What do you think?
Rate this book
Green Lantern (2005) (Collected Editions)
Green Lantern: Secret Origin
The acclaimed writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reis, explore the hidden past of the Green Lantern Corps, to sow the seeds of the greatest Green Lantern story ever told!
Before he became the greatest Green Lantern. Before he unwittingly brought about the downfall of the Green Lantern Corps. Before his rebirth as the universe's most powerful protector, Hal Jordan of Earth was just a washed-up test pilot with no way to fly ... until the dying alien Abin Sur granted him his power ring, the most powerful weapon in the universe—and his entry into a reality he could never have imagined.
This volume collects issues #29-35 of GREEN LANTERN.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2008
35 people are currently reading
1251 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,707 books2,418 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
December 9, 2015
Fun look at the origin of the Green Lantern.
January 6, 2019
It’s really surprising that there hasn’t been more mention here of Tygers, by Alan Moore. It’s an iconic Green Lantern story from 1986 which deals with the five inversions and the prophecy disclosed to Abin-Sur and it’s incredibly important to the Secret Origins story Johns is telling here. Even though so many years separate the two stories, it’s fascinating to see the impact that a story like Tygers can have on continuity. It’s one of the stories Johns collected in Green Lantern: In Brightest Day and if you read the accompanying introductions in that particular book you realize that the seeds for Blackest Night was planted long, long ago already. This origin tale leads into that arc.
Abin-Sur’s prophecy has been around for years; it isn’t something Geoff Johns dreamed up for Secret Origin. The idea behind the original story, by Moore, was that it would be a self fulfilling prophecy. That by planting the seeds of doubt the inversions would eventually cause Abin-Sur’s failure and downfall. Johns takes this idea and develops it further here.It’s actually a magnificent achievement once you start stringing the pieces together. I suppose you could argue that it’s the culmination of events that started more than twenty years earlier… but I’m getting ahead of myself.
I’m not sure whether there are other Hal Jordan origin tales readily available out there, with the possible exception of Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn and books like Green Lantern: Rebirth . As such, this book is a welcome addition to any Green Lantern fan’s library. In fact, this whole series by Geoff Johns is pretty good. If you can, purchase the edition with the illustrated cover, and not the movie tie-in cover, it just looks so much better. And, thank goodness, this book is nothing like the film other than the fact that it features Hector Hammond and Sinestro. I would really urge you to read Tygers first, if you can, since it will considerably alter your perception about this story. It may mean the difference between good and brilliant.
Abin-Sur’s prophecy has been around for years; it isn’t something Geoff Johns dreamed up for Secret Origin. The idea behind the original story, by Moore, was that it would be a self fulfilling prophecy. That by planting the seeds of doubt the inversions would eventually cause Abin-Sur’s failure and downfall. Johns takes this idea and develops it further here.It’s actually a magnificent achievement once you start stringing the pieces together. I suppose you could argue that it’s the culmination of events that started more than twenty years earlier… but I’m getting ahead of myself.
I’m not sure whether there are other Hal Jordan origin tales readily available out there, with the possible exception of Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn and books like Green Lantern: Rebirth . As such, this book is a welcome addition to any Green Lantern fan’s library. In fact, this whole series by Geoff Johns is pretty good. If you can, purchase the edition with the illustrated cover, and not the movie tie-in cover, it just looks so much better. And, thank goodness, this book is nothing like the film other than the fact that it features Hector Hammond and Sinestro. I would really urge you to read Tygers first, if you can, since it will considerably alter your perception about this story. It may mean the difference between good and brilliant.
September 18, 2017
In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!
The ultimate retelling of a classic superhero origin tale, a modern highlight of events turning young Hal Jordan in a fear challenging lover man and in a hero.
A cinematic pace tale (luckly far better than the crap movie that partly inspired) adding background and fleshing for good secondary (not much) characters like Sinestro (making his fall into villaines far more tragic) and Carol, and laying groundworks for the future events of Blackest Night saga.
"Green Lantern: Secret Origin" is a past and future tale at the same time, a milestone for the whole saga of the emerald hero.
And Ivan Reis' artworks are just awesome.
A must read for all good comics readers.
December 31, 2021
Reread: 31/12/2021
God I love this story! Its so well done as see the origin of Hal and everything connects like how he comes across the ring, the tragedy that made him, meeting Carol and then finally sinestro and other enemies too like the Manhunters, Black hand, Atrocitus, Hector hammond and more are so well set and the big events to come. Its just wonderful and the focus on Hal and everything is so fleshed out and Ivan's pencils are gorgeous. One of the best DC stories period.
