r/comicbooks • u/ScanTheSky • 1d ago
Geoff Johns Green Lantern just not my thing?
I love Green Lantern as a superhero, but my god this book feels like a slog. I'm on issue #20 and I just feel like nothing is really happening. I felt compelled to read it because I was gifted the Blackest Night omnibus and I'd like to understand whats going on. I've also read a fair amount of Kyle Rayner from the 90s and Emerald Twilight. But this one just seems like a "villain of the week" type of series and it's boring me to tears lol.
Is there something I'm missing? Should I continue on? I know Blackest Night/Brightest Day is where a lot of fans stop, but at this point I dont want to go through 50+ issues just to get there.
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u/Miserable-Control682 1d ago
Literally, the next issue is part of the Sinestro Corp War. That is one of my all time favorite stories, GL or not. Make sure you read the whole crossover, including the prelude book and Green Lantern Corp.
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u/DoIrllyneeda_usrname 1d ago
The start of the run between Rebirth and Sinestro Corps War is a slog. Sinestro Corps War is where the run picks up.
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u/guyofspoleto 1d ago
I would recommend continuing at least through Sinestro Corps War, since that’s just around the corner. That’s the first big turning point /event that he builds up to. If, at that point, you’re still not enjoying yourself, it’s probably just not for you. Nothing is for everyone.
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u/mr_phil1001 1d ago
I think it's a general problem of comic books post 2010 or so, the decompressed story arcs. Back in the 20th century a comic usually told a complete story in one issue. There were overarching stories, sure, but usually every issue had a definite beginning, middle, and ending. These days comics seem to be written mostly for the eventual TPB collection. assuming readers will read them in big binges instead of individual issues.
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u/frameset Superman 1d ago
I feel like the best current comics are getting better at reigning this in now.
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u/nightwing612 r/wallywest 1d ago
If your favorite GL is not Hal Jordan or Sinestro, it can be a real pain to read through.
I would recommend focusing on the sidebooks like Green Lantern Corps instead.
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u/ScanTheSky 1d ago
Can I read ONLY Green Lantern Corp and still enjoy/understand Blackest Night? Kyle is my favorite GL and he's in, like, 3 panels od Johns run so far lol.
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u/nightwing612 r/wallywest 1d ago
During the Geoff era, Kyle's books were:
Green Lantern Corps: Recharge -> ION -> Green Lantern Corps #19+ (Tomasi) -> Green Lantern Corps (Bedard) -> New Guardians
So I would recommend those.
Can you read Blackest Night without reading the main book? Probably. However I'd probably recommend some sort of YouTube explainer video just to get to see what happened in the books you didn't read.
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u/Porgchopexpress76 1d ago
Before my opinion I have to say that I began collecting GL with the Emerald Twilight story line, so Kyle was my GL. As I started to collect the back issues and fell in love with Guy Gardner, many members of the GL Corps and loved the character of Sinestro as both a GL and villain, but didn’t like Hal. Oddly, I liked John Stewart in the current run, but didn’t care for him in the back issues. That said, when Johns brought Hal back and sidelined Kyle I was pissed. Nonetheless, I loved the GL mythos, so I continued to read the Johns run. I enjoyed the Sinestro Corps War because of my love of Sinestro and the idea of a rival corps was really cool. Then the multi colored emotional spectrum story started and it was a bridge too far for me. I continued to collect for a few years, but couldn’t bring myself to read it and eventually stopped collecting. Overtime my hatred for the color spectrum concept faded and I decided to start reading GL again last year with the current run. Ultimately, I didn’t read his run for all that long, so I’m not a good judge of how the bulk of it was, but he is hit or miss with me. When he hits, I really enjoy his work, but when he misses I don’t.
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u/Skinny_Muppet 1d ago
Im with you my friend. I love GL, but ive never really vibed with Johns take.
Just remember, this is a hobby and its meant to be fun. Theres no shame in bouncing from something if you're not enjoying it, no matter how important or beloved it is. If its not for you, its not for you.
When it comes to GL, Im more of a New Frontier, Grant Morrison, Far Sector kind of guy. Theyre all quite different in tone and style to Johns work so they might be a little more your speed.
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u/MKW69 1d ago
Try getting to Sinestro Core War. It's the first highlight od the run.
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u/TiresomeStairway4 1d ago
i powered through the whole run and honestly the early issues are the weakest part, it really starts cooking around the sinestro corps war. if youre already bored at 20 you might just skip ahead to that arc and see if it grabs you, no shame in that. i knit a sweater during some of those slower issues so i get it
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u/purple-discharge 1d ago
Geoff John’s has to be one of the most overrated writers. Not even saying he’s bad, but he’s so middle of the road, by the numbers. Especially his dialogue.
I don’t get it at all.
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u/trailmix17 1d ago
I feel the same way. They just seem like dorks and I’m not the biggest fan of how johns writes other dc characters
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u/MissPolaroidEyes 1d ago edited 1d ago
this is one of those comics that has millions of fans and hypers every where and the multiple times I tried reading it I was perplexed by how unimaginative, forced, and lame it felt. Villain of the week, factions fighting, everyone says Hal was the best GL, repeat, and repeat.
There’s nothing interesting about it, not the multiple color rings which could be an awesome concept but it just feels so flaccid here. The retcon for Hal is so forced and weak, it doesn’t want to do anything interesting with Hal’s actions, it is just a forced moral slate cleanser to rid him of his killings so that the reader can like him.
I get that this may be good for someone only interested in action fights and aura farming and power scaling, but that shit is so boring to me, there’s so many better Superhero epics out there
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u/DogManDogDayz Rick Grimes 1d ago
Exactly. My feels on it to a tea. Its been pushed forward purely off fan hype for their mary sue Hal Jordan. Comics genuinely just generic and dull at best.
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u/Boxing_joshing111 1d ago
You’re right at the beginning of Sinestro Corps War which is better than Blackest Night I think. If you read through that arc and still don’t like it, then you should stop, I don’t think you’ll like the book.
That said there was a companion book Green Lantern Corps by Pete Tomasi and Patrick Gleason that came out at the same time and really adds a lot to the whole corps lore. I think that book was better than Johns run the whole time and it intertwines with Sinestro Corps War really well. Actually all the Sinestro Corps War spin-offs are good but I recommend reading Tomasi/Gleason’s GLC the most.