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Green Lantern (2005) (Collected Editions)
Green Lantern: Rebirth
The sold out 6-issue miniseries event of 2004-2005 — written by Geoff Johns (BLACKEST NIGHT, TEEN TITANS) with art by Ethan Van Sciver and Prentis Rollins — is available in this new edition, complete with the preview story from Wizard Magazine as well as a number of extras previously only available in ABSOLUTE GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH!
Hal Jordan was considered the greatest Green Lantern of them all. But Jordan lost control, allowed himself to be corrupted and transformed into the villainous Parallax. Later, Jordan reappeared and made the ultimate sacrifice — a sacrifice that allowed him to become the Spectre, the Wrath of God.
After several years of activity on Earth, The Spectre became restless and sought a way to prove himself worthy of that noble reputation. See how a man born without fear and seeking to rebuild his life, puts cosmic forces into motion that will have repercussions not only on Earth but across the universe. This volume sets up the events of BLACKEST NIGHT and revitalized Green Lantern as one of the most important heroes of the DCU!
Collecting GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH #1-6.
Hal Jordan was considered the greatest Green Lantern of them all. But Jordan lost control, allowed himself to be corrupted and transformed into the villainous Parallax. Later, Jordan reappeared and made the ultimate sacrifice — a sacrifice that allowed him to become the Spectre, the Wrath of God.
After several years of activity on Earth, The Spectre became restless and sought a way to prove himself worthy of that noble reputation. See how a man born without fear and seeking to rebuild his life, puts cosmic forces into motion that will have repercussions not only on Earth but across the universe. This volume sets up the events of BLACKEST NIGHT and revitalized Green Lantern as one of the most important heroes of the DCU!
Collecting GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH #1-6.
122 pages, Paperback
First published October 12, 2005
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,947 books2,241 followersGeoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 453 reviews
December 21, 2019
This will be my 3d time reading this story, so I decided to check out the Absolute Rebirth from the library, instead of just
Plain Old
Rebirth.
So, what's the difference?
Well, this one is taller. You know, like physically bigger than a normal volume?
Part of me thought it was cool, and the other part of me felt like I do when I accidentally request the large print version of a book.
Oh, shiiiiit. This is fuckin' huge!
Still, it's different with graphic novels, because bigger actually is better. It's not like you're just staring at larger font after all.
Another neat-o thing the Absolute had was a pretty little green ribbon attached to it for use as a bookmark.
Classy!
Ok, ok! You also get the story In Flight by Darwyn Cooke , which was a nice little shorty.
There's the script for the first issue (or whatever) in the back, as well. I personally never ever, no never, read those. Boooooring. Why would I read the script of a comic book? I think it takes a special sort of fan to want to read through all of the notes and whatnot.
To me, it's the equivalent of watching a movie again, only this time with the commentary from the actors or director on. I can't bring myself to care even a little bit about what was running through their heads when they shot a certain scene. Just like I can't bring myself to care about notations made to a comic script.
Oh shit! I just flipped through it! There's not even any notations. Hahahaha!
It's just a straight-up script. Like, word for word what's in the comic.
Well, fuck that noise. That's just stupid.
Right, Hal?
Ok, now I know I make fun of Green Lantern comics all of the time, but this one was written when this title was still cool. Before there were 10 bjillion spin-off titles, endless crossover events, and a plethora of watered-down new characters.
This was the GOOD stuff.
Sometimes, I wonder why the hell I keep reading Green Lantern titles, and that's why I'm rereading this again. I needed something to remind me of why I fell in love with the Corps.
Before the clusterfuck storylines that New 52 brought to the table, Hal Jordan was one of the best and most badass superheroes in the DC universe.
Oh, and believe it or not, this is one of the few Green Lantern stories that makes Kyle seem like a true ass-kicker. Check this art out:
The story?
Well, even though it's called Rebirth, Hal wasn't dead. Not really anyway. After he turned evil, became Parallax, destroyed a bunch of shit, and then sacrificed himself to re-light the sun, his spirit bonded with the Spectre. For those of you who don't know, he's the Spirit of Vengeance, and supposedly works for God doling out justice to bad guys. <---accidentally typed gays instead of guys. Dude! If I hadn't caught that, somebody would have thought poor old Spectre was a homophobic religious figure. How weird would that be?!
Anyway, Hal, Parallax, and Spectre are all having a 3 way.
And, at this point in the game, nobody knows that Parallax is the entity of Fear. Not even Hal.
Everyone thinks that Jordan just went crazy, or power-mad, or...something. And now he's trying to redeem himself by serving as Spectre's human form.
So, the rest of the story is all about how the existence of Parallax comes to light, and Hal gets divorced from Spectre.
The highlight of this story is definitely when Batman gets his ass handed to him.
Ass. Handed. To. Him.
First, by John Stewart, who calls him out for constantly railing on Hal.
Seems like Batman's dislike of Jordan is a bit personal.
Is it because Batman relies on people's Fear of him? Which means, to a man without fear, Batman wouldn't be the Dark Knight, would he?
He'd just be...
And then, finally, Hal spanks Bruce like a naughty schoolboy. Heh.
Boo-yah! Suck it, Bats!
Ok, ok. I'm done!
Telling much more about the plot would likely ruin it for anyone who hasn't already read Rebirth, anyway. And you should read it!
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about the Greatest Green Lantern.
So, what's the difference?
Well, this one is taller. You know, like physically bigger than a normal volume?
Part of me thought it was cool, and the other part of me felt like I do when I accidentally request the large print version of a book.
Oh, shiiiiit. This is fuckin' huge!
Still, it's different with graphic novels, because bigger actually is better. It's not like you're just staring at larger font after all.
Another neat-o thing the Absolute had was a pretty little green ribbon attached to it for use as a bookmark.
Classy!
Ok, ok! You also get the story In Flight by Darwyn Cooke , which was a nice little shorty.
There's the script for the first issue (or whatever) in the back, as well. I personally never ever, no never, read those. Boooooring. Why would I read the script of a comic book? I think it takes a special sort of fan to want to read through all of the notes and whatnot.
To me, it's the equivalent of watching a movie again, only this time with the commentary from the actors or director on. I can't bring myself to care even a little bit about what was running through their heads when they shot a certain scene. Just like I can't bring myself to care about notations made to a comic script.
Oh shit! I just flipped through it! There's not even any notations. Hahahaha!
It's just a straight-up script. Like, word for word what's in the comic.
Well, fuck that noise. That's just stupid.
Right, Hal?
Ok, now I know I make fun of Green Lantern comics all of the time, but this one was written when this title was still cool. Before there were 10 bjillion spin-off titles, endless crossover events, and a plethora of watered-down new characters.
This was the GOOD stuff.
Sometimes, I wonder why the hell I keep reading Green Lantern titles, and that's why I'm rereading this again. I needed something to remind me of why I fell in love with the Corps.
Before the clusterfuck storylines that New 52 brought to the table, Hal Jordan was one of the best and most badass superheroes in the DC universe.
Oh, and believe it or not, this is one of the few Green Lantern stories that makes Kyle seem like a true ass-kicker. Check this art out:
The story?
Well, even though it's called Rebirth, Hal wasn't dead. Not really anyway. After he turned evil, became Parallax, destroyed a bunch of shit, and then sacrificed himself to re-light the sun, his spirit bonded with the Spectre. For those of you who don't know, he's the Spirit of Vengeance, and supposedly works for God doling out justice to bad guys. <---accidentally typed gays instead of guys. Dude! If I hadn't caught that, somebody would have thought poor old Spectre was a homophobic religious figure. How weird would that be?!
Anyway, Hal, Parallax, and Spectre are all having a 3 way.
