What to read between Green Lantern: Secret Origin and Rebirth?

[deep_sadistic]

I am new to comics and I recently decided to read up on the Green Lantern mythos comprehensively. I was looking up on the internet for reading orders and guides and most of them pretty much say that the best starting point for reading up on modern day Lantern mythos would be The Secret Origin arc and then go to Rebirth and continue the well planned Geoff Johns Volume (Volume 4, that is, I guess). So I read the Secret Origin arc and I enjoyed it. Then I went to Rebirth and I got confused. It's extremely confusing stuff for new readers because they continuously refer to past plot points and obviously a lot has happened in between. I understand Secret Origin was a retelling of the origin by Geoff Johns to prepare for The Blackest Night, but I really want to move onwards from this point. If someone could just point me the right reading between this two I'd be grateful. And if it isn't possible, if someone would be so kind as to just explain to me the basic things which happened to the characters upto that point, it'd be very much helpful. Like I know about the Zero Hour and Emerald Twilight and stuff, and that Kyle Rayner was the last Lantern till he turned into Ion and again started the Corps (please forgive me if I'm horribly wrong), I just want a short summary of the current position of the various characters (Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Hector Hammond, Carol Ferris (she's alive?)) upto Rebirth, so that I may continue reading Rebirth with the then-current positions of the various characters.


P.S. - Mind me if my English is terrible, I'm an Indian, English isn't my first language, also, I'm a newbie in these forums, and I'd like to apologize if I posted this thread in the wrong area.

[vartox]

Pre-Rebirth, this is what most of them were up to:

You know about the Emerald Twilight/Zero Hour Parallax stuff, but Hal had sacrificed his own life to reignite the sun and fix the earth in an event called Final Night. He was dead for a little while then he became the new host for the Spectre. He is still the Spectre when Rebirth starts.

You're right about Kyle, he went into space for a while not long before Rebirth and that's where he was when it started.

Before Emerald Twilight Guy had lost his GL ring and for a while he used one of Sinestro's Qwardian Rings but after he learned he was part of an alien race called the Vuldarians he started going by Warrior and he sort of had weapon/shapeshifting powers. When he gets a GL ring back in Rebirth those powers go away and are rarely mentioned afterwards.

When Emerald Twilight happened John Stewart joined the Darkstars. I'm not really familiar with what happened to him while he was part of them but I know he got injured at some point and I think he quit. He gets healed and he gets a GL ring back at some point (after Kyle helps restart the GLC maybe? not totally sure), so he's a GL when Rebirth starts.

Carol had a long history of having a villain alter ego as Star Sapphire, but its influence was removed from her not long before Emerald Twilight. After Hal dies in Final Night she marries somebody named Gil Johns and Hal visits her as the Spectre to completely purge the remnants of the evil sapphire from her. So she's married, has no powers, is running Ferris Air and is aware that Hal's dead/the Spectre when Rebirth starts.

[deep_sadistic]

Pre-Rebirth, this is what most of them were up to:

You know about the Emerald Twilight/Zero Hour Parallax stuff, but Hal had sacrificed his own life to reignite the sun and fix the earth in an event called Final Night. He was dead for a little while then he became the new host for the Spectre. He is still the Spectre when Rebirth starts.

You're right about Kyle, he went into space for a while not long before Rebirth and that's where he was when it started.

Before Emerald Twilight Guy had lost his GL ring and for a while he used one of Sinestro's Qwardian Rings but after he learned he was part of an alien race called the Vuldarians he started going by Warrior and he sort of had weapon/shapeshifting powers. When he gets a GL ring back in Rebirth those powers go away and are rarely mentioned afterwards.

When Emerald Twilight happened John Stewart joined the Darkstars. I'm not really familiar with what happened to him while he was part of them but I know he got injured at some point and I think he quit. He gets healed and he gets a GL ring back at some point (after Kyle helps restart the GLC maybe? not totally sure), so he's a GL when Rebirth starts.

