Piecing Together War Of The Green Lanterns

Columns, Features, Insider, Top Story

It seems like only yesterday that I was wondering just what exactly the point of this entire crossover was, with a freshly released set of solicits that told me nothing I was just frustrated.

GREEN LANTERN #64
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by DOUG MAHNKE & CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Cover by IVAN REIS & OCLAIR ALBERT
1:10 Variant cover by TYLER KIRKHAM & BATT
“War of the Green Lanterns” ignites with part 1 of the blockbuster event that’ll burn into the summer! A malevolent force has usurped control over all the power batteries, leaving the Corps powerless except for a select few members. Now it’s up to Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart and Sinestro to regain control – but can these warriors overcome their differences in time to save the universe?
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale MARCH 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Was it referring to Krona and his quest for the entities? Was it referring to the siphoning of Lantern energy in Emerald Warriors? What was it about? Well, over the past month it’s come together in the pages of Green Lantern and Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, and now I think I’ve got a handle on it. So let’s break it down bit by bit, from the important things to the little head scratchers.

The Yat Factor

The energy siphoning was revealed to be Sodam Yat taking in energy like a battery after his removal from the sun of Daxam, as well as his powering down from Ion to a Lantern. Now, this might make Sodam seem like a bad guy, but let me add in that Krona is who stripped away Ion, gave him a ring, and then programmed him to do it. The ring was specially created to drain away energy from the central battery, and his own prolonged connection to Ion mixed with his own unique Daxamite physiology make him the only Lantern truly capable of doing it. This makes him a ridiculously powerful tool that has been draining away energy from the Green Lantern’s.

It also makes him a wild card, as the manipulation he’s under is currently by the three eyed Zardor, the villain in Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors while still draining energy. Despite being a tool of Krona, he’s not under the direct control of the Mad Guardian, which means that for as important to the War as he could be, he could also be a complete non-factor whose story arc doesn’t pick back up again until after War of the Green Lantern’s, which would explain the taking of Bleez (a Red Lantern and central character in the title). He could be a powerful enemy, a powerful ally, or a complete red herring.

The Mad Guardian Returns

Krona is the biggest X-Factor as he was recently revealed to be the bandaged and cloaked figure that was collecting the various entities. His own monologuing has informed us that possession of an entity gives him control over that spectrum of power. Why is this bad news? Because he’s currently in possession of all but the Predator, meaning that the Star Sapphires are the only Corps not under his control. His origins have been expanded on to reveal that he sought to understand emotion so that he could control it, and that is why he wanted to see the beginning of time, so he could witness and understand the beginning of life. The other Oans sought to bury emotions, something we saw explode in their faces with Blackest Night, but it’s not something they’ve learned from. Krona claims he wants to cleanse the universe of the emotionally unbalanced, but you have to wonder what that means since he is, well, mad. He’s in possession of all but one of the emotional spectrums, so it’s likely he’ll be the one stripping the Corps of their powers, and likely heightening emotions across the board. I have no idea what this part of it means.

The Incredible Case of the Shrinking Oans

One thing I’ve always wondered about is why the Oans are so small, that isn’t to say I need an explanation for why a race of people is short, but I read the original Crisis, I’ve seen pictures of the Oan Krona from before his recent reappearance. The Oans were full sized people. This has even been shown in the previews for the next issue of Green Lantern, where Ganthet and Krona are shown in a flashback at full size, while obviously both are currently much smaller. Could it have been the events that created the multiverse that did it? Or was it the act of banishing one of their own? Given that this is the first time since Hal came back that I can remember the Oans being shown at full size, does that mean that Johns is going to answer why?

Who is the Man in Chains?

There were two moments in Green Lantern #62 where we saw a figure chained up from behind, shrouded in shadow. When we first see him it’s a brief one panel flashback to Ganthet speaking of how dangerous he is, while Krona wants to know if he’s certain that they have to leave him there, with all he can teach them about the nature of the entities.

When we see him later in the issue it’s a flash forward to the Guardians of today, with Ganthet speaking for them and talking about how Hal Jordan was once the best Green Lantern but is now the most dangerous, with the man (in a green word bubble) saying that Hal is not as dangerous at him.

What Happened to the Pact?

After Blackest Night ended we were shown that Atrocitus, Ganthet, and Guy Gardner had formed a pact, though we weren’t told what it was about. As time went on were were teased bit by bit until the truth finally came out. Guy Gardner had a vision in blood, due to his Red Lantern infection, and Atrocitus had the same one. They saw the hooded figure now revealed as Krona, and the various entities, and they saw major issues coming down that neither of their Corps came out the better from.

The three came together to form a plan, in which each would do their part to stall Krona’s plans. Ganthet started at the center of the universe, Atrocitus went to the source of life where all the Entities seemed to come together, and Guy went out to the fringe of the universe. Each had a job to do to prevent Krona from gaining the power he sought, and it seems as if all of them failed.

The Return of the New Guardians?

We save a brief assemblage of the team in GL, but one would have to imagine that if the War takes the fight to Krona, that’s it’s going to be Hal’s new team that leads off the fight. Hal, Sinestro, Atrocitus, Larfleeze, Saint Walker, Carol Ferris, and Indigo-1 joined up to fight Nekron, and with the exception of Indigo, they’ve been hanging around in various groups since Blackest Night. Atrocitus and Sinestro, Hal, Larfleeze, and Carol. Random combos, but we haven’t had them all in one place since. Now, Hal has bailed on the JLA to go off with them and handle the Krona situation.

There’s also this solicit from May.

GREEN LANTERN #66
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Cover by DOUG MAHNKE
1:10 Variant cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
The blockbuster “War of the Green Lanterns” takes it toll! Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner fight on against their fellow Lanterns – and the carnage escalates to savage heights. And how will the other New Guardians capitalize on it?
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale MAY 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

How will they capitalize on it? We don’t know the goals that will be within their grasps so it’s hard to guess, but it makes you wonder which of them will be doing it? The opportunistic Sinestro? The vengeful Atrocitus? The selfish and greedy Larfleeze? Or will it be the mysterious Indigo-1? I highly doubt we’ll see underhanded acts from Saint Walker or Carol.

What About the Other Corps?

Sinestro is involved both by his naming in the first solicit, as well as the tease that an Earth born Green Lantern will be joining his Corps in the second month of the vent. That’s one Corps, and arguably the most important one save for the Green Lantern’s. If their leader is in trouble, they will do whatever it takes to fight for him. On top of that, they also recently recruited The Weaponer, and unless he is another character that won’t pop up again until after the War, he could be a major factor in any battle.

Larfleeze is the Orange Lantern Corps, and given that he’s been tagging along with Hal for most of the past year, it’s a pretty safe assumption that he’ll be around for the War. It also doesn’t hurt that he didn’t just lose his entity, but his battery along with it. Larfleeze has motivation to find Krona, he wants his property back.

Atrocitus has been a major factor, if not just for his pact with Guy and Ganthet, and with the Red Lantern’s getting an ongoing title I can’t imagine them not playing a prominent role. And if the Yat stuff does happen, Yat and Zardor are in possession of the Red Lantern known as Bleez, which would be enough to bring Atrocitus into the fray even if Krona hadn’t taken the Butcher.

Saint Walker having a role would make sense with his presence in the New Guardians, but he’s also set to join the Justice League in the next few months which could tie him up. He’s the only Blue Lantern with any name value, and since the Blue Lantern’s lost both of their Guardians (Ganthet to the Green Lantern Corps, and Sayd to the Orange Lanterns as Larfleeze’s personal Guardian) it’s likely that they’ll just be downplayed.

Since the Predator hasn’t been taken yet you can expect the Star Sapphires to pop up sooner than later, and if Hal is going mad you can definitely expect his on-again-off-again Carol “Queen of the Star Sapphires” Ferris to show up.

Indigo-1 has been teased heavily with a lot of Abin Sur references, from mentioning that when she meant him she was self centered and self important, to his face being drawn out of her mind by the Orange Entity, to his name being in Indigo oath, and hey, even Black Lantern Abin Sur picked her out of a crowd. She’s got something major for her coming up, could this be the time?

The Brightest Day Effect

Anybody else notice how all the Oans wore White Lantern logos on their chests back in the day? Anybody notice how Brightest Day wraps up right around the same time the War kicks off? Anybody think this is coincidence? Oa may be at the center of the universe, but life in the DC Universe began on Earth and it’s a secret the Guardians held on to for thousands of years. Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are the co-writers on Brightest Day, and they each write a GL book, so it’s incredibly likely that the new Guardian of Life, or whatever they’re going to call whoever the White Lantern chooses, will be a player in the end of the War. Krona has a mission based around emotion, and he sought to understand the beginning of life in the universe, the Oans all wore White Lantern logos, so expect to see Krona against that Guardian.

Death of a Green Lantern?

During the flash forward of Ganthet and the Guardians speaking to the Man in Chains they said that Hal was more dangerous than ever due to the loss of a Green Lantern from his sector. This can be taken one of two ways; the first being the easy answer. Death. You kill one of the other Earth born GL’s and yeah, Hal is going to get pissed.

However, there’s also this cover and the accompanying solicit.