And, at this point in the game, nobody knows that Parallax is the entity of Fear. Not even Hal.
Everyone thinks that Jordan just went crazy, or power-mad, or...something. And now he's trying to redeem himself by serving as Spectre's human form.
So, the rest of the story is all about how the existence of Parallax comes to light, and Hal gets divorced from Spectre.
The highlight of this story is definitely when Batman gets his ass handed to him.
Ass. Handed. To. Him.
First, by John Stewart, who calls him out for constantly railing on Hal.
Seems like Batman's dislike of Jordan is a bit personal.
Is it because Batman relies on people's Fear of him? Which means, to a man without fear, Batman wouldn't be the Dark Knight, would he?
He'd just be...
And then, finally, Hal spanks Bruce like a naughty schoolboy. Heh.
Boo-yah! Suck it, Bats!
Ok, ok. I'm done!
Telling much more about the plot would likely ruin it for anyone who hasn't already read Rebirth, anyway. And you should read it!
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about the Greatest Green Lantern.
March 15, 2023
Geoff Johns' mini-series depicting the rebirth… or should that be transfer of Hal Jordan from being the Spectre, and becoming the Green Lantern again. This bestselling series was a good read. 7 out of 12, Three Star read.
2012 read
2012 read
August 17, 2017
Hal Jordan is born again!
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I chosen this TPB edition for being able of making a better overall review.
This TPB edition collects “Green Lantern: Rebirth” #1-6.
Creative Team:
Writer: Geoff Johns
Illustrator: Ethan Van Sciver
A GREEN LUNG CAN BE A GOOD THING!
In a medical sense, if you have a “green lung”, without being a doctor, you can be sure that that can’t be a good thing, BUT…
…in a comic book sense, having a “green lung” can be a good thing!
If you don’t believe me, just ask DC Comics, when back then, in 2004-2005, the Green Lantern: Rebirth miniseries was published, getting back Hal Jordan to his greatness as a good guy again.
Just the “Rebirth” title was a good omen, because later it was used on The Flash (getting back Barry Allen) and the most recent (2016) reboot for the entire DC Universe was named with that very distinction, Rebirth.
And all started it here, with Geoff Johns & Ethan Van Sciver.
And why the “green lung” thing? You may ask…
…well, since Green Lanter: Rebirth in 2004-2005 until 2009, during 5 years, Green Lantern and its related titles were without a doubt the “green lung” to keep breathing to the whole DC Comics company, keeping it afloat in sales, with kickin’ butts storylines like Sinestro Corps War, Rage of the Red Lanterns and Agent Orange, expanding the inner universe of Green Lantern as never before since its re-invention in the Silver Age, to the point that due the bad reception of 2008’s Final Crisis, DC Comics didn’t risk it anymore and they just “took” Blackest Night event, that it should be an inner Green Lantern event, becoming its 2009’s DC Universe big event publishing tie-ins in all its titles, selling comic book issues like nuts.
Breathing is good thing and a comic book company “breaths” with its sales, and certainly the “green lung” of Green Lantern under the direction of Goeff Johns was totally profitable with “green bills” for the company and for Geoff Johns too, since after that, he became the top shot writer boss for DC Comics controlling the “New52” reboot and the rest since then.
So, what did we learn today, boys and girls?
That a “green lung” is a good thing for a comic book publishing company, but for humans like you, not so much…
…well, except if that human is Geoff Johns, of course.
HAL JORDAN’S REDEMPTION
Hal Jordan was once the best of all Green Lanterns, but if you know some history of the GL Corps, “being the best of all” isn’t a good sign in that space cop organization, since its previous bearer of the title was Sinestro.
Hal Jordan “lose it” after the destruction of Coast City, his home town, due the combined forces of Mongul and Cyborg Superman, during the epic Reign of the Supermen storyline, so Hal went into a crazy rampage killing a huge bunch of the GL Corps and almost all the Guardians of the Universe, and after that he provoked the Zero Hour crisis, and since then he was a fearsome menace for the entire DC Universe under the new name of Parallax.
However, during the Final Night (don´t confuse with Final Crisis that it’s a totally different comic book event), Hal sacrificed himself to re-ignite the Sun and after that he merges the Spectre.
But that sacrifice didn’t clean his image with the most of the DC Universe characters, keeping his bad reputation due the things that he done.
Now, everything related to the past of Hal Jordan is getting back as was before, Guy Gardner is losing his alien powers, Coast City is rising again, etc… there is a clear pattern and Batman doesn’t like it a bit.
The Justice League and the Justice Society are on the case, but…
…Hal Jordan was a Green Lantern, and thi seems to be a Green Lantern Corps affair.
John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner and other surprising appearances are taking the matter on their hands since a secret kept by the Guardians of the Universe since the very formation of the original Power Battery, will be revealed and NOTHING will be the same anymore on the Green Lantern inner universe…
…it will be cooler and better!!!
Beware his power!
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I chosen this TPB edition for being able of making a better overall review.
This TPB edition collects “Green Lantern: Rebirth” #1-6.
Creative Team:
Writer: Geoff Johns
Illustrator: Ethan Van Sciver
A GREEN LUNG CAN BE A GOOD THING!
In a medical sense, if you have a “green lung”, without being a doctor, you can be sure that that can’t be a good thing, BUT…
…in a comic book sense, having a “green lung” can be a good thing!
If you don’t believe me, just ask DC Comics, when back then, in 2004-2005, the Green Lantern: Rebirth miniseries was published, getting back Hal Jordan to his greatness as a good guy again.
Just the “Rebirth” title was a good omen, because later it was used on The Flash (getting back Barry Allen) and the most recent (2016) reboot for the entire DC Universe was named with that very distinction, Rebirth.
And all started it here, with Geoff Johns & Ethan Van Sciver.
And why the “green lung” thing? You may ask…
…well, since Green Lanter: Rebirth in 2004-2005 until 2009, during 5 years, Green Lantern and its related titles were without a doubt the “green lung” to keep breathing to the whole DC Comics company, keeping it afloat in sales, with kickin’ butts storylines like Sinestro Corps War, Rage of the Red Lanterns and Agent Orange, expanding the inner universe of Green Lantern as never before since its re-invention in the Silver Age, to the point that due the bad reception of 2008’s Final Crisis, DC Comics didn’t risk it anymore and they just “took” Blackest Night event, that it should be an inner Green Lantern event, becoming its 2009’s DC Universe big event publishing tie-ins in all its titles, selling comic book issues like nuts.
Breathing is good thing and a comic book company “breaths” with its sales, and certainly the “green lung” of Green Lantern under the direction of Goeff Johns was totally profitable with “green bills” for the company and for Geoff Johns too, since after that, he became the top shot writer boss for DC Comics controlling the “New52” reboot and the rest since then.
So, what did we learn today, boys and girls?
That a “green lung” is a good thing for a comic book publishing company, but for humans like you, not so much…
…well, except if that human is Geoff Johns, of course.
HAL JORDAN’S REDEMPTION
Hal Jordan was once the best of all Green Lanterns, but if you know some history of the GL Corps, “being the best of all” isn’t a good sign in that space cop organization, since its previous bearer of the title was Sinestro.
Hal Jordan “lose it” after the destruction of Coast City, his home town, due the combined forces of Mongul and Cyborg Superman, during the epic Reign of the Supermen storyline, so Hal went into a crazy rampage killing a huge bunch of the GL Corps and almost all the Guardians of the Universe, and after that he provoked the Zero Hour crisis, and since then he was a fearsome menace for the entire DC Universe under the new name of Parallax.
However, during the Final Night (don´t confuse with Final Crisis that it’s a totally different comic book event), Hal sacrificed himself to re-ignite the Sun and after that he merges the Spectre.
