18 Years Ago, DC Dropped the Greatest Green Lantern Story of all Time

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Since its beginnings in 1938 with the first issue of Action Comics, DC Comics has introduced many incredible ideas, and few have proven as enduring as Green Lantern. Originally, Green Lantern was Alan Scott, who wielded a magical ring and lantern that granted him extraordinary abilities. The concept was reimagined in the late 1950s with the introduction of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps – an intergalactic police force dedicated to maintaining order throughout the universe. The character has experienced both successes and challenges over the years, all of which came to a head 18 years ago.

Being a Green Lantern fan was incredibly exciting at the time. Hal Jordan, considered the best Green Lantern, was brought back to life and given a new comic series by DC’s top writer, Geoff Johns, alongside amazing artists like Ethan Van Sciver, Carlos Pacheco, and Ivan Reis. Fans also got a separate series focusing on Green Lanterns from across the universe. All of this built towards what many still consider the greatest Green Lantern story ever told: “The Sinestro Corps War.”

“The Sinestro Corps War” Was Everything Superhero Sci-Fi Should Be

The foundation for this story was laid in Green Lantern: Rebirth, which explained that Parallax wasn’t just a being, but a creature of fear that had controlled Hal Jordan, with Sinestro playing a key role. This story significantly deepened Sinestro’s character, showing a side of him we hadn’t seen before. He then vanished into the anti-matter universe, and reappeared leading his own group of fear-based Lanterns – the Sinestro Corps – launching a terrifying attack on Oa.

As a comic book fan, I have to say “The Sinestro Corps War” was a masterclass in storytelling. Geoff Johns didn’t just start this story in 2007; he’d been meticulously laying the groundwork since Green Lantern: Rebirth. He cleverly reintroduced characters like the Manhunters and Cyborg Superman, and even hinted at bigger threats with the Anti-Monitor’s remains in Infinite Crisis, all while expanding the Lantern universe. By the time The Sinestro Corps War Special #1 hit shelves, we were genuinely invested in these characters and the Green Lantern Corps. That’s why the sudden, brutal attack on Oa felt so incredibly impactful – it was a full-on bloodbath right from the start, and the story just kept escalating from there.

The rest of the storyline revealed that the Corps had been tracked the whole time by an enemy building a specialized army to defeat them. While drawing inspiration from Alan Moore’s “Tygers” – particularly the concepts of Ranx and Sodam Yat – much of the narrative was original, focusing on the Green Lantern Corps’ efforts to counterattack and defend Mogo. Before the final battle on Earth, readers experienced major events like the battle for Mogo, the return of Parallax, and an attack on Qward, setting the stage for future stories.

I was so impressed with how Geoff Johns, along with Peter Tomasi and Dave Gibbons, built the entire history of the Sinestro Corps. Those ‘Tales of the Sinestro Corps’ stories really filled us in on where each member came from, and we learned so much about the Corps itself, even though it was only around for a short time. It’s a fantastic story – it gives you everything you need to get hooked, and it’s packed with some truly amazing action and drama.

“The Sinestro Corps War” Took the Green Lantern Books to the Next Level

Before the “Sinestro Corps War” storyline, the Green Lantern comics were losing steam after a peak in 2005. Interest from fans was dwindling, but this story revitalized the series. Suddenly, Green Lantern became one of the best-selling comics, and it remained popular throughout Geoff Johns’ time writing the team, lasting until the early to mid-2010s. This single storyline was responsible for all of that success.

“The Sinestro Corps War” was a groundbreaking story for Green Lantern, unlike anything fans had experienced before. It demonstrated the incredible potential of the comic, delivering spectacular action and fully realizing the concept of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum. This set the foundation for other popular stories like “Secret Origin,” “Rage of the Red Lanterns,” “Agent Orange,” and Blackest Night. Despite the quality of those follow-ups, none captured the initial excitement and originality of “The Sinestro Corps War,” solidifying its place as the best story in the series.

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2025-12-30 19:13