Green Lantern: Secret Origin [Hardcover]

Geoff Johns (Author), Ivan Reis (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hal Jordan, Green Lantern 2814.1, has had a rough time. He's been mind-controlled into supervillainy, killed, brought back as a spirit of vengeance and miraculously returned to sanity and superpowers. Unsurprisingly, new readers find it confusing. Now Booster Gold writer Johns has gone back to the beginning for a flashback explaining who Hal Jordan is and why we should care. A hardy, brash sort of hero, undeterred by constant danger and heartbreak, Hal won't let anything stop him from piloting. One day he stumbles upon what he assumes is a crashed plane, only to find it is the ship of a dying alien. Recruited into the Green Lantern Corps of galactic police as the dead being's replacement, in quick succession, Hall is issued with a superpowered Green Lantern ring and shipped off to the planet Oa for training. Rather than beginning his heroic career as the golden boy of the corps, Hal instead immediately starts questioning his more powerful and experienced superiors and bonds with future supervillain Sinestro. Johns gets across what makes Jordan unusual for a superhero—he's more of a lucky choice than a destined hero. The clean, expressive art by Reis and Albert captures the heedless, fearless Hal perfectly in a story that isn't horribly daunting for newcomers. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–This is the story of how Hal Jordan became the Green Lantern; or rather, how Hal Jordan became Hal Jordan. Stemming from a childhood trauma, he shuts off his family and his emotions. His only focus is using his airplane to push the limits. He&'s cocky, reckless, and fearless. A second tragedy drives him to sabotage his job and return home where he works as a lowly mechanic. When an alien spaceship crash-lands on the airfield, Jordan is set up to meet his fate. He&'s summoned, against his will, to be a Green Lantern. The plot moves quickly, but enough time is given to revealing character motivations and flaws. Although the protagonist is not always likable, he is honorable and ultimately realizes what he must overcome. The best part of &Green Lantern& comics, the color, is on full display. The alien powers literally light up the page. The human beings are the main players, but there are plenty of strange aliens to gawk at–even a chipmunk Green Lantern. This story sets up future story lines, but no prior knowledge of the Green Lantern mythology is needed to enjoy it. Unfortunately, there&'s no answer to the burning question: What&'s with the yellow immunity?–Sadie Mattox, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (December 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140121990X
• ISBN-13: 978-1401219901
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #44,975 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #42 in

  Books > Children's Books > Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror > Superheroes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Jumping On Point For New Fans, December 30, 2008

By	Mel Odom (Moore, OK USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Green Lantern: Secret Origin (Hardcover)

Green Lantern is undoubtedly one of the most recognized heroes in the DC universe. Especially the Hal Jordan version of Green Jordan. The initial concept of having a fearless jet pilot was fantastic, yet people saw fit to keep jacking around with his origin. Thankfully, Geoff Johns figured out a way to save Hal Jordan from the tangled web of death, Parallax, and the mantle of the Spectre and return him to greatness for the fans in GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH.

Since that time Johns has continued to reboot the Green Lantern universe, adding more layers to the overall concept initially created of a space lawman. Johns has introduced new villains and given dramatic facelifts to old ones. The new Hector Hammond is really creepy, and more powerful than I remember him being before.

As one of the top tier heroes at DC, Green Lantern's origin has been constantly told and retold. Every Green Lantern fan on the planet knows how Hal Jordan received his power ring from Abin Sur as that Green Lantern lay dying. Even after years of reading the series and being familiar with the character, I never even once wondered why Abin Sur was in a spaceship when he could have used his ring to simply fly through space. All the Green Lanterns do that.

In this latest graphic novel, Johns explains why Abin Sur was in that doomed aircraft, why it crashed, then goes on to embroider even more legend into the Green Lantern tapestry. Jordan's troubled family history is further revealed in this story as well, and readers get the chance to truly understand the motivation that has powered this man through so much. In addition, Sinestro shows up as he was at that time: the greatest Green Lantern that ever lived--until he turned evil later on.

