date: TBD

While Nightwing might be overshadowed recently by a certain four-letter word from Robin on Titans, dink Grayson is still set to get his very own big-screen adventure. Directed by The LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay and written by Bill Dubuque, Nightwing is said to be a badass action version of everyone’s favorite former circus boi. Actually, we should just call him a snackrobat because Nightwing is thicc as hell. But I digress. Chris McKay is also working on a Dungeons & Dragons movie too, so it mostly just feels like he read through my Google search history and is turning it into movies. Good luck, buddy. It’s about to get real weird.

Batgirl

Release date: TBD

For years, fans have asked DC Comics to give them what they truly wanted: a Batgirl solo film on the big screen. And then in 2017 DC said, Okay, sure, but Joss Whedon is going to make it. And a great darkness spread over the land for about a year or so until Joss realized he didn’t have a story, so he left. And there was much rejoicing. A new scribe, Bumblebee’s Christina Hodson, was brought on board to record the tale of Barbara Gordon. When we’ll actually see it is a subject of much mystery, but hey, good things take time.

Black Adam

Release date: TBD

Black Adam stars Dwayne The Rock Johnson as the corrupted predecessor to Shazam, Teth-Adam. We don’t know whether we’ll see Black Adam as an out-and-out villain or as more of an antihero, but something tells me this will be at least as good as the Rock’s last trip to Egyptian-infused mysticism, The Scorpion King. Production is tentatively set to start in 2019, but considering we have been waiting since 1945 to see Black Adam’s big screen debut, I think we can wait a little while longer if need be.

Supergirl

Release date: TBD

We haven’t had a Supergirl movie since 1984, but this time we’re going back in time even further with an origin story rumored to take place in the 1970s and a script from The Cloverfield Paradox writer Oren Uziel. Here’s hoping that chicken restaurants factor just as prominently into the marketing stills for this one too.

The Joker

Release date: TBD

Because much like Pringles, with Joker movies, once you pop, you can’t stop. And Warner Bros. clearly cannot stop making Joker movies. Hopefully this movie will just be comprised of all the unused footage of Jared Leto from Suicide Squad, including a 16-minute one-take scene of him meticulously laying all those guns and knives on the floor before making weird snow angels in the middle of them. Or maybe it won’t happen at all. Leto is supposed to be playing Morbius the Living Vampire in Sony’s Marvel Universe, a role which will hopefully require him to be far less in-character all the time always.

New Gods

Release date: TBD

Jack Kirby was a deeply talented and deeply weird guy, and one of the weirdest things he ever created was the Fourth World for DC. New Gods was an epic story about the godlike inhabitants of two far-flung planets, the paradisiacal New Genesis and the nightmarish Apokolips. We’ve seen inklings of the Fourth World in the DCEU so far through Justice League’s Steppenwolf and its many, many Parademons, which are military forces from Apokolips, but now director Ava DuVernay is looking to tell us a story about the New Gods on their home turf. Hopefully this means we’ll get to see Mister Miracle, Orion, and Big Barda grace the big screen. And hopefully we won’t get a post-credits scene of that time Superman and Big Barda accidentally shot a porno. It’s very real. And very uncomfortable.

Plastic Man

Release date: TBD

DC is planning to follow up Shazam with another more comedic take on the superhero genre: Plastic Man. With a script penned by Amanda Idoko and former New Line co-founder Bob Shaye producing the project, Plastic Man will look to adapt the story of Patrick “Eel” O’Brien, a gang member who gets doused with a mysterious chemical during a heist gone wrong that gives him the power to stretch his limbs to superhuman degrees. With his newfound powers, O’Brien breaks good and becomes a police officer, using his stretchiness to be the longest arm of the law humanly possible.

Harley Quinn vs. The Joker

TBD: Oh god, who knows?

