Green Lantern: Rebirth
In 1994 DC Comics decided to shake up the long-runningGreen Lanternby killing off Hal Jordan, wielder of the ring of power since 1959, and bestowing power and costume on someone new. After a decade of fans' protests, however, a five-issue-spanningRebirthresurrected Jordan (in superhero comics, no one ever really dies) and restored the originalGreen Lanternconcepts. Bringing Jordan back wasn't easy because he had gone insane, murdered his fellow Green Lanterns, become all-powerful villain Parallax, and finally been transformed into the latest embodiment of godlike vengeance spirit the Spectre. Popular DC writer Johns set things right by means of a necessarily convoluted and contrived resurrection ploy that yet supplied the intergalactic brawls and superhero valor the fans demand. Meanwhile, Ethan Van Sciver's drawing epitomized the cluttered, over-rendered style dominating superhero comics today (in reviving classic characters, DC might have considered restoring the visual clarity of earlier comics eras, too).Rebirthwas a smash serialized; the collected edition should be equally popular.Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved