Green Lantern: Suiting up for the new century
In the DC universe, the royal trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman reigns supreme. They are the icons of the comic industry with unbreakable fan bases. If one of them has a cape retailored, the news always spills over to CNN headlines. In a month, they have power to be in every nook and cranny of the DC universe, whether it be comics, film or TV.
Today, the Trinity is recruiting the Green Lantern into their exclusive club. As the wielder of the green ring of will, a green lantern can create solid weapon constructs that are only limited to his fearless imagination. Best of all, anyone can be chosen. This is why air force pilot Hal Jordan in the ’80s Super Friends can be replaced by the military officer John Stewart in the 00s Justice League. The hero doesn’t need to be Clark-Kent but can be you. The story is very apt in our individual driven era where people value one’s ability to create and succeed by his lonesome amid uncertain times.
For years, Green Lantern has been flying only in geek space until writer Geoff Johns made him soar into mainstream radar. He did such a stellar job with the franchise that DC appointed as a creative consultant in their films and other media. At present, Green Lantern is getting more buzz and sales than the Trinity. The main focus of last year’s DC event was Green Lantern’s Blackest Night saga that had a black power ring resurrect dead superheroes. The rebirth of Green Lantern to an A-list superhero is shaping the character to gain enough momentum by crossing over into other media. Green Lantern had an animated film last year and will be a live action film in 2011 starring Wolverine Origin’s Ryan Reynolds. With this much hyperspace shooting up, we’ll take a look into the five ways that Geoff Johns was able to catapult this fearless crusader into the stratosphere that will make some uptight tights green with envy.
1. Dig into the space mythology. With 51 years of intergalactic tales, Green Lantern has rich space mythology that could beat the likes of Star Wars. Geoff Johns plucked out the juiciest tale from the past such as a story from Watchmen’s Alan Moore. It told the prophetic destruction of the Green Lantern corps from other colored lanterns. The prophecy sprung a worthy foe for called the Sinestro corps who had the ability to instill fear with their yellow rings. Then, a full-blown war erupted between the rings of avarice, rage, love, compassion and hope. It was epic enough that a lot of new readers joined the fray and the mini event went from a Green Lantern story into a DC universe event overnight.
2. Casual casualties and comebacks. Geoff Johns is known for pulling the heartstrings of readers with his fanboy sensibilities. With a lot of cheesy Buffy-esque dialogue, characters die to be resurrected two years later. In green lantern mythos, each colored power ring army boasts a membership of at least 7,200. With a big cast, casualties abound in every page to intensify the massive gravity of the event. Later, these thousands of cheap deaths are resurrected as zombies out for revenge. Thus ensues another universe-wide war in the stars and on earth.
3. Cash cow costumes. Green Lantern is a collector’s dream and nightmare. With new power rings and a cast of thousands, readers inevitably can’t help but purchase the merchandise from actual rings, shirts and toys to express what type of lantern they are. Geoff Johns doesn’t make it easy either by giving power rings to Flash, Wonder Woman, and Lex Luthor. Thus, giving them new costumes that will turn into collectible toys that are at least a P1,000 each. DC also gave free rings, of each color bundled together with some comics. Thus, making rabid fans buy more comics to collect all the rings including male readers who embarrassingly post their violet ring of love online.
4. Tease with trailers. After every Green Lantern event, Geoff Johns inserted teasers of storylines that would appear one to two years later. Although the shock of future series’ plots are gone, the teasers created a lot of buzz for the coming months into the next event. The Blackest Night teaser had the Internet message boards alive on which DC character would be resurrected and generated debates on comic mortality.
5. Punch Batman. If all else fails, you can always punch one of the Trinity. As Hal Jordan is the man of no fear, it is natural that he would butt heads with the man who instills fear.
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Geoff Johns is currently adapting this formula to The Flash.
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