The third day of the San Diego's Comic-Con International kicked off with DC Comics' Green Lantern panel, moderated by Executive Editor Eddie Berganza and featuring DC's Creative Executive (and Flashpoint: Abin Sur and Flashpoint: Hal Jordan writer) Adam Schlagman, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights producer Alan Burnett, Green Lantern Corps writer Peter J. Tomasi, Red Lanterns artist Ed Benes and Green Lantern writer (and mythos mastermind) Geoff Johns.

Major news included a confirmation of the long-discussed Dex-Starr Valentine's Day Special, the fact that the new Green Lantern title will feature the first Green Lantern as well as the history of the Indigo Tribe, confirmation that the original Teen Titans existed in the new DC Universe, and Hal Jordan's new life as a bum.The panel kicked off with a trailer for the upcoming Cartoon Network animated series, rendered in CGI and featuring Green Lanterns against a horde of Red Lanterns. We'll get that for you as soon as we can, but for now check out this scene from the forthcoming show. The panelists then discussed the series they were working on.


On Sinestro as Green Lantern: Johns said Sinestro will go up against the Sinestro Corps in the first arc of the new Green Lantern series. The second arc will reveal the secrets of the Indigo Tribe and their connection to Abin Sur. Johns referred to it as "the creepiest arc" they've done so far. The third arc will be about the very first Green Lantern predating the Manhunters, who will be yet another mistake the Guardians of the Universe made. Black Hand will also feature in the Indigo Tribe arc.

On Green Lantern Corps: Tomasi stated that the first arc will explore the pocket universe where the Green Lantern batteries are kept.


On Green Lantern: New Guardians: Written by Tony Bedard with art by Tyler Kirkham, this title will feature Kyle Rayner and members of the other corps. Kyle was described as the "most emotional" Green Lantern, and members of the other Lantern Corps will all want him at the same time. The book will also explore Kyle's origin as a Green Lantern and why he was chosen to wear the ring.

On Red Lanterns: Artist Ed Benes was on the panel in his first trip out of Brazil. He stated through a translator that he's enjoying drawing it due to the high action content. Artwork was shown featuring both Atrocitus and Bleez; Benes stated the former was his favorite character to draw.


On the Flashpoint Green Lantern titles: Writer Adam Schlagman stated that Abin Sur has been made aware of the "prophecy of the Flashpoint," and will be trying to track down Barry Allen so he can fix the world; meanwhile, in the Hal Jordan title, he will be chosen by the President to drop a huge nuke on the Amazons.

On the Green Lantern: Emerald Knights animated movie: Producer Alan Burnett stated that while the movie started out as a series of disconnected tales, they eventually found connective tissue and are working on another project together that Eddie Berganza described as "much-requested."


The panel then opened up to Q&A.

On Hal Jordan: When asked about Hal Jordan's life after being in space through two wars, Johns stated that we'll see the de-ringed Hal back on Earth in the first issue of the new Green Lantern series. He's lost his job, been evicted from his apartment, doesn't have a car, and has absolutely no idea what to do. Johns added that the storyline would feature "a lot of comedy."

On Brightest Day: A fan who had a brain aneurysm last year thanked Johns for writing Brightest Day because it helped him fight through the recovery, which Johns seemed touched by.

On Sinestro's state of mind: A fan asked if Sinestro gained the Green Lantern ring at the end of War of the Green Lanterns because of his compassion for Hal, who was about to die, or because Hal's proclamations about the importance of life touched him. Johns said that was an excellent question, and that he's still trying to figure it out himself from what Doug Mahnke drew.


On the Emotional Entities: When asked what the emotional entities were up to after being freed in War of the Green Lanterns, Johns stated we'd eventually find out in Bedard's New Guardians book.

On Dex-Starr: Johns confirmed that the Dex-Starr Valentine's Day Special will be released in 2012. When a fan (dressed as Ganthet with trashcans on his feet, much to the amusement of the panel) asked if we could see a Kryb Mother's Day Special, Johns seemed receptive to the idea.

On Oa: When asked if we would see more of the history and infrastructure of Oa, Johns and Tomasi remarked on the foundry's appearance in War of the Green Lanterns, and said we'd see more about the formation of Oa and the First Lantern as we go along.

On Which Lantern the panelists would be: Almost all of them said green, while Johns said he'd get an orange ring and Tomasi stated he'd get a red ring and "go crazy apes*** for a while" and then change to a blue ring to "chill out."

On Compressing the timeline: When a fan asked how all of the previous Green Lantern events still took place with respect to the DC Universe timeline, Berganza and Johns commented that everything still happened. More specifically, Johns said that Hal's gone through "a lot of s***" in five years. He then expanded on Vic Stone, Cyborg as a founding member of the Justice League, stating that readers will see in the first arc how he moved from the Titans to the JL, implying that the Wolfman/Perez Teen Titans history still exists in the new DC Universe.

On babies: A fan carrying a baby (presumably his) stated that he considered painting the child blue so s/he could cosplay as a Guardian, which prompted another fan to give him a tube of blue body paint. San Diego Comic-Con, everybody.

On Johns's tenure: When asked how long he was going to stay on the book, Johns said that he has two to three more years of stories in his head, and might stay longer after that if he gets more ideas.

On the Whale Green Lantern from Last Days of Animal Man: When asked if the whale Green Lantern from Gerry Conway and Chris Batista's Last Days of Animal Man would appear again, the panelists stated that there were no plans, although after some riffing they did end up naming him "Free Willy."

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