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I was originally going to write a bigger piece to go with Chad’s post, but I decided to do this smaller standalone instead, especially since we do plan on posting an episode about DC’s “Rebirth” in the next few days.

 

Relaunching the DCU without a reboot makes little sense to me.  So as soon as I heard about the rumor, I figured it was going to be a reboot, even if a soft one.  Just keeping the status quo and giving us yet another wave of number one issues would probably accomplish nothing.  Especially when one considers the luster has pretty much come of the “New 52” brand as a whole these days.

 

When DC confirmed the news and released the “Rebirth” banner, besides adding to the reboot not just relaunch speculation, it also hinted at something else.  Green Lantern fans (and Flash fans too, to a lesser extent) know the term means something special to them, since it helped turn around the struggling GL book and helped launch an entire brand or franchise of books that catapulted Green Lantern to the top of the DCU, in relevance, popularity and sales.  It also has a direct link to the creators of both previous rebirths: Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.

 

Considering Johns’ role at DC and WB, for DC to call an event “Rebirth” and Johns not be a major force behind it, if not THE force, would be mind-boggling.   With Convergence bringing back the entire multiverse last year and with the “Rebirth” of the DCU this summer, it definitely seems that the New 52 is about either go away or be modified into some sort of amalgam with the previous DCU or maybe be combined with several others.  If Johns is the architect of this reboot, then hopefully it will also have positive ramifications for the Green Lantern books, since the franchise clearly needs something to breathe some life into it. 

 

Despite Robert Venditti and Cullen Bunn’s best efforts, the pendulum has not been swinging in the right direction for a while now.  It makes sense that, whether it is a relaunch or reboot, DC take this opportunity to shake up the direction and the creative teams across the board on all books that are doing as well as they would like or expect.

 

-Mark Marble

Early yesterday Bleeding Cool announced a recent rumor going around that DC was going to relaunch all of their titles this summer with new #1 issues. As reported, these titles would all be more closely tied to the versions of the characters seen in DC film and television. Obiously this would mean more titles featuring characters like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Arrow, Harley Quinn, the Suicide Squad, and more.

 

By the time mid afternoon rolled around, Dan DiDio, Jim Lee, and other posted the below image to their various social media accounts.

 

https://twitter.com/dandidio1/status/690640882182283265

#Rebirth pic.twitter.com/3NhY3CTTOt

— Jim Lee (@JimLee) January 22, 2016

 

So it’s now, as of this posting, all but OFFICIALLY confirmed by the powers that be at DC Comics.

 

What does this mean for Green Lantern and the related titles in their line-up? Well the short answer is, “We don’t know”.

 

With an emphasis supposedly on more widespread media incarnations of their characters, it’s hard to know where GL will fall. Warner/DC have been very tight lipped about Green Lantern. Rumor has it he’ll be appearing in the final act of the ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ film alongside the other founders of the JLA. Rumor has it he’ll also be played by Dan Amboyer. But that’s just it, they’re all rumors. As for DCTV on the CW, GL has been the butt of many an Easter egg, but not much in the way of FULL ON character or casting reveals. 

 

Now, this ‘Rebirth’ event won’t be happening until this summer. By then, Green Lantern could, if the rumors are true, be revealed in BVSDoJ. Since he’d, hypothetically, then be revealed that means the floodgates could open concerning the rest of the plans for the Green Lantern mythos on the silver screen. MAYBE. But as things stand now, we don’t have much to go on with regards to the popular media interpretation of Green Lantern.

 

That could mean a few things.

 

It could mean that, like the New 52, Green Lantern and related titles will come out the other side of this relaunch relatively unscathed. But that’s doubtful.

