Prepare for DCU’s Lanterns With These 10 Comic Storylines

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HBO has released the first official image for their upcoming live-action Lanterns TV series, which will take place in James Gunn’s new DCU, with Warner Bros. finally taking another chance on the Green Lantern property, years after Ryan Reynold’s film. Lanterns stars Kyle Chandler as an older, veteran Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as a rookie Lantern John Stewart.

Fans excited about the Lanterns show should turn to DC Comics in the meantime, housing a large collection of legendary Green Lantern comics––some of which highlight Hal and John’s partnership, such as their adventures together in Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, while others feature galactic mysteries that may prime fans for the murder-mystery, “True Detective-style” buddy-cop vibe the Lanterns show is reportedly going for.

10

John Stewart: The Yellow Lantern Of Earth One

Green Lantern: Earth One Volume 2 by Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman & Jordan Boyd

The Earth One universe gave DC Comics a chance to retell the origins of their most popular characters without the usual constraints of a long-running timeline or connected series. In Green Lantern: Earth One, John Stewart actually became a Yellow Lantern in Volume 2.

John immediately demonstrated a proclivity for ring-slinging, rescuing himself and other trapped Earthlings in space while helping Hal Jordan save the universe. Earth One showed off a novice John Stewart, which was a nice change of pace, considering the prime DC Universe John Stewart is now a GL Corps veteran.

9

The First Appearance Of John Stewart’s Green Lantern

Green Lantern (Vol. 2) #87 by Dennis O’Neil, Neal Adams & Dick Giordano

Lanterns will bring John Stewart to the DCU and a larger DC live-action cinematic universe, something fans have been requesting since John Stewart gained a lot of popularity after his appearances in the DC Animated Universe. Fans should know who John Stewart is going into Lanterns, making his first comic appearance a great place to start.

John Stewart was rebellious when he first debuted. Hal Jordan was skeptical he’d make a good Green Lantern. But John was outspoken, especially in the heated political times in America in the 1970s. All in all, John Stewart was fearless, making him a perfect Green Lantern-to-be.

8

A Celebration Of All Things Green Lantern

Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular by James Tynion IV, Gary Frank, Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Cullen Bunn, Doug Mahnke, Dennis O’Neil, Mike Grell & many more

The Green Lantern 80th Anniversary one-shot special is one of the best single issues DC has released in a long time, and it’s perfect reading material for longtime Green Lantern fans or even readers looking to get into that corner of the DC Universe.

The 80th Anniversary one-shot is broken up into smaller segments, each focusing on a different character. All are entertaining and heartfelt. This is a love letter to the Green Lantern Corps, and the perfect read for those looking to understand who these Lanterns are and what motivates them. Hal Jordan’s “last will” section is particularly heartwarming and heartbreaking as he sends final messages to his friends and loved ones before his apparent death.

7

John Stewart Stars In His Own Green Lantern Title

Green Lantern: War Journal by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Montos & Adriano Lucas

Who is John Stewart without his Green Lantern ring? Readers know that John was in the military––that training helped him lead the Green Lantern Corps on numerous occasions. And he was an architect, giving him a structured, creative mind to construct wonders with his ring.

Green Lantern: War Journal stars a John Stewart without his power ring, allowing readers to get to know the man behind the Corps. This John Stewart is deep into his superhero career, which doesn’t match the rookie John who will star in Lanterns. However, War Journal is an amazing character piece that readers looking to learn more about John Stewart should definitely check out.

6

The Mystery Of Parallax & The Return Of The Green Lantern Corps

Green Lantern: Rebirth by Geoff Johns, Ethan Van Sciver & Moose Baumann

Green Lantern: Rebirth revolutionized the Green Lantern mythology, transforming the concept of Parallax into an entity of the Emotional Spectrum–a frightening creature that took advantage of Hal Jordan’s weakened emotional state. Rebirth brought the Earth Lanterns back together and demonstrated their teamwork.

The Lanterns show involves a mystery, but it also stars an older, weathered Hal Jordan. Perhaps the Hal Jordan of Lanterns has already dealt with Parallax. Perhaps he’s training John Stewart as his replacement in the Corps because he knows he can’t be trusted. Lanterns could pull a lot of inspiration from the ideas in Green Lantern: Rebirth.

5

Who Controls The Manhunters?

Green Lantern (Vol. 4) “Revenge of the Green Lanterns” by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Marc Campos & Moose Baumann

“Revenge of the Green Lanterns” was the second arc of Green Lantern (vol. 4). Hal Jordan is back in the Green Lantern Corps, but “Revenge of the Green Lanterns” deals heavily with the mistakes he made in “Emerald Twilight” when he was possessed by Parallax.

Lanterns should really consider going down this route––making their Hal Jordan an older, weathered version who has already defeated the Parallax entity. Hal’s history with the Lost Lanterns is so rich and adds friction to the Corps. In Lanterns, the rookie John Stewart could be his only ally in a Corps of heroes that otherwise fear or hate him.

Cosmic Odyssey by Jim Starlin, Mike Mignola, Carlos Garzón & Steve Oliff

Cosmic Odyssey is only four issues, but it’s a massive narrative involving the Justice League and the New Gods. While Darkseid searches for the ultimate power in the universe, John Stewart’s attention is drawn to the planet Xanshi. There. John tries to save its people. Ultimately, John is unable to deactivate a yellow bomb (due to the yellow impurity at the time) and Xanshi is destroyed.

This event haunts John Stewart for years, returning in the form of literal nightmares during the Blackest Night event. In Lanterns, John Stewart is a rookie Green Lantern, but he could potentially make a devastating miscalculation in the show, mirroring the guilt he felt for Xanshi in Cosmic Odyssey.

3

The Best Green Lantern Mystery Comic

Far Sector by N. K. Jemisin & Jamal Campbell

Far Sector doesn’t star Hal Jordan or John Stewart. Instead, newcomer Jo Mullein is the lead Green Lantern, operating in the far reaches of space as she investigates the first murder on an alien world in over 500 years.

Unlike many other Green Lantern comics, Far Sector is less of a space epic and more of a contained, character-driven murder mystery. HBO boasts that Lanterns will be the same, albeit focusing on a murder mystery on Earth instead of in space. The pacing and plot development of Far Sector could serve as great inspiration for the events of Lanterns‘ more grounded promise.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps “Twilight of the Guardians” by Robert Venditti, Tom Derenick, Jack Herbert & Jason Wright

After Hal Jordan cleared his name of galactic crimes, he rejoined the Green Lantern Corps, starring in a comic title that finally brought all the Earth Lanterns together. Across the series, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner frequently teamed up, navigating rocky team-ups with the Sinstro Corps, reigniting the Blue Lanterns or even taking down General Zod.

“Twilight of the Guardians” was a great, small arc that starred the Earth Lanterns as they uncovered the mystery of the disappearance of two Guardians, Ganthet and Sayd. The Earth lanterns work so well together, and every mini-arc in this DC Rebirth title was a treat for longtime Lantern fans.

1

The Earth Green Lanterns Enter The Emotional Spectrum

Green Lantern (Vol. 4) “War of the Green Lanterns” by Geoff Johns, Tony Bedard, Peter Tomasi, Doug Mahnke, Tyler Kirkham & Fernando Pasarin

Geoff Johns concluded his original run on Green Lantern when the DC Universe drew to a close shortly before Flashpoint and the launch of the New 52. Green Lantern (vol. 4) concluded with a bang. An ancient Guardian resurfaced to control the entities of the Emotional Spectrum, the Green Lantern Corps was all but extinct, and the only hope lay in the Earth Lanterns’ hands.

“War of the Green Lanterns” is the Earth Lanterns at their finest. Forced into underdog positions, Hal, John, Guy and Kyle each don rings from different Lantern Corps, utilizing their unique, individual skills while emphasizing their characteristics––Guy’s rage, Hal’s fears, Kyle’s hope and John’s compassion.

“}]] Get ready for James Gunn’s upcoming DCU Lanterns series that will follow Hal Jordan and John Stewart by diving into these iconic DC Comics.  Read More