Too Many Earth Lanterns...

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Rather than hijack the Young Animal thread further, I think it'd be better to give this topic its own thread since it seems to be something that a lot of people have plenty to say about.

Personally, I don't have a particularly big problem with introducing new Lanterns from Earth as long as these new characters are worth reading about. I'd like them to spread out where they are from a little more. Having all but one of them be from America is kinda narrow-minded, and telling about how little imagination most creators and readers have in terms of being able to connect to characters that aren't exactly like them.

Would Spock be a more interesting character if he was born and raised in Seattle instead of planet Vulcan? Would Luke Skywalker be easier to relate to if he was a farmboy from Arizona instead of Tatooine? Would the Guardians of the Galaxy be better if they were a bunch of &^% ups from America rather than outer space?

If you've got a great idea for yet another Lantern from Earth...fine, but why not take that character idea and make them an alien GL from a new world or a previously established one? Yeah, they'd probably get killed off by some other creator to prop up whatever latest Big Bad they've come up with, but isn't that preferable to them never getting used at all because there simply isn't a big enough readership to satisfy TEN different Green Lantern books?

[byrd156]

Kyle is the cut off point to me. Adding more human/Earth Lanterns or at least human lanterns that hang around 2814 is too much. Maybe if you want more human lanterns send them off into deep space for some super crazy adventures that can be whatever they want. Keep them in their own world until the next crossover or whatever.

I wish they made Simon and Jessica into aliens or did something really unique with them. Jessica's PTSD is something but it's something she'll have to get over eventually, it's not really a hook that will stay with her character. Who wants to see her overcome the same arc over and over and over?

I was thinking that doing something really crazy like turning one of the Lanterns like Simon into an alien would be cool. That's a basic sci-fi premise I'm surprised we haven't really seen for a Lantern. Something like the Fly meets Green Lantern.

[PCN24454]

To be fair, it makes sense for Earth Lanterns to be stationed on Earth.

I like comic book writers focusing on America cause if they tried to write anywhere else, they’re gonna screw it up.

[protege]

To be fair, it makes sense for Earth Lanterns to be stationed on Earth.

I like comic book writers focusing on America cause if they tried to write anywhere else, they’re gonna screw it up.

The only problem is , they never stay on earth. I’d be okay if jessica cruz stayed on earth, fighting earth villains.s.

[Agent Z]

Space is a large place so I don't mind the many human Lanterns. If you feel humans get too much focus, you could just develop the other alien Lanterns or make more.

Kyle is the cut off point to me. Adding more human/Earth Lanterns or at least human lanterns that hang around 2814 is too much. Maybe if you want more human lanterns send them off into deep space for some super crazy adventures that can be whatever they want. Keep them in their own world until the next crossover or whatever.

I wish they made Simon and Jessica into aliens or did something really unique with them. Jessica's PTSD is something but it's something she'll have to get over eventually, it's not really a hook that will stay with her character. Who wants to see her overcome the same arc over and over and over?

I was thinking that doing something really crazy like turning one of the Lanterns like Simon into an alien would be cool. That's a basic sci-fi premise I'm surprised we haven't really seen for a Lantern. Something like the Fly meets Green Lantern.

Jessica's PTSD is pretty unique or at least not something superheroes do very often. And Simon being a Muslim-American man and former petty crook isn't something you can say about other Green Lanterns.

[RickWJ324]

I don't care to read any book starring Simon or Jessica. With Simon they attempted to give us some diversity by adding a muslim superhero (which I totally understand) yet they give him a gun and make him a car thief!! There's someone to look up to!! (rolls eyes while typing that!). As for Jessica, she's a traumatized woman, scared to leave her house, suffering from PTSD and agoraphobia, consistently shows fear and a lack of being a superhero, yet DC wants to push her as such a powerful hero! B.S.!! I would have a hard time believing she could summon enough power from the ring to light a cigarette, much less be the greatest superhero ever!! Watch the JLvsFF movie and see how she hands the FF their asses while they are able to easily defeat everyone else in the JL. Again... B.S.!! But hey... she is a great character for meeting PC agendas that are so in demand these days!

I find Hal a bit boring but I get why he's typically the "main" GL as he's been THE Green Lantern for so many decades. Still, I'd much rather Hal have stayed gone after Parallax and DC give more focus to John and Kyle instead of creating new earth GL's. They are two great GL's and deserve more than they are currently getting. I'd like to see John as the main Lantern on the JL and have Kyle, John, and Kilowog leading a Corps book. Just my opinion though....

[j9ac9k]

It's too bad they didn't invent Jessica after "Emerald Twilight." I'd say put her in Kyle's place then stop. Hal, John, Guy and Jessica. But that'd involve a big reboot.

At this point, the franchise is just a DC mainstay and a way to give people powers in a sci-fi setting that fans are somewhat familiar with. It's like mutants at Marvel. It's what makes the GL concept unique at DC I guess...

[RickWJ324]

And what's with the new Lantern in an upcoming book called: Far Sector? Is she an Earth character? We also have "Teen Lantern" now.

[qwertyuiop1998]

It's too bad they didn't invent Jessica after "Emerald Twilight." I'd say put her in Kyle's place then stop. Hal, John, Guy and Jessica.

Idem.
If Jessica has been placed on Green lantern volume 3 later protagonist will much better than jammed she in currently overnumber DC continuity

[Jody Garland]

I don't care to read any book starring Simon or Jessica. With Simon they attempted to give us some diversity by adding a muslim superhero (which I totally understand) yet they give him a gun and make him a car thief!! There's someone to look up to!! (rolls eyes while typing that!). As for Jessica, she's a traumatized woman, scared to leave her house, suffering from PTSD and agoraphobia, consistently shows fear and a lack of being a superhero, yet DC wants to push her as such a powerful hero! B.S.!! I would have a hard time believing she could summon enough power from the ring to light a cigarette, much less be the greatest superhero ever!! Watch the JLvsFF movie and see how she hands the FF their asses while they are able to easily defeat everyone else in the JL. Again... B.S.!! But hey... she is a great character for meeting PC agendas that are so in demand these days!

What you describe was pretty much Jessica's first two years of a character arc. Her story was largely about overcoming her agoraphobia and learning to utilize her willpower. That's what made her an empowering figure for female readers.

[Anthony Shaw]

I feel that DC does have too many Earth Green Lanterns. The concept just does not feel unique any more.

I'd be game for more villainous Earth Lanterns.

Gimme a story where Luthor, Joker, Grodd, Doctor Sivana, Black Adam, & Ra's al Ghul temporarily get power rings.

That story should be fun.

[Adset]

So many problems seem solvable if they'd just bring back Green Lantern Corps. They crammed Hal, John, Guy, and Kyle (and the entire rest of the corps!) into Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps and I thought Veneditti did a masterful job of juggling the cast. Hal appearing in The Green Lantern and a few Lanterns appearing regularly in the various Justice League books means there's ample page time for the rest of the GL's in a Corps book.

I assume Teen Lantern will never appear again once Bendis is done with his Young Justice. Hell, she's barely appeared in the 4 issues he's released.

[jetengine]

Much like the Bat-characters the issue is their not spreading them out far enough.

Hal needs to be in space, if he's such a big deal like they want us to treat him as then he's got no time for earth BS. He can still turn up in JL etc but treat it as a "Here comes the cavalry" kind of thing.

John is currently on the league, thats cool.

Have Kyle with the Titans (adult team)

Have Guy in either Hals book or another team book. Hell have a back up in Superman with Steel and Guy doing bro stuff

Baz and Jess continue in a team book.

[j9ac9k]

What you describe was pretty much Jessica's first two years of a character arc. Her story was largely about overcoming her agoraphobia and learning to utilize her willpower. That's what made her an empowering figure for female readers.

I'd like to think she's empowering for all readers, regardless of gender. Overcoming fear is a universal struggle and aspiration just as I would hope Hal et al are empowering for female readers as well as male readers.

[Uncanny Mutie]

Personally, I don't have a particularly big problem with introducing new Lanterns from Earth as long as these new characters are worth reading about. I'd like them to spread out where they are from a little more. Having all but one of them be from America is kinda narrow-minded, and telling about how little imagination most creators and readers have in terms of being able to connect to characters that aren't exactly like them.

Exactly. It's like they tried to spice things up and at least add someone diversity by adding a Muslim male and a Latina, but they didn't go ALL THE WAY with it. What I mean by that is, if you're to create two more human Lanterns in an already overcrowded Earth sector, then AT LEAST base the Muslim character in Iraq or Saudi Arabia or something, and base the Latina in Mexico City or Madrid or somewhere; think of how much more interesting Keenan Kong was as a Hong Kong based Superman rather than just a Chinese American Superman flying around America, where Kal-El, Kara, AND Jon were already based.