 

Green Lantern sales and popularity haven’t been really high since Geoff Johns left the books. *EX: ‘Green Lantern’ #46 was ranked 62nd out of 100 for the month of November while the ‘Justice League: Darkseid War: Green Lantern’ one shot was ranked 81st. ‘Sinestro’ didn’t even break the top 100. That’s a decline from the prior month where ‘Green Lantern’ stood at 55th place for #45 and ‘Sinestro’ was ranked 98th for issue #16, just below the 97th spot held by ‘Star Trek/Green Lantern’ #4. For DC, cracking the top 100 could be considered an popular title, to be honest, we don’t know that information. Maybe they only consider the top 50 worth a shot? Maybe it’s the top 100? Maybe they don’t care about those numbers at all, maybe they just care about profit margins. Who knows but DC? The point is, regardless of quality, DC’s Lantern titles have been slowly falling.

(* – This information taken from the Dec & Jan issues of PREVIEWS magazine)

 

Would Robert Venditti stay on the title? Would Cullen Bunn stay on Sinestro? Would there even be a Sinestro title?

 

Like we said, right now, we just don’t know.

 

If this all spells goodbye for the teams behind ‘Green Lantern’ & ‘Sinestro’ (‘Green Lantern: Edge of Oblivion’ & ‘Omega Men’ not mentioned as the titles were already announced as either limited runs or being cancelled) then we wish them well. Regardless of how we PERSONALLY feel about those issues and their direction, it’s clear they were fun books for A LOT of Lantern fans. And any injection of excitement into the GL mythos is something worth thanking a creative team for. Personally, I feel bad for Cullen Bunn in all of this. After the Aquaman stuff, the sudden cancellation of ‘Lost Army’, and now this, things don’t seem to be going his way at DC lately. Particularly in regards to ‘Sinestro’. Cullen has been purposefully making sure that, while exploring “the Paling”, he establishes the Sinestro Corps as the rightful replacements for the absent Green Lantern Corps. A move that, rightfully, needs to be EARNED within the pages of the comic before we believe it. And now that he’s nearly there, the rug is (possibly) pulled out from under him before he’s got a chance to tell the stories on the other side of the new status quo he was trying to set up all this time.

 

But again, this all pre-supposes that the teams are changing or the books are being cancelled on the other side of “Rebirth”. They might not be. We REALLY don’t know a whole heckuvalot right now. Rest assured we’ll let you know when we DO know more, either here, on our Facebook page, on our twitter, or on the podcast itself.

 

-Chad Bokelman

 

UPDATE #1: Literally before I even hit post, Geoff Johns retweeted Jim Lee’s tweet to Ethan Van Sciver with a sly message…

 

@EthanVanSciver Hmmm… 😉 https://t.co/r5MwsFYoCk

— Geoff Johns (@geoffjohns) January 22, 2016

 

Does this mean Geoff and Ethan are returning to either the Flash or Green Lantern? God only knows. But we hope so, if only temporarily…

Ever since the CW has been airing ‘Arrow’ and ‘The Flash’ on it’s network, DC comics fans have been impressed with the number of cameos and references to existing characters and concepts. One of the repeating references is to a certain Emerald Crusader, the Green Lantern of Sector 2814, Hal Jordan. Be it Ferris Air, Coast City, or references to Hal himself (all pictured above) the CW has made it very clear, Hal Jordan exists in this universe and is (most likely) Green Lantern already.

 

Since dropping Emerald tinted hints, there’s been an uptick in fan theories and “it should happen because it’d just be COOL” articles. But the fervent desire to see Hal on the small screen has been backed up more with “cause it’s cool” and “the GL movie sucked so we’re owed a good representation” as opposed to “here’s how it would WORK and here’s WHY it’ll be cool”.

 

And thus, here I am.

 

Yeah, yeah. Boiled down to it’s bare essence, I’m just another Green Lantern fan. But, to be fair, the LanternCast has been on their air for SEVEN YEARS. Mark and I have been at it together for TWO of those seven. I’d say that earns us the right to throw our weight around from time to time when it comes to GL fan theory and speculation. So let me break it down for you.

 

1)  BARRY ALLEN AND OLIVER QUEEN ARE HAL JORDAN’S BEST FRIENDS.

