Showcase Presents: Green Lantern volume 1

Showcase Presents: Green Lantern volume 1
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication date: 2005
Over 500 pages for $ 9.99
Format: Exteriors colored. All interior art blank and white.
ISBN: 1-4012-0759-6
Review by: Allen Klingelhoets

I know Green Lantern has limits in reprint format. It does give cheap form of entertainment to read Silver Age Green Lantern stories in non-colored format.

The stories start with Green Lantern’s origin in Showcase # 22. The story was called “SOS Green Lantern!”

The other stories showed Green Lantern going to Anti-Matter universe of Qward. There were other main characters in volume one like woman named Carol Ferris. Carol had love interest in both Hal Jordan and Hal Jordan. She did not know Hal Jordan was Green Lantern. Carol ran Ferris Aircraft Company. She was told by her father who was President of company she could run Ferris while he took two year sabbatical for vacation. She was not though supposed to have any love interests during time he was away from company. This was difficult since she liked both Hal and Green Lantern. Hal Jordan worked for Ferris Aircraft Company as ace test pilot. An alien named Abin Sur was mortally injured when his space ship crashed on Earth in remote area. He was from a far distant planet. Abin Sur chose a person that was fearless to pass on The Battery of Power termed Green Lantern. That person turned out to be Hal Jordan. Abin Sur passed on the Green Lantern Ring and Battery of Power to Hal Jordan. Abin Sur told Hal that the ring had limitations. The ring was powerless against anything yellow. It also had limitations operating on the principles of light. He can’t create anything smaller than light waves themselves. The ring also has to be recharged every 24 hours by putting ring in lantern. More information about Abin Sur was told in future Green Lantern issues.

Hal Jordan was also proven worthy of wearing Ring by Guardians of Planet OA. Hal got his Green Lantern costume from Abin Sur. Hal was named Battery Possessor of sector # 2814. Hal in future months took a solemn oath every time he charged Green Lantern Ring. He also had to wear ring while doing activities as Green Lantern. His is oath.

In Brightest Day....
In blackest night.
No evil shall escape my sight!”
Let those who worship
Evil’s might
Beware my Power....
Green Lantern’s light.

The reason for this oath was told in “The Origin of Green Lantern’s Oath” in Green Lantern # 10. The reason Green Lantern wears a mask was told in issue # 4 from January- February 1961. Abin Sur did not wear a mask.

Green Lantern in these comics was a comic book super hero. Green Lantern protected his Lantern with an invisibility shield. The shield prevented anyone else from touching or seeing Power Battery.

Hal Jordan lives in Earth city called Coast City.

Also, one person that is not superhero knows Hal Jordan’s secret identity. It is Eskimo mechanic with Hal Jordan at Ferris Aircraft Company. He is nick named Pie Face. Pie face also keeps journals about Green Lantern adventures.

Also, seen was origin of Sinestro. He came back to battle Green Lantern many times during Showcase Presents Green Lantern volume one.

I also liked seeing Silver Age Flash appear in issue # 13 of Green Lantern from June 1962. This was Barry Allen version of The Flash.

I enjoyed way Green Lantern use Power Ring in so many different ways to create images to defeat so many obstacles. His imagination was key to powering all things made from green light from his Power Ring.

The stories in Showcase Presents Green Lantern volume one are kids to adult. They also are pure fantasy stories. The stories were published from Sept-October 1959 to January 1962. That would have been a great time to buy comic books. All issues up to Green Lantern # 10 cost 10 cents. Issue 10 through 17 cost 12 cents.

The Showcase collected edition is just a reasonable priced way to read old Green Lantern stories. The stories also included covers from all issues reprinted. I also liked that Green Lantern # 8 showed Green Lanterns from other sectors. I also liked seeing where Green Lantern main Battery of Power was located on planet OA.

I would suggest just getting volume from library. I can’t see how there could be much demand as collectable . The cost of original issues would cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. This would be based on condition of comic books. Quick note. I always wondered if Gil Kane took vowel out of first name when thought of Green Lantern. G. L.

The back cover states:
Green Lantern volume 1
In brightest day
In blackest night
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil’s might
Beware my power
Green Lanterns light.

A dying alien summoned test pilot Hal Jordan and gave him the most powerful weapon in the universe: a power ring, Jordan was inducted into the universe – spanning Green Lantern Corps and assigned to protect a sector of space including Earth. His sheer will power directs the ring to create fantastic energy constructs and with it protects the good from evil.

This collection includes the earliest Green Lantern stories from Showcase # 22-24 and Green Lantern 1-17. In these action – packed tales, you will meet his mysterious alien masters, The Guardians of the Universe, many of his intergalactic comrades and some of his deadliest opponents such as Hector Hammond, Sonar and Sinestro.

Written by Silver Age master John Broome the stories were penciled by Gil Kane with inks by Joe Giella and Murphy Anderson


Allen Klingelhoets