After a Decade in the Wilderness, I Can Assure You DC's Green Lantern Franchise Is Finally Great Again

If you loved the mid-2000s relaunch of the Green Lantern franchise, then I sincerely hope you're reading the current series. Geoff Johns didn't just bring Hal Jordan back into the spotlight in his renowned Green Lantern epic, he brought the character to new heights and added elements to the mythos that are still being explored today.

It was a hell of an act to follow up and while there were some amazing stories that came afterward, few matched the work Johns and his co-creators made. But I think that this latest era has finally done the impossible and produced the best Green Lantern in a long, long time.

Green Lantern's 2005 Relaunch Was Absolute Perfection

Starts with Green Lantern: Rebirth by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver

If you were a Hal Jordan fan, then things were really dark in a post-"Emerald Twilight" world. The one stalwart hero had become the villainous Parallax and the Corps was destroyed leaving kyle Rayner As the lone Green Lantern to carry the torch. But while things were dark for a good few years, light returned to Jordan's corner of the DC Universe with Green Lantern: Rebirth. The miniseries helped clear Green Lantern's good name and was the spark for a saga that is still talked about today.

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          "Green Lantern: Rebirth (2004) will prime any reader for Geoff Johns' epic saga!"

Green Lantern: Rebirth led into a new volume of Green Lantern and later, Green Lantern Corps. Though the early days served mostly to introduce new and old readers to the new status quo, these books also began to plant the seeds for the epic events the creators had planned. It wasn't long until the books crossed over for "Sinestro Corps War" and later Blackest Night, two events that incorporated elements of the most brilliant contribution to the Green Lantern mythos, the Emotional Spectrum.

'Many of these creators expanded on elements from Johns' run...

While the saga was somewhat interrupted by the New 52 relaunch, Johns' writing went unabated as it built towards its epic conclusion, which came with Green Lantern #20 in May 2013. After eight epic years, other writers began penning the main Green Lantern title such as Robert Venditti, Sam Huphries, Grant Morrison, and Geoffrey Thorne. Many of these creators expanded on elements from Johns' run and their storylines were appreciated among fans. However, few runs, if any, managed to receive the same praise that Geoff Johns got during his near decade on Green Lantern.

Dawn of DC Helped Green Lantern Find Its Groove Once More

Starts with Green Lantern #1 (2023) by Jeremy Adams and Xermánico

I'm always up for any creators that want to take a crack Green Lantern, but I was especially happy when it was announced that Jeremy Adams was taking over the title with artist Xermánico. Not only did he rejuvenate Wally West in The Flash, but Adams also worked on Green Lantern: The Animated Series. It's been over a year since the new Green Lantern title began and I have to say, it's been non-stop fun and excitement (which is exactly what you want in a Green Lantern book).

...Hal discovering a new Green Lantern Power Battery hidden within the Earth.

In the first year alone, the new Green Lantern series saw Earth being quarantined, the Corps being taken over by a shape-shifting madman, the Emotional Spectrum's various factions destroyed, and Hal discovering a new Green Lantern Power Battery hidden within the Earth. Not to mention Star Sapphire is back in action as a hero (and she's about to join the Justice League!). And if all that's not enough to grab you, what about new Lanterns in the Emotional Spectrum? Because as of Green Lantern #13, we've got Sorrow, the first Lantern powered by sadness!

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        Definitely don't skip Green Lantern: War Journal (2023) which really expands on Adams and Xermánico's story!

And that's just one series. While Adams and Xermánico were crafting the broader Green Lantern narrative, Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos gave us a smaller, more personal (but still kickass) John Stewart-focused story with Green Lantern: War Journal. John is one of the most beloved Green Lanterns around and while this comic was only 12 issues long, it really enhanced the main series. For the first time in years, I was excited to read anything even remotely related to the current Green Lantern title (and yes, that includes Sinister Sons)

.Any Green Lantern Fan Will Love This New Era

Adams and Xermánico Recapture That Green Lantern Magic

Don’t think I’m putting the mid-2000s Green Lantern on a pedestal. But it was a solid run for the character that hundreds, if not thousands of fans loved. Even DC knew how much fans loved it as it was one of the few pre-New 52 storylines that was allowed to finish after the universe rebooted. It was a hard act to follow. And while I think that every creative team did their best, Adams and Xermánico are the first to come in and really take Green Lantern to another level.

...new and creative applications of the Emotional Spectrum...

Everything that fans liked about the Johns era can be found in this new series as well. Action, mystery, not to mention new and creative applications of the Emotional Spectrum (personally I’m really invested into what other emotions we may see after Sorrow). What I like most is that while this feels familiar to the fan-favorite era, it’s not simply retreading old ground. Yes, it’s largely focusing on Hal and the Emotional Spectrum, but it’s also got its own unique identity dealing with the United Planets’ seizing control of the Green Lantern Corps.

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           For more of Lord Premier Thaaros taking over the Corps, read Green Lantern #7 (2024)!

Look, when you’re dealing which franchises that are decades old, it’s hard to come up with fresh storylines, especially after a saga that leaves an indelible mark on comic history. But within a year, Adams and Xermánico have managed to do that by finding what works about Green Lantern and finding their voice with the franchise. Sure, this comic hasn’t been around nearly as long as Johns’ saga, but I think the current Green Lantern series is doing a damn fine job living up to the example set nearly two decades ago.

Don't Miss Out, Start Reading the New Green Lantern Series Now!

Next Jumping On Point: Green Lantern #16, October 16th, 2024.

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This is all subjective of course, and there are no doubt some readers who may strongly prefer other eras of Green Lantern. But I think Johns’ time with the hero brought in a lot of fans and those fans are almost certainly the ones who are going to appreciate what Xermánico and Jeremy Adams are doing now. It’s still early yet, but believe me when I say that I’m extremely impressed with what I’m seeing with Green Lantern right now and I think a lot of other Green Lantern fans will like it as well.