GREEN LANTERN -- Essential Reading?

[Air Wave]

So, let's say I want to introduce someone to Green Lantern...what would people suggest as essential reading (collections, anthologies, graphic novels, etc.)? I want to be sure we cover both really great stories as well as stories important to the history. And I really want to make sure ALL periods are covered, all the way back to the beginning, just to build up a really good collection. What do you think?

[MykeHavoc]

Geoff Johns' run pretty much covers the bases.

[lancerman]

Realistically John's entire run is probably the best if the point of this exercise is to introduce someone to Green Lantern. Atleast current GL, which is the most popular.

Otherwise you might as well just start at the beginning and grab one of the GL omnibuses.

EDIT: and honestly there is an omnibus of John's run coming out in 2015. I'd just wait for that

[FlashingSabre]

I'd add the Green Lantern Corps series that ran along side he Johns run. I've enjoyed all the parts I have read, and it should be a good companion piece.

[PyroSikTh]

Johns run is the only essential Green Lantern (although a case could be made for Emerald Twilight and Final Night to sedge into Johns run).

Rebirth
Secret Origin
No Fear
Revenge of the Green Lanterns
Wanted Hal Jordan
Sinestro Corps War
Rage of the Red Lanterns
Agent Orange
Blackest Night
Blackest Night: Green Lantern
Green Lantern: Brightest Day
War of the Green Lanterns
Sinestro
Revenge of the Black Hand
Rise of the Third Army
Wrath of the First Lantern

GLC at the same time is a good companion, but is certainly not essential.

[nightrider]

Johns run is the only essential Green Lantern (although a case could be made for Emerald Twilight and Final Night to sedge into Johns run).

Rebirth
Secret Origin
No Fear
Revenge of the Green Lanterns
Wanted Hal Jordan
Sinestro Corps War
Rage of the Red Lanterns
Agent Orange
Blackest Night
Blackest Night: Green Lantern
Green Lantern: Brightest Day
War of the Green Lanterns
Sinestro
Revenge of the Black Hand
Rise of the Third Army
Wrath of the First Lantern

GLC at the same time is a good companion, but is certainly not essential.

I concur. These are the only essential reads you need.

[LoneNecromancer]

Everyone's mentioned Geoff Johns. Also Alan Moore's three stories with the GLC. And you can also find some good classic stuff with Broome and Kane, Marv Wolfman, Steve Englehart, some of Len Wein's work (some of, other is meandering, gets boring and never goes anywhere), and some Gerard Jones.

Besides regular Green Lantern stories, I'd throw in New Frontier and some of Brave and the Bold with Mark Waid and JMS.

EDIT: and honestly there is an omnibus of John's run coming out in 2015. I'd just wait for that

There is? Want.

[Billy Batson]

There is? Want.

*checks*
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-...antern+omnibus
Oh wow. Didn't know about that until now.

[PyroSikTh]

Mosaic is a good read too.

[Geralt of Rivia]

Mosaic is a good read too.

Gerard Jones' first two years on main GL were pretty good as well.

[LoneNecromancer]

*checks*
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Lantern-...antern+omnibus
Oh wow. Didn't know about that until now.

I think the collected version of New Frontier comes out that month too. Feb 2015's gonna be rough on the wallet...

EDIT: Just noticed the "volume 1". So it looks like it's only up to the end of SCW?

[Billy Batson]

EDIT: Just noticed the "volume 1". So it looks like it's only up to the end of SCW?

Well yeah, you can't really fit Johns' whole run in just one collection. It'll probably get maybe two more.

[PyroSikTh]

Well yeah, you can't really fit Johns' whole run in just one collection. It'll probably get maybe two more.

2 or 3 depending on how they deal with Rise and Wrath. Volume 2 is pretty much certainly going to be Rage, Agent Orange, Blackest Night, and Blackest Night: Green Lantern. Volume 3 is going to have Brightest Day, War, Sinestro, and Revenge of The Black Hand.

Now if they only pick out the Green Lantern issues of Rise and Wrath, they'll go into Volume 3, however combined and including GLC, New Guardians, and Red Lanterns would fill out a whole omnibus by themselves, which would be the fourth.