_________________________________________________________________
This was an epic read, focusing on the origin of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, like what happened in his childhood with his father and how Carol's father was involved and so much more and then we see him bouncing from job to job and his altercation with Stone that led him to be rusticated by the airforce and eventually working for Ferris and then getting the GL ring from the dying Abin Sur and here we also get the origins of Atrocitus and Hector Hammond and like how one was involved with the prophecies of the red and the other obsessed with Carol, and the altercation between the two and the coming of Sinestro. The trainee-friend trainer between Hal and Sinestro and the prophecy of "Blackest Night" and Hal vs Guardians which was so fun but he is right! And the ultimate hints of romance between Hal-Carol! This volume was just epic and forms the backbone of Geoff Johns Magnum Opus and how an epic is written is explored here! And the art is just gorgeous, easy on the eyes and all and focusing on the small things very brilliantly!
God I love this story! Its so well done as see the origin of Hal and everything connects like how he comes across the ring, the tragedy that made him, meeting Carol and then finally sinestro and other enemies too like the Manhunters, Black hand, Atrocitus, Hector hammond and more are so well set and the big events to come. Its just wonderful and the focus on Hal and everything is so fleshed out and Ivan's pencils are gorgeous. One of the best DC stories period.
_________________________________________________________________
This was an epic read, focusing on the origin of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, like what happened in his childhood with his father and how Carol's father was involved and so much more and then we see him bouncing from job to job and his altercation with Stone that led him to be rusticated by the airforce and eventually working for Ferris and then getting the GL ring from the dying Abin Sur and here we also get the origins of Atrocitus and Hector Hammond and like how one was involved with the prophecies of the red and the other obsessed with Carol, and the altercation between the two and the coming of Sinestro. The trainee-friend trainer between Hal and Sinestro and the prophecy of "Blackest Night" and Hal vs Guardians which was so fun but he is right! And the ultimate hints of romance between Hal-Carol! This volume was just epic and forms the backbone of Geoff Johns Magnum Opus and how an epic is written is explored here! And the art is just gorgeous, easy on the eyes and all and focusing on the small things very brilliantly!
January 23, 2021
This graphic novel was supposed to have been a great influence on the hit or miss Green Lantern movie. It follows the origins of how Hal Jordan, hot shot pilot with “father wounds”, joins the Green Lantern Corps. For those who don't know the tales the Green Lantern Corps is an organization of heroes who protect the universe from their version of evil and in time Hal Jordan will turn out to be the most powerful of the Green Lantern Corps heroes. The ring is fueled by an energy lantern but even more so by one's imagination and willpower. It does not work against yellow colored objects but that's an entire different and complex story if you dig into the details too much so don't worry about it if you are new (it's mentioned in this comic a few times).
There's a good and basic coverage of several of the main recurring characters in the series: Sinestro (who starts as a Green Lantern Corps hero and then becomes an antagonist to Hal Jordan), Abin Sur (the dying alien who hands over his ring to the first human as worthy of the Green Lantern Corps), Kilowog (the alien Green Lantern who begins to train Hal Jordan), Carol Ferris (the daughter of the the man who owns the airfield where Jordan's father died and later love interest potentially), The Guardians (midget dudes who put the Green Lantern Corps together), Atrocitus (a rebel turned super villain and future Red Lantern) and William Hand (a mystery character with ties to Atrocitus).
The artwork is classically well done but not superlative nor go out and buy it right away. My favorite parts were introductions of “new” characters (I'm sort of new to some of the Green Lantern mythology) and the verbal sparring between Hal Jordan and Sinestro. There was a nice emotional reversal for me on how I went from negative to positive about Carol Ferris as well.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B to B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B; STORY/PLOTTING: B to B plus; ACTION SCENES: B; WHEN READ: end of May 2012; OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
There's a good and basic coverage of several of the main recurring characters in the series: Sinestro (who starts as a Green Lantern Corps hero and then becomes an antagonist to Hal Jordan), Abin Sur (the dying alien who hands over his ring to the first human as worthy of the Green Lantern Corps), Kilowog (the alien Green Lantern who begins to train Hal Jordan), Carol Ferris (the daughter of the the man who owns the airfield where Jordan's father died and later love interest potentially), The Guardians (midget dudes who put the Green Lantern Corps together), Atrocitus (a rebel turned super villain and future Red Lantern) and William Hand (a mystery character with ties to Atrocitus).