But that sacrifice didn’t clean his image with the most of the DC Universe characters, keeping his bad reputation due the things that he done.
Now, everything related to the past of Hal Jordan is getting back as was before, Guy Gardner is losing his alien powers, Coast City is rising again, etc… there is a clear pattern and Batman doesn’t like it a bit.
The Justice League and the Justice Society are on the case, but…
…Hal Jordan was a Green Lantern, and thi seems to be a Green Lantern Corps affair.
John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner and other surprising appearances are taking the matter on their hands since a secret kept by the Guardians of the Universe since the very formation of the original Power Battery, will be revealed and NOTHING will be the same anymore on the Green Lantern inner universe…
…it will be cooler and better!!!
Beware his power!
May 17, 2016
It’s Batman vs. the Green Lantern Corps!!!
Those jade weenies are causing problems on a galactic scale and it’s up to Bats to set those bastards straight. The Green Lanterns have their power rings. Batman is Batman. Nuff said.
So Bats basically says, “I’m Batman.” Lobs a few well-placed batarangs, whips out his anti-Green Lantern kit and the Lanterns kneel before the greatness that is Batman.
The End.
Wow! Jeff, this sounds like the greatest Green Lantern book! Ever!
Is this actually what happened?
Uh, no.
Hal Jordan is back from the sun or something, but he’s currently enmeshed in a three-some with The Spectre (dishing out some JUSTICE) and Parallax (vying for control of Hal’s soul).
The other Earth-based Green Lanterns are all here as well: Guy Gardner, John Stewart and, taking a break from shopping for a new refrigerator, Kyle Rayner. Batman, always the voice of reason in the DC universe, doesn’t trust any of this and when Parallax takes control of the Green Lanterns and that itty bitty Guardian Smurf guy, Bats mobilizes the Justice League.
Who’s Parallax, Jeff?
It somehow took over Hal Jordan back in the '90's and made Hal do some bad stuff and now he’s back.
This one starts off slow (and confusing), but Johns gets the emerald ball of fun rolling about half way into this. Some nice moments including a breakdown on how each Lantern controls his ring and some fine moments for the Green Arrow.
Bottom line: If you have any interest in reading about the Green Lantern Corp, this would be a recommended place to begin, even if they forgot to include Pieface.
Remember Lanterns: Batman is watching, so watch your step.
Those jade weenies are causing problems on a galactic scale and it’s up to Bats to set those bastards straight. The Green Lanterns have their power rings. Batman is Batman. Nuff said.
So Bats basically says, “I’m Batman.” Lobs a few well-placed batarangs, whips out his anti-Green Lantern kit and the Lanterns kneel before the greatness that is Batman.
The End.
Wow! Jeff, this sounds like the greatest Green Lantern book! Ever!
Is this actually what happened?
Uh, no.
Hal Jordan is back from the sun or something, but he’s currently enmeshed in a three-some with The Spectre (dishing out some JUSTICE) and Parallax (vying for control of Hal’s soul).
The other Earth-based Green Lanterns are all here as well: Guy Gardner, John Stewart and, taking a break from shopping for a new refrigerator, Kyle Rayner. Batman, always the voice of reason in the DC universe, doesn’t trust any of this and when Parallax takes control of the Green Lanterns and that itty bitty Guardian Smurf guy, Bats mobilizes the Justice League.
Who’s Parallax, Jeff?
It somehow took over Hal Jordan back in the '90's and made Hal do some bad stuff and now he’s back.
This one starts off slow (and confusing), but Johns gets the emerald ball of fun rolling about half way into this. Some nice moments including a breakdown on how each Lantern controls his ring and some fine moments for the Green Arrow.
Bottom line: If you have any interest in reading about the Green Lantern Corp, this would be a recommended place to begin, even if they forgot to include Pieface.
Remember Lanterns: Batman is watching, so watch your step.
December 13, 2016
In 2004 Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern wasn’t selling so DC decided to get Geoff Johns to reinstate the original Silver Age Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, as the main dude. Green Lantern: Rebirth is the book where it all went down - and what a sucky, overrated comic it is!
This is an example of the writer/publisher having an agenda rather than a story because the main purpose of this book was to have Hal Jordan back as Green Lantern which Geoff Johns clumsily accomplishes but forgets to write much of an accompanying story.
Back in the early ‘90s when Hal was given the boot, he was turned into the villain Parallax and went on to kill lotsa peeps. Johns retcons this idea by saying Hal was a puppet of Parallax - Hal never killed anyone, the evil spirit that possessed him dunit! A few years later DC made Hal The Spectre because whatever the hell. Johns deals with this problem by having the Spectre arbitrarily decide to leave Hal and join with someone else, leaving him open to becoming Green Lantern again. All very convenient, eh?
And it goes on like this. What are Ganthet, Sinestro, Parallax, and notable members of the Green Lantern Corps suddenly doing on Earth? So Hal can team up with the Corps to defeat Ganthet/Sinestro/Parallax at the end to make it seem like you’ve read a real story. Why did Ganthet bring Hal’s corpse with him? So Hal’s spirit could inhabit it and come back to life. How did Ferris Airfields go from being derelict to a working airfield again? Because Hal is a pilot and the location is an important part of his origins.
Rebirth is one of the most contrived stories I’ve ever read! Things happen not because they make any kind of narrative sense but because Johns needed to put all the pieces back into place. It’s such a clunkily put-together pseudo-story and one of Johns’ most poorly written hack jobs.
Hal’s origins and history are explained a bit so new readers can get up to speed on the character but the amount of backstory and characters dredged up is still likely to overwhelm them. Rebirth is where people who want to start reading Green Lantern get directed but it’s not a very accessible jumping-on point.
Crucially what’s missing is WHY we should be excited that Hal Jordan is back as Green Lantern. Johns doesn’t make a strong case for him at all. Hal just comes off as a guy - nobody really special, not that personable or interesting. But Johns really likes Hal and that’s all that matters - that’s why it’s a big deal he’s returned. Johns also really hates Batman for some reason so writes him like a complete dickhead and even has Hal punch him at one point! Sheesh. Did it make me cheer for Hal? Nope, in fact I wanted Batman to kick the shit out of him instead!
The visuals are pretty spectacular and full credit to Ethan Van Sciver for his work on this book but that’s a small consolation for what is a thoroughly terrible comic. With Green Lantern: Rebirth, Geoff Johns awkwardly maneuvered Hal Jordan as DC’s main Green Lantern once again but failed to do so in a memorable or coherent way, totally lacking both style and substance.
This is an example of the writer/publisher having an agenda rather than a story because the main purpose of this book was to have Hal Jordan back as Green Lantern which Geoff Johns clumsily accomplishes but forgets to write much of an accompanying story.
Back in the early ‘90s when Hal was given the boot, he was turned into the villain Parallax and went on to kill lotsa peeps. Johns retcons this idea by saying Hal was a puppet of Parallax - Hal never killed anyone, the evil spirit that possessed him dunit! A few years later DC made Hal The Spectre because whatever the hell. Johns deals with this problem by having the Spectre arbitrarily decide to leave Hal and join with someone else, leaving him open to becoming Green Lantern again. All very convenient, eh?
And it goes on like this. What are Ganthet, Sinestro, Parallax, and notable members of the Green Lantern Corps suddenly doing on Earth? So Hal can team up with the Corps to defeat Ganthet/Sinestro/Parallax at the end to make it seem like you’ve read a real story. Why did Ganthet bring Hal’s corpse with him? So Hal’s spirit could inhabit it and come back to life. How did Ferris Airfields go from being derelict to a working airfield again? Because Hal is a pilot and the location is an important part of his origins.
