So far we have covered the background of the Green Lantern and several of the main characters that will be showing up in the movie. The next step for readers interested in reading this story for themselves is to find a smart place to begin this epic journey. That's where I come in handy. This next list is an optional order to read these comics, however it is my personal opinion that this order will best serve someone just starting out and looking to get a grasp of the whole story.
Step 1.
Secret Origin Green Lantern is a great place to begin by reading the start of Hal Jordan in this trade which covers his background and how he met Sinestro. As well as some of the background to the following comics in this list.
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Cover of Secret Origin Green Lantern
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Copyright (c) 2008 DC Comics |
Step 2.
Green Lantern Rebirth offers a look at Hal Jordan's past, some of his mistakes, and his infection by the entity of fear know as Parallax. This character is said to be showing up in the upcoming movie and was also covered by me in an earlier post. Understanding who Parallax is in the comics may add clarity to the movie's adaptation of this character making this a great choice for your second step in this list.
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Cover of Green Lantern Rebirth
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Step 3.
Green Lantern Rage of the Red Lanterns skips forward and includes
Green Lantern #26 - 28, 36 - 38, and Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns. These comics cover the prelude to the
Blackest Night story.
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Cover of Green Lantern Rage of the Red Lanterns
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Step 4. The next step is
Green Lantern Agent Orange, which continues where the previous trade (step 3) left off with the comics leading up to the
Blackest Night story. This trade includes
Green Lantern #39 - 42.
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Cover of Green Lantern Agent Orange
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Copyright (c) 2009 DC Comics |
Step 5. This trade,
Green Lantern Blackest Night covers the story of one of Hal Jordan's most challenging battles to save the world. Besides being one of the most amazing stories I have ever read, this story will definitely add some clarity to the characters and what they have been through before you see them on the big screen.
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Cover of Green Lantern Blackest Night
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Step 6.
Green Lantern Brightest Day begins here in issue #53 this story covers what happens to the Green Lantern after the
Blackest Night.
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Cover of Green Lantern #53 Brightest Day
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Step 7. Continue reading the
Green Lantern Brightest Day series as it will lead into the exclusive movie preview. The preview begins in
Green Lantern #59 which is shown below.
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Cover of Green Lantern #59 Brightest Day
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This concludes my list of where to start your journey in the Green Lantern comics. To be clear all of the trades in this list can be bought in the original single issue form or in the trade versions shown. The option is up to the readers preference, however the trades do make collection of these comics much simpler. Another fact to point out is that this list does not cover every issue in the Green Lantern comic series, only those in relation to the upcoming movie. Collection of the issues missing between these trades is again optional.
What do you think about Green Lantern's appearances in other superheroes' comics? Do you think these appearances hold true to Broome and Kane's Green Lantern? For instance, in All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, Green Lantern's character appears rather different from the more carefree Ryan Reynolds depiction I've seen in the movie trailers. Should my idea of the Green Lantern expand to include his appearances in other heroes' comics, or should I differentiate between the "canon" Green Lantern and these derivative appearances?
ReplyDeleteYou pose an interesting question Karen. The best response I can give is indeed Ryan Reynolds portrayal of the Green Lantern seems to be more whimsical, however that has more to do with the actor than the character. Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern is always a more serious character that is just his personality. As for other Green Lantern appearances in various comics I would have to say the differences are due to the fact that the Green Lantern unlike other superheroes such as Superman and Batman is not a solo character he is part of a set. Let me explain, the Green Lantern is a police force for the galaxy and as you can image having a police force of only one man would be extremely difficult so there are multiple Green Lanterns. Hal Jordan is just the first human to become a Green Lantern and proves to be the greatest of them all, which is why when people talk about the Green Lantern they are most often referring to Hal Jordan. In conclusion, to really understand the Green Lantern in essence you have to look at the whole not the singular only then can you understand the true character behind each one. Hal Jordan is the topic of this blog because he is the star of the upcoming movie, but there are many different Green Lanterns each with their own individual personalities. My suggestion pick up an issue of Green Lantern Corps to learn more.
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