The first is that this is far more Blackest Night #6.5 than Green Lantern #50, which is unfortunate. I’ve been loving how Johns has dovetailed the Green Lantern stories between issues of Blackest Night, planning out an arc for Hal Jordan than runs separately from the “main” series. And in particular how the GL stories have been more character based than the BN stories. So it’s a bit of a bummer to get a landmark issue that’s working more on one level (action!) than at least two (action and character!).

The second “but” is that, spoiler time, The Spectre has been taken over by a Black Lantern, and Hal Jordan’s immediate solution is to let Parallax, the evil entity that nearly destroyed the entire universe previously, free from his prison. There’s not even a ton of equivocation here. It’s like, to use the most awful example possible, if on the first day of World War II, America bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The reaction from the bewildered, horrified world would be, “Wait, what? You haven’t tried anything else yet.” Obviously I’m trivializing a sad day in world history by comparing it to a comic book, but given the import of Hal Jordan/Parallax to the DC Universe, I’d say it’s sort of the equivalent. I’m not going to say I have a million other solutions to the Spectre problem presented here, or that they should have stretched out this decision for a longer time than it took, but damn if it doesn’t come off as Hal Jordan kind of likes Parallax and was coming up with a lame excuse to see him again.

The third “but” is… Well, I actually kind of don’t want to say specifically what it is, in case Johns still has it up his sleeve. But years ago, when we first got that glimpse of Blackest Night at the end of The Sinestro Corps War, I smacked my forehead and said, “Of course! This means Johns can bring back [character], and finally bring to a crescendo the emotional arc of his entire run on Green Lantern.” And so far… That hasn’t happened. There’s still a few issues left, so I’m crossing my fingers and holding out hope, because if this character doesn’t come back, it’s a huge missed opportunity. It’s also, I understand, my own problem. It’s not up to me to dictate what Johns writes, and if he doesn’t do a story I want, just because I want it, doesn’t mean he’s wrong. It means I should get over it.

But, but, but… If he doesn’t at least have this moment, where [character] finally says… Something Hal Jordan has wanted to hear for a long time, at least since Green Lantern Rebirth, and mentioned several more times throughout the past 50 issues, it’s a real shame. I guess I’ll just have to stay tuned.

That all out of the way, though this issue is a little too two-fisted justice for my liking, there’s great art, fun fights, and ends with a cliff-hanger interesting enough that I’ll have to pick up the next issue. That’s probably an endorsement for this ish right there.

*Heh. Three butts.

He’s BA-ACK! Yes, our own Josh returns for this week’s edition of Wednesday New Releases, just in time to go over Captain America Reborn #6, Green Lantern #50, Atom and Hawkman #46, Siege: New Avengers #61, Chew #8, Detective Comics #861, Walking Dead #69, and Supergirl #49. Enjoy!

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He’s BA-ACK! Yes, our own Josh returns for this week’s edition of Wednesday New Releases, just in time to go over Captain America Reborn #6, Green Lantern #50, Atom and Hawkman #46, Siege: New Avengers #61, Chew #8, Detective Comics #861, Walking Dead #69, and Supergirl #49. Enjoy!

CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S ARRIVALS

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Questions? Comments? Post them below!

He’s BA-ACK! Yes, our own Josh returns for this week’s edition of Wednesday New Releases, just in time to go over Captain America Reborn #6, Green Lantern #50, Atom and Hawkman #46, Siege: New Avengers #61, Chew #8, Detective Comics #861, Walking Dead #69, and Supergirl #49. Enjoy!

CHECK OUT THIS WEEK’S ARRIVALS

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Questions? Comments? Post them below!

You’d think he’s concentrate the hardest on this title, as it is the biggest thing since sliced bread, but the writing is, as I stated earlier, just too broad, the action just a little too big, and we’re losing the characters in the middle of this. The surprising thing about this not quite working is that…

GREEN LANTERN #48: …Green Lantern is great. The clarity of focus Johns brings to this issue balances out the two-fisted action of Blackest Night perfectly, bringing creativity, good fights, and great pay-offs to character moments issue after issue. I’m trying not to get too caught up in labels here, but Green Lantern is the spine of this event, not Blackest Night. Which makes no sense. Anyway, one out of two ain’t bad.