Rebirth is one of the most contrived stories I’ve ever read! Things happen not because they make any kind of narrative sense but because Johns needed to put all the pieces back into place. It’s such a clunkily put-together pseudo-story and one of Johns’ most poorly written hack jobs.
Hal’s origins and history are explained a bit so new readers can get up to speed on the character but the amount of backstory and characters dredged up is still likely to overwhelm them. Rebirth is where people who want to start reading Green Lantern get directed but it’s not a very accessible jumping-on point.
Crucially what’s missing is WHY we should be excited that Hal Jordan is back as Green Lantern. Johns doesn’t make a strong case for him at all. Hal just comes off as a guy - nobody really special, not that personable or interesting. But Johns really likes Hal and that’s all that matters - that’s why it’s a big deal he’s returned. Johns also really hates Batman for some reason so writes him like a complete dickhead and even has Hal punch him at one point! Sheesh. Did it make me cheer for Hal? Nope, in fact I wanted Batman to kick the shit out of him instead!
The visuals are pretty spectacular and full credit to Ethan Van Sciver for his work on this book but that’s a small consolation for what is a thoroughly terrible comic. With Green Lantern: Rebirth, Geoff Johns awkwardly maneuvered Hal Jordan as DC’s main Green Lantern once again but failed to do so in a memorable or coherent way, totally lacking both style and substance.
February 9, 2017
As reboots of a franchise goes, this is definitely one of the best. The horrors of Parallax and Sinestro come back to the forefront, but this isn't all just about Hal Jordan. This is about all the Earthly Green Lanterns.
I feel spoiled and rather silly.
I read the volumes leading up to and through the Blackest Night cycle, of which this began it, but I started several volumes after this one. I feel kind of stupid, now. This was very good. It also looks like I need to go back and read through all the Corps as well.
As a mythology, it's really robust. As a space opera, it's pretty damn glorious and flashy and Huge. In many ways, GL is easily one of the best comics out there, able grab my imagination in a stranglehold and scream at me to Submit! ;)
But I won't fear. I think I'll just read and enjoy. :)
I feel spoiled and rather silly.
I read the volumes leading up to and through the Blackest Night cycle, of which this began it, but I started several volumes after this one. I feel kind of stupid, now. This was very good. It also looks like I need to go back and read through all the Corps as well.
As a mythology, it's really robust. As a space opera, it's pretty damn glorious and flashy and Huge. In many ways, GL is easily one of the best comics out there, able grab my imagination in a stranglehold and scream at me to Submit! ;)
But I won't fear. I think I'll just read and enjoy. :)
April 11, 2016
Hal Jordan, possibly the greatest of the Green Lanterns, battles with the two entities bonded with him, The Spectre and Parallax, for a second chance. Will he return to the land of the living and, if so, what will be waiting for him when he gets there...?
First off, the very first super hero action figure I owned other than some Mego ones was the Green Lantern from the Super Powers collection. That being said, I only have a handful of Green Lantern comics in my collection. I picked this one up because I like Geoff Johns and I figure he must be doing something right to have Green Lantern rise in popularity enough to warrant a movie (I still haven't seen). Did it live up to my expectations?
Nah. It wasn't bad, though. It was cool seeing Guy Gardner in a GL outfit again and great to see Kyle Rayner and Green Arrow taking on Sinestro, and Kilowog and John Stewart back in the fold. I may even have gotten a nerd chubby when the assembled Green Lanterns recited their oath at the central power battery.
Still, those parts were partially negated by all the fanboy masturbation Geoff Johns aimed in Hal Jordan's direction. The same thing happened in Flash: Rebirth. I hate to say it but the 1970's weren't the pinnacle of comic book creativity. Just because Hal Jordan and Barry Allen were the versions of the characters people remember from episodes of the Super Friends in the 1970's doesn't mean it always has to be that way. Johns pretty much negated ten years of interesting Green Lantern stories by hitting the reset button and restoring the status quo.
And to top it off, Kyle doesn't have the crab mask anymore! Let's see how long it takes Terry to notice that...
I guess what I'm trying to say is that Green Lantern: Rebirth isn't bad. It was a lot of fun at times. It just didn't feel that necessary to me. They could have stuck to their guns and had Kyle Rayner step up and lead the Green Lantern Corps. and not brought Hal back. Still, it's a 3 star book.
First off, the very first super hero action figure I owned other than some Mego ones was the Green Lantern from the Super Powers collection. That being said, I only have a handful of Green Lantern comics in my collection. I picked this one up because I like Geoff Johns and I figure he must be doing something right to have Green Lantern rise in popularity enough to warrant a movie (I still haven't seen). Did it live up to my expectations?
Nah. It wasn't bad, though. It was cool seeing Guy Gardner in a GL outfit again and great to see Kyle Rayner and Green Arrow taking on Sinestro, and Kilowog and John Stewart back in the fold. I may even have gotten a nerd chubby when the assembled Green Lanterns recited their oath at the central power battery.
Still, those parts were partially negated by all the fanboy masturbation Geoff Johns aimed in Hal Jordan's direction. The same thing happened in Flash: Rebirth. I hate to say it but the 1970's weren't the pinnacle of comic book creativity. Just because Hal Jordan and Barry Allen were the versions of the characters people remember from episodes of the Super Friends in the 1970's doesn't mean it always has to be that way. Johns pretty much negated ten years of interesting Green Lantern stories by hitting the reset button and restoring the status quo.
And to top it off, Kyle doesn't have the crab mask anymore! Let's see how long it takes Terry to notice that...
I guess what I'm trying to say is that Green Lantern: Rebirth isn't bad. It was a lot of fun at times. It just didn't feel that necessary to me. They could have stuck to their guns and had Kyle Rayner step up and lead the Green Lantern Corps. and not brought Hal back. Still, it's a 3 star book.
June 16, 2023
This is a collection that has several Green Lanterns but mostly deals with the return of Hal Jordan. It is side collection to the DC event of Infinite Crisis.
We all know that a comic book character will not stay dead. The question is the handling of them being brought back. I have to say that I enjoyed this quite a bit and this is coming from a person who was never a fan of Green Lantern. Even as a kid I did not enjoy him. This collection swayed my thinking a little. I jumped into this as I have read the Infinite Crisis and some of the side pieces. I did not know why Hal Jordan was in his current state. With that being said I was never lost in the story. As for the story I enjoyed that as we get to see the differences between several Lanterns and also Hal's struggle to come back and deal with the consequences of his actions. We get appearances from many DC characters and I enjoyed this also as it portrayed this was a grand event. As it should be for the come back of a major character. The highlight of this collection was the artwork. It was beautiful and had me wondering why all comic books cannot have this degree of artwork. From the action scenes to showing the feelings of the characters I loved each panel.
When I start a series I have to read everything connected to it. That is why I read this because of its connection to Infinite Crisis. I wasn't eager to read this because of it being a Green Lantern story. I was quickly dispelled of that notion and I enjoyed it all. The story and the artwork was terrific. One of the better collections connected to that event. It has connections to other events but it is a self contained story that I believe all readers would enjoy.
We all know that a comic book character will not stay dead. The question is the handling of them being brought back. I have to say that I enjoyed this quite a bit and this is coming from a person who was never a fan of Green Lantern. Even as a kid I did not enjoy him. This collection swayed my thinking a little. I jumped into this as I have read the Infinite Crisis and some of the side pieces. I did not know why Hal Jordan was in his current state. With that being said I was never lost in the story. As for the story I enjoyed that as we get to see the differences between several Lanterns and also Hal's struggle to come back and deal with the consequences of his actions. We get appearances from many DC characters and I enjoyed this also as it portrayed this was a grand event. As it should be for the come back of a major character. The highlight of this collection was the artwork. It was beautiful and had me wondering why all comic books cannot have this degree of artwork. From the action scenes to showing the feelings of the characters I loved each panel.