Oh, you thought I was done talking about movies with Harley Quinn and the Joker? Ha ha ha, that’s rich. Like Jeff Bezos showering in truffle oil. No, my sweet summer child, this article will never end, because there will always be between one and seventeen more variations on Gotham City’s worst couple. The film, written and directed by Bad Santa writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, is said to explore the toxic relationship between these two characters, which sounds like code for a big-screen version of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm’s Mad Love comic. And honestly, I don’t hate the sound of that. I’d just rather rewatch The New Batman Adventures version instead.And those are all the DC Comics movies currently in development that we know about. But tell me — which of these do you most want to see? What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.

Images: Warner Bros; DC Comics; NetherRealm; TriStar Pictures

The post Here’s Every Movie Coming to the DC Extended Universe appeared first on Nerdist.

Aquaman is the next chapter of what has been a disappointing DCEU so far, so can it change the tide? Dan has the next flicks coming down the pipeline on this week’s Dan Cave!

Are you excited for the DCEU’s future? Let us know in the comments below!

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Almost 15 years ago, writer Geoff Johns dusted the mothballs off of Hal Jordan and put him back in the spotlight, making Green Lantern one of DC Comics’ most viable franchises once again. But in the past few years since Johns left the title, the Green Lantern comics have been expanding the mythology ever outwards, with bigger space armies and bigger superhero action. But now, comics legend Grant Morrison is taking a crack at Hal Jordan, and giving us a whole new interpretation with this week’s The Green Lantern #1. Together with artist Liam Sharp, they plan to make the universe Green Lantern inhabits wild and strange once again. We recently got the chance to chat with Morrison about his new take on one of  DC Comics’ longest running franchises.“The idea of doing this came from the notion of taking it back to the space cops/space opera, to take it back to the roots of the original concept,” Morrison said. “Once I knew Liam Sharp was involved, we talked about what we wanted to do to make it seem different from the last ten years of Green Lantern comics, and one of those things was to bring a European influence to it.”Morrison continued, “Liam was really influenced by French graphic novels, and by British comics as well. So you will see see the influence of 2000 AD. It gives the whole thing a different look, and it almost takes it away from being a superhero comic, and makes it very much a sci-fi one. Liam’s art kind of encouraged me to go even crazier with the locations and the planets and the alien creatures, because I know he can handle it, and because I know he can also do stuff that we haven’t seen before.”But with so many members of the Green Lantern Corps out there—at least five from Earth—why focus on good ol’ Hal Jordan again? For one thing, Hal’s consistent history is unique among DC’s superheroes. “The Hal Jordan character has been around since the 1950s, and is one of the few characters whose history has kind of gone pretty much unchanged through this whole time,” Morrison said. “But his personality has changed quite radically. He’s gone from being this test pilot to an insurance investigator, but then he gets tired of that and becomes a toy salesman. And none of these things seem to relate to each other at all. But I love that sense of disconnection and dislocation.”As it turns out, Morrison looked to real life astronauts and their life stories for inspiration for Hal. “[I’ve been] reading about some of the American astronauts like Buzz Aldrin, who have talked about coming back from space and finding it really difficult to deal with life on Earth again after seeing the world from up there. It changed their perspective, and that was the only from seeing it from the Moon! This is a guy who has seen the entire galaxy.”Cool cosmic elements aside, it’s Hal Jordan’s personal journey that Morrison finds the most compelling. “It’s like coming home to a village, this ‘mud hut’ that is Earth,” Morrison said of Hal’s time back home. “How do you really reintegrate? He probably can’t really tell the difference between people anymore. They’re all just humans to him.”Morrison stops short of calling Hal Jordan the ultimate evolved human being, but he does add, “He has embraced a kind of diversity in a way that’s beyond anything that we have on Earth, and when he comes home again, we’re all one species to him. He doesn’t see the differences.” Given the world today, maybe Green Lantern really deserves be comics’ biggest superhero. And if anyone can make GL the buzzed about book again, we have a hunch telling us it’s going to be Grant Morrison.The Green Lantern #1 by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp hits comic book stores on Wednesday, November 7.Are you excited for this comic book legend to tackle one of DC’s greatest heroes? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: DC Comics

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Two years after rising to become DC Entertainment President, Geoff Johns has decided to step down and reestablish a larger creative role within the company. That means Johns is getting his own curated comics line, a new production house, and he’s writing the Green Lantern Corps movie.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the story, and notes that DC co-publisher Jim Lee will replace Johns as DC Entertainment President. Johns has spent the vast majority of his creative career at DC, first as a writer and then as DC’s Chief Creative Officer. Now, Johns is launching Mad Ghost Productions, his own production banner that will cover his work on film, TV, and even comic book projects. The Green Lantern Corps movie will be one of Johns’ first movies under Mad Ghost, and it will allow him to once again work on the characters he spent almost a decade rebuilding into a major comic book franchise. Johns is also co-writing Wonder Woman 2 with Patty Jenkins, and co-writing and executive producing the Aquaman movie as well.

Johns is also heavily involved with the new DC Universe streaming service, as an executive producer on the Titans live-action series and the writer of the “Doom Patrol” episode that led to the upcoming spinoff series about DC’s misfit heroes.

Perhaps more intriguingly, Johns will be getting his own pop-up imprint under DC: The Killing Zone. His upcoming projects include a new Shazam series slated to launch this fall. Johns will also reunite with artist Jason Fabok for Three Jokers, a story that will revisit one of the lingering threads from his Justice League run. Additionally, Johns will finish Doomsday Clock, his current event miniseries which is integrating characters from Alan Moore and David Gibbons’ Watchmen into DC’s multiverse.

Are you excited about Johns’ upcoming DC films, movies, and comics? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: DC Comics

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Recently rumors have been swirling that a Green Lantern Corps movie is being fast tracked, by none other than Mission Impossible writer/director Chris McQuarrie. Although the film is said to be about a veteran Lantern, in this case Hal Jordan, training younger rookie Lantern John Stewart, we think that the film should open itself up to all the Lanterns from Earth. This would make for a big team movie in space, a DC Comics version of Guardians of the Galaxy. But who should be cast as the Emerald Gladiators? Here are our choices for the actors we most want to see saying the Green Lantern oath on the big screen.

Hal Jordan – Tom Cruise

While his star might have dimmed somewhat in the last ten years, Tom Cruise is still one of the biggest stars on the planet, and he has yet to play a superhero. Well, considering his role in Top Gun is basically a young Hal Jordan, and the fact that this Green Lantern Corps script apparently calls for a Hal that is between 40 and 50 (OK, so Cruise is 55, but a pretty young looking 55!) we think this is a match made in heaven. Besides, if Chris McQuarrie is directing this, then he will probably want to re-team with his Mission Impossible buddy.

John Stewart – Ricky Whittle

Although there are plenty of young African-American actors who could play former Marine sniper turned architect turned Green Lantern John Stewart, we think none have the perfect blend of gravitas and sexiness as American Gods‘ own Shadow Moon, Ricky Whittle. Add to that, he almost looks like the animated Justice League Unlimited version of John come to life. We believe this was meant to be.

Jessica Cruz – Gina Rodriguez

The star of the CW hit Jane the Virgin, actress Gina Rodriguez has proven that she has the chops for more than just light TV comedy in movies like Annihilation and Deepwater Horizon. She could easily play the part of trauma survivor and PTSD sufferer Jessica Cruz, the Lantern who must push through her own personal tragedy to become a hero.

Simon Baz – Firass Dirani

To portray the young Green Lantern recruit Simon Baz, one of the more recent additions to the Corps, we nominate Hacksaw Ridge actor Firass Dirani. Like the character he portrays, Dirani is of Lebanese descent, and has the necessary intensity to play the broody young Lantern. Although the Australian born actor hasn’t had a ton of big roles, this could be the perfect vehicle to introduce him to a wider audience.

