A present day zeitgeist of comic book Green Lantern began with a Rebirth, and it lived exactly up to the title’s name for near ten strong years, in volumes.
Last week Geoff Johns, the writer for 2004s game returner Green Lantern: Rebirth, made the farewell announcement that he will be leaving the character of Hal Jordan behind along with the entire Green Lantern Corps titles come this May with a promising 64-pager Green Lantern issue #20.
It’s a memorable millennial era on Johns tenure for a superhero out of DC Comics that’s been in print since Bill Finger and Martin Nodell created Earth’s original inheritor of the will-powered Ring in 1940. Johns, currently the Chief Creative Officer at DC Entertainment, was a key person in subsidiary winged DC Comics’ 2011 replete change over to cull down its entire line of characters and canon.
While many fans of animation, comics or both have loyalties to the namesake superhero’s later titular super-powered inheritants, the first creation has reserved a cornerstone continuity that won over reticents who prefer John Stewart or the ‘90’s Kyle Rayner.
Green Lantern: Rebirth ranked twelth overall in its first month back in 2004 , according to Diamond Comic Distribution statistics. In his own resignee letter, Johns expresses his own memorable catalyst to his time writing Green Lantern.
It was Dan DiDio and Peter Tomasi who I first spoke with about GREEN LANTERN. Dan was the Executive Editor of DC Comics at the time and Pete my editor on JSA. They both wanted to relaunch GREEN LANTERN. My very first proposal that I could find dates back to September 2nd, 2003 meaning I’ve been working on GREEN LANTERN for nearly ten years in some way or another. I’ll never forget Dan telling me his idea for the title, “Rebirth,” he said.
Several high selling story arcs and miniseries followed John;s initial foray into one of his own professed longtime favorites. Blackest Night took its own top selling spin upon a type of zombie resurrection.
Justice League has been a centerpiece title that fulcrums a publication axis for the whole 52 universe since premiering before all in 2011, with Geoff Johns the writer teaming up with co-publisher Jim Lee’s artwork to make JL a prime comic book. Justice League is also the title that Johns will be working his central conceptions for when Green Lantern #20 is done.
Lantern’s light will now shine of the storyline pennings put forth by ….
For Johns, his time writing for GL has not been just one of a favorite character but the collaborations along the ways.
And, of course, look at the amazing artists I worked with: Ethan Van Sciver, your mad genius was key to everything we expanded the universe into – the endless energy you have for creation is unmatched. Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, you brought a scope only you two could deliver culminating with BLACKEST NIGHT – and you’re showing the world what JUSTICE LEAGUE should be. And Doug Mahnke…he’s the current superstar I work with every month on GREEN LANTERN and have for years now. Doug, you’re one of the most amazing and unique artists in the business. Your power, grit and sense of wonder can be seen at its very best in the gatefold cover for GREEN LANTERN #20.
Rebirth in the way of exciting new plots and story curves is coming to a different comic book, but with Green Lantern on the team’s roster the resignation comes with a parting ways without an ultimatum.
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