SDCC: Green Lantern: Recharged! Panel

 The panel consisted of Robert Venditti (writer, Green Lantern), Van Jensen (writer, Green Lantern Corps), Charles Soule (writer, Red Lanterns), Brad Walker (artist, Green Lantern: New Guardians), Bernard Chang (artist, Green Lantern Corps ), Bob Harras (DC’s Editor-in-Chief), and Bobbie Chase (Editorial Director).

Vendetti gave a general overview of the “Lights Out” storyline, which will cover all four Lantern books, and end in Green Lantern Annual #2. The new villain Relic will play a key role in this story. His abilities are in the realm of science, rather than being outright superpowers. Relic has a theory about the lantern corps use of light, and how this affects the universe. As the title hints, he want to change this. Relic will be the focus of a Villains Month title, Green Lanter #23.1, which will show the character’s origin

Specifically, in his title, Venditti said the new Green Lantern recruits will be a big focus, noting that Will, or, in one instance, Love, can be expressed in many different ways. So many lanterns have been recruited now that the rings may be recruiting a “Bad News Bears” kind of team, that do not meet the preconceived notions of bravery.

Van Jensen said that when the “Lights Out” story is over, no one will be able to say that they didn’t take risks.

Venditti responded that it is a very big story, with possibly every Lantern ever seen appearing somewhere.

Bernard Chang said he wants to bring as much emotion as possible to his work.

Brad Walker compared Kyle Rayner’s current status as the White Lantern to his original appearance, when he was the only Green Lantern. His loner status has been re-established. Kyle is the most powerful lantern, and can’t really be controlled by Hal. “Lights Out” will add new dimensions to Kyle’s abilities. Kyle is still most comfortable with the Green light, but as the story goes on, he will grow into using the other colors more frequently.

Chang enjoys designing all the new alien technologies. Sometimes he gets so caught up in designing spaceships that he has to force himself to actually draw the pages.

Brad Walker said that New Guardians writer Justin Jordan had asked him to draw a Relic’s ship to be reminiscent of a “cancerous chrysanthemum” and Walker had to figure out what that meant.

Relic is, literally, a very large character. He’s from another, larger universe. When he came here, he didn’t change size; he’s just on a different scale.

From there we moved to Charles Soule’s Red Lanterns. He recapped recent issues, saying that Hal sent Guy Gardner to infiltrate the Red Lanterns, but Guy went too far in his rage and killed one of the Red Lantern leaders. In an upcoming storyline, Guy decides that the Red Lantern homeworld is terrible, and takes the corp off to take over a new home. For the Red Lanterns, the “Lights Out” storyline will force them to get involved with the other corps. As is standard for Guy, he takes things too far when he next encounters Hal and the Greens.

From this point, they opened the panel to questions from the audience:

There will be a lot of backstory on the new Lantern recruits in Green Lantern Corps.

Alan Scott has his own story in Earth 2, and will not be appearing in the main Green Lantern titles.

The various entities of the emotional spectrum will be appearing throughout the storyline.

Black Hand will be appearing in his own Villains Month title, written by Charles Soule.

Blackest Night and Brightest Day are crucial elements of the Green Lantern universe, and are still part of the continuity.

Will Sinestro be appearing anytime soon? No comment (but I can point out that he has a Villains Month issue as well.)

There are no immediate plans for Glomulus, but he could appear. Carol Ferris will continue to be important.

Saint Walker and the Blue Lanterns will appear in Green Lantern #23, but there are no plans for him to have his own title.

What attracted each of the creators to the Green Lantern books? Venditti was interested in the idea of a space police force. Soule was interested in the science, Jensen appreciates the imaginative opportunities. Brad Walker likes designing. Bernard Chang is interested in the use of emotions.

Will we ever see a White Lantern oath? The panel liked this idea, and Brad Walker said he would push Justin Jordan to think of one.

One focus in all the books is to show the different types of people who could be lanterns.

The next boy ask about new human lanterns, mentioning an existing “floaty pumpkin lantern” and calling Guy Gardner “the guy with the weird haircut”. The panel was evasive about a new human lantern (although new ads for Forever Evil do show an apparently human woman in a Green Lantern costume).

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