If You Wrote Comics: Green Lantern

[BaneBreaker]

I would prefer that they not be GLs. Six Earth Lanterns is just absurd. I don't think they can sell a comic, but if they can, then that's fine.

What do you think the monthly numbers should be? 60K? 70K? 100K? You say "sell" a lot but never give any indication as to what you actually mean

[Assam]

Is it an objective fact that they can sell a comic? Maybe it is and I missed something.

There are no certain predictions as to what will sell. But you can look at what has sold and has not sold, and you can then make some pretty good predictions.

I can tell you that Batman will probably sell his solo title, and that Blue Beetle will probably not sell a solo title. Those are not certainties, but they're pretty safe bets.

It's about tendencies and histories, not "objective facts."

Is it an objective fact that, if given a new solo book, it would sell well? Not at all and we wouldn't have an answer until such a time occurred.

But that's not what you said. You said you don't think that they "can" sell a comic when that's what they've been doing for the past two years. GLs will be one of only about a dozen or so Rebirth titles to hit 50 issues, currently at #45 it's still well above the danger zone and above plenty of other titles, including Green Arrow and Aquaman, and even if their book ends in August with #53 as part of a shake-up to the GL books, they'll still be tied with Steel in second place for the longest POC lead solo book at DC.

[Trey Strain]

What do you think the monthly numbers should be? 60K? 70K? 100K? You say "sell" a lot but never give any indication as to what you actually mean

To keep it in print, that's all. In the icv2 listings, DC's usual cancellation level is about 17K. However, they kept printing Blue Beetle until it had dropped all the way to 8K! Green Lanterns is currently listed at 24K, but I suspect that's inflated by about 5K by DC's offering the comics shops free returns on unsold copies. They also pushed Baz and Cruz by putting them in Justice League. As with Blue Beetle, DC REALLY wants Green Lanterns to succeed.

[BaneBreaker]

Okay, so earlier you said they couldn't sell, now, sell means "keep in print", Green Lanterns is still in print, ergo, its selling. So who is artificially inflating the numbers? Diamond? That's where the order numbers come from each month when this stuff gets discussed

[Sodam Yat]

At the start of the DC You period we got a brand new GLC series called Lost Army. It was written by Cullen Bunn and dealt with the entire Green Lantern Corps somehow being relocated back into Relic's universe. Two Lanterns escaped that fate. Hal Jordan, who was operating as a 'renegade' at the time and using Krona's Gauntlet, and Soranik Natu, who had her ring removed forcibly by Sinestro just before it disappeared too. Quite how Sinestro knew how to spare Soranik from the same fate was never explained. Sinestro seemed to be as in the dark as to the reasons for the Corps' disappearance as everyone else. He did, however, take advantage of this by using Natu as a front to replace the Green Lanterns as protectors with his own Sinestro Corps.

Anyway, Lost Army ended up only running for six issues, a fact that plainly took Bunn rather by surprise as he'd obviously been trying to establish a much longer saga than the one we got. The series saw the Corps unite with both a younger Relic, trying to halt the light-based entropy that was threatening the end of his reality, and Krona also. Why Krona was there, and what his ultimate role in the story was destined to be, was never explained. After six months the series was cancelled and replaced with another run called Edge Of Oblivion written by Tom Taylor. Taylor had previously inherited the Earth-2 series and immediately abandoned plotlines in that title that he didn't like or fancy. This was quite jarring for readers at the time.

On Edge Of Oblivion, Taylor did the same trick. The series ostensibly picked up the story months later, with the Corps still stuck in this doomed universe, but headed into a completely different plot and antagonists. Both Relic and Krona were gone completely and not even mentioned. It wasn't a bad read but left so many unanswered questions. What happened in the months between Lost Army and Edge Of Oblivion is something that I'd immediately clear up.

Yep pretty much.

Ethan Van Sciver did say readers should look at Edge of Oblivion as a complete separate story that's not connected to Lost Army. Not having any connections to Lost Army (other than being in a universe that's not theirs) was intended.

Editorials really screwed up on this one.

[WillieMorgan]

Yep pretty much.

Ethan Van Sciver did say readers should look at Edge of Oblivion as a complete separate story that's not connected to Lost Army. Not having any connections to Lost Army (other than being in a universe that's not theirs) was intended.

Editorials really screwed up on this one.

Yeah, I remember reading those comments from EVS. That's the way that I approached Edge Of Oblivion when it debuted.

Although Lost Army was hardly a sales smash there were definitely titles out there that performed a lot worse. The stellar Omega Men series was allowed to last the full 12 months, which I'm eternally grateful for. I still maintain that the GL franchise would have benefitted from Lost Army being given the same leeway. Maybe something happened with Bunn behind the scenes. Who knows?

[BaneBreaker]

Maybe the reason I didn't like Lost Army because I was under the impression it was a brief series, 6 or so, and the story just felt like it was going nowhere. It read like a long series story not a short one. It wasn't until after the fact, I learned it was supposed to be longer but got cut

[Trey Strain]

Okay, so earlier you said they couldn't sell, now, sell means "keep in print", Green Lanterns is still in print, ergo, its selling. So who is artificially inflating the numbers? Diamond? That's where the order numbers come from each month when this stuff gets discussed

The Diamond numbers are not for actual sales but of the orders that the comics shops place. If a shop knows it can return unsold copies of a title for free, it'll probably order more of them than it otherwise would. DC did this with The New Guardians. I don't know why they were so hot to sell that one.