Kyle Rayner – Steven Yeun

Although he is of indeterminate ethnicity in the comics, comic book artists have always tended to draw Kyle Rayner as possibly of Asian descent, so I think casting an Asian actor would make sense in this role. We all miss Steven Yeun on The Walking Dead,  where he was the heart of the group of survivors on that show. In many ways, Kyle is the heart of the Corps, so I say we give the former Walking Dead actor the part of the young graphic artist turned Green Lantern Kyle Rayner.

Guy Gardner – Kevin McKidd

Most fans know him best as a bit of a loose cannon in movies like Trainspotting, or from TV series like Grey’s Anatomy and Rome, but actor Kevin McKidd’s energy is perfect for the slightly unhinged, blue collar Lantern, Guy Gardner. McKidd is pretty much the tailor made actor to portray someone who we could see get into a bar brawl one minute, and then save the galaxy the next.

Alan Scott – Bill Skarsgård

Although he terrified us all last year as Pennywise the Clown in It, actor Bill Skarsgård is as handsome and tall as his older brother Alexander, and just oozes self confidence. This would make him the perfect actor to play original GL, Alan Scott. Now, I know that technically Scott isn’t a part of the Green Lantern Corps, instead the solitary Lantern from Earth-2, but we can change things up for the movies, as it would be nice to finally have an LGBT superhero on the big screen.

Arisia – Amanda Seyfried

Although Earth only has one female Green Lantern, I simply couldn’t make this list have only one female representative of the Corps. So we’ve chosen the alien pixie like Lantern Arisia, who received her power ring at age 13, but then later aged herself into an adult to to fit in better with the other members of the corps. Arisia comes across as sweet, but is no one to underestimate  either. We think the perfect mix of cute and strong is Amanda Seyfried, who is our #1 choice to bring Arisia to life.

—

Who would you like to see portray the members of the galaxy’s finest space cops? Be sure to let us know down below.

Images: DC Comics / Universal Studios / Starz / The CW / Warner Brothers /AMC / Disney

More of the world’s finest heroes!

• 7 reasons why Green Lantern Corps should be a TV show and not a movie!
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• How Wonder Woman 2‘s villain is changing the DCEU!

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Green Lantern is one of DC Comics’ biggest properties, going back decades. But after his 2011 film debut with Ryan Reynolds was less than a success, any and all follow ups were stalled. As the comic book genre has dominated this past decade, the emerald warrior has been sidelined. But that is finally about to change, as a new Green Lantern series has been announced for the HBO Max streaming service.

DC Comics

The new series is said to take place in space, and is “Green Lantern inspired,” which suggests to us this show will be about the Green Lantern Corps, not a singular hero. And we definitely welcome this property to a serialized format. Yes, another Green Lantern related movie could have been cool. But here are seven reasons why we think the GL mythos are better suited for a series format.

TV Has Room for More Characters

The great thing about Green Lantern Corps as a concept is all the different characters who get to wear the ring. Unfortunately, in a movie, you’d only really be able to focus on one or two at best, probably Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Everyone else would have to be relegated to minor roles that don’t really do justice to those characters or their fandoms. With a TV series, even if you start with Hal and John, over the course of several seasons you can introduce Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, and all the rest, and really flesh them out over a long period of time.

 TV Allows for Classic Comic Book Storylines

DC Comics

Over the past several years, the Green Lantern series has produced some true comic book epics, stories like Hal Jordan’s fall from grace in “Emerald Twilight,” his return in “Rebirth,” to “Sinestro Corps Wars,” and “Blackest Night.” All of these stories would be much better served over several years of television seasons than a handful of films that would truncate all these classics and reduce them to a Cliff’s Notes version.

 The Multi-Colored Lanterns Could Appear

DC Comics

One of the great things that writer Geoff Johns has added to the Green Lantern mythos over the past 15 years is the idea of the Emotional Spectrum, and how there are several other Lantern Corps in the universe based on different colors in that spectrum. While we might get cameos from some of those other Corps in a film, truth is, in a television series you would be able to explore them in far greater depth.

 Crossover Potential with other DC Properties

DC Comics

Although you wouldn’t necessarily need to air this show on the CW, tying a Green Lantern series into the network’s “Arrowverse” would allow for a great opportunity: the union of Hal Jordan with his two best friends from the comics, Green Arrow/Oliver Queen and The Flash/Barry Allen. It’s not like these series are at all averse to crossovers! Or, even better. Make this the first DCEU live-action series, and introduce your future Justice League Lantern right here.

Proper Character Development for Sinestro

DC Comics

Sinestro is considered one of the great villains because we got to see him transform from Hal Jordan’s stern but successful trainer into an evil megalomaniac, best exemplified in the pages of Green Lantern: Secret Origin. Although actor Mark Strong was well cast in the movie version, his character’s transformation from good veteran Lantern to villain to the leader of his own Corp is a storyline that should be spread out over several seasons.

TV Gives Greg Berlanti a Chance for a Do-Over

Warner Brothers

Although DC TV guru Greg Berlanti was credited as the screenwriter for the 2011 Green Lantern movie, the project was all but totally taken away from him. Warner Bros. heavily rewrote his script and handed the directorial reins over to Martin Campbell. After the movie tanked, as a “sorry, we screwed up,” WB gave Berlanti the chance to make a DC TV series, and the result was Arrow. Five DC shows later, maybe it’s time to give Greg Berlanti a chance to do the Green Lantern mythos justice the way we now know he can.

A TV Series Would Give DC a Truly Diverse Ensemble

DC Comics

While the DC TV shows have been great when it comes to casting diversity, the main characters, until Black Lightning, have all been white people. Green Lantern Corps’ ensemble would entail leading roles for a black character (John Stewart), two Mexican-American characters (Kyle Rayner and Jessica Cruz), and a Muslim character (Simon Baz). If we’re roping Earth-2 canon into the mix, we’d have that realm’s LGBTQ Lantern Alan Scott. The best part: none of these individuals would be relegated to a “sidekick” position. They’re all Lanterns in their own right.

Images: DC Comics/Warner Bros.

The post 7 Reasons Why GREEN LANTERN Will Make For a Better Series Than a Movie appeared first on Nerdist.

This week, DC Comics dropped their biggest bombshell of the year when they announced that longtime Marvel scribe Brian Michael Bendis would soon be joining them as an exclusive writer. After writing almost every major Marvel hero in some form or another in the past 17 years, Bendis will now turn his talents to DC’s legendary pantheon of heroes. But which DC characters should Bendis tackle first? Here are the top seven characters we think would be ideal for Bendis to write.

Batman

Although Batman currently has two bimonthly books, by writers Tom King and James Tynion IV, DC would no doubt create a new regular Bat- title if Bendis wants one. And after years writing detective stories in the pages of non-Marvel books like Torso and Powers, not to mention urban vigilantes like Daredevil and Moon Knight, Batman would be a no brainer for Bendis. And if he can get his former Daredevil artist Alex Maleev to join him, that would be the icing on the cake.

Justice League

Bendis spent years redefining the Avengers family of books for Marvel with several titles, taking the team to the same level of popularity as the X-Men starting with New Avengers. Could Bendis do the same thing for DC’s counterpart team, the Justice League?

Bendis’ run on the Avengers drew a lot of story elements from that team’s past, but with the League’s colorful history currently up in the air due to the events of DC Rebirth, maybe it should be Bendis’ job to straighten it all out. Not to mention he could give the League a ton of witty banter, just like in their Justice League International days.