When I start a series I have to read everything connected to it. That is why I read this because of its connection to Infinite Crisis. I wasn't eager to read this because of it being a Green Lantern story. I was quickly dispelled of that notion and I enjoyed it all. The story and the artwork was terrific. One of the better collections connected to that event. It has connections to other events but it is a self contained story that I believe all readers would enjoy.
November 10, 2022
Great artwork, great story. This is everything a comic should be, I loved this story and I am not even a Green Lantern fan. A friend of mine showsed one of the comics in this series, so I got this one. If like me no do not have the greatest knowledge of the Green Lanterns everything you need to know is in the self contained volume.
This story is the return of the greatest of the GLC Hal Jorden, but it is also a new lease on life for the whole GLC itself. The great thing is as much as this is a return story done right it does also give the series a great future to look forward to.
Hal raised his status to greatest member of the GLC, then ultimately became one of the most infamous member, killing and essentially shattering the Corps. Then as an act of redemption, saved the world at the cost of his own life, snd allowed his soul to be bonded to the Septor, DC's spirit of vengence. However could the cause of Hal's fall have been more that met the eye, and with other GL's acting out of the ordinary, could the threat have resurfaced. I especially loved the confrontations between GL snd Batman. Great story, scripting, and art work it is hard to find any fault with this at all.
This story is the return of the greatest of the GLC Hal Jorden, but it is also a new lease on life for the whole GLC itself. The great thing is as much as this is a return story done right it does also give the series a great future to look forward to.
Hal raised his status to greatest member of the GLC, then ultimately became one of the most infamous member, killing and essentially shattering the Corps. Then as an act of redemption, saved the world at the cost of his own life, snd allowed his soul to be bonded to the Septor, DC's spirit of vengence. However could the cause of Hal's fall have been more that met the eye, and with other GL's acting out of the ordinary, could the threat have resurfaced. I especially loved the confrontations between GL snd Batman. Great story, scripting, and art work it is hard to find any fault with this at all.
April 10, 2019
This is another one of those volumes where the 'likes' and 'dislikes' run head-on into each other.
It was great to see Hal Jordan - who I think of foremost if / when I think of this particular superhero - clearing his name, so to speak, and resuming his work as his costumed alter ego. Ditto the scenes, which were my favorite in this book, where he's joined in battle by Earth's other GLs John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, and Guy Gardner. There's also a nice full-page rendering of a combined Justice League (featuring a suspicious Batman) and Justice Society swooping in to lend a hand at a critical moment.
However, by the conclusion I realized that the story was sort of thin, or not terribly complex and just stretched out. In a nagging way it felt as if whatever happened in years past (and there was a lot going on that I was unaware of) was explained and then resolved here with a relatively simple 'hand wave' or two. But, those issues aside, I'm curious to see what transpires in the subsequent volumes.
It was great to see Hal Jordan - who I think of foremost if / when I think of this particular superhero - clearing his name, so to speak, and resuming his work as his costumed alter ego. Ditto the scenes, which were my favorite in this book, where he's joined in battle by Earth's other GLs John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, and Guy Gardner. There's also a nice full-page rendering of a combined Justice League (featuring a suspicious Batman) and Justice Society swooping in to lend a hand at a critical moment.
However, by the conclusion I realized that the story was sort of thin, or not terribly complex and just stretched out. In a nagging way it felt as if whatever happened in years past (and there was a lot going on that I was unaware of) was explained and then resolved here with a relatively simple 'hand wave' or two. But, those issues aside, I'm curious to see what transpires in the subsequent volumes.
November 13, 2017
Una vita rinata.
Una città rinata.
Un Corpo rinato.
Un eroe rinato.
Semplicemente il miglior "reboot" fumettistico di tutti i tempi, senza se e senza ma.
"Lo sai...? ...Ancora non riesco a ricordare quel dannato giuramento."
"Io non lo dimenticherò mai."
August 30, 2016
This is the first standalone Green Lantern title I've ever read. Zero Year Crisis in Time does not count, trust me.
Hal Jordan has a long history. At some point he became Parallax and destroyed Coast City. That's no spoiler anymore. And now he's back from the dead, following his reign as Parallax and flying into a star. As I'm told.
So Hal Jordan rescues a fighter pilot from crashing. It seems that he, Spectre (the spirit of vengeance) and capital P Parallax are all stuck in his fleshy meat sack. But Parallax--I thought he was destroyed? Guess not. And now Hal is trying to reintegrate himself from the dead but with Spectre dealing out vengeance it's putting people on edge like his friend Green Arrow, who knows something is wrong. That's where it starts.
Then Kyle Rayner discovers an alien species chanting "Parallax is coming" at the edge of universe. Later Guy Gardner and Kyle are chilling at Warriors Bar in NYC when Guy goes nuclear. Only Hal Jordan's statue survives. Then pilots fly over Coast City and are shocked to see it has changed from its former rubble. Powerful things are in motion.
To find out more you'll just have to read it. The Green Lanterns face Fear itself and the return of Parallax. And most succumb to fear except for the man who is most fearful, but ah, therein lies the beauty of the irony, for that makes him most brave and wise in his fear of fear itself, doesn't it? And Jordan must face his own worst enemy, one that can't be defeated by brute strength: himself.
June 27, 2014
For those following Hal Jordan's career you know he did some horrible things and without going into details I'll leave it at that though there are spoilers further below. I found the artwork engaging for an action piece with some of the frames overlapping and almost exploding to one another in an interesting fashion. You get the Justice League showing up as it takes on epic proportions, previous and current Green Lantern heroes and even a few people from the Justice Society (a la Earth 1, Earth 2).
There's an intelligent design explaining Hal Jordan's horrible actions and getting him out of the doghouse. That said, let's be clear that it was a way to bring Hal Jordan back and highly doubt it was planned this way all along.
ARTWORK: B plus; ACTION SEQUENCES: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B to B plus; DIALOGUE/CHARACTERS: B plus; WHEN READ: early February 2012 (revised end of July 2012); OVERALL GRADE: B plus.
There's an intelligent design explaining Hal Jordan's horrible actions and getting him out of the doghouse. That said, let's be clear that it was a way to bring Hal Jordan back and highly doubt it was planned this way all along.
ARTWORK: B plus; ACTION SEQUENCES: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B to B plus; DIALOGUE/CHARACTERS: B plus; WHEN READ: early February 2012 (revised end of July 2012); OVERALL GRADE: B plus.
May 17, 2016
Wow, that was exciting.
It took a little while to really get started, seeing as I had to put all the pieces together. I didn't have any prior knowledge of what led up to any of this honestly, but I came out better than fine!
This plot is really intricately designed, and I dig that. The dialogue was good and there were a lot of small cameos by other heroes aside from the Lantern Corps. The artwork was amazing.
I really like that this introduces more of who the other Green Lanterns are. It focuses on Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner and throws Kilowog in for good measure. My absolute favorite scene was when Hal was briefly describing all of the Lanterns' fighting styles in a way that also described the personalities of each of the Lanterns.
This is a must-read for serious DC fans. I would advise reading whatever leads up to this first for the best reading experience, but it was still awesome.
It took a little while to really get started, seeing as I had to put all the pieces together. I didn't have any prior knowledge of what led up to any of this honestly, but I came out better than fine!
This plot is really intricately designed, and I dig that. The dialogue was good and there were a lot of small cameos by other heroes aside from the Lantern Corps. The artwork was amazing.
