Level 1 - Spotlight on Green Lantern Rebirth

To my readers, we at The Next Level are great fans of both gaming and comic books. But once in a while, a game or book is so good that it deserves some special recognition. If you would like to nominate a book or a game for the Spotlight, please send an email to nextlevelstaff@gmail.com with a brief explanation of why the book or game deserves its own segment. This week, we will be shining the Spotlight on Green Lantern Rebirth.



In 2004, the Green Lantern franchise was a mere shadow of what it is today. Despite having an active and moderately popular Lantern in the form of Kyle Rayner, DC Comics higher-ups decided to revitalize the franchise by handing over writing duties to Geoff Johns, who had previously revitalized The Flash. Johns then set about restoring the iconic Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, to the title role of the book in a miniseries that today is still considered to be a turning point in the Green Lantern Mythos.

After being bonded to the Spectre in 1999’s Day of Judgement, Hal Jordan’s character had been out of the public eye, save for a few minor appearances and a short-lived series. When Geoff Johns took over Green Lantern, he sought not only to revive Hal Jordan, but the concept of the Green Lantern Corps itself. The story of Green Lantern Rebirth is the story of Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner. Rayner travels the stars and uncovers a conspiracy designed to destroy the Green Lantern Corps and one of its greatest soldiers, Hal Jordan. However, the scariest thing about this conspiracy is that, it has nearly already succeeded, as the Corps was destroyed and Hal Jordan was dead. With the aid of Ganthet of Oa, the truth about Hal Jordan, Parallax, and the fate of the Green Lantern Corps is revealed.

What made this storyline so significant is that it set the stage for Green Lantern stories literally for YEARS to come. Also, it was written as the perfect gateway book. A non-comic fan can read this book, and enjoy it thoroughly. I’ve actually used my copy of this series in hardcover format to convert many non-comic readers into avid followers of Green Lantern. I would highly recommend going to your nearest bookstore and purchasing a copy of the TPB or HC of Green Lantern Rebirth. Also, if you have some extra dough lying around, picking up the Absolute Edition of Green Lantern Rebirth is highly recommended as it really accentuates the unbelievably stellar art. In addition, the Absolute Edition contains a backup story from Green Lantern Secret Files, a one-shot released between Green Lantern Rebirth and the relaunched Green Lantern series. If you liked Green Lantern Rebirth, continuing onward to “No Fear”, the next book in the series is the next logical step. If you have any comments about the spotlight, please send an email to nextlevelstaff@gmail.com . Your comment may be addressed on next week’s post.