Part 4 - Preparing for War
The
Green Lantern comics have been around for almost as long as DC has existed as a company. The first and most obvious question for any newcomer is, "Where the heck do I start?". Is it necessary to go all the way back to the beginning of the
Green Lantern mythos?
Well, you can certainly do that if you want, but you'll probably still be playing catch-up years after
Blackest Night has wrapped up. Rather than reading every
Green Lantern comic in existence, you really only need to pay attention to the last several years' worth of stories.
Blackest Night is positioned as the third part of a trilogy that began with
Green Lantern: Rebirth. This is the general starting point for all readers. The second part of the trilogy is the mini-series The
Sinestro Corps War. Of course, there were about two years of stories in between the two, and roughly the same amount between Sinestro Corps and Blackest Night. But these three stories are the big watershed moments of Geoff Johns' saga.
Following the conclusion of Green Lantern: Rebirth, DC introduced two main GL books – Green Lantern Vol. 4 and
Green Lantern Corps. The former focuses mainly on the adventures of Hal Jordan and John Stewart and is typically centered on Earth. GLC, on the other hand, is usually set in various other points in space. The cast includes the entirety of the Corps, though
Kyle Rayner,
Guy Gardner, and
Sodam Yat often feature in starring roles. Though each series tells its own stories, the two have become increasingly interconnected in the wake of The Sinestro Corps War.
The following is a suggested reading order of relevant Green Lantern trades leading into Blackest Night:
- Green Lantern: Rebirth
- Green Lantern: No Fear
- Green Lantern Corps: Recharge
- Green Lantern: Revenge of the Green Lanterns
- Green Lantern Corps: To Be a Lantern
- Green Lantern: Wanted – Hal Jordan
- Green Lantern Corps: A Darker Shade of Green
- Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War Vol. 1
- Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War Vol. 2
- Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War Vol. 3 – Tales of the Sinestro Corps
- Green Lantern Corps: Ring Quest
- Green Lantern: Secret Origin
- Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns
- Green Lantern Corps: Sins of the Star Sapphire
- Green Lantern: Agent Orange
- Green Lantern Corps: Emerald Eclipse
This list doesn't provide a perfect chronological breakdown, but it's the best one can do without purchasing the individual issues. It is worth pointing out that the Rage of the Red Lanterns trade also collects the story arc "The Alpha Lanterns", which is set immediately after The Sinestro Corps War. If possible, it's best to read these three issues first and come back to Rage at the appropriate time.
It's also important to note that the final two trades, Agent Orange and Emerald Eclipse, aren't available yet and won't be released until well after Blackest Night begins. Those who wish to get caught up and begin following Blackest Night on a monthly basis will need to hunt those respective issues down.
Yikes!
Yes, we know. That's a pretty tall stack of books to work through. In fact, it's almost 100 issues of material to read through. Luckily, there's no need to read each and every one before going into Blackest Night. Many readers follow Green Lantern but skip over Green Lantern Corps. We don't necessarily favor that approach, both because GLC has become increasingly vital and because it's often superior to its sister series, but the option is there. At the very least, the three GLC trades prior to The Sinestro Corps War can be skipped with little problem.
For those who want to spend as little money as possible, we would say only four of these trades are vital reading for Blackest Night. As mentioned, Rebirth and The Sinestro Corps War are the first two parts of this trilogy. Those stories are must-reads. However, Sinestro Corps Vol. 3 consists of tie-in material that isn't essential. The real conclusion of the story occurs in Vol. 2. The fourth trade to pick up would be Secret Origin. This book can actually be read prior to Rebirth, as it features a modernized retelling of Hal's origin. This trade also provides a good deal of important setup for the War of Light and Blackest Night.