How Essential is Rebirth's Justice League for Green Lanterns Readers?

[WebLurker]

I'm not much of a DC comics reader at all, however I recently started following the Green Lanterns Rebirth series (with Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz). I understand that the two characters are also regulars in the new Justice League series. Is it worth reading for Green Lanterns-only fans who won't be reading any other DC comics at all?

[Assam]

The general consensus of the current Justice League book is that it's one of the worst Rebirth titles, and so bland it hurts.

I've read every issue of Green Lanterns so far, and LOVING them, and so far the Justice League book has not affected them.

So my answer is: No, if you're only reading Green Lanterns, you don't need to read JL.

[Uncanny Mutie]

I'm not much of a DC comics reader at all, however I recently started following the Green Lanterns Rebirth series (with Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz). I understand that the two characters are also regulars in the new Justice League series. Is it worth reading for Green Lanterns-only fans who won't be reading any other DC comics at all?

Justice League is not necessary at all for fans of the Green Lanterns book. Skip it. The book is very boring and by-the-numbers, with every member of the Justice League---including Simon and Jessica---being written as bland wallpaper. Trust me, you're not missing anything.

[Bukdiah]

Damn, I really gotta read Green Lanterns it seems.

[Assam]

Damn, I really gotta read Green Lanterns it seems.

YES YOU DO!!! In addition to having really solid writing and mostly consistent art, its made Jessica Cruz become one of my favorite characters.

[dan12456]

YES YOU DO!!! In addition to having really solid writing and mostly consistent art, its made Jessica Cruz become one of my favorite characters.

Agreed. Jessica is one of my 10 favourite DC characters ever due to this series.

[Assam]

Agreed. Jessica is one of my 10 favourite DC characters ever due to this series.

Top 15 for me.

[JasonTodd428]

I'm not much of a DC comics reader at all, however I recently started following the Green Lanterns Rebirth series (with Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz). I understand that the two characters are also regulars in the new Justice League series. Is it worth reading for Green Lanterns-only fans who won't be reading any other DC comics at all?

I don't think you should bother with it really if your only interested in Simon and Jessica. Team books focus on more than one or two characters and, at times, that leaves the various characters in the background while someone else gets the focus.

I'm loving Green Lanterns so much and, at first, I was reading Justice League in addition to GLS because Jessica and Simon were regulars in it. After awhile I stopped following JL though. For me it was less about the writing and more about the fact that I'm not a big JL fan to start with and I'm really not that big a fan of team books either. In fact as I write this it just occurred to me that every Rebirth title I've dropped has been a team book.

[BatmanJones]

Green Lanterns is wonderful.

I wouldn't read the current JL but you might check out Forever Evil through Darkseid War from Johns' New 52 JL (with Reis and Fabok) for some good backstory on Jessica Cruz.

Ah, when Justice League was good! I felt like Justice League was actually one of the only great things from New 52 while it's been the greatest disappointment during Rebirth.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Jessica Cruz is great! Simon Baz, unfortunately, hasn't distinguished himself from Guy Gardner's hot head role yet to see what purpose he serves within all the Earth GLs.

As for their portrayal in Justice League. It's fine. They're clearly pushing a Jessica/Barry romance that will clearly go nowhere because of how obvious it is that Barry will end up with Iris again. Aside from that, there's nothing particularly interesting about the book, which is a shame given that Justice League was one of the few must-read comics during the New 52 era, and was the place where Johns laid the foundation for Jessica's character.

[Frontier]

Jessica Cruz is great! Simon Baz, unfortunately, hasn't distinguished himself from Guy Gardner's hot head role yet to see what purpose he serves within all the Earth GLs.

I'd say Simon is Guy if Guy was more self-aware of his issues and compassionate in his youth.

[WebLurker]

I wouldn't read the current JL but you might check out Forever Evil through Darkseid War from Johns' New 52 JL (with Reis and Fabok) for some good backstory on Jessica Cruz.

I actually was thinking about that, largely since one of the reasons I tried Green Lanterns in the first place was because I saw a Cliff Notes version of Cruz's backstory from New 52 JL in an article explaining the Green Lanterns series and thought: "That sounds like a really interesting character."

As far as I can tell with Google, in trade paperbacks, Cruz first appears in N52 JL Vol. 7: Injustice League and then Vol. 8 and 9 cover the Darkseid War and are were Cruz gets her Green Lantern ring. Is Injustice League the starting point for Forever Evil, or would I need to go back further get that story, much less make sense of the status quo as of Vol. 7? Also, is Forever Evil accessible for new readers who know nothing about New 52?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I'd say Simon is Guy if Guy was more self-aware of his issues and compassionate in his youth.

Which isn't really a lot to stand out from six other Green Lanterns from Earth, who are all also American. If they had leaned into the Muslim angle a little harder and made Baz from outside the US, it might of helped, but making him yet another American makes him pretty forgettable among the distinct personas of Hal, John, Guy and Jessica.

[dan12456]

I actually was thinking about that, largely since one of the reasons I tried Green Lanterns in the first place was because I saw a Cliff Notes version of Cruz's backstory from New 52 JL in an article explaining the Green Lanterns series and thought: "That sounds like a really interesting character."

As far as I can tell with Google, in trade paperbacks, Cruz first appears in N52 JL Vol. 7: Injustice League and then Vol. 8 and 9 cover the Darkseid War and are were Cruz gets her Green Lantern ring. Is Injustice League the starting point for Forever Evil, or would I need to go back further get that story, much less make sense of the status quo as of Vol. 7? Also, is Forever Evil accessible for new readers who know nothing about New 52?

I just started with Injustice League specifically to get the Jessica backstory (I also simply wanted to read Darkseid War cause it's epic, but I'm not a normal Justice League reader). For the most part I'd say it's a fine starting point. Not perfect cause there's definitely continuation from forever evil with Lex, Captain Cold and the Crime Syndicate. But the Lex/Cold stuff was pretty easy to infer, somehow they saved the world from the Crime Syndicate.

[geomon]

I'm still trying to figure out why Justice League is trying to push a Barry/Jessica relationship. It's just weird, especially with what's happening in The Flash book.