The legacy of Green Lantern is one of the richest yet most daunting in all of comics. Many heroes have borne the name Green Lantern and there have been many comics about them. However, with such a long history, it is difficult to know where to begin. The following guide is intended to highlight both the best introductions and the best Green Lantern comics ever.
Best Green Lantern comics as of 2026
Interest in the Green Lantern Corps has never been higher in 2026. This is largely due to the upcoming DCU streaming series Lanterns. With that in mind, the Green Lantern comics listed below offer a variety of entry points into one of DC Comics‘ most underrated franchises.
Earth’s Other Green Lantern
One of the biggest surprises to come out of the 2025 Superman movie was the inclusion of Guy Gardner. Famed for his acerbic personality, Guy is not well-known outside of the Green Lantern comics. However, Nathan Fillion’s performance as Guy captured audiences hearts and raised interest in the noble-hearted grandstander.
Green Lantern: Earth’s Other Green Lantern is a must read collection for those who wish to see how Guy’s story started. Originally, he was quite a different character. His famous personality came about after a head-injury changed the mild-mannered teacher into a “tough guy.”
Beyond the first appearance of Guy Gardner, this Green Lantern comics collection from the DC Finest line contains several other notable stories from the Silver Age. These include team ups between the Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Batman, Zatanna, and the Barry Allen Flash.
Green Lantern: Rebirth Compendium
The 1990s were a divisive time for the Green Lantern fandom. Following the success of The Death of Superman event, DC tried to shake-up their most popular superhero series. In the case of Green Lantern, this meant Hal Jordan going mad and destroying the rest of the Corps.
An artist named Kyle Rayner was chosen to be the last Green Lantern in the universe. While Kyle developed a fast following, fans of the Green Lantern Corps and Hal Jordan were displeased with the Emerald Twilight storyline that ended an era. Thankfully, in 2005, there would be a Rebirth.
Green Lantern: Rebirth did more than restore the Green Lantern Corps and Hal Jordan’s reputation. It helped to heal the heart of a fandom’s broken base. The story presented Kyle Rayner and Hal Jordan as equals despite their different personalities. And when the soft-spoken Kyle denied his worthiness to be a Green Lantern, Hal wouldn’t hear of it, saying that anyone who could face Sinestro one-on-one and survive was worthy of the Power Ring.
Green Lantern: Rebirth also laid the foundation for Geoff Johns’ now legendary run on Green Lantern. Beyond restoring the classic Corps, Johns invigorated the concept with a child’s enthusiasm. He created an entire Sinestro Corps that drew on the power of Fear to terrorize the universe. This led to the creation of more colored Corps and some of the best comics of the Modern Age. But it all began with Green Lantern: Rebirth and the comics in this collection.
Back in Action
It is a time of great intergalactic turmoil. Following the disappearance of the Guardians of Oa who founded their order, the Green Lantern Corps fell under the control of the United Planets. Shortly afterward, the intergalactic political body declared Earth unsafe and placed the whole of Sector 2814 under quarantine. Hal Jordan quit the Corps in protest,
Back on Earth, Hal tries to rebuild the life he had before he focused on being a Corps member full-time. Unfortunately, his long-time love interest and former boss Carol Ferris has moved on. Both romantically and in employing jet jockeys in a world where drones are more economical. However, Hal’s days as a Green Lantern aren’t quite over, as he conjures a Power Ring made of pure willpower seemingly out of nothing while trying to take down a would-be supervillain.
The first collection of the 2023 Green Lantern series, Back in Action is a solid introduction on multiple levels. Beyond reestablishing Hal Jordan, this first book also sets the new status quo for franchise mainstays like Carol Ferris (aka Star Sapphire) and Sinestro. However, the book is also notable for introducing Razer, who was created for the Green Lantern Animated Series, into the current comics canon.
Green Lantern: War Journal
Like Hal Jordan, John Stewart resigned from the Green Lantern Corps as the United Planets took over. However, the Marine Veteran and architect had a different reason for hanging up his Power Ring. He returned home to take care of his mother, who was in the advanced stages of dementia.
Unfortunately, any hope John had of a peaceful life is quickly dashed with the arrival of a Green Lantern from another universe. Soon John is drafted into a war against an multiversal threat known as the Revenant Queen. The battle to come will help John rediscover the fire that made him one of the greatest Green Lanterns in the multiverse.
John Stewart is probably the Green Lantern most recognized by the mainstream, thanks to the Justice League cartoons. Green Lantern: War Journal does a fine job of introducing the modern DC Comics version of John Stewart. The script by Phillip Kennedy Johnson draws off some of Stewart’s rich history, such as the fact that he wields the power of a Guardian. The detailed artwork by Montos is also notably unique, with stunning visuals throughout.
Green Lantern Corps: New World Rising
The good news is that the Green Lantern Corps has freed themselves from the influence of the United Planets. The bad news is that the Emotional Spectrum that empowers them has been damaged. Now, random people are tapping the spectrum without a Power Ring or Battery. What is worse, some are finding ways to weaponize emotions beyond the standard seven that empower the various Corps. Chief among them is Sorrow, who taps the power of despair.
While the threats and villains may be new, the mission of the Green Lantern Corps remains the same. John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, Guy Gardner, Jo Mullein, and more legendary Lanterns return to duty to face these threats. Yet can even they stem the chaos that threatens all reality?
The 2025 Green Lantern Corps series has managed an impressive plate-spinning act. Despite a sizeable ensemble, writers Jeremy Adams and Morgan Hampton take care to give every cast member time to shine. The effect is not unlike the best police procedural shows, with a science-fiction twist. The artwork by longtime Green Lantern artist Fernando Pasarin is also among the best the franchise has ever enjoyed.
How we chose the best Green Lantern comics
Though not as widely known as some of DC’s other iconic heroes, the Green Lantern Corps has a solid catalog of stories. Indeed, the biggest problem in getting into the Green Lantern comics is finding a good place to begin. This is of particular concern given the influx of new comic readers following the popularity of James Gunn’s Superman.
As such, this “best of” list was built with an emphasis on availability and accessibility. While many comic readers would rightly name stories such as The Sinestro Corps Wars or Blackest Night as the best Green Lantern stories ever, these stories depend on extensive knowledge of the mythology developed by writer Geoff Johns. Given that, and a desire to highlight other great writers, this list focuses on a wider range Green Lantern comics.