I really like that this introduces more of who the other Green Lanterns are. It focuses on Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner and throws Kilowog in for good measure. My absolute favorite scene was when Hal was briefly describing all of the Lanterns' fighting styles in a way that also described the personalities of each of the Lanterns.
This is a must-read for serious DC fans. I would advise reading whatever leads up to this first for the best reading experience, but it was still awesome.
December 9, 2015
Parts of this story I loved (like why Batman seems to hate Hal), and parts of it were a little 'meh'. I thought Johns did a decent job explaining Parallax and bringing Jordan back, but part of me felt a teensy bit cheated that there wasn't more to the story. I mean, it's a pretty thin book when you consider that they're bringing Hal Jordan back from the dead.
November 28, 2015
Hal Jordan is back to kick ass! Featuring the Justice League and all (at this point) the earth lanterns.
May 4, 2022
This is how you do a proper superhero REBIRTH, everything about this book is just perfect, I'm starstruck by the flashy art and the cool space pop opera, and I'm now officially a Green Lantern fan.
June 22, 2021
I really enjoyed Green Lantern: Secret Origin and I think it was a great place for me to start: a simple origin story for Lantern newbies but still introducing cool mysteries and high concept science fiction. But I thought the real test was going to be this book, a tricky rebooting of a high fantasy cosmic saga and the return of the greatest Lantern, years after a number of other humans have taken up the mantle. Was I going to be lost and confused jumping into the middle of years of canon? Would the story just seem like a cheap trick to try to bring back a beloved character?
Well I admit that it wasn't as easy to understand as Secret Origin, but I'm happy to say that it was still exciting. It's not the easiest to jump into this series without prior knowledge of Hal Jordan's corruption, subsequent death and bonding with the Spectre. But I think that Johns did a relatively good job at catching the reader up and it's surprising how easy it is to get acquainted and to be fully engaged in the story. There are lots of Justice League and Lantern Corps cameos as Jordan's friends band together to try to free him from both the Spectre and Parallax. I'm not a big fan of all-powerful heroes, but what I enjoy about the Green Lantern is that although a Lantern's ring is the most powerful weapon in the universe, its potential is only as strong as the willpower and imagination of the person using it, and in one of the best scenes in this book, I love how you see the struggle that Green Arrow goes through when he tries to use the ring.
There are some really great moments and well-drawn action, especially in the rousing finale where all the heroes have to fight Parallax, the embodiment of fear. Even Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are out of their league and have to take a step back and let the Lanterns do the damn thing! I actually felt like cheering after the final fight and the triumphant return of Hal Jordan, which is pretty surprising given the fact that I wasn't very familiar with what happened before. There's some great world-building and a surprising amount of thoughtful character work. I especially loved the conflict between Green Lantern, a man with no fear, and Batman, a man who's biggest weapon is intimidation.
Well I admit that it wasn't as easy to understand as Secret Origin, but I'm happy to say that it was still exciting. It's not the easiest to jump into this series without prior knowledge of Hal Jordan's corruption, subsequent death and bonding with the Spectre. But I think that Johns did a relatively good job at catching the reader up and it's surprising how easy it is to get acquainted and to be fully engaged in the story. There are lots of Justice League and Lantern Corps cameos as Jordan's friends band together to try to free him from both the Spectre and Parallax. I'm not a big fan of all-powerful heroes, but what I enjoy about the Green Lantern is that although a Lantern's ring is the most powerful weapon in the universe, its potential is only as strong as the willpower and imagination of the person using it, and in one of the best scenes in this book, I love how you see the struggle that Green Arrow goes through when he tries to use the ring.
There are some really great moments and well-drawn action, especially in the rousing finale where all the heroes have to fight Parallax, the embodiment of fear. Even Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are out of their league and have to take a step back and let the Lanterns do the damn thing! I actually felt like cheering after the final fight and the triumphant return of Hal Jordan, which is pretty surprising given the fact that I wasn't very familiar with what happened before. There's some great world-building and a surprising amount of thoughtful character work. I especially loved the conflict between Green Lantern, a man with no fear, and Batman, a man who's biggest weapon is intimidation.
February 11, 2014
I probably came at this backwards, reading Rebirth so long after virtually every other Green Lantern story of note Johns has written. Oops. And as far as Johns's Lanterns go, this is good, but not the best. But maybe that's just me. Maybe if I knew (or cared) about Hal Jordan before Johns got his hands on him, I might be more moved when he returns to his old self. I might be able to get behind the sheer amount of fawning Johns is throwing at Hal. (He's the best Lantern ever! EVER!) And I might have had a more gut-level emotional reaction to the Lanterns standing together to defeat Parallax.
But as far as retcons go, this has got to be one of the best. Considering just how far off the deep end Hal had gone, it takes a lot of rationalization to bring him back as a great hero. Johns did that, in spades, enough so that the groundwork he laid here carried him through years of quality Green Lantern stories. If every retcon was so well-planned, and introduced as much sheer fodder for great stories, I wouldn't be so irritated when they came up.
The art's solid, and has some really impressive and memorable visuals. I feel like this book would be a huge hit with anyone who loves and remembers Hal, and it's verging on required reading for the excellent string of Green Lantern stories that will follow it. Blackest Night is brilliant, and it basically starts here.
But as far as retcons go, this has got to be one of the best. Considering just how far off the deep end Hal had gone, it takes a lot of rationalization to bring him back as a great hero. Johns did that, in spades, enough so that the groundwork he laid here carried him through years of quality Green Lantern stories. If every retcon was so well-planned, and introduced as much sheer fodder for great stories, I wouldn't be so irritated when they came up.
The art's solid, and has some really impressive and memorable visuals. I feel like this book would be a huge hit with anyone who loves and remembers Hal, and it's verging on required reading for the excellent string of Green Lantern stories that will follow it. Blackest Night is brilliant, and it basically starts here.
March 5, 2016
Finalmente la imagen de Hal Jordan queda limpia y podemos hacer las paces -o mejor dicho, puedo hacerlas yo mismo-, con quizás el Linterna Verde más relevante. Bravo, Geoff. Bravo, DC.
September 10, 2010
3.5 stars. While I am a big fan of superheroes, I have not read a whole lot of Green Lantern material so I may have liked this more than some fans who may have found inconsistencies in the description of the "power ring" mythos. For me, I thought the description of the rings power being based on "strength of willpower" of the user was excellent. In general, I am not a fan of "unlimited" powers and so liked the description of how "taxing" the use of the ring can be and how difficult/impossible it would be for a "regular" person to use it (demonstrated very well by Green Arrow's attempt to use the ring).
Similarly, the explanation of the yellow power rings being based on "fear" was very well done as was the history/backstory of Parallax (who I had not read about before). All and all, a very entertaining story that makes me want to read more of the GL books.
Similarly, the explanation of the yellow power rings being based on "fear" was very well done as was the history/backstory of Parallax (who I had not read about before). All and all, a very entertaining story that makes me want to read more of the GL books.
August 23, 2016
This story arc --which reunites all the Green Lanterns of Earth's sector-- is greatly buoyed by its excellent artwork. Three sentient beings are inhabiting the same body, all struggling for dominance...how in the world does one capture that in a drawing? Yet artist Van Sciver is able to do it?
There are some unnecessary battle scenes (as well as superfluous extra superheroes) but all in all this is a very entertaining story. Deep in some places but never boring. A very nice work.
There are some unnecessary battle scenes (as well as superfluous extra superheroes) but all in all this is a very entertaining story. Deep in some places but never boring. A very nice work.