 

In the comics, the three are friends. Well, more Hal is a mutual friend between the two rather than a Barry/Ollie bromance. It’s mildly upsetting as a comics/Green Lantern fan to see his two friends have shows of their own without the Hal Jordan linchpin to keep their volatile friendship intact. But outside of the sheer disappointment of just not seeing it, the friendship is a key element that could offer up fantastic character moments for EITHER Ollie or Barry.

 

GL fans have argued since the Silver/Bronze Age about who is the better “Brave and the Bold” style team. Barry and Hal? Or Hal and Ollie? While die hard ‘Green Lantern/Green Arrow’ fans (of which I am one!) will say Ollie and Hal are the better team, I actually side with the Barry/Hal faction. When it comes to action, Ollie and Hal often argue so relentlessly that it takes them too long to get anything done. Whereas Barry and Hal get into the action, then disagree after the fact. But here’s how I PERSONALLY see the three characters.

 

Barry is a forensic scientist working for the police department. Sure, he’s essentially a vigilante, but he’s on the side of LAW. Ollie is the polar opposite. In the GL/GA series, he’s the one convincing Hal that sure, there may be rules, but the CONTEXT of those rules, and when it’s better to break them rather than follow them, is just as important. Hal is often the dead center of the two ideals. He’s the cocksure and action first/thought later guy, but he’s also following a code of intergalactic rules. Now these aren’t NECESSARILY the Barry and Ollie from the CW, but they COULD be.

 

With Hal in the mix, Barry could get a dose of someone a little TOO rash and impulsive. And, through whatever mishap, we could come out the other side with a great friendship, but a Barry Allen that’s more sure of the law, his own scientific knowledge, and more methodical.

 

With Hal in the mix, Oliver could get a dose of someone whose set of rules and laws MAKE SENSE but don’t fit the situation. That won’t sit well with Oliver at HEART. And, through whatever mishap, we could come out the other side with a great friendship, but a Oliver Queen that’s more like the comics. More of a crusader for social justice, the downtrodden, and not afraid of treading the grey areas between the Law and Morality. As opposed to someone who more fights black and white crime (people who kill, rape, steal, deal drugs, etc.).

 

 

2)  HAL JORDAN IS A LOVABLE WOMANIZER.

 

Yeah I know. It’s a played out trope. But hear me out. What is the CW formula? Attractive young actors and actresses and any excuse for shirtless dudes or heated, sexual exchanges between characters. Now, concession, ‘Arrow’ and ‘The Flash’ have been pretty damn good about not bowing to that sort of network model (though there have been instances one COULD point to). But Hal’s brand of womanizing would help fit the CW model, potentially bring in new attractive women (and CHARACTERS from the DCU!) to the show, and also could cause love-triangle-like drama between characters. IE: Hal hitting on Felicity, Laurel, Thea, Sara, Kendra, Patty, Iris, Caitlin…I made my point.

 

3)  HAL JORDAN IS A DAREDEVIL TEST PILOT.

 

Now if you weren’t already interested, here’s where it gets FUN. Hal Jordan is a test pilot. He’s not a tech genius, but he drives fast cars for fun and flies experimental aircraft for a living (and also fun). I’m seeing a Hal in the DCCW-verse as a man with a instinctual genius for mechanics. Yeah, I would LOVE any excuse to bring in more people from the GL universe but as bad as I’d want to see Tom Kalmaku, this is where it makes more sense to just have Hal have that mechanical inclination. BECAUSE, he can be a MUCH needed tech buddy to Cisco. Yeah, Cisco is more of an engineer with a wide berth of tech and scientific knowledge, but having Hal there could help coax out the mechanical engineer side of Cisco. Plus, as we’ll get to later, a concern with Hal/GL is the MONEY it would take to realize the effects on screen on a TV budget. Well, with the test pilot angle, you get the action without the major cost. Planes sequences may also cost money to render, but I bet they’re MUCH easier and cheaper than Green Lantern effects and development.