SUPERMAN SECRET ORIGINS #3: Oh, except Johns has three books out this week, so there’s that. I wasn’t crazy about the first issue, especially coming so close on the heals of the fabulous Superboy story in Adventure Comics, which covered a lot of the same ground. The second issue did a bit to win me over, and I’m happy to say, I liked this issue quite a bit. Enough that I was a little bummed we’re just getting a greatest hits collection from Frank and Johns, rather than a total reboot of Superman, or something. Gary Frank continues to be the reason for this series existence, perfectly capturing Superman, Clark, and Lois, as well as iconic images of the rest of the Daily Planet staff. And Johns’ script harks back to the history of the character and the movies so seamlessly, that I’ve completely forgotten which was which. Anyway, best issue so far, pick ‘er up.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #39: I think what Blackest Night needs is more heroes standing around wondering what’s happening, and then seeing their dead relatives, and then freaking out about it. That would be nice. Sarcasm aside, it’s a thrill to see Mark Bagley drawing the JLA, and he’s the book for me on this book, at least until Robinson gets his team together, and us out of cross-over land. Oh, one other thing, and this drives me nuts: just because Dr. Light raped one person doesn’t mean all he likes to do is rape. I’m not saying sympathy for the rapist or anything, its just that there has to be other aspects of his character. I like to read comics, but it’s not like that’s all I talk ab– Oh wait.

ARKHAM REBORN #2: We’re certainly not breaking any new ground here (oh no! Arkham’s director is kind of crazy! oh no! a breakout at Arkham!), but David Hine turns in a solid enough script, and intriguing enough ideas that I’ll definitely be picking up the next issue to see where this all ends up.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #33: Really solid, fun, super big fight scene in this issue. But it all doesn’t amount to a whole lot in the end, and the splitting up of the JSA feels totally unearned. Though, it is nice to see a great Shadowpact villain back in the mix.

WONDER WOMAN #38: I love Gail Simone’s writing, and she’s perfect for WW, but I feel like maybe I need an annotated version of this book. Simone clearly has this well plotted, and is pushing Wondie to some new places, but I just can’t keep track of all of the characters, what their motivations are, or their relationship to each other. But hey, release a $3.99 version of Wonder Woman each month with footnotes, and I am so there.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #6: Well, this is just delightful. Can we keep Paul Dini and Guillem March telling Harley Quinn stories forever? Thanks.

WORLD’S FINEST #2: Though I wasn’t in love with the first issue of this team-up series, I like Sterling Gates writing enough to tune in for the second issue, and I can confidently say I’m not in love with this one, either. As usual, Gates turns in a solid, tight script, but there’s something about it that’s just not grabbing me. I do really like than Ramon F. Bachs draws Damien as an actual little kid, though.

BATWOMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS #859: This title shows the potential of the comic storytelling medium as art, and that’s entirely due to J.H. Williams III’s spectacular art, along with Dave Stewart’s stunning colors. Greg Rucka’s script is also excellently paced and involving, as we learn more of Batwoman’s origin, but its the art that makes this one of the best titles of the year, if not the decade.

SUPERMAN #694: It’s nice that Javier Pina draws Mon-El differently than Connor Kent, because I feel it would be easy enough to draw both characters the same way. I wish I knew why everyone in Metropolis loves Mon-El so much, though.

11/4/2009 — BLACK*
11/4/2009 — YELLOW — DOOM PATROL #4
11/11/2009 — ORANGE — BOOSTER GOLD #26
11/11/2009 — INDIGO — R.E.B.E.L.S #10
11/18/2009 — BLUE — ADVENTURE COMICS #4
11/18/2009 — VIOLET — OUTSIDERS #24
11/25/2009 — GREEN — BLACKEST NIGHT #5
11/25/2009 — RED — JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #39

*The re-offered Black Ring will be sold separately, as may other rings depending on your local retailer.

At Midtown Comics, additional rings will be available for purchase at $1.99 each and sets of 8 rings will go for $12.99 starting November 25th.

Now comes the vinyl, urban toy styles of UNI-FORMZ from Monster 5. The first two releases were Batman and Superman, naturally, and the third is GL. Take that Wonder Woman!