The artwork is classically well done but not superlative nor go out and buy it right away. My favorite parts were introductions of “new” characters (I'm sort of new to some of the Green Lantern mythology) and the verbal sparring between Hal Jordan and Sinestro. There was a nice emotional reversal for me on how I went from negative to positive about Carol Ferris as well.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B to B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B; STORY/PLOTTING: B to B plus; ACTION SCENES: B; WHEN READ: end of May 2012; OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
May 1, 2018
So after I quite surprisingly enjoyed Geoff Johns’s Action Comics run, and after finding out that Grant Morrison is going to write a new Green Lantern comic and realizing that I need to do my homework on the topic, I gave up and decided to give Johns’s GL stuff another chance. This is the third possible entry point into his gargantuan run, and this is where I should have started in the first place, since I know next to nothing about the character. It’s a straight up origin story of Hal Jordan that explains how he became GL, as well as the entire mythology behind the franchise, and it’s solid, workmanlike storytelling with some strong cinematic artwork from Ivan Reis. I have no idea why Geoff Johns decided to do a goddamn origin story six volumes into his run (this book is actually volume 6, yes), but really, this is the place to start if you’re like me and are completely oblivious of the character’s history. I enjoyed the book well enough, although I will say that Hal doesn’t seem that great as a character — he’s too angsty, stubborn and bullheaded, and it’s not entirely obvious to me right now why the ring would choose him in the first place. I will check out the next few volumes when I get the chance to see if I like him more, but for now... eh. Kyle Rayner seemed like a more interesting guy from what I’ve read in Morrison’s JLA and Tom King’s Omega Men.
August 1, 2017
I'm sure there are a lot of preconceived notions about the Green Lantern. I certainly had them at one point: he's a corny superhero that glows green and gets his power from a ring that can make objects appear. I assumed he was a silly superhero that I wouldn't be interested in, until I looked him up and actually paid attention. In my search for a good superhero book to read, I stumbled onto the rich Green Lantern mythology and was fascinated and wanted to learn more. And when I learned that the parts of the mythology I was interested in were pretty much solely created by Geoff Johns in this historic run of the character, I figured I'd start with that.
Hal Jordan is a cocky but washed-up Air Force pilot who stumbles onto a crashed spaceship, where a dying alien passes him a green ring that not only happens to be one of the most powerful weapons in the universe but also transports him on the intergalactic adventure of a lifetime as part of the Green Lantern Corps, an elite group of protectors that work to keep order in the universe (think of them as similar to the Jedi Knights of Star Wars).
Secret Origin comes in the middle of Johns's run but it actually stands on its own as a Green Lantern origin story and a great place for newbies like me to jump into the character, even though Johns takes established lore and skillfully weaves in important, original details from other parts of his run in the origin, like the Blackest Night prophecy and the rage-filled Atrocitus and the Five Inversions.
I was incredibly surprised by how enjoyable this was. Unlike so many other superhero comics of it's kind, even with all of the cosmic happenings, this book is very easy to follow and appreciate. It has exciting action but it's also well-written, with good characters and with a focus on emotion being the strongest force in the universe and only being able to achieve your full power potential through sheer willpower and overcoming fear. This series looks like it's shaping up to be an exciting space saga with a real sense of adventure.
Hal Jordan is a cocky but washed-up Air Force pilot who stumbles onto a crashed spaceship, where a dying alien passes him a green ring that not only happens to be one of the most powerful weapons in the universe but also transports him on the intergalactic adventure of a lifetime as part of the Green Lantern Corps, an elite group of protectors that work to keep order in the universe (think of them as similar to the Jedi Knights of Star Wars).
Secret Origin comes in the middle of Johns's run but it actually stands on its own as a Green Lantern origin story and a great place for newbies like me to jump into the character, even though Johns takes established lore and skillfully weaves in important, original details from other parts of his run in the origin, like the Blackest Night prophecy and the rage-filled Atrocitus and the Five Inversions.
I was incredibly surprised by how enjoyable this was. Unlike so many other superhero comics of it's kind, even with all of the cosmic happenings, this book is very easy to follow and appreciate. It has exciting action but it's also well-written, with good characters and with a focus on emotion being the strongest force in the universe and only being able to achieve your full power potential through sheer willpower and overcoming fear. This series looks like it's shaping up to be an exciting space saga with a real sense of adventure.