 

4)  CAROL FERRIS IS ALSO A TEST PILOT. (MINUS THE DAREDEVIL)

 

The great thing about ‘The Flash’ and ‘Arrow’ shows? BADASS WOMEN. Imagine Carol Ferris on one (or both) of these shows! How amazingly complete the young business woman with a heart of gold, in love with her employee, and a fondness and aptitude for flying jets…could be realized using the Arrow/Flash CW format for kick ass chicks! Plus? She runs (or will run depending on how you write it) Ferris Air. So I ALSO see her as having a mechanical expertise. Which means? FEMALE CISCO! THAT could be fun as well. And I’d say we let the two date for awhile. Let Cisco actually establish a relationship. I mean, yeah, Hal eventually is the one for her. But seeing Carol and Cisco together could be just as endearing as seeing the Patty/Barry stuff is now (which I LOVE).

 

 

5)  THE GREEN LANTERN WORLD IS A WORLD OF ALIENS AND OF COSMIC SCOPE.

 

Lastly, this. ‘Arrow’ went street level at first. Then Deathsroke brought in the world of scientifically augmented power. The Barry brought in the world of super powers. Now ‘Arrow’ is tackling the mystical side of the DC universe. It’s clear Superman (and his family) is being used elsewhere for the nonce. So how else do we bring the unlimited scope that is the universal side of the DCU? Green Lantern. Establish Hal, establish his ring and the terrestrial explanation Caitlin/Felicity/Cisco come up with for his ring. Then Hal disappears for a bit for training. Then comes back and BAM. The REAL explanation. And boom, DC cosmic. Aliens. Immortal beings. Anti-Matter universes. Go a far as you want with it!

 

And there you have it.

 

Sure, Hal having his OWN show is great. But without a massive budget, it’s completely unfeasible. However…so was the Flash. The budget for that show is pressed nearly episode to episode (if the special features on the season one blu-ray can be believed). But they maintain their audience and ratings continuously, so the CW/WB justifies that budget. If the end goal is a Green Lantern SHOW? It’s possible if the showrunners show it to be a well realized fan hit. But if not? There’s STILL a nearly unlimited amount of ways you could logically use Hal/Green Lantern in these shows.

 

Yes. I’m focused on HAL specifically. John, Kyle, Guy (even Simon) all have ways they could be introduced and WORK. But Hal is the focus because that’s where the hints lie. Ferris Air? Hal’s employer. “Test pilot went missing”? Hal. Jordan name tag on a bomber jacket? Hal Jordan. He’s the clear front runner. I HOPE it happens. SO many of the things I want to see on the Flash and Arrow could become reality with one simple character introduction: Hal Jordan.

 

 

‘Green Lantern’ #47 released today written by Robert Venditti with art by Martin Coccolo.

 

So why the reaction piece on the website? Why not wait until our monthly review episode to cover this comic? Well, first of all, this is more of a mini-reaction as opposed to a full blown review. (We need to give you SOMETHING to anticipate after all) And secondly, this is something I’ve wanted in the Green Lantern comics for a LONG while. So it felt fitting to toss up a quick thought or two day of.

 

GUT REACTION: For a “Hal Jordan on Earth” story within the status quo of the current GL story-line it’s actually not half bad at all. Jordan family interactions are well placed and funny. There’s hardly any action and I’m ok with it.

 

And that’s really all I’ll say for the moment. That, on the face of it, I actually liked it.

 

So why devote a post for a three sentence reaction? Because, for YEARS, this is what I’ve wanted from the Green Lantern titles when things get stagnant or seemingly directionless. (Not that those are adjectives I’d ascribe to the current series, but you get the idea.) In the 1960’s, when things got campy and the title was failing,  Julius Schwartz brought on Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams to course correct the series. They did so by bringing Hal back down to Earth. Denny and Neal did their thing, then things went all ‘Crisis’ and we returned to space, then things got wonky again…and then the 90’s come around and it’s time for another course correction…so they bring Hal back down to Earth yet again. Well my friends, it’s been a decade since Geoff Johns brought Hal back and gave us the emotional spectrum. And we’ve spent the vast majority of that time out in space dealing with the ramifications of that decision (and it’s been a largely fun ride). But, PERSONALLY, I’ve been saying it’s time to course correct and bring Hal back down to Earth.

