Frequently asked questions:
“Who are the Indigo Tribe?”
The Indigo Tribe are one of the many new Corps that were introduced leading up to the Blackest Night crossover event. They’re a mysterious group that wield the indigo light of compassion, and they revealed to our heroes the origin of the emotional spectrum as well as the secret to destroying the Black Lanterns. Their history was fleshed out in detail in “The Secret of the Indigo Tribe,” which spanned the following issues:
- Green Lantern (Vol. 5) #7
- Green Lantern (Vol. 5) #8
- Green Lantern (Vol. 5) #9
- Green Lantern (Vol. 5) #10
While I firmly believe that more color Corps dilutes the Green Lantern concept, I do enjoy some of the other characters, such as the Tribe.
“How long have you been reading Green Lantern?”
Since I was a little kid, way back in 1985; however, there was a period from late 2006 through mid-2009 where I had stopped. I was disgusted with the direction the book was taking from Green Lantern: Rebirth onward, and I suppose I just needed a break. (You can read more about why I stopped reading in “Sounding off on Green Lantern,” and how I got back into the book in “The Green Lantern reversal.”)
“Why a Green Lantern blog? There’s millions of other blogs out there.”
Yes, indeed there are, and I’m sure this one probably gets lost in the shuffle. However, while I’m certainly a big Green Lantern fan, I also have plenty of criticism, constructive or otherwise, about the book. I’m not some slavish fanboy who believes that Green Lantern can do no wrong! While I’ll praise great stories, there’s also been colossal screwups in Green Lantern, and I have no problem taking the responsible parties to task.
“Why are some of the entries older than the start of this blog?”
I copied over a bunch of entries I’d originally posted on Text and Violence, as they fit the subject matter. (Plus, I didn’t feel like typing the same stuff all over again.)
“Who’s better: Hal Jordan or Kyle Rayner?”
Cripes, there’s a loaded question. If you want to divide the Green Lantern fan camp, that’s the question to ask! Obviously, I’m a Hal fan through and through, as that’s who I grew up with. When he was made into a villain during the “Emerald Twilight” and Zero Hour: Crisis in Time storylines in 1994, I was shocked…but not upset. See, I appreciated the fact that Hal’s breakdown made him more human, even though he was known as a fearless hero. Kyle Rayner, on the other hand, is the everyman: a random guy who received great powers, and in turn, inherited great responsibility. (Sound familiar?) Hal may be a better Green Lantern, but Kyle is a better character. So, to answer the original question: neither one is “better.” I love the adventures of both! My only real problem is that while I was pleased to see Hal return as Green Lantern in Rebirth, I was furious with the way it was handled, and how Kyle and his history was retconned and marginalized as a result. (More on that whole mess in “Sounding off on Green Lantern” and in “The demoted superhero club.”)
“Do you own a lot of Green Lantern stuff, other than the comic books?”
Yes and no. I used to own a lot of the action figures, but those take up a lot of space (not to mention being a bit expensive). I sold most of them, but I keep a few “classic” figures around, and mainly collect power rings and other simple memorabilia. I also had the Green Lantern symbol tattooed onto my upper right arm in 1997, so if that doesn’t make me a diehard fan, I don’t know what does.
“What’s your favorite issue of Green Lantern?”
Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #86. (Click here for a review.)
“What’s the deal with all of the different ‘volumes’ of Green Lantern?”
Green Lantern has been around in various forms since 1940; as such, the book’s been canceled, restarted, and spun off many times. The publisher as well as the fans keep track of which book is which by appending volume numbers to the series; they’re not on the cover, but they do exist. (Sometimes the volume number may appear in the indicia inside the book, but even then, it’s not always accurate.)
For example, the current Green Lantern series is Vol. 5, while the current Green Lantern Corps series is Vol. 3. (Note: This is NOT the same as the volume numbers used for trade paperbacks. Those only denote release or reading order.)
Here’s a breakdown of the Green Lantern books that span multiple volumes:
- Green Lantern Vol. 1: 1941-1949
- Green Lantern Vol. 2: 1960-1972, 1976-1986*
- Green Lantern Vol. 3: 1990-2004
- Green Lantern Vol. 4: 2005-2011
- Green Lantern Vol. 5: 2011-present
- Green Lantern Corps Vol. 1: 1986-1988**
- Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2: 2006-2011
- Green Lantern Corps Vol. 3: 2011-present
* Green Lantern was on hiatus between 1972 and 1976. Also, issues #76-122 were titled Green Lantern/Green Arrow on their covers, but are still considered to be part of Green Lantern Vol. 2.
** Green Lantern Corps was the official title of the book, but it kept the numbering scheme from the previous Green Lantern title, which it replaced.
While it may seem unnecessary to place volume numbers in my reviews of current issues, I do so to avoid confusion when reviewing older issues; two issues may share the same issue number, but come from completely different volumes. (There’s a lot of very different Green Lantern #1s out there!) For first- or single-volume titles, such as the first Corps series, Blackest Night, or Red Lanterns, I’ll refrain from adding volume numbers.
“How can I get in touch with you?”
You can use the contact form found here. Alternatively, just leave a comment on a post; I moderate all comments before they go live, so if you want to chime in on my reviews and such, that’s the easiest way to do it. You can also request that I do not publicly post your comment, if you wish.