This pairing of Sinestro and Green Lantern in his rookie debut offers a lot of speculation about what went on between them and what could have happened if they'd remained friends. When I first found out Johns would be revisiting Green Lantern's origin one more time, I was irritated. He had just set up the idea of the prismatic power batteries and the emotions that fuel them. I think that's one of the coolest ideas that has occurred in the DC universe in many years. But this reimagining of old heroes with new eyes that don't stray too far from the original mold is one of the author's greatest strengths. Johns bends and shapes heirloom heroes into new and thrilling stories, but he never breaks the bones.

The story of the Black Lanterns gets advanced in this graphic novel. Due to the nature of the villain involved in Abin Sur's death, and the questions that particular Green Lantern was asking right before his death, readers get a real good feel for what Johns has up his sleeve for the next act. He sows the seeds of that story arc within this one, mashing the two stories perfectly. My appetite is whetted even more now for the threat of Blackest Night.

Besides the great story, this graphic novel delivers the fantastic art of Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert. As penciler and inker, they knock this one right out of the park. The two-page spreads they do are breathtaking. Jordan looks like a man at times but definitely as a jet jockey at others, and both sides of his nature as fallible and heroic are fairly presented. When he's in the Green Lantern suit, he's the kind of hero kids want to grow up to be.

Be sure to look for the initial meeting between Hal Jordan and John Stewart (the second earth Green Lantern of the Silver Age) in the bar fight. If you're not familiar with the Green Lantern history, that one will slide right under the radar.

I wasn't looking forward to this digression in momentum of the story Johns was telling, but this one simply had to be told and it was so much more than I ever expected it to be. At this point I'm really looking forward to another digression, and this time I want to see what happens when Green Lantern goes to visit Sinestro on his homeworld for the first time. I have a feeling that would be an awesome story as well.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Green Lantern's origins revised and expanded, March 17, 2009

By	Simon (Brampton, ON) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Lantern: Secret Origin (Hardcover)

Green Lantern: Secret Origin collects issues #29-35 from Geoff Johns' current run on the title, and was published after Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 2. However, instead of continuing the story, Johns chooses to go back in time with a look at Hal Jordan's origin story.

This is a great read, and is a nice change of pace after the "blockbuster movie" status of Sinestro Corps War. Over seven issues' worth of comics, we learn about Hal Jordan's childhood and his eventual employment with Ferris Aircraft, his acquisition of the Green Lantern ring from Abin Sur, training under Sinestro, and the origin of some Green Lantern villains. True Johns has stuck in bits and pieces of this story all throughout his Green Lantern run, but it's nice to get it all collected and fleshed out. There are a few new twists, however, where the origin story has been re-tooled to foreshadow Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns and the forthcoming Blackest Night saga. I don't know if these changes will become lasting canon, but it's a nice expansion of what we know.

What's missing? The story stops right before Sinestro's turn to evil, and without this crucial moment Secret Origin does feel a bit incomplete. I also would've liked to see Johns' personal take on the Blackest Night prophecy, which is mentioned and alluded to but never fully explained. Those who want to know the actual prophecy would do well to check out a collection like DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore and read the original story.

But in all, Secret Origin is a solid effort. Ivan Reis continues to provide very modernized-yet-classic artwork for Green Lantern, and the colors and inking by Randy Mayor and Oclair Albert respectively are clean and sharp. This is a great book to recommend to new Green Lantern fans, or to refresh yourself with who Hal Jordan is and where Geoff Johns is about to take him.

NOTE: The Sinestro Corps War collected edition ends with issue #25, while Secret Origin picks up in issue #29. Issues #26-28 will be collected with Rage of the Red Lanterns. Don't worry, this doesn't ruin continuity.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is how an origin story should be!, December 1, 2009

By	Jake Fury (Montgomery, AL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Green Lantern: Secret Origin (Hardcover)

This is without a doubt the way an origin story should be done. Every aspect is done and done well. From his childhood, to a major life changing event to becoming the hero he was destined to be Geoff Johns delivers this Green Lantern origin story perfectly.