July 19, 2017
Geoff John's well-received rehabilitation of Hal Jordan, "Greatest of the Lanterns", begins here, and it's definitely readable, with some crisp, colourful art (love how Batman is always shown in shadows, even with 4 dudes glowing green standing around him) but on the whole, as it is pre-New 52 reboot, I felt it was bogged down by a lot of backstory and unappealing secondary characters.
June 12, 2018
Havent read much about Hal Jordan or the green lantern. Was told this was the place to start. I really enjoyed Johns writing here. Really fun story with great artwork. I loved seeing all the different characters, it provided a good overview of the green lantern world in a way. Will definitely continue this series.
March 4, 2016
This is the first Green Lantern Book that I have ever read. The only prior knowledge I have of the Green Lantern Corps is from A few events/crossovers so I really know very little about them or their villains. I would recommend this book as a good place for new readers to start. While it does continue stories and themes from previous Green Lantern arcs, it does also explain certain aspects of the Corps. It also introduces you to the more familiar members of the Corps including Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner, John Stewart and Killowog. It also brings the most famous Green Lantern Hal Jordan back from the brink after years as the Parallax. An entity of pure evil that in essence causes fear so that he can feed on it.
This is how the story starts off Hal Jordan, Spectre and Parallax are all vying for control within Jordan. This battle of wills is very interesting and develops nicely as the plot progresses. Kyle Rayner crash lands on earth bringing a warning from the edge of the universe the Parallax is coming. Strange things start to happen. Hal Jordan home town, which was destroyed years ago, suddenly reappears but with only one building standing, Hal’s house. Warriors bar is destroyed with only one statue remaining. Hal’s statue. It becomes apparent that an ominous evil is taking hold. The Green Lanterns then start to be overcome by this evil. What ensue is a fight between good and evil, on the surface, between the Green Lantern Corps, the Justice League and Sinestro and Parallax. The real fight however is inside the the Green Lantern Corps members, particularly Hal Jordan, as they struggle with their own fear and control. The lesson being, in order to overcome fear sometimes you have to accept it so it can't control you.
The story also focuses on the feelings of the Green Lantern Corps and Justice League member on Hal Jordan return. They are all cautious of him because of the terrible acts he committed during his time as the Parallax. This brings me to one of my favourite aspect in the whole book, Hal’s relationship with Batman/Bruce Wayne. This book cleverly highlights certain characteristics in both men that see them clashing here. I want to say more on this but should probably just let you discover it for yourself.
If you do read this book, I would also recommend reading the original proposed brief for the story at the end. While most of it is the same there are some notable differences, namely the plot device used to ensure Batman, and to a certain extent the reader, accepts/believes Hal Jordan’s return to good.
This book is undoubtedly important in that it brings back Hal Jordan as the most powerful Green Lantern, but it is also a good story and a great jump in point for first time readers. I would highly recommend this book to anyone new to Green Lantern.
This is how the story starts off Hal Jordan, Spectre and Parallax are all vying for control within Jordan. This battle of wills is very interesting and develops nicely as the plot progresses. Kyle Rayner crash lands on earth bringing a warning from the edge of the universe the Parallax is coming. Strange things start to happen. Hal Jordan home town, which was destroyed years ago, suddenly reappears but with only one building standing, Hal’s house. Warriors bar is destroyed with only one statue remaining. Hal’s statue. It becomes apparent that an ominous evil is taking hold. The Green Lanterns then start to be overcome by this evil. What ensue is a fight between good and evil, on the surface, between the Green Lantern Corps, the Justice League and Sinestro and Parallax. The real fight however is inside the the Green Lantern Corps members, particularly Hal Jordan, as they struggle with their own fear and control. The lesson being, in order to overcome fear sometimes you have to accept it so it can't control you.
The story also focuses on the feelings of the Green Lantern Corps and Justice League member on Hal Jordan return. They are all cautious of him because of the terrible acts he committed during his time as the Parallax. This brings me to one of my favourite aspect in the whole book, Hal’s relationship with Batman/Bruce Wayne. This book cleverly highlights certain characteristics in both men that see them clashing here. I want to say more on this but should probably just let you discover it for yourself.
If you do read this book, I would also recommend reading the original proposed brief for the story at the end. While most of it is the same there are some notable differences, namely the plot device used to ensure Batman, and to a certain extent the reader, accepts/believes Hal Jordan’s return to good.
This book is undoubtedly important in that it brings back Hal Jordan as the most powerful Green Lantern, but it is also a good story and a great jump in point for first time readers. I would highly recommend this book to anyone new to Green Lantern.
August 21, 2011
Johns is getting better as he plays longer in the DC sandbox - the bombast quotient is lowering, the action:monologue ratio is improving. As a relaunch goes, this shapes up early into some interesting twists and mysteries.
I can't say I'm in any way invested in Hal Jordan staying dead, but I *am* always disappointed when the comics bring someone back from the dead without a really good goddamn reason and explanation. Half the time (as here) it feels like the writer is completely throwing out the hand the previous writers dealt, and it cheapens the effect of any so-called Momentous events that came before and may come in the future.
The rebirth plays out pretty much as you'd expect - all his suspicious friends come around, Hal gets deified as better than anyone else, rejects all the nuances his character built up in the last lifetime, and is portrayed as a black-and-white 2-dimensional Hero.
I can't entirely blame Johns - he gets to polish and launch a huge icon of DC mythos, so of course he's going to jizz his pants over the chance to be bigger than life. Other creators have done the same in similar circumstances, and it does make for good storytelling - but it lacks a certain surprise factor, which I hope emerged in the later open-ended series.
Oh, and watch out for Batman to pussy out - disgusting.
Happy to see Kyle Rayner get some props, and other than Van Scriver's problem drawing teeth, this was some damn fine artwork.
I can't say I'm in any way invested in Hal Jordan staying dead, but I *am* always disappointed when the comics bring someone back from the dead without a really good goddamn reason and explanation. Half the time (as here) it feels like the writer is completely throwing out the hand the previous writers dealt, and it cheapens the effect of any so-called Momentous events that came before and may come in the future.
The rebirth plays out pretty much as you'd expect - all his suspicious friends come around, Hal gets deified as better than anyone else, rejects all the nuances his character built up in the last lifetime, and is portrayed as a black-and-white 2-dimensional Hero.
I can't entirely blame Johns - he gets to polish and launch a huge icon of DC mythos, so of course he's going to jizz his pants over the chance to be bigger than life. Other creators have done the same in similar circumstances, and it does make for good storytelling - but it lacks a certain surprise factor, which I hope emerged in the later open-ended series.
Oh, and watch out for Batman to pussy out - disgusting.
Happy to see Kyle Rayner get some props, and other than Van Scriver's problem drawing teeth, this was some damn fine artwork.
January 7, 2021
Wow this was amazing, I’m trying to deep dive into Green Lantern and this was a great starting point. Johns essentially redeems Hal and he does it beautifully. It’s a very good story and perfect for new comers to the franchise.
March 18, 2019
I'm not drawn to sequential art books but I will pick one up for a reading challenge. It's not that I don't like them because I enjoy them when I do read them. I've just never taken the time to delve into them. I'll also admit that DC comics were also not a draw for me as a kid unless it was a DC comic super hero in a movie or TV show.
So with all of that, I enjoyed this comic book. I saw the movie with my boys and it was not memorable. I was hesitant going into this but this comic book is definitely not the movie. I liked the story and I liked the art. So 4 stars.
So with all of that, I enjoyed this comic book. I saw the movie with my boys and it was not memorable. I was hesitant going into this but this comic book is definitely not the movie. I liked the story and I liked the art. So 4 stars.