May 10, 2024
This was a look at Hal Jordan’s origin which I really enjoyed. I’ve read a lot of Kyle Rayner in JLA but not a lot of Hal so it was nice to get a look at how he became the green lantern and a look at Sinestro before becoming a villain. Overall this was a fun read and a good telling of Hal’s origin.
July 2, 2025
Green Lantern: Secret Origin was a really enjoyable entry point into Green Lantern. Geoff Johns makes Hal Jordan’s backstory feel big, clear, and fresh, even if you’ve never read a GL comic before. The writing balances classic hero moments with just enough personal drama to make Hal feel grounded.
Ivan Reis’s art is excellent — crisp, energetic, and it nails the cosmic vibe without feeling too busy. It’s straightforward but still feels epic, which makes it a great starting place for anyone curious about why Green Lantern is such an iconic part of DC. Solid, fun read.
Ivan Reis’s art is excellent — crisp, energetic, and it nails the cosmic vibe without feeling too busy. It’s straightforward but still feels epic, which makes it a great starting place for anyone curious about why Green Lantern is such an iconic part of DC. Solid, fun read.
July 26, 2017
5 stars.
I thought the Green Lantern movie was shit. Turns out, this is the source material used for that movie. So what the hell happened?
I thought this was a pretty solid origin story for Hal Jordan. He did remind me a tiny bit of Captain Kirk from Startrek to be honest, especially that part where he got in trouble at the bar. Over all though, I am pretty impressed.
THINGS I LIKED:
• I got to know Hal's back story a little more. You understood why he was never really close to his family and why he chose to take the path that he has chosen. In order for one to appreciate a character, you have to understand them, and you get that in this.
• I've read quite a few GL stories and this is the first one that I got introduced to the reason why Abin Sur crash landed to earth.
• Sinestro and Hal understood each other because in a way they are alike. We all know what happens to Sinestro, but seeing him before that, working with Hal, training him to be a better Green Lantern, was great.
• I liked the dialogues.
• Aaaah Hal and Carol Ferris. *heart emoji inserted here*
• I've always liked reading stuff about prophecies. I haven't read the Blackest Night yet so I'm not sure how this prophecy plays out but I am interested.
• THE ART WORK WAS FANTASTIC! Definitely checking out more work from Ivan Reis.
• The plot was pretty easy to follow and it didn't jump around as you switch to another book. It was very linear which I appreciate in an origin story.
• It is a good starting point for anyone who wants to read Green Lanter, in my opinion. I understand this is the 6th volume on the Geoff Johns GL run, yet somehow, you can read this without reading anything else on that run, but still end up appreciating the story. It's basically like a standalone book.
• I felt actual emotions for the characters. Especially when Hal finally confronted the object of his hatred.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
There wasn't anything too major, only that I wanted to know more about this William Hand and why he is said to be the vessel that brings the Blackest Night.
FINAL JUDGEMENT:
Again, this is a 5 star rating for me. I really loved a lot of things about this. It's one of the best, if not the best, GL stories I've read so far. But of course, this is just my opinion.
I thought the Green Lantern movie was shit. Turns out, this is the source material used for that movie. So what the hell happened?
I thought this was a pretty solid origin story for Hal Jordan. He did remind me a tiny bit of Captain Kirk from Startrek to be honest, especially that part where he got in trouble at the bar. Over all though, I am pretty impressed.
THINGS I LIKED:
• I got to know Hal's back story a little more. You understood why he was never really close to his family and why he chose to take the path that he has chosen. In order for one to appreciate a character, you have to understand them, and you get that in this.
• I've read quite a few GL stories and this is the first one that I got introduced to the reason why Abin Sur crash landed to earth.
• Sinestro and Hal understood each other because in a way they are alike. We all know what happens to Sinestro, but seeing him before that, working with Hal, training him to be a better Green Lantern, was great.
• I liked the dialogues.
• Aaaah Hal and Carol Ferris. *heart emoji inserted here*
• I've always liked reading stuff about prophecies. I haven't read the Blackest Night yet so I'm not sure how this prophecy plays out but I am interested.
• THE ART WORK WAS FANTASTIC! Definitely checking out more work from Ivan Reis.
• The plot was pretty easy to follow and it didn't jump around as you switch to another book. It was very linear which I appreciate in an origin story.
• It is a good starting point for anyone who wants to read Green Lanter, in my opinion. I understand this is the 6th volume on the Geoff Johns GL run, yet somehow, you can read this without reading anything else on that run, but still end up appreciating the story. It's basically like a standalone book.
