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.

[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.

[Vampire Savior]

The outrageous number of Earth Green Lanterns has destroyed my interest in Green Lantern besides talking about how much I think Green Lantern sucks. It started with Baz, but when Jessica came along, I had enough, and it just gets worse and worse.

[Cmbmool]

Between this and TOO MANY BATMAN FAMILY MEMBERS...I think we need a cut down of members in both Green Lanterns and Batman's lifestyle. Permanently would be a bonus.

[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

[Vampire Savior]

It's sounds crazy, and it's probably not true, and I don't really believe it, but a part of me almost thinks DiDio is allowing this on purpose so that all the Green Lanterns who aren't Hal Jordan destroy themselves, because they will always be in constant competition with each other and will never get any long term opportunities for development, attention, or to really establish themselves. Whether true or not, in the end...that will be the result of all of this. Before DC can even establish them, they move on to the next new Earth Green Lantern. What had Baz ever done before Jessica showed up? And does Jessica have any truly worthwhile characters, enemies, or stories? No. Not really. But on to the next one!

[Agent Z]

It's sounds crazy, and it's probably not true, and I don't really believe it, but a part of me almost thinks DiDio is allowing this on purpose so that all the Green Lanterns who aren't Hal Jordan destroy themselves, because they will always be in constant competition with each other and will never get any long term opportunities for development, attention, or to really establish themselves. Whether true or not, in the end...that will be the result of all of this. Before DC can even establish them, they move on to the next new Earth Green Lantern. What had Baz ever done before Jessica showed up? And does Jessica have any truly worthwhile characters, enemies, or stories? No. Not really. But on to the next one!

Simon and Jessica's comic by Sam Humphries has been well received and Jessica's inclusion in animated projects like Super Hero Girls and JL vs Fatal Five hasn't hurt her either.

Plus, this new Lantern probably isn't even going to be in main continuity.

[failo.legendkiller]

I don’t care if there are 2, 5 or 100 earth lanterns.
What i want is good characterization and great stories.

If i were in charge Kyle would be the last one.
I don’t care about Simon and Jessica and I wouldn’t mind if they fade away but i’m not bothered if they stick around.
What bother me is if older strong characters as Hal, John, Guy or Kyle are sidelined to make room for new ones, that’s unbearable to me.

[DrNewGod]

The problem you get with a regiment of Lanterns on one planet is that you have to come up with reasons that they haven't cured the world's various ills with their combined power. True, that's an issue for any large shared-verse, but but having it all in one franchise is a bit much.

[Agent Z]

The problem you get with a regiment of Lanterns on one planet is that you have to come up with reasons that they haven't cured the world's various ills with their combined power. True, that's an issue for any large shared-verse, but but having it all in one franchise is a bit much.

Easy. The world is a large place and it's problems are far too complex to be solved by just six people, none of whom are scientists or sociologists. Kyle's a struggling artist for crying out loud.