December 13, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
What transpires from acts of heroism are emotions. From joy to fear, many heroes embody these states and allow these emotions to take a life of its own through the people that are saved and those who are witnesses to these acts of justice. Others live off these emotions and attempt to create them, turn them into an omnipresent condition for their cities. Take Batman, for example, who establishes fear in all those who dare to defy the law, or Superman, who’s charisma allows happiness to bloom within all those who notice him save the day. And then there’s Hal Jordan, the iconic Green Lantern, whose willpower is beyond this world and infuses confidence within everyone who has the chance to stand by him. As part of the New 52 reboot, writer Geoff John sees to the return of fan favourite Hal Jordan into the DC Universe and begins one of the greatest comic book runs as the hero’s lore takes a refreshing twist for the better.
What is Green Lantern: Rebirth about? First hailed as the greatest Green Lantern of all time, now known as the one who brought an end to the Green Lantern Corps, Hal Jordan’s history is overshadowed by a capital failure on his end that led to the corruption of his soul. This episode led to his disappearance until an apocalypse threatening Earth brought him back to make the ultimate sacrifice. Unfortunately, this act drew the attention of the Spectre, a supernatural embodiment of the wrath of God, who then utilizes Hal Jordan’s soul for his latest form. While trapped inside the Spectre and condemned to a life of resignation and regret, his fate is not yet sealed as life has other plans for the astral avenger. Collecting the six-issue mini-series, writer Geoff John’s original series proposal, his full script for the first issue, sketches and promotional art drawn by Ethan Van Sciver, and the short story “Flight” drawn by the legendary artist Darwyn Cooke, this deluxe edition presents fans with an exciting entry point into the New 52’s Green Lantern Corps.
Although at its core, this is a tale centered around Hal Jordan, the story doesn’t solely look into reestablishing the hero as a prominent and active character in the canon continuity. Green Lantern: Rebirth also looks into the other classic Green Lanterns, from Kyle Rayner to Guy Gardner, as writer Geoff John builds a beautiful and robust mythology around the Green Lantern Corps. The story thus begins by pitting the Batman-led Justice League against a Spectre-manipulated Hal Jordan as the reader is slowly led to understand the imminent resurrection of Parallax in the midst of all the trouble and confusion. This allows us to understand the rich and colourful history of the Green Lantern Corps while also exploring the various heroes and villains who seek to utilize the Central Power Battery on Oa for their own personal plans of world domination. Through hardship, this tale ultimately sheds some light on Hal Jordan’s allies and foes, as well as what fuels this man with fearlessness and makes him such a special hero and leader.
To accompany the excellent world-building and impeccable character development, this graphic novel also contains some of the best artwork to illustrate the unique lore. Artist Ethan Van Sciver breathes life into these heroes through beautiful penciling and ends each issue with a stunning splash page that contributes to the intrigue as you progress through the story. The panels also follow an untraditional formatting as they play around with their position and their size to either accentuate certain character’s presence or to emphasize on the action sequences. After all, when things start to heat up, everything starts to get chaotic and creative, since the Green Lanterns utilize their imagination to conjure things at their will. It is also worth mentioning that the colouring and inking are incredible, with very vivid colours despite the darker tone of the story. The artwork thus serves these characters justice and allows the story to thrive and speak for itself. It wouldn’t even be wrong to understand this graphic novel as the rebirth of one of the most original material over at DC Comics.
Green Lantern: Rebirth is a dramatic and epic revival of the illustrious Hal Jordan as the fabled and commanding Emerald Crusader through a transformative tale of redemption and heroism.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
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This is how you bring back Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps for modern readers!
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
January 17, 2011
I actually always thought GL was kinda cool, but never read any of the comics. So, I decided, this mid 2000's relaunch by DC and Geoff Johns was as good a time as any to indoctrinate myself to Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, especially in "light" of the forthcoming movie.
GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH reprints the 2004-2005 WIZARD X and GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH issues 1-6. It's written by one of DC Comics' stalwarts, Geoff Johns, who has made his name on this title, redefining (or should I say clarifying) important but glossed over elements of Green Lantern's/Hal Jordan's back story, as well as explaining much about the existence of the Guardians of Oa.
This graphic novel does a fairly decent job of clarifying some questions that loyal GL fans have probably had, although new readers like myself may find it a little too snipped and fast-paced, and the whole presence of the Spectre as housing the soul of Hal Jordan was lost on me. I assume I'd have to go back and read earlier issues to understand this part. Also, this story is chock full of several staple DC characters (other Lanterns, the Justice League, and several of the classic GL adversaries, e.g., Sinestro, Parallax, even Batman to a point); in fact, Johns really paints the Justice League in a cocky, overbearing, pushy role that makes sense despite annoying me some. As an aside, with the release of the YOUNG JUSTICE animated series two weeks ago, seems like the Justice League is taking a bit of a hit as the big bully among the good guys in the DC Universe.
The nits mentioned above notwithstanding, I enjoyed reading GL:R and plan to continue reading more. I hope Johns has an opportunity to slow down the pace a little now that he's settled the back story issues.
And since this is a comic, it doesn't make sense to neglect mention of the artist, a fella named Ethan van Sciver, whose work I'm not familiar with previous to this series, but a dude who seems like he was born specifically to draw the GREEN LANTERN comic books series. His art is very dynamic, very slick, very inventive, and quintessential. Every once in a while, he goes a little crazy with the pages being way busy, but we are talking about guys who can fly around and conjure anything their imaginations and willpowers can muster through their rings. That pretty much means once in a while, you're going to have to really scrutinize some details to sort out what you're looking at. I'm happy Van Sciver is on the series for a while. His art alone makes me eager to read more.
GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH is a good stepping on point for new readers, and since this storyline is available in graphic novels and at several libraries, there's no reason not to put it off. You do plan to see the movie, after all, right?
Three stars (out of five). Recommended.
GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH reprints the 2004-2005 WIZARD X and GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH issues 1-6. It's written by one of DC Comics' stalwarts, Geoff Johns, who has made his name on this title, redefining (or should I say clarifying) important but glossed over elements of Green Lantern's/Hal Jordan's back story, as well as explaining much about the existence of the Guardians of Oa.
This graphic novel does a fairly decent job of clarifying some questions that loyal GL fans have probably had, although new readers like myself may find it a little too snipped and fast-paced, and the whole presence of the Spectre as housing the soul of Hal Jordan was lost on me. I assume I'd have to go back and read earlier issues to understand this part. Also, this story is chock full of several staple DC characters (other Lanterns, the Justice League, and several of the classic GL adversaries, e.g., Sinestro, Parallax, even Batman to a point); in fact, Johns really paints the Justice League in a cocky, overbearing, pushy role that makes sense despite annoying me some. As an aside, with the release of the YOUNG JUSTICE animated series two weeks ago, seems like the Justice League is taking a bit of a hit as the big bully among the good guys in the DC Universe.
The nits mentioned above notwithstanding, I enjoyed reading GL:R and plan to continue reading more. I hope Johns has an opportunity to slow down the pace a little now that he's settled the back story issues.
And since this is a comic, it doesn't make sense to neglect mention of the artist, a fella named Ethan van Sciver, whose work I'm not familiar with previous to this series, but a dude who seems like he was born specifically to draw the GREEN LANTERN comic books series. His art is very dynamic, very slick, very inventive, and quintessential. Every once in a while, he goes a little crazy with the pages being way busy, but we are talking about guys who can fly around and conjure anything their imaginations and willpowers can muster through their rings. That pretty much means once in a while, you're going to have to really scrutinize some details to sort out what you're looking at. I'm happy Van Sciver is on the series for a while. His art alone makes me eager to read more.
GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH is a good stepping on point for new readers, and since this storyline is available in graphic novels and at several libraries, there's no reason not to put it off. You do plan to see the movie, after all, right?
Three stars (out of five). Recommended.
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