• I felt actual emotions for the characters. Especially when Hal finally confronted the object of his hatred.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
There wasn't anything too major, only that I wanted to know more about this William Hand and why he is said to be the vessel that brings the Blackest Night.
FINAL JUDGEMENT:
Again, this is a 5 star rating for me. I really loved a lot of things about this. It's one of the best, if not the best, GL stories I've read so far. But of course, this is just my opinion.
April 24, 2017
A fun little origin story! I actually forgot in recent years about the comic book dream team that is Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, they've done so much together and this was just a sweet reminder of that! So this one has been on my radar for a while now but never got a chance to read it; so it was a nice surprise to see it was part of the DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection they've been pumping out recently. Its pretty standard Green Lantern Origin story, but its got that Geoff Johns flare to make it a pretty nice read! Plus Ivan Reis's artwork is awesome, he's right up their with Jim Lee! But anyway if you want a Green Lantern Origin story, well here you go!
October 19, 2025
Remember when an Earth Green Lantern was considered rare? Green Lantern: Secret Origin documents Hal Jordan's journey to becoming the titular superhero. The backstory is well paced and establishes the main players, their dynamics, and the lore that binds the concept, in an engaging way. It is also nice to be reminded of how Hal's relationships with Sinestro and Carol began, especially when taking their current status' into consideration. Johns and Reis have combined to make a very palatable start point for fans who want a modernised place to begin their Green Lantern journey.
February 10, 2017
I've always loved Green Lantern, even with that fairly recent movie. And then, every time I saw the Blackest Night comics in the bookstores, I kept thinking to myself, "Hey, that looks AWESOME."
It's time to buckle down, do my research, hunt all the comics leading to and through that huge story arc. There's enough fans out there that it looks like it'll be well worth my time. On to my New New-Year's Resolution! BLACKEST NIGHT. Wooooooo!
Origin. Check. Hints of the Black Light? Check. Sinestro? Cool. Check. I'm primed. :) Thank you, Secret Origin.
It's time to buckle down, do my research, hunt all the comics leading to and through that huge story arc. There's enough fans out there that it looks like it'll be well worth my time. On to my New New-Year's Resolution! BLACKEST NIGHT. Wooooooo!
Origin. Check. Hints of the Black Light? Check. Sinestro? Cool. Check. I'm primed. :) Thank you, Secret Origin.
April 24, 2017
El origen de Green Lantern, o mejor dicho la historia de origen de Hal Jordan como Green Lantern, se ha contado muchas veces. De hecho Geoff Johns ya nos contó el origen de Hal jordan de forma mucho más resumida al inicio de su andadura con este personaje (green lantern rebirth), pero en esa ocasión la idea era contar toda la trayectoria anterior de Hal Jordan poniendo énfasis en los sucesos que le llevaron a ser poseído por Parallax, y su posterior caída. En este caso tenemos una versión bastante descomprimida en la que se nos cuenta al detalle los primeros pasos de la historia de Hal Jordan, mientras se nos van presentando personajes clásicos de la serie y se ponen semillas para el siguiente arco de la colección de Geoff Johns (la rabia de los red lanterns) y el siguiente gran evento (la noche más oscura).
La historia está bien contada y el dibujo es espectacular, es muy entretenido y se lee muy agusto... es un buen punto de partida para empezar a leer a green lantern, de hecho si quieres comenzar a leer el green lantern de Geoff Johns quizá sea mejor empezar por aquí en lugar de por el tomo 1, ya que en el inicio de ese tomo (lo que corresponde a green lantern rebirth) se nos mete una sobrecarga de información que si no estamos familiarizados con el personaje, su entorno, sus antagonistas y secundarios clásicos... se nos puede hacer duro de entender.
La historia está bien contada y el dibujo es espectacular, es muy entretenido y se lee muy agusto... es un buen punto de partida para empezar a leer a green lantern, de hecho si quieres comenzar a leer el green lantern de Geoff Johns quizá sea mejor empezar por aquí en lugar de por el tomo 1, ya que en el inicio de ese tomo (lo que corresponde a green lantern rebirth) se nos mete una sobrecarga de información que si no estamos familiarizados con el personaje, su entorno, sus antagonistas y secundarios clásicos... se nos puede hacer duro de entender.
November 13, 2016
Very effective origin story. I feel like I understand Hal Jordan and see his appeal a lot more now that I know his background. The artwork is great and the plot of this was fantastic. This goes by really quickly.
