Comic Books to the Big Screen - Part 2: Green Lantern

In the second part of guest contributor Devin Rankin's series on the ins and outs of comic book heroes who are becoming Hollywood blockbusters (click HERE to read Part 1: Thor) Devin looks at Green Lantern:

Green Lantern

Releasing June 16^th in US.

In the 1940’s, Allen Scott was the Green Lantern.  It was the Golden Age of comics and superhero comics were hot stuff.  In this version, Allen Scott had found a magical green lantern.  He made a ring out of a piece of the lantern and discovered that the ring gave him a number of fantastic abilities.  But the ring had to be charged every 24 hours by being in contact with the lantern and the ring did not work on anything wooden.  This green Lantern wore a red and green costume with a black and green cape.

Above art: Green Lantern's debut in All-American Comics#16 (July 1940).
Art by Sheldon Moldoff.

By the 1950’s superhero comics were out of fashion and Green Lantern stopped being published.  When they came back in around 1960, DC comics decided to re-invent most of its heroes.  They kept Superman and Batman largely the same.  But Green Lantern got a complete re-design, as did almost all the other heroes that DC owned.  This 1960 era is often called the Silver Age.

In this new version, the Green Lantern ring is a super high tech weapon for good.  A galaxy wide organization known as The Guardians have thousands of heroes known as Green Lanterns.  Each sector of space has its own hero who wears the ring.  Abin Sur is the Green Lantern for sector 2814, which includes earth.  He is injured in a battle and his space ship falls to earth.  As he dies, he has the ring find a new hero for sector 2814.  Someone who is honest and without fear.  The ring selects 2 people, Guy Gardner, and Hal Jorden.  Hal, a test pilot, is closer and ring goes to him.  Hal is reckless and impulsive.  But over time grows into the roll of a hero and goes on to become the leader of the Green Lantern Corps.

The ring is able to do just about anything (except keep Abin Sur from dying it would seem).  It allows Hal to fly, protects him with a force field and allows him to grab and move things at a distance.  It has to be charged by placing it in contact with its power source, a green lantern, and it has no power against anything yellow.  

While the ring is charging, it seems the wearer must recite this kinda silly rhyme:

“In the brightest day, in the blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight.  Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power, Green Lantern’s Light.” That is why the posters for the movie have “In the brightest day, in the blackest night” printed in the corners.  A bit of a nod to the fan boys.

During the last 50 years or so, the Green Lantern comic has gone through a lot of ups and downs.  The writers have often changed things around, trying to spark some interest.  The writes have invented new characters to wear the ring.   The most notable are John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, and Jennifer-Lynn Hayden.   In the 80’s comics came under some criticism because all the heroes seemed to be white males.  The industry responded by making some new ethnic heroes, but also by putting new people in the roles of old heroes.  So far a while the ring went to John Stewart, an African American.  Then to Kyle Rayner, who’s father was Hispanic.   Jen Hayden wore a Green Lantern ring for a while, but went by the name Jade.  She has been the only female on earth to wear the ring.  But not, as it turns out, the only female Green Lantern.

Artwork for the cover of Green Lantern: Rebirth 6 (May 2005 DC Comics). Featuring (l to r) Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Kilowog. Art by Ethan Van Sciver.

From the early release publicity, the movie seems to go along with the 60’s comic book origin story with Hal Jorden being a test pilot who is given the ring by a dying Abin Sur. The bad guy for the movie seems to be Sinestro, a former Green Lantern who now wears a yellow power ring. (Geeky point that may not be in the movie:  Sinestro is Abin Sur’s brother in law as he was once married to Abin’s sister.)  They also seem to be keeping the theme of Hal growing into his new role. 

The movie looks good.  There is no way this could have been done before CGI special effects.  Green lantern is always forming giant green hands to grasp things or hit things and they just would not have looked right in the past.