Wonder Woman

For someone with a Y chromosome, Bendis has an amazing knack for writing realistic, well rounded female characters, especially the two Jessicas–Jessica Jones, and Spider-Woman, a.k.a. Jessica Drew. Could he bring the same touch to writing the adventures of Wonder Woman? After Greg Rucka left the title earlier this year, the Wonder Woman book has had a rotating group of writers, but maybe Bendis is the one to bring a new take on the Amazon princess for another long term run.

Superboy

This one is a bit of a wild card entry. But it does make sense when you remember that Bendis wrote not one, but two of the most realistic portrayals of teen superheroes in the pages of Ultimate Spider-Man with Peter Parker and his successor, Miles Morales. Could he bring back one of DC’s currently missing teen icons, Superboy, and return him to glory? DC has been hinting at the return of Conner Kent for awhile now, and a Bendis penned series about DC’s adolescent super clone would be a surefire hit.

Teen Titans

Speaking of teen heroes, DC’s Teen Titans would be an ideal fit for Bendis’ skills as well. For years, he wrote All-New X-Men, the story of Xavier’s students as teens lost in time, being trained by Kitty Pryde.

Rumors abound that the young adult Titans book is consolidating with their younger counterparts the Teen Titans soon, with the slightly older heroes as the teenage heroes mentors — a very similar dynamic to Bendis’ long X-Men run. That would make something like 12 Titans in one book, but if anyone could juggle all that, it’s Brian Bendis.

Green Lantern Corps

Brian Michael Bendis proved he can write fun, intergalactic adventure with his run of Guardians of the Galaxy, so he could easily take that same space opera aesthetic to a new Green Lantern Corps title. The back and forth repartee between elder statesman Lantern Hal Jordan and hothead Guy Gardner would be perfect for Bendis’ sensibilities.

Nightwing

Bendis’ run on Daredevil was one of the character’s greatest runs of all time, right up there with the runs of Frank Miller and Kevin Smith. And although Matt Murdock shares a certain sensibility with Batman, he actually has more in common with the Dark Knight’s former kid partner, Nightwing.

The chief reason being that Dick Grayson, unlike his mentor Bruce Wayne, actually has a sense of humor despite being a gritty urban vigilante. This is similar to Matt Murdock, who despite all that life throws at him, manages to crack a joke here and there–just like Dick Grayson.

Which DC character do you think Brian Bendis should write? Be sure to tell us what you think in the comments down below.

Images: DC Comics

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Warner Brothers’ first venture into non-Superman or Batman DC Comics superheroes on the big screen didn’t exactly set the world on fire five years ago when it came out. When Green Lantern hit theaters in the summer of 2011, it was both a critical and commercial dud, sinking the studio’s attempts at building a DC film universe (and sinking Ryan Reynolds‘ career for some time). But Green Lantern has been one of DC’s biggest superhero properties for 75 years, and it was too important to leave on the sidelines forever.

Now, thanks to Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, the DC movie universe is, at least commercially,  successful, and Warner Brothers is giving the Emerald Gladiator another shot at big screen fame. But this time it’ll be Green Lanterns, plural — just announced via Deadline, the studio has given the go ahead for a Green Lantern Corps movie script from veteran comic book movie scribe David S. Goyer and Justin Rhodes. Goyer will be producing, alongside his former Justice Society of America writing partner Geoff Johns. Nerdist has reached out to a source close to the project who confirmed, however Warner Bros had no official comment.According to the report, this new version is described as “Lethal Weapon in space”, and the two main characters will be veteran Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Stewart is described as “an African American Marine sniper before he joined the Lantern Corps” and the story very much focuses on his relationship with Jordan and the Corps. The story was conceived by Goyer and Johns. Johns of course is maybe the most famous Green Lantern comic book writer of the modern era — starting with Green Lantern: Rebirth back in 2004, he began a nearly ten year run on the character that redefined his universe and mythology and made Green Lantern one of DC’s biggest success stories.

Not terribly long ago, the Green Lantern Corps movie was given a release date of 2020, but it’s unknown if they plan to stick to that release date. The title also suggests we will see more than just two Lanterns — a duo does not a Corps make, so it’s possible we could see other famous Lanterns make up the rest of the titular team. It could stand to become Warner Brothers most diverse movie if they follow the comics, because other famous Lanterns include the Latin-American characters Jessica Cruz and Kyle Rayner, the LGBT version of original Lantern Alan Scott (who is not a Corps member per se in the comics, but they can change that for the movies), the Lebanese Simon Baz, and more.

There is no shortage of great Green Lantern stories from the comics to choose from for material, mostly from the Geoff Johns run in the past decade. The storyline in Green Lantern: Secret Origin shows how both Hal Jordan and John Stewart knew one another before their careers as space cops, as both men were members of the military before being recruited into the Corps. Also, both characters were key players in the epic Sinestro Corps Wars storyline, which featured Hal Jordan’s evil counterpart Sinestro building his own fear-based Corps. Another epic Green Lantern storyline is 2009’s Blackest Night, which featured the Black Lantern Corps, which were essentially zombie Lanterns based on dead heroes well known to the members of the Green Lantern Corps.

Another question looming over this reboot is whether or not the actors who play Hal Jordan and John Stewart will be introduced in another movie first – namely Justice League. Rumors abound that one or more members of the Corps will make a surprise cameo appearance in the climax of the Justice League movie which comes out this fall. It’s unusual for the Justice League to have no Green Lantern presence at all, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see our two newest Lantern make their debut as early as this year.

Which comic book stories would you like to see adapted for the big screen? And which actors are your ideal Hal Jordan and John Stewart? Let us know down below in the comments!

Images: Warner Brothers / DC Comics

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Hal Jordan is the most famous of any hero to ever go by the name Green Lantern, and has been for nearly sixty years. Currently, he’s the only hero at DC Comics whose civilian name is above a title, in the currently running Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps series. In 75 years, there has yet to be a Bruce Wayne: Batman or Clark Kent: Superman comic for example. But no matter how beloved Hal is to comic book fans though, one poorly received movie can do a lot of damage to a character’s reputation in the mainstream, as we witnessed in the fallout of the 2011 Green Lantern flop starring Ryan Reynolds.

Ever since that ill-fated film, the character has been basically punished in the media. Or, at the very least, exiled. The excellent Green Lantern Cartoon Network animated series ended prematurely, and the Justice League movie that comes out next year doesn’t seem to have a Lantern in the initial line-up, although reliable rumors persist that a member of the Green Lantern Corps will join the team at the end of the film. However, it will more than likely be the John Stewart version, thanks to the character’s long standing association with the Justice League Unlimited animated series, not to mention adding more diversity to the film. But again, this all probably leaves out the “greatest Green Lantern ever,” as Hal Jordan will almost certainly be nowhere to be found until at least a Green Lantern Corps movie. And then only maybe.

But as I watched the alien invasion crossover on the CW this week on Supergirl, Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, and saw all the heroes gather at the makeshift Hall of Justice from Super Friends, I realized what the CW version of the DC Universe needs right now more than anything is Hal Jordan. Not only is television the best place to rehabilitate characters that had less than stellar movie debuts (hey there Supergirl and Buffy, I’m looking at you), but Hal would be much better served by the CW DC multiverse due to his pre-existing relationships to the CW/DC characters in the comics.

Now, I’m not suggesting a Green Lantern series on the CW. A Green Lantern-centric show would require the character to spend a lot of time in space, and frankly, the CW simply can’t afford to do that. Not to throw shade, but they can barely afford to make Legends of Tomorrow not look cheap, so I really don’t need a low-rent Green Lantern series. Best to save the full-fledged GL reboot for the big screen (which is scheduled to happen in 2020 anyway). But if Hal Jordan just shows up as a recurring character (hanging out on Earth in between space missions) he could be really well utilized on almost all the CW shows, with the possible exception of Supergirl. But hey, she’s on another Earth, so it’s ok.