July 15, 2025
got confused what issue this was but it was fun as shit, im gonna go buy volume 1 😭😭 the art style here is good but i hate all the other ones ugh
September 21, 2016
Good groundwork for Blackest Night, good introduction to the Green Lantern character. I'm just not a huge aficionado of GL, so this book wasn't as exciting to me as it would have been to a fan.
June 21, 2022
i love you hal jordan
December 10, 2017
4.5 Stars
This was a modern and updated retelling of Hal Jordan's origin. We had a few things thrown in such as Hector Hammond, Atrocitus and Sinestro all playing a part in the origin story. The art was very nice, especially Carol Ferris who has rarely looked better. Also, the emotion in the story was deep. We didn't just have a superhero getting his powers, we had humans facing things in their life they had never had the courage to face before. There's a scene with Carol, Hal and Carol's father which was almost tear jerking. (I won't spoil it here but it was very emotional.)
I'm not a fan of retconning in most cases but this was very well done.
This was a modern and updated retelling of Hal Jordan's origin. We had a few things thrown in such as Hector Hammond, Atrocitus and Sinestro all playing a part in the origin story. The art was very nice, especially Carol Ferris who has rarely looked better. Also, the emotion in the story was deep. We didn't just have a superhero getting his powers, we had humans facing things in their life they had never had the courage to face before. There's a scene with Carol, Hal and Carol's father which was almost tear jerking. (I won't spoil it here but it was very emotional.)
I'm not a fan of retconning in most cases but this was very well done.
May 13, 2020
Totally awesome!
Emotionally resonant, action packed, and full of awesome art from Ivan Reis.
Geoff Johns is a masterful storyteller. I love how he paced this, and I love how the emotional barbs stick when you least expect them to. The characters are fully fleshed out and lifelike, and the dynamic between characters is interesting and sometimes very fun.
I can’t wait to get cracking on the rest of his Lantern stuff!! I can’t believe I waited this long.
Emotionally resonant, action packed, and full of awesome art from Ivan Reis.
Geoff Johns is a masterful storyteller. I love how he paced this, and I love how the emotional barbs stick when you least expect them to. The characters are fully fleshed out and lifelike, and the dynamic between characters is interesting and sometimes very fun.
I can’t wait to get cracking on the rest of his Lantern stuff!! I can’t believe I waited this long.
May 4, 2021
Ta kresba není ničím výjimečná. Ale je to ten nejlepší mainstream, jaký můžete dostat. Propracovanost kresby, inking, práce s prostorem, barvy - prostě mě to baví. Zábavný je i scénář. Má osobní tragickou rovinu i humor a čte se vážně dobře. Filmové zpracování tohoto příběhu mám rád, takže to pro mě nebylo nové. Přesto jsem si to užil jako poprvé. Mám teď chuť si přečíst více Green Lanternů!
July 16, 2025
the art is incredibly good, the narrative is catchy and well done. Seems that Geoff Johns knows how to do his work
March 15, 2023
"In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"
October 29, 2014
I really feel like this is the book people should start with if they are looking to get into Green Lantern. Not only does it explain the origin of Hal Jordon, it sets up most up what has been going on for the last ten years in the book.
I liked the story of Hal before he was a Green Lantern. The scene where he is sleeping outside the air force recruitment office is a really nice one. It gets across the character of Jordon very well. Here we have a young man going against everything his family wants for him. He wants to be his father so bad that on the day he turns 18 he is literally outside the office. That’s great stuff. Hal seeing his father die was also a good part. How could Hal ever be afraid if the thing he fears the most already happen?
After Hal gets the ring he is sent to Oa, which is cool, but I thought he was just a bit too excepting of finding out about the Corps and all the aliens. If I found out that I was now a space cop and the universe was filled with aliens I’d be freaking out. You might say, “while Hal has no fear, so why would he freak out?”, but I don’t think that applies here. Everything this guy knows about the world has changed, and he just takes it in stride. That doesn’t sound like he has no fear that sounds like he is bat shit crazy.
One thing about this book is that it really shows the difference between a movie and a comic book. I’m thinking about the final fight in the book where Hal and Sinestro fight Atrocitus. It works for the comic but somehow I don’t see it working if this was the movie version of Hal’s origin. I’m not saying that I think books should be like movies, or vice versa, but I just thought the fight was “good enough” for a book, but wouldn’t make the cutting room floor of a movie.
All and all this was not a bad story. It sets up Hal and the rest of the lore really well. It serves as both a good jumping off point, and retelling for hardcore fans. Though the way things go in comic book land it is only a matter of time before this is no longer a relevant origin and a new one has to be written.
