Pre-Johns Green Lantern: Best stories.

[CaptainMar-Vell92 of the Kree]

What are the best Green Lantern stories before the Geoff Johns era? Can you reccomend some stories from the Bronze Age (1970-1985) and Dark Age (1986-1997)?

[j9ac9k]

The "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps" 3-issue mini immediately comes to mind.

[SiegePerilous02]

Any of the Alan Moore ones, though I'm not certain at the moment which issues they appear in.

[Zero Hunter]

I really liked the two Emerald Dawn mini series. They retold Hals origin with some modern twists. From him getting his ring to his first meeting and training under Sinestro.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I really liked the two Emerald Dawn mini series. They retold Hals origin with some modern twists. From him getting his ring to his first meeting and training under Sinestro.

You beat me to my choice.

[Flash Gordon]

Alan Moore's Tales of the GLC.

[jb681131]

What are the best Green Lantern stories before the Geoff Johns era? Can you reccomend some stories from the Bronze Age (1970-1985) and Dark Age (1986-1997)?

Here would my suggestion be:
- Green Lantern / Green Arrow Omnibus
- Green Lantern: Hal Jordan (aka Emeral Dawn)
- Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner vol.1(aka Emerald Twilight)
- Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner vol.2 (aka New Dawn)

Have fun

[Zero Hunter]

There are 3 trades that I really enjoyed also that collect the issues leading up, during and after Crisis on Infinite Earths. It gives you a little of everything. Hal quiting the corps. John taking over over for the first time. The return of Guy Gardner. It was all sorts of crazyness. The trades are called Green Lantern of Sector 2814. These 3 trades cover issue 172-200 of the first Green Lantern series.

[LifeIsILL]

Pre Johns Green Lantern stories are better than post-Johns GL stories.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

There are 3 trades that I really enjoyed also that collect the issues leading up, during and after Crisis on Infinite Earths. It gives you a little of everything. Hal quiting the corps. John taking over over for the first time. The return of Guy Gardner. It was all sorts of crazyness. The trades are called Green Lantern of Sector 2814. These 3 trades cover issue 172-200 of the first Green Lantern series.

These three are well worth your time.

[Dr. Ellingham]

Bronze Age collections:



Tales of the Green Lantern Corps vol. 1 - collects the first Green Lantern mini-series, from 1981. It was the first cosmic Corps "epic". Sentimentally, this is my go-to pick for all-time Green Lantern story. It also influenced a lot of what came later - including Blackest Night. But perhaps best of all, this book also collects several classic short stories from the early 1980s, which appeared as back-ups in the GL series. Stories by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Gil Kane, Len Wein, Marshall Rogers, etc.



Tales of the Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 - collects most of the remaining 1980s alien GL stories not in vol. 1



Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard-Traveling Heroes, which collects the classic early 1970s O'Neil/ Adams "relevance" stories. Disclaimer: Highly influential, beautifully drawn, but very much a product of its time.



Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Space-Traveling Heroes, which collects the late 1970s O'Neil/ Grell sci-fi stories. (coming early 2020...with the same disclaimer as the above GL/GA book)

And as noted by the two posts above:

Green Lantern Sector 2814 vol. 1 - Collects the Wein/Gibbons run where Hal Jordan quits being GL, and John Stewart becomes a full-time GL.
Green Lantern Sector 2814 vol. 2 - John Stewart trains as a GL with Katma Tui while Hal deals with retirement. (Somewhere in here Steve Englehart takes over as writer.)
Green Lantern Sector 2814 vol. 3 - The leadup to the Crisis sees Guy joining the mix, along with John, Katma and Hal.

Uncollected stuff worth tracking down:

GL vol. 2 123-129 - The Power War
GL vol. 2 151-171 - The excellent space Exile arc primarily written by Mike W. Barr, which leads directly to the Sector 2814 trade

[Vampire Savior]

There are 3 trades that I really enjoyed also that collect the issues leading up, during and after Crisis on Infinite Earths. It gives you a little of everything. Hal quiting the corps. John taking over over for the first time. The return of Guy Gardner. It was all sorts of crazyness. The trades are called Green Lantern of Sector 2814. These 3 trades cover issue 172-200 of the first Green Lantern series.

Another vote for this. Steve Englehart's run is my favorite Green Lantern run.

Gerard Jones' early Volume 3 stuff is worth checking out, too.

I would only recommend the Alan Moore stuff if you're into short stories, which I am not.

[pjerooo]

Alan Moore's short stories, Mosaic, Emerald Dawn I & II.

[CaptainMar-Vell92 of the Kree]

There are 3 trades that I really enjoyed also that collect the issues leading up, during and after Crisis on Infinite Earths. It gives you a little of everything. Hal quiting the corps. John taking over over for the first time. The return of Guy Gardner. It was all sorts of crazyness. The trades are called Green Lantern of Sector 2814. These 3 trades cover issue 172-200 of the first Green Lantern series.

Are those the infamous Englehart stories where Hal gets it on with Arisia and Ch'p and Katma die in stupid deaths?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Are those the infamous Englehart stories where Hal gets it on with Arisia and Ch'p and Katma die in stupid deaths?

Nope. Most of that stuff came later.