 

If you’ve listened to our State of the Green Lantern Union episode, you already know our feelings on things and just how many people seem to share those sentiments. And that it’s not a knock against the current creative teams. Where we are, plot wise, is likely more a product of where DC wants things to be rather than anything else. (Not to say that the teams DON’T have input. But those ideas are likely confined to the boundaries of the sandbox they’ve been asked to play in.) But given my (and SEVERAL others) long time desire to see Hal return to adventures ON EARTH, I felt it necessary to give credit where credit is due.

 

Venditti brings Hal back to Earth for a few issues and gives us what we’ve been requesting for awhile now. And, within the confines of the current status quo, it was/is FUN. And I sincerely thank Robert for it. Sure, in a few issues we’re going to be tossed back into the “Cosmic Odyssey” type stories (though, hopefully, no planets will be destroyed), but it’s nice to be acknowledged. Seeing Hal return to Earth, interact with his family and face down classic GL rouges that AREN’T emotional spectrum related? Give me more! I’m going to be buying multiple copies for as long as it happens. I suggest, if you share my desire, you do so as well. Vote with your dollars!

 

So thanks Robert. I appreciate it. I’m considering it your Christmas gift to this longtime GL fan before we return to space. So you can forget about that other thing. -Chad Bokelman

#HalOnEarth #Halin2814

Today DC Comics released on their DC Entertainment Youtube page a video featuring a scroll of various Lanterns to appear in comics since 1940. The video scrolls through multiple incarnations of Green Lantern since his first appearance in ‘All-American Comics’ #16 at the hands of the amazing Martin Nodell and Bill Finger. Included in the scroll are Alan, Hal, John, Guy, Kyle and more! Notable in the scroll is Kyle as Ion in the ‘Power of Ion’ story (YESSS!!!) and Alan as Sentinel, Jade, Mosaic John Stewart, Elseworlds Lanterns and a heckuvalot more all set to an epic sounding background track.

 

Now how about that 75th Anniversary Animated Short DC? I mean, Superman and Batman got one…it’s surely OUR turn right? RIGHT?

 

Let some Violet Light into your life and add a little Love to your Lantern Collection with the Star Sapphire Power Battery and Ring Prop. And as an added bonus, we discuss another cool new prop, though not directly Lantern related!! Unless you want to factor in Godhead, then… maybe. LOL

A Blue Lantern movie ring gets the Batjeepster Rings treatment in our latest episode. See if “all will be well” with this latest addition to the movie-inspired ring series.

Issue One of Darkstars was released on September 1, 1992 with a cover date of October 1992 (Thanks to Mike’s Amazing World of DC Comics for this information). This issue was written by co-creator Jan Friedman with pencils by the second co-creator Larry Stroman. The inker was Scott Hanna. The Letterer was Bob Pinaha; Julianna Ferreter was the colorist with the editor being Brian Augustin. Robert Greenberger was credited as the consultant.

“Mean Streets” opens on another day and another dung heap. We meet Darkstar Colos as he is boarding a star ship. From the internal monolog we learn that this is an outlaw ship. We see that Colos has some self doubt about his effectiveness. Is he really accomplishing anything by being a Darkstar? He mentions a botched job on Jenuwyne. We do not know what happened. He even muses as he battles the ship’s crew that he might be suicidal. That is ridiculous. He has much to live for.

After the battles and he takes this ship, Colos contacts the Darkstar Regional Administrator Prigatz. This ship is carrying as Colos puts it, medicines. In reality this is a drug smuggling ship. Prigatz has a new mission for Colos. He is to report to Sector 109, planet 43. This planet is Earth. .

We cut to Earth, Dallas to be exact. We meet Sister Esperanza and Lieutenant Flint of the Dallas Police Department. Flint is looking for information and the Sister points him to Maurice (Mo) Douglas. Flint is looking for information on a new drug in town called Loco. The user starts out feeling good but after a while, the user turns very violent and as Flint puts it, the user “wants to go out and pick a fight with everyone in sight”. Mo has heard about this drug and he might know where the warehouse is that is being used to distribute the drug. It is located on Canton. Flint leaves Mo his card. Mo appears to be as depressed as Colos; he is not sure that Flint’s raiding of this warehouse will help with the situation, another distribution location will just pop up elsewhere.