I liked the story of Hal before he was a Green Lantern. The scene where he is sleeping outside the air force recruitment office is a really nice one. It gets across the character of Jordon very well. Here we have a young man going against everything his family wants for him. He wants to be his father so bad that on the day he turns 18 he is literally outside the office. That’s great stuff. Hal seeing his father die was also a good part. How could Hal ever be afraid if the thing he fears the most already happen?
After Hal gets the ring he is sent to Oa, which is cool, but I thought he was just a bit too excepting of finding out about the Corps and all the aliens. If I found out that I was now a space cop and the universe was filled with aliens I’d be freaking out. You might say, “while Hal has no fear, so why would he freak out?”, but I don’t think that applies here. Everything this guy knows about the world has changed, and he just takes it in stride. That doesn’t sound like he has no fear that sounds like he is bat shit crazy.
One thing about this book is that it really shows the difference between a movie and a comic book. I’m thinking about the final fight in the book where Hal and Sinestro fight Atrocitus. It works for the comic but somehow I don’t see it working if this was the movie version of Hal’s origin. I’m not saying that I think books should be like movies, or vice versa, but I just thought the fight was “good enough” for a book, but wouldn’t make the cutting room floor of a movie.
All and all this was not a bad story. It sets up Hal and the rest of the lore really well. It serves as both a good jumping off point, and retelling for hardcore fans. Though the way things go in comic book land it is only a matter of time before this is no longer a relevant origin and a new one has to be written.
April 19, 2009
I have to admit, I didn't really think Hal Jordan's origin, and his relationships with Abin Sur, Carol Ferris and Sinestro needed revisiting again. Especially with all the momentum Geoff Johns has been building towards "In Blackest Night."
But I was wrong. While re-tracing a few steps of Hal's rise from test pilot to Green Lantern, Johns introduces backstory elements that reinforce his take on Hector Hammond, Sinestro, Black Hand and indeed the Green Lantern mythos as a whole. By going back to Hal's roots, he can plant seeds that will come to fruition in "In Blackest Night," thus looking like it's the culmination of a decades-long plan rather than an invention in the last few years.
Is this "ret-conning?" Well, yes. But it's done fairly artfully, and given that DC's continuity is so open to re-interpretation and even outright erasure, it doesn't particularly bother me. Johns puts some deeper levels of characterization in here, building on what we've known about the characters but tweaking it so that it all feels like one big mythos, rather than what it is, which is the result of dozens if not hundreds of writers introducing their ideas, sometimes clunkily, to form a big tapestry of Green Lantern's mythos.
Ivan Reis's artwork is spectacularly good, reminiscent of Carlos Pacheco and JG Jones, and he does particularly exceptional work on all the spaceships, airplanes, alien landscapes and human hangars that dot the story.
This book also introduces the backstory of Atrocitus, my vote for most on-the-nose-yet-awesomely-named bad guy ever, and it's a nice tie-in to the Guardians' folly with the Manhunters, as well as to Alan Moore's famous Green Lantern story about the planet of demons who wound up putting Abin Sur in a spaceship.
If all retcons were like this, the word wouldn't have such a bad rep.
But I was wrong. While re-tracing a few steps of Hal's rise from test pilot to Green Lantern, Johns introduces backstory elements that reinforce his take on Hector Hammond, Sinestro, Black Hand and indeed the Green Lantern mythos as a whole. By going back to Hal's roots, he can plant seeds that will come to fruition in "In Blackest Night," thus looking like it's the culmination of a decades-long plan rather than an invention in the last few years.
Is this "ret-conning?" Well, yes. But it's done fairly artfully, and given that DC's continuity is so open to re-interpretation and even outright erasure, it doesn't particularly bother me. Johns puts some deeper levels of characterization in here, building on what we've known about the characters but tweaking it so that it all feels like one big mythos, rather than what it is, which is the result of dozens if not hundreds of writers introducing their ideas, sometimes clunkily, to form a big tapestry of Green Lantern's mythos.
Ivan Reis's artwork is spectacularly good, reminiscent of Carlos Pacheco and JG Jones, and he does particularly exceptional work on all the spaceships, airplanes, alien landscapes and human hangars that dot the story.
This book also introduces the backstory of Atrocitus, my vote for most on-the-nose-yet-awesomely-named bad guy ever, and it's a nice tie-in to the Guardians' folly with the Manhunters, as well as to Alan Moore's famous Green Lantern story about the planet of demons who wound up putting Abin Sur in a spaceship.