Don’t get me wrong, the 2 green ones are cool and all, but the “Power Glow” that was originally solicited would’ve been kind of a lame variant, especially seeing how that would make 3 green Green Lanterns.

But as I was updating Midtown’s site (for those who don’t know, I’m the webmaster for MidtownComics.com) I was very pleasantly surprised to find out they ended up taking a very different route with the third version.

Aside his two green buddies, this blue guy really pops! And donning the uniform of the Zen-like Blue Lanterns, the cocky Hal Jordan grin is even seemingly transformed into a big happy smile.

Like all the UNI-FORMZ, this rockin little dude is 8” tall. He’s scheduled for release in January 2010 and you can save 10% if you pre-order him now from Midtown.

Green Lantern: First Flight (BUY IT)

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This past weekend, I had some of my nerd-friends over to watch Green Lantern: First Flight, the latest release from DC Animation. First Flight is the follow-up to two excellent animated DC films: Wonder Woman and Darwyn Cooke’s New Frontier, and I’m already excited over previews for the next film in the line-up, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, which is a direct adaptation of a fun, cartoony romp by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. And the Green Lantern comic is one of my current favorites, thanks to more than two years of carfull plotting and planning by writer Geoff Johns and a renewed interest on DC Editorial’s part to make sure the Emerald Enforcer gets the A-list attention he deserves leading up to the planned live-action adaptation (currently set to star Ryan Reynolds).

A little catch-up: Green Lantern is part of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force that wields special rings that manifest pure willpower into force shields, flight, and energy constructs. The GL Corps get their power from an energy battery on the planet OA–the true center of the DC Universe–and their marching orders from a tribe of tiny blue elders known as the Guardians, who claim to be the first beings of power in the cosmos, older than time itself, and definitely older than our speck of a planet. There’s a rich, deep mythology surrounding the Guardians and the Green Lanterns, as well as several other groups built around the emotional spectrum. The Green Lanterns are powered by willpower, but the spectrum expands tying red to rage, blue to hope, yellow to fear, and so on.

Yellow, in particular, is a huge part of the GL story, as the color used to be the only weakness of the green power rings. The villain Sinestro, formerly a Green Lantern himself, would go on to weild a yellow power ring and battle the Lanterns for decades, until a recent storyline where he built his own power battery and started his own Sinestro Corps, a virtual army of equally villainous beings all devoted to the cause of spreading fear across the galaxy. It was a huge development when, in order to defeat the Sinestro Corps, the Guardians lifted a restriction on the Green Lanterns regarding lethal force–essentially giving the GLs a license to kill for the first time in their history. Sinestro claimed that this move, even though it helped the Lanterns win the battle, was a victory for him in the war, as it was an act of fear on the Guardians’ part. Fear versus willpower is an important theme in the long-term Green Lantern story.

While the yellow weakness predates him by several decades, Johns can take credit for most of the GL mythology at play today. He created the expanded emotional spectrum groups, ressurected the main (and best known) Green Lantern Hal Jordan, and re-imagined his origin to tie it to the current continuity. And the current storyline, Blackest Night, is the culmination of all of Johns’ efforts. The villains of the piece, the Black Lantern Corps, are the final group powered by the emotional spectrum, basically zombies–their ranks culled from the fallen superheroes of Earth and the rest of the universe. Their mission is to eradicate all life and light. It is definitely the biggest thing going on in DC Comics, overshadowing even the death of Batman. It may be bigger than anything Marvel is doing at the moment, as well!

The reason I am relaying all of this information about the comics is because all of this mythology and backstory has been handled so well, has been such a vital part of the greater DC Universe since even before Johns came onto the book, and is exactly what the people in charge at DC Animation got wrong that made me hate the cartoon First Flight.

Hal Jordan’s backstory, Earth-based supporting cast, and any exploration of a personality beyond glib bravado are reduced to about 3 minutes at the top of the film. From there, something vaguely resembling his comic book origin story begins. A dying Lantern, Abin Sur, crashed to Earth, and his ring is drawn to someone worthy to weild the ring. In the comics, this is all tied to the strength of will of this potential carrier, but in the cartoon, willpower is never even brought up as a factor. Neither are the yellow weakness, the concept of fear as the ultimate enemy, or the restriction on lethal force. This last bit is pretty big, since Lanterns are shown killing enemies left and right in order to drive the convoluted and wholly invented plot of First Flight along.

The animation–both the character design and the attempt tp blend traditional artwork with CGI–is uninspired and, at times, downright sloppy. The voice acting isn’t distractingly bad, but none of the main characters sound quite right either. The dialogue is either crude (eg, Still-Green Sinestro’s line to Jordan after volunteering to train him: “Your ass is mine.” That is not something the pompous, sophisticated villain would ever say in the comics) or dull. There is very little explanation or background given for the Guardians or the Corps, no regard given to Jordan’s life back on Earth, and seemingly no thought put into the Whys and Hows of the climactic battle at the story’s end. The power rings don’t communicate with their wearer. The “Green Lantern Oath,” which GL is supposed to recite when he charges his ring, and which sums up the mission of the Corps, isn’t even mentioned until the very end of the film…and again, with no introduction or explanation.

I was ready to turn the thing off after 40 minutes of bored frustration, but I powered through because my friend’s seemed to be enjoying it more than me. Of course, they gave a collective “meh” when I asked if they actually liked it. Actually, I think the official review was “It wasn’t that bad.” I promise you, it wasn’t any good.

I really wanted to enjoy this, and I worry about a live-action Green Lantern, knowing how poorly this cartoon came together. The best part of the DVD was the collection of featurettes and previews about other DC Animation projects and about the Blackest Night comic series.

The good news for DC Animation is that we were happy to use the feature-length Wonder Woman cartoon as our palate cleanser. That movie is smart, funny, action-packed, and superior to just about anything that has happened in the Wonder Woman comic for years. Also, my other DC Animation favorite, New Frontier actually has an excellent take on Green Lantern, so all is not lost when it comes to adapting “Highball” Hal and his gang in green.

More good news for Green Lantern fans is that Blackest Night is underway right now, the early chapters to the series in stores now, and the rest of Geoff Johns’ run on the character has been collected so you can catch yourself up on one of the best, most consistent and satisfying superhero comics DC is putting out.

Symbols of the Spectrum – How They Came to Be, and What They Represent

by Ethan Van Sciver of Sector 2814

A great and hidden mystery began to unfold for the GL Corps, and for Geoff Johns and me, when in the middle of the script for GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH #1, Geoff casually asked me to draw The Parallax Symbol. In the story we were telling, Hal Jordan was in a transitional phase between three different identities: himself, the Spectre, and the monster we had come to know as Parallax. A halo of greenish-yellow energy was above his head representing this turmoil, and Geoff thought I should shape it like The Parallax Symbol.

I referenced EMERALD TWILIGHT and FINAL NIGHT, two trade paperbacks I was going to have to rely upon pretty heavily in the coming months, and was flummoxed. There was not, as far as traditional DC Universe superhero emblems are understood, a “Parallax Symbol.” When Hal Jordan was possessed by the Fear entity, he wore a beautifully designed armored suit and cape. His chest, where GL wore his well-known symbol, contained a sort of ring shape that merged with a green pyramid shape that wrapped around his waist. Two curved, almost key-shaped white stripes grew upward from behind this, meeting with two broad, green shoulder pads. It was a nifty little costume, worthy of an action figure and a statue or two, but there was no hint of a Parallax Symbol.

Geoff, who is often victimized by manic telephone calls made by me in cases such as this, just offered that I should make one up. And I did. Using a shape pulled from Darryl Banks’s magnificent Parallax design, I found a very interesting, very creepy symbol made of simple, insect-like lines growing from a central ring. And then I began to use it within GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH, subliminally and often. It, and the symbols that followed, took on meaning and purpose, and grew to become the foundation of the event you’re now reading, BLACKEST NIGHT.