Carol had a long history of having a villain alter ego as Star Sapphire, but its influence was removed from her not long before Emerald Twilight. After Hal dies in Final Night she marries somebody named Gil Johns and Hal visits her as the Spectre to completely purge the remnants of the evil sapphire from her. So she's married, has no powers, is running Ferris Air and is aware that Hal's dead/the Spectre when Rebirth starts.

Ah.. Thank you so much. That is what I was looking for. But one thing though. :3 It totally sounds stupid because it is, and I'm totally a noob in this, but how did Carol Ferris not die when Coast City was wiped out? and if she did, how is she alive? Please do excuse me for my stupidity. :3

[poroto678]

Ok go for:

- Emerald Twilight: The Fall of Hal Jordan and the origin of Kyle Rayner.
- Zero Hour: Parallax goes full evil.
- Final Night: Parallax dies.
- Day of Judgment (which was also written by Geoff Johns): Parallax/Jordan becomes the Spectre.

They're all mini-series, so it shouldnt take long. Or you can just read plots in wikipedia.

about characters:
Kyle: Last Lantern after Emerald Twilight (GL #48-51), then Ion for a while (#144-150), then back to Kyle. When he gives away the power of Ion he uses it to bring the Guardians back to life and turn on the Central Battery again (GL #150).
Oa got restored right before that in "Last will and testament of Hal Jordan".
John Stewart: after the death of the Corps he became a Darkstar. Then his back's broken (fighting a villain alongside Kyle and the Darkstars) and goes into a wheel chair (GL #82). When Kyle becomes Ion fixes his back (GL #147) and gives him a ring again (#155).
While he was crippled a villain from Xanshi (a planet John accidentaly destroyed) shows up and tries to kill him (GL #83). You'll hear about her later. Her name's Fatality.
Guy Gardner: He got Sinestro's ring for a while. Then lost it (before Kyle first appeared). He had alien-heritage (He called himself Warrior back then). After a while after Kyle took over he kinda retired. Owned a restaurant where Kyle, John, Alan and him would hang out. Not much besides that. He didnt fight much crime in those days.
Carol: Running Ferris Air. I dont remember her showing up while Kyle was GL.
Hammond: In Jail somewhere.


I DO RECOMMEND that you read Geoff Johns run in order, tho. It's very good and totally worth it. That arc with the Zamarons, the preludes to Blackest Night with Larfleeze, the Blue Lanterns and the red Lanterns are all AWESOME. Plus, the Sinestro Corps war is Johns' big home run.
Hope it helps.

[deep_sadistic]

Ok go for:

- Emerald Twilight: The Fall of Hal Jordan and the origin of Kyle Rayner.
- Zero Hour: Parallax goes full evil.
- Final Night: Parallax dies.
- Day of Judgment (which was also written by Geoff Johns): Parallax/Jordan becomes the Spectre.

They're all mini-series, so it shouldnt take long. Or you can just read plots in wikipedia.

about characters:
Kyle: Last Lantern after Emerald Twilight (GL #48-51), then Ion for a while (#144-150), then back to Kyle. When he gives away the power of Ion he uses it to bring the Guardians back to life and turn on the Central Battery again (GL #150).
Oa got restored right before that in "Last will and testament of Hal Jordan".
John Stewart: after the death of the Corps he became a Darkstar. Then his back's broken (fighting a villain alongside Kyle and the Darkstars) and goes into a wheel chair (GL #82). When Kyle becomes Ion fixes his back (GL #147) and gives him a ring again (#155).
While he was crippled a villain from Xanshi (a planet John accidentaly destroyed) shows up and tries to kill him (GL #83). You'll hear about her later. Her name's Fatality.
Guy Gardner: He got Sinestro's ring for a while. Then lost it (before Kyle first appeared). He had alien-heritage (He called himself Warrior back then). After a while after Kyle took over he kinda retired. Owned a restaurant where Kyle, John, Alan and him would hang out. Not much besides that. He didnt fight much crime in those days.
Carol: Running Ferris Air. I dont remember her showing up while Kyle was GL.
Hammond: In Jail somewhere.


I DO RECOMMEND that you read Geoff Johns run in order, tho. It's very good and totally worth it. That arc with the Zamarons, the preludes to Blackest Night with Larfleeze, the Blue Lanterns and the red Lanterns are all AWESOME. Plus, the Sinestro Corps war is Johns' big home run.
Hope it helps.

Thank you so much!!!!!! This clears everything!

[Ascended]

I'd also recommend hunting down Ron Marz's run of Green Lantern. He's the guy who had to remove Hal Jordan from the title and replace him with a new character (Kyle).

You dont absolutely have to read about Kyle's time as the only Lantern (which begins with issue 50 of volume 3 and lasts to the end of that series eleven years later) but, in my opinion, it's still worth reading. Kyle's a very different character than Hal; he's a young, starving artist and one of the best "Everyman" characters DC has. His adventures typically revolve around him learning about, and then doing his best to honor, the legacy of the Corps. During Geoff Johns' time with Green Lantern, you'll hear people talk about how Kyle was the torchbearer and kept the memory of the Corps alive, these are the stories that delve into that.

Again, its not needed reading and it's a very different type of comic from the modern Green Lantern. But if you're looking for back issues, it might be worth looking into.

[poroto678]

I'd also recommend hunting down Ron Marz's run of Green Lantern. He's the guy who had to remove Hal Jordan from the title and replace him with a new character (Kyle).

You dont absolutely have to read about Kyle's time as the only Lantern (which begins with issue 50 of volume 3 and lasts to the end of that series eleven years later) but, in my opinion, it's still worth reading. Kyle's a very different character than Hal; he's a young, starving artist and one of the best "Everyman" characters DC has. His adventures typically revolve around him learning about, and then doing his best to honor, the legacy of the Corps. During Geoff Johns' time with Green Lantern, you'll hear people talk about how Kyle was the torchbearer and kept the memory of the Corps alive, these are the stories that delve into that.

Again, its not needed reading and it's a very different type of comic from the modern Green Lantern. But if you're looking for back issues, it might be worth looking into.

You're so right. Kyle was a more "human" Lantern. He struggled to paid rent, had friends on earth and an awesome relationship with Jenny (aka. Jade). It is different to the "epic" level Johns usually works at, but it's totally worth it.

[deep_sadistic]

I'd also recommend hunting down Ron Marz's run of Green Lantern. He's the guy who had to remove Hal Jordan from the title and replace him with a new character (Kyle).

You dont absolutely have to read about Kyle's time as the only Lantern (which begins with issue 50 of volume 3 and lasts to the end of that series eleven years later) but, in my opinion, it's still worth reading. Kyle's a very different character than Hal; he's a young, starving artist and one of the best "Everyman" characters DC has. His adventures typically revolve around him learning about, and then doing his best to honor, the legacy of the Corps. During Geoff Johns' time with Green Lantern, you'll hear people talk about how Kyle was the torchbearer and kept the memory of the Corps alive, these are the stories that delve into that.

Again, its not needed reading and it's a very different type of comic from the modern Green Lantern. But if you're looking for back issues, it might be worth looking into.

Ah, yes. I wanted to read Kyle, I dig that guy.

[Ascended]

Ah, yes. I wanted to read Kyle, I dig that guy.

Kyle was *my* Lantern, the guy who first got me into the Lantern franchise. I connected with him in the same way a lot of people connect to Peter Parker I think.

Anyway, I cant honestly suggest reading the entirety of Kyle's time as the only Lantern. Ron Marz did amazing things, but after he left the quality began to slowly drop. If it were me, I'd read the title up to the point where Kyle's relationship with Jade comes to an end, and then pretend everything afterwards doesnt exist until Geoff Johns' Rebirth.

[swingjunkie]

Ok guys, so as a new reader, to be clear, the suggested order is:
1) Secret Origins
2) Emerald Twilight
3) Zero Hour
4) Final Night
5) Day of Judgment
6) Rebirth

Then, just go from there? I should be able to follow along and not be super confused given this order?