by Damon Martin
The ball has dropped and the calendar has flipped, and now that we are entering 2011, comic book fans are looking forward to the biggest books and events for this upcoming year. The landscape over the next few months will most likely be shaped by DC Comics juggernaut series Green Lantern, which will feature expansions into a new series, with one mega event wrapping up while another begins, and of course the summer release of the new Green Lantern movie.
The Green Lantern was often thought of by comic book fans as a second tier character to the bigger named heroes like Batman and Superman, but over the last few years current DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns has turned the book into the most popular series for the comic giant.
Johns started off by retelling the story of the most famous Green Lantern of them all, Hal Jordan, and then expanded by bringing Jordan back to life. He exploded the Lantern universe with sharp storytelling, biting dialogue, which is always accompanied by vibrant art.
2010 was capped off by the Blackest Night series, which gained both commercial and critical acclaim. It focused on once dead heroes being brought back to life as essentially super powered zombies held together as mysterious Black Lanterns. The series then shifted into the ongoing Brightest Day series, which is set to wrap up in the first quarter of 2011.
That storyline won’t bring the end of Green Lantern’s epic run however, as the series will then shift into the War of the Green Lanterns. Another new series will focus on the anger and rage ridden Red Lanterns which Johns also introduced. The new series will debut this year, and will be written by former Shade the Changing Man and Hellblazer scribe Peter Milligan.
All of these series will of course be the pre-emptive strike to the June 17 release of the Green Lantern movie, which is expected to be of blockbuster proportions. Directed by Martin Campbell and starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong and Peter Sarsgaard, it’s on schedule be one of the summer’s biggest hits. Before anyone saw much more than a shot of the Green Lantern suit, Spike TV had named it the most anticipated film of 2011 at their annual Scream Awards.
The trailer for the film hit iTunes and other outlets last month, and was featured during the latest Harry Potter film. Johns along with other comic writers oversaw and were involved in the project, which could mean a couple things given the high expectations. Either the comic book fans will be the only ones to love this movie due to the spot-on accuracy of the storyline and plot points, or the film will be watered down just enough so that diehard DC fans and casual movie goers alike will be able to enjoy it.
So as you head to the comic book stores and then to the movie theaters in 2011, get ready to know the Green Lantern oath by heart because this will truly be the year for the space police from OA. Remember, in Brightest Day or Blackest night….