Back in space, Colos is briefed about Earth. We learn that Earth was not known about until a confederacy led by the Daxamites invaded. This is chronicled in the story line “Invasion” published by DC Comics in 1988. Now three ships have vanished into Sector 109. Together these ships contain the cargo to provide the components of the Serian drug Loku. It is believed that the ships were headed for Earth. The Darkstars currently do not include Earth in its patrols even though another organization has maintained a presence. My guess is that this other organization is the Green Lantern Corp. Colos is to head to Earth and stop this drug from being distributed.

We now meet defense attorney Carla White and her client, Frank Pappas. Carla has successfully defended Pappas from charges that he is a member of organized crime. They have just left the court and are being mobbed by reporters asking for comments from both characters. Carla pushes Pappas into a limo which leaves Carla behind. Good thing. We meet an alien named Danik who is also in the limo. This alien is working with Pappas to distribute the Loco drug. Here we get the connection that the Loco and Loku drugs are the same thing. They are now ready to enter Phase two of distribution. We do not know what the purpose of this drug is at the moment but we learn that the violent side effects are unexpected but not unwelcome as violent addicts are a bigger headache for authorities than peaceful ones. Carla is picked up by her father and she leaves the scene as well.

On the streets we meet up with Mo. He is wandering and thinking about Sister Esperanza. He comes across a Loco drug deal. He knows that the fights will break out soon and tries to clear all the homeless people in the area. He finds he is too late and the fights break out as he fears but he still believes he can save one more woman. He grabs her and tries to run away with her but is soon attacked by the addicts. Just as Mo is about to get overtaken by the addicts Colos arrives and fights off the addicts. Mo wonders if this is another superhero as Colos fights the addicts. Unfortunately the woman Mo grabbed was already dead. Colos tells Mo that she died of a drug overdose but not Loku, something home grown. Colos makes Mo his guide.

We cut back to space where the Director of the Darkstars who is seen only in shadow is talking to Prigatz. He is not happy that Colos was chosen for this assignment. Unfortunately he cannot be replaced unless he is dead so it seems like it is Colos or nothing.

We close with Flint’s raid on the warehouse. Everything does not go as expected as we find Flint face to face with an alien who is ready to kill him.

There are a lot of characters to meet here. I had to write down all the characters names we meet in this issue. One interesting not is that none of these characters are familiar to me at all. It appears that everyone here is new and I like that. It gives the writer and artist a chance to create a whole new world here without being constrained to preexisting concepts or characters. The only reference to current concepts was the unnamed reference to the Green Lantern Corp.

I want to focus on Colos. This issue gives us a hero that we know nothing about. Even the references that are dropped either in monolog or conversation leaves a lot of holes that the reader is eager to fill. Colos is apparently a well decorated and at least at one time a much respected member of the Darkstars, but something happened to change that. Colos, himself was very confident in his job as a Darkstar but now he has lost his confidence. The only parallel I can think of is Abin Sur just prior to his death. I have not read too far into this run and I am experiencing this series as I read it so I do not know what Colos’s fate is. I would hope that this is not just another Abin Sur who will die and pass on his power to a human but only time will tell. I also do not know what a Darkstar’s power is. It looks like he can fire energy blasts and there is some strength enhancement but we do not know if this is natural for Colos or is some special Darkstar power. I am definitely looking forward to learn more about the Darkstars power set and how they differ from that of the Green Lanterns.

I found it refreshing that we are not dealing with a super villain just yet. What we are dealing with is an intergalactic drug ring and I am interested in seeing where this story will go.

What could the next Green Lantern movie ring possibly look like? Batjeepster Rings give us their take in this extremely attractive and fun-to-wear silver ring!

Today, Jim takes a look at the die cast movie style Green Lantern ring from the Noble Collection. No longer in production, so you’ll have to go to eBay to find these.