DC's First Green Lantern & Spirit Of Vengeance Team Up In Exclusive Reveal
DC Comics' original Green Lantern is returning in a brand-new series that will see him team up with another classic character: the Spectre.
Debuting in 1940's "All-American Comics" #16 in a story by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger, Scott was the first hero to be called Green Lantern. He would eventually play an important role in the Justice Society of America as one of its founding members, part of a superhero career that existed decades before the creation of the Green Lantern Corps. The character's origin would later be rewritten following the introduction of Hal Jordan's Green Lantern, with Scott's retconned backstory revealing he — and the JSA – live on a different Earth. In modern comics, Scott was revealed to be a gay man, a characterization that has become an incredibly important part of the Green Lantern's journey.
Writer Tim Sheridan ("Teen Titans Academy) and artist Cian Tormey ("Superman: Son of Kal-El") are tackling "Alan Scott: The Green Lantern," where they will recontextualize the character's history as he deals with being a closeted gay man in the 1930s and early '40s. Below, Looper presents an exclusive look at the first and third issues of "Alan Scott: The Green Lantern."
Alan Scott: The Green Lantern will explore the hero's secret life
Writer Tim Sheridan told Looper that writing Alan Scott's new Green Lantern series was daunting, saying he tried to find a balance between the hero's earliest adventures with the JSA and his more recent storylines, including the character coming out as gay. The assignment from Geoff Johns (who is writing the current "Justice Society of America" series) and DC Comics was to tell the story of a closeted gay man in the Golden Age. "That period in history was actually incredibly complicated; not just for queer people, but for the entire world," Sheridan explained, saying his story will explore Scott finding his identity both as a man and as a hero.
Series artist Cian Tormey also expressed excitement about taking on Alan Scott's story, calling the hero the "embodiment of heroism in the noble pursuit of Justice," who, despite being beloved by many, would be considered a criminal as a gay man in the era he lives. "That inherent conflict hooked me immediately, and it has been a wild ride ever since," Tormey said, adding that the series will delve into Scott's inner turmoil. "Tim has uncovered a human truth at the core of the character that will resonate with everyone. Because whether it is your sexuality or something else entirely, you can only really find peace and when you learn to accept yourself for who you are."
Check out our exclusive preview of "Alan Scott: The Green Lantern" #1 below, and keep reading for the first look at a pair of incredible covers.
DC Comics/Cian Tormey
DC Comics/Cian Tormey
DC Comics/Green Lantern
Spectre will play a key role in future issues
"Alan Scott: The Green Lantern" #3 will see the hero work with the Spectre, as DC's Hand of Vengeance and Justice Society of America co-founder also stars in the throwback adventure. Sheridan told Looper that while he initially intended to focus on the Red and Green Lanterns in the book, editor Andrew Marino pitched him to include the Justice Society of America's earliest members, namely the Spectre. The story will take a closer look at Spectre's first year in his supernatural role, with his one-issue cameo in "Alan Scott: The Green Lantern" #3 propelling the story forward in a significant way. He called Spectre a "fascinating foil" to Scott and was excited to write the character learning how to do his job.
Meanwhile, Tormey told us he wanted to include some classic JSA characters, so readers can also expect to see Jay Garrick's Flash in the series. "The joy of all this comes from taking these iconic characters that are so 'of their time' and seeing how it feels to draw them in a style much more modern," the artist said of the book.
Below, check out Looper's exclusive debut of the main cover for the third issue from artist David Talaski. The issue's solicitation text reads: "As the trail of the person murdering people from Alan's past goes cold, the Green Lantern finds himself teamed up with an unlikely ally: the Spectre. But will the Spectre uncover the secret Alan was hoping would stay hidden in the process?"
DC Comics/David Talaski
Sherdian and Tormey on personally connecting with the characters
As an out gay man himself and a recovering alcoholic, Sheridan told Looper that he knows what it's like to look in the mirror and feel like he's a fraud despite knowing that's not true — a sentiment illustrated by artist Amy Reeder's introspective variant cover, which features the Green Lantern taking a close look at himself.
"Sometimes you need the people closest to you to remind you who you are," Sheridan said. "I can't relate to being a hero, but I can absolutely relate to feeling like you're not one. I can relate to feeling great joy, even in the midst of great doubt; to feeling, at once, totally powerless and totally powerful. For Alan to take his rightful place in the light, we have to first find him fighting his way out of the darkness. And while it's not his motto, the theme still applies: you don't get the brightest day without the blackest night."
Tormey says that Sheridan's writing uncovers a "human truth at the core of the character that will resonate with everyone." As DC prepares to send the original Green Lantern on his deeply personal journey and internal struggles in his earliest day as a hero, Sheridan and Tormey appear to be well-equipped to tackle what sounds like Alan Scott's most important adventure yet.
DC Comics/Amy Reeder
"Alan Scott: The Green Lantern" #1 arrives in comic book stores and online retailers on October 14, 2023.