The Symbols of the Spectrum are primitive and universally understood shapes that have existed since the beginning of consciousness. They represent the ambitions, motivations and emotions of everything that’s ever lived. They are at once a written language widely used, then to disappear, only to be realized and rediscovered. Where did they come from? I can only imagine from the earliest encounters with the Entities themselves, creatures like the insect-like Parallax, or Ion, who resembles a large, primitive whale or fish. I was careful to design these entities around the Symbols that represent them, so that any poor creature staring into the mouth of Fear might have told his tale by scratching that circle and a few crooked lines into rock. It is what he saw, and it is what he felt. And others saw and understood. And so it was and is.

And Sinestro claimed it as his own.

The Blue Lanterns are motivated by Hope, and inspiring hope in others. Hope is the reversal, the undoing of fear. In considering what their symbol should look like, I realized that inverting the Yellow symbol would provide some visual balance and basic symbolism. It is almost the opposite of the symbol worn by the Sinestro Corps, a ring with “arms” growing from the top and pointing down and inward, like a hug. I sketched this in an airport, and immediate designed the first Blue Lantern Corps member, who became Saint Walker. While the Sinestro Corps were hideous aliens with jagged stalactite shapes on their uniforms, the Blue Lantern suits were based on round shapes, and only the noblest, kindest-looking creatures were eligible.

Orange and Indigo, Avarice and Compassion, are the simplest shapes I could conceive of. The Orange Lantern symbol is merely a ring with lines pointing inward and a V shape, which I thought represented some sort of singularity and selfishness. In the end, it looks like a child’s drawing of a chubby little devil. It looks evil, and it looks like Greed to me. On the other side of the spectrum, we find another simple shape to represent caring and giving. It’s the basic ring with lines pointing outward, both up and down, drawn to meet together to become arrows. The Indigo Tribe symbol is humble, as it represents compassion, charity, concern for others at the expense of self.

One of the clues that Geoff and I realized along the way was that the Star Sapphires, who wore Violet-colored uniforms, already had a symbol, and already represented passionate, reckless love. They were on the far side of the spectrum, positioned there by the Green Lantern creators long before we came around, helping us realize this was all meant to be. Their star-shaped icon was in place, established and ready to go. It just needed a ring in the center.

Which left us with my personal favorite corps, The Red Lanterns. They are rage, hatred, violence, like rabid animals choking on their own blood and Red energy. I was inspired by two of my favorite zombie films, 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, and decided that those possessed by the Red rings would vomit from the energy that filled them. It is uncontrollable, and spills from every pore. They, like the Star Sapphires, are on the far end of the spectrum, as far as possible from the calm and order of Green Willpower. They are both religions of chaos. The Red Lantern Symbol is the only one that doesn’t feature a centered ring shape. It is slightly below the others, with tall spires that bend up, outward and up again.

The last symbol to be discussed here is worn by the Black Lanterns. When Geoff and I were redoing Black Hand’s uniform for GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH, Geoff and I had a very specific vision in mind, including utilizing the old triangle on his original uniform as the “palm” of a hand. So he sketched over Black Hand’s old uniform and faxed it to former Green Lantern editor and current GREEN LANTERN CORPS writer Peter Tomasi.

And this brings us full circle, so to speak. These ancient avatars, buried and forgotten, are all active and in use once more. But their fate is to be determined by the event that brings them all together. Whether any of them will survive BLACKEST NIGHT, no one can say.

Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #1-#3 are all available in stores now.

July 10th, 2009
Three names are still in the running to play Green Lantern in the new Warner Bros. feature, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Screen tests for Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), and Justin Timberlake (D*ck in a Box and other awesome Saturday Night Live guest spots) are currently being reviewed. Who knew Hal Jordan was such a fun-loving guy?

The movie, to be directed by Martin Campbell, is scheduled for release in December 2010.

The spread reveals a long list of dead DC denizens and possible Black Lanterns:

Tula, Ralph & Sue Dibny, Ronnie Raymond, Digger Harkness, Ted Kord, Maxwell Lord, Ryan Kendall, Dee Tyler, Roy Lincoln, Roger Hayden, Vic Sage, Jean Loring, Arthur Light, J’Onn J’onz, Boston Brand, Tara Markov, Wesley Dodds, Jenny Lynn-Hayden, Arthur Curry, Jonathan Kent and last but not least Bruce Wayne.

Click here for Blackest Night Prelude checklist