GREEN LANTERN #65
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and KEITH CHAMPAGNE
Cover by IVAN REIS and OCLAIR ALBERT
1:10 Variant cover by GEORGE PEREZ
The “War of the Green Lanterns” takes a shocking turn! With the entire Green Lantern Corps against them, the four Earthborn GLs make a choice that will rank among the most memorable in GL history. But not all of them agree on what has to be done and what lines are to be crossed. Plus, the countdown to the live-action film continues with another exclusive look at the upcoming GREEN LANTERN movie!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale APRIL 13 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T

One of Earth’s GL’s is joining the Sinestro Corps. Now, obviously it isn’t going to be Hal as then he wouldn’t be the most dangerous Green Lantern. It also won’t be Guy Gardner because if he’s flipping to any of the other Corps it’s the Red Lantern Corps, as he’s been displaying signs of infection throughout Emerald Warriors, and since I doubt that book is ending with War of the GL’s, Guy isn’t going yellow.

This leaves the two Lantern’s currently hosting Green Lantern Corps, Kyle Rayner and John Stewart. Kyle is currently dating Sinestro’s daughter, Soranik Natu, and during the Sinestro Corps War he was briefly the host of Parallax. He knows fear, he feels fear, and there was a time when it was said that his knowing of fear would make him the greatest of the Green Lantern’s. He’s also my favorite character in all of comics, and the Green Lantern I grew up with. So when I tell you he’s not turning yellow, it’s hard to not sound biased, but I can defend it.

Kyle is the main character of Green Lantern Corps. Yeah, John is there, and Ganthet is there, and Sora is there, but Kyle is the main character. It was him and Guy, and then it was him. John has been around for two arcs, but he’s more or less been a name brand background character, occasionally getting to do cool shit.

John was also Hal’s sector partner before Blackest Night, and in current continuity, is one of Hal’s best friends (even if he was one of Kyle’s primary mentors and closest friends just a few years ago). If John were to turn (or die) then that would arguably be enough to push Hal over the edge, especially when you consider that Hal and Kyle have practically no established on panel friendship.

The Fall of Hal Jordan

Krona told Hal that he was not the first, nor would he be the last, to be called the greatest of the Green Lantern’s. That he himself was once the Guardians greatest hero. But that eventually they are always cast down once they fly too high. The thing is, and this is acknowledged by Krona later in the issue, Hal has already been cast down once. He went mad after the destruction of Coast City, was infected by Parallax, and destroyed the Green Lantern Corps. He came back from that and reasserted himself as the greatest of the GL’s, but with all signs showing to him being made the villain in the eyes of the GLC during the War, how will he pick himself back up? There’s no fear entity to take the fall this time.

The Guardians claim him unstable, but given that he’s yet to report his actions back to the Guardians since the end of the Blackest Night, it’s not a hard claim for them to make. One of their best has gone AWOL on his home planet, and rumors are that he’s hanging out with Atrocitus and Larfleeze. Combine in the control freak nature of the Guardians and their inability to ever learn a lesson from anything, and it’s easy to see how they rationalize their actions.

Where Do They Go From Here?

When the War is over, there’s going to be a movie in theaters called Green Lantern, and it’s going to be starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan. If the movie is a success then it will be the biggest opportunity DC has possibly ever had to build interest in the GL line of books. There’s a condition though, part of the double edged sword that is bringing in fans from a different medium, Hal has to be familiar. He can’t be super criminal number one in his solo title, or the universe’s most wanted. He needs to be a hero, otherwise you’re just going to baffle new readers, because even a “framed for crimes he didn’t commit” would just put up a wall of continuity to block new readers from immediately diving in having just seen the movie.

This isn’t to say that they can’t shake things up, I mean, an Earth born GL is joining the Sinestro Corps. Hal and the others go to war with their friend and allies, most likely over emotions and the Guardians secrets, things will not just go back to status quo. But if the Krona and Entities plots wrap up with the War, then Green Lantern is going to be free to go into another story arc, and given how Johns has been doing with the book I can’t help but wonder how he’s going to top himself next.

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And as of right now, that’s what I’ve got for you guys on War of the Green Lanterns, and we won’t know more for a few weeks. Green Lantern #63, the prologue issue, comes out on March 2nd, with the crossover as a whole beginning two weeks later in issue #64 on March 16th. Of course, be sure to come back to the Nexus for all the details you want and need to know, as we’ll be covering the War from start to finish!

A lifelong reader and self proclaimed continuity guru, Grey is the Editor in Chief of Comics Nexus. Known for his love of Booster Gold, Spider-Girl (the real one), Stephanie Brown, and The Boys. Don't miss The Gold Standard.