I say leave Baz and Cruz alone and see what happens. I think I know, but maybe I'll get a surprise.

[Shockingjustice]

I would have one main book with Hal, Guy and Kyle as the main characters. They would be Honor Guard Lanterns that don't patrol a space sector. instead, they go out on important missions and deal with the biggest threats. I would also re-introduce the Blue Lanterns as a small group of 3 that join the Honor Guard. I would use space-fairing Green Lantern villains, the other Corps in the Emotional Spectrum and other space-faring villains like Brainiac and Cyborg Superman. I would also not make the characters go to Earth (a series about space police officers spending most of their time on Earth is dumb in my opinion).

What about Jessica, Simon and John

[KC]

What about Jessica, Simon and John

I went into this assuming I would have control over the Green Lantern Franchise and the rest of the DCU would go on without my influence. And if that was the case, John would be on Earth with the Justice League and Jessica would be in space somewhere with the roster of the Justice League Odyssey book. I would have added Simon, but I don't think he is experienced enough yet to be an honour guard Lantern, he would probably be the Lantern of the space sector where the earth is.

[skyvolt2000]

Okay, so earlier you said they couldn't sell, now, sell means "keep in print", Green Lanterns is still in print, ergo, its selling. So who is artificially inflating the numbers? Diamond? That's where the order numbers come from each month when this stuff gets discussed

Stores who have no issue ordering x number of copies even if that number doesn't sell out. Because they HOPE the back issues would sell at higher prices later on.

Which makes the backlash to Marvel a JOKE because the store chose to over order books instead of ordering enough to sell out at the cover price versus a higher one later on. Which does not work because EBAY, trades and used book store shave no trouble selling back issues at lower prices.

So let say your store ordered 15 copies of Green Lantern and 10 of Doom Patrol. Doom Patrol sells out and Lantern leaves 10 copies. Who did their job? Doom Patrol.

Diamond does not care about that. They want to get rid of books and that is why you see second and third printings of books. They sell out and those other printings are made. HOWEVER you can still go to many stores and get the first printing. Unless it's a Supergirl Artem variant.

So that 24k is questionable because it does not say how many copies did someone BUY.

Then you get into trade sales. Which vary and the only source that can give you sort of an idea is Amazon but that changes everyday.

So if I was to judge both Lantern book by Amazon-it's a WASH as both tend to out do each other at times.

Now if I was to compare them to other books. The New Age books whose trades will not be out until October have higher interest than both Lantern books-especially Terrifics. However both beat Cyborg.

The number says there is room for both. What Trey is saying what can be done to make them higher despite his hate for Jessica & Simon.

The reality is there isn't much you can do. You already lost John fans why add Jessica & Simon to that pile.

A lot of folks do NOT want to read about Hal Jordan. You have to figure out how to get those who don't want to read about him to invest in the franchise with the others.

That is where this Hal is alpha, omega and supreme lantern mess STOPS. As long as that lingers-you won't get fans. When DC treats Lantern like a group franchise like GOTG at Marvel-you will see improvement.

YOu got 6 Earth lanterns-you got enough material for a bigger franchise and NO you do not need monthly books for all. Rotate the leads in that GLC book and let Hal have his own journey in his own book. A mini or one shot or 12 part mini with the rest will not hurt.

[Raijin]

I would take a page from Warren Ellis' Moon Knight and have one standalone arc for each issue. Every issue would be a new adventure. John would be the main lantern and he would be a bit of a nomad/wanderer. Going from planet to planet helping out in anyway he could.

[G-Man27]

Maybe do a little trimming of the Green Lantern line. Move John and Jessica off to the League teams and have Simon be forced out of the Lantern role for a life or death decision (as cops go through these days) and Hal, emotionally troubled due to vouching for Baz attempts to retire. Leaving Guy and Kyle as a buddy cop procedural title. Of course, something will come up where Guy and Kyle need Hal's assistance and he's pulled out of retirement as an advisor of sorts.

The villains will be space versions of common crook types with maybe the Darkstars acting as a rival precinct and occasional trips to Earth. Wait a year if possible to bring in the other colored Corps.

[The Dying Detective]

Also I'm in favour of YouTuber Englentine's idea that apart from the inhabitants of New Genesis the Green Lantern Corp should be a chief enemy of Darkseid. Why doesn't Darkseid invade every single plannet everyday of the week or try to conquer Earth. The Green Lantern Corp.

[WebLurker]

Also I'm in favour of YouTuber Englentine's idea that apart from the inhabitants of New Genesis the Green Lantern Corp should be a chief enemy of Darkseid. Why doesn't Darkseid invade every single plannet everyday of the week or try to conquer Earth. The Green Lantern Corp.

Isn't Darkseid a Superman villain? Rogue's gallery transplants rarely happen, even if it would be logical.

A GL mystery detective series would be how I'd want to do it. Since Baz and Cruz are my favorites, I'd want to use them, but I think the mystery premise would work with just about any GL character.