If all retcons were like this, the word wouldn't have such a bad rep.
December 6, 2015
I honestly went into this with extremely limited knowledge of anything to do with Green Lantern, and I didn't really have a clue what to expect. I was definitely really impressed.
I didn't actually realise this was the sixth volume in the series until I pulled it up on goodreads. I got it from the library, and normally they number graphic novel and comic series. I assumed an origin story would be a good place to start, and if you have any doubts that it would be, lay them to rest. I didn't suffer for having picked up volume six first, this is just a great origin story, and a good place to start.
From beginning to end, this was a story I enjoyed, with a character I became rather attached to. I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but it was hard not to like. The art style suited its needs but didn't blow me away. Female representation/visualisation was less than impressive, but there wasn't anything that bothered me enough for this to hugely detract from all I did like. I got sucked into an origin story that gave me everything I needed to know and still made me want to learn more. I fully intend to read more Green Lantern after this, maybe even just start this series from the beginning. It was full of good characters, good humour, good emotion, and a good story.
If you have never read any Green Lantern before, this is an excellent place to start. It certainly did the job for me. I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking to try out Green Lantern for the first time, even if they aren't fully sure if they want to or not. It definitely has me interested in more.
I didn't actually realise this was the sixth volume in the series until I pulled it up on goodreads. I got it from the library, and normally they number graphic novel and comic series. I assumed an origin story would be a good place to start, and if you have any doubts that it would be, lay them to rest. I didn't suffer for having picked up volume six first, this is just a great origin story, and a good place to start.
From beginning to end, this was a story I enjoyed, with a character I became rather attached to. I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but it was hard not to like. The art style suited its needs but didn't blow me away. Female representation/visualisation was less than impressive, but there wasn't anything that bothered me enough for this to hugely detract from all I did like. I got sucked into an origin story that gave me everything I needed to know and still made me want to learn more. I fully intend to read more Green Lantern after this, maybe even just start this series from the beginning. It was full of good characters, good humour, good emotion, and a good story.
If you have never read any Green Lantern before, this is an excellent place to start. It certainly did the job for me. I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking to try out Green Lantern for the first time, even if they aren't fully sure if they want to or not. It definitely has me interested in more.
March 23, 2021
LO BUENO: Una historia entretenida, algo manida y clasicona, con detalles muy chichudos, pero entretenidos !!!, pero lo que se lleva las palmas sin duda es el arte, ya que la historia yo la conocia y sabia cosutas del origen pero no a este nivel, pero el arte de Ivan Reis es majestuoso, además las tintas de Oclaire Albert le dan un sentido aun ams epico y el color de Randy Mayor le queda de perlas ( las escenas con sinestro), y me dan uno de los mejores artes superheroicos que he visto en la vida.
LO MALO: Ideas recicladas de Alan Moore , y eso da cosa, ver que se aliemntan de lo que el barbudo hizo en un par de paginas para comer tanto, además, muy formalizado y clasico, falta un punch.
LO MALO: Ideas recicladas de Alan Moore , y eso da cosa, ver que se aliemntan de lo que el barbudo hizo en un par de paginas para comer tanto, además, muy formalizado y clasico, falta un punch.
October 12, 2009
Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis are on auto-pilot retelling Green Lantern's origin story. There's some neat stuff, like new versions Abin Sur and Sinestro meeting Hal Jordan, and Pie Face not seeming like such a ridiculously racist caricature, and Blackest Night is becoming more and more ominous. At this point Geoff Johns can write most DC characters in his sleep, and this book feels like he's going through the motions, with only a little bit of momentum toward the next big space story.
July 3, 2017
A Quickie Review
I honestly thought this was the first of the series when I read it; it definitely seemed more like an origin story than anything else. As usual, I enjoyed the artwork, the action, and the acts of heroism. There were dashes of profanity here and there, but definitely not as much as the live-action movie from a few years ago. Fans of Green Lantern should check this one out. Even if they haven't read the others in the series, they should be able to follow it just fine; I did.
Score: 4/5
I honestly thought this was the first of the series when I read it; it definitely seemed more like an origin story than anything else. As usual, I enjoyed the artwork, the action, and the acts of heroism. There were dashes of profanity here and there, but definitely not as much as the live-action movie from a few years ago. Fans of Green Lantern should check this one out. Even if they haven't read the others in the series, they should be able to follow it just fine; I did.
Score: 4/5
October 1, 2020
A bit retconny at times, but generally a good retelling of GL's lantern that meshes well with Johns' modern story-telling.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews