A NEW EMERALD DAWN

SOURCE: New Straits Times (Malaysia)
DATE: February 28, 2009
AUTHOR: Rizal Solomon

The official word came out this week. Warner Bros has announced that the studio will release a Green Lantern movie on Dec 17, 2010. Martin Campbell, who helmed Casino Royale, is set to direct.
   It's very cool news. Green Lantern has a rich mythology and some of the best-written heroes and villains in comics. Also, Green Lantern has franchise written all over it. You can begin with a series of movies about the most famous of Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan, and  then spin-off with the other Lanterns. Warner Bros has a good record of treating the comics it adapts with respect. The Dark Knight was outstanding. Even the flawed Superman Returns had its moments.
   The current Geoff Johns written Green Lantern comics are classic. They elevate an already beloved character to new heights.
   Briefly, the Green Lanterns are a kind of intergalactic police force made up of sentient beings from all over the universe. Led by the powerful Guardians of the Universe, essentially powerful little blue people the size of Yoda, they try their best to do good. They've been doing this for thousands of years. Each Green Lantern is powered by a green power ring and this makes the Lanterns one of the most powerful warriors in the universe. As mentioned, one of the most famous of the Green Lanterns is Hal Jordan, from earth.  A flawed, noble character, he's survived terrible personal tragedy to emerge stronger. At one point, he got possessed by an ancient alien entity called Parallax that feeds on fear and went on a killing spree until he redeemed himself in an act that cost him his life.
   The Green Lantern comics has a publication history that spans more than half a century, but to make things easy for you, here's a list of the Green Lantern books you should check out.

Green Lantern: Rebirth
This is the one that started the current renaissance and is a must-read. It's very accessible, even if you have never read a Green Lantern book in your life. Rebirth makes it easy for you to jump on and enjoy the ride. Hal Jordan has passed on and his spirit lives on in the form of a cosmic being known as The Spectre. Since Jordan feels responsible for the countless deaths while he was possessed by Parallax, he uses the Spectre form to atone and help people.
   Redemption is a big theme in Green Lantern and how we move on after something tragic happens forms one of the main engines of the larger story. It's no secret that the graphic novel sees Jordan resurrected and the Green Lantern Corps is reborn to battle the resurgence of the ancient evil alien entity known as Parallax.
   The reward is seeing how gifted writer Geoff Johns brings about the rebirth of Jordan and the Corps. The book has a lot of heart. It connects with you on an emotional level and makes you care about the characters while offering a rollercoaster ride of sci-fi action.

Green Lantern Corps: Recharge
A fantastic debut to the spin-off series that follows the reformed Green Lantern Corps in the wake of Green Lantern: Rebirth as it proceeds to recruit new members. We're introduced to a host of new Lanterns and some returning fan favorites. Each Lantern has his and her own emotional and psychological baggage and their personalities and stories are sculpted out superbly. Some have to overcome prejudices and personal tragedy to become the hero the universe needs them to be.
   You'll get goose bumps in that big, brutal battle between the Corps and a fearsome alien army in the finale. The new characters grow on you and by the end of the book, you're sorry to see the graphic novel end. You'll probably find yourself hunting for the subsequent Green Lantern Corps books for their ongoing adventures.

Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War Volume 1 and 2
Epic. That's the only word to describe this story. It's like Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers rolled into one. The story takes place on a titanic scale.
   Sinestro, a former Green Lantern mentor of Hal Jordan who turned bad, returns and begins building an army armed with Yellow Power Rings. They seek to enforce order on the universe through fear. The Green Lanterns oppose them and an all-out war breaks out.
   A fantastic read with perfect payoffs for fans. The Rebirth and Sinestro Corps War graphic novels can be seen as the first two parts of a trilogy. The upcoming Green Lantern: Blackest Night completes the trilogy.

Green Lantern: Secret Origins
Now, this latest graphic novel to hit the shops is a very important piece of the mythology. Writer Geoff Johns turns the clock back and retells the origins of Hal Jordan and how he came to be a Green Lantern. This is important because we see the relationship between Jordan and Sinestro in a mentor-student light.
   The origins of the terrifying alien cabal called The Five Inversions are revealed and this will play a huge role in the Blackest Night storyline coming up this summer.

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I like this information: "A fantastic read with perfect payoffs for fans. The Rebirth and Sinestro Corps War graphic novels can be seen as the first two parts of a trilogy..."