In the comics, Hal Jordan has two BFFs in the Justice League — Barry Allen and Oliver Queen. And who are the CW’s longest running superheroes? Hello! It’s almost pre-destined to happen! In the early-60s comics, Hal and Barry would team up all the time, and even go out on double dates with their then girlfriends, Iris West and Carol Ferris. In more recent stories of their early friendship, we find out that Hal Jordan even gave Kid Flash Wally West a power ring once and made him “Kid Lantern.” That’s something the TV show could totally play up now.

Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen share an even bigger connection in the comics. Their shared titles from the ’70s, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, showed the two heroes traveling across America and bonding. The two heroes couldn’t have been more different as characters, but that’s why the match was made in heaven (that, and they both have Green in their names, let’s not forget).

They shared a comic book for almost a decade, and for an entire generation, the two heroes became synonymous with each other. In fact, prior to his pairing with Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen was pretty much just a Robin Hood-themed Batman knock-off. (Not saying the Arrow TV version is that… Or am I??) But let’s be honest — after five seasons, Arrow needs a shot in the arm. The ratings aren’t what they once were, and shows like Flash and Supergirl keep stealing the show’s thunder, having semi-frequent team-ups with Hal, or maybe a half season adaptation of “Hard Travelling Heroes” would surely spice the show up.

And even Legends of Tomorrow has a Hal Jordan connection, as Ray Palmer, aka the Atom, and Martin Stein, aka Firestorm, also have deep comic book ties to Hal. A little less than Barry and Oliver, been enough for him to be showing up on the Waverider from time to time.

This year Arrow producers shot down the appearance of Hal Jordan on the show, but that’s for this season — season six is still to come. And both Hal Jordan’s hometown of Coast City and even Hal himself have been hinted at several times on The Flash. If WB can allow an alternate version of Superman to exist on occasion on Supergirl and in the movie universe, not to mention the Flash having a TV version and a movie version at the same time, then why on Oa not Hal Jordan? That’s even assuming he’s one of the Lanterns to appear in any of the future Justice League or Green Lantern Corps films. Here’s hoping that when all the heroes unite next year for the inevitable big CW crossover epic, Hal Jordan is standing next to them, ring glowing and ready to fight the bad guys with his buddies. It’s long overdue.

Do you feel Hal Jordan fits into the CW/DC Universe more than the films? Let us know what you think down below in the comments.

Image: DC Comics/CW Network

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The key to any good Green Lantern cosplay isn’t the emerald power ring—anyone came make or buy or one of those. And nope, it’s not the white opera gloves that Hal Jordan wears, either. Or the domino mask. It’s the Oan power battery, which any member of the Green Lantern Corps needs to say their “In Brightest Day/In Blackest Night” oath as they charge up their ring.

Now, there are official Green Lantern power batteries available for sale out there, but frankly, they’re not all that cool, and many are made kind of cheaply. On top of that, they’re pricey as well. If you want a proper power battery lantern, you’ll probably have to make one yourself.Luckily, the folks at the DIY Prop Shop YouTube channel—the same guys that showed fans how to make their own Batman utility belt and Harley Quinn hammer—have got you covered when it comes to making a kick-ass Green Lantern battery. Their latest video, which you can view above, shows you exactly how to produce one for yourself. You might not have been able to debut it at Comic-Con in San Diego, but Halloween is just around the corner here.

It should be noted that the power battery design they’re going with in this video is the one from the pages of the classic DC Comics, not the 2011 Ryan Reynolds movie. Not sure why anyone would want to reflect that particular movie, but hey, I’ve seen Joel Schumacher-era Batman and Robin cosplay before, complete with nipples, so you just never know in this crazy world.

What do you think of this latest video? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Featured Image: DC Comics

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