IS THE ROCK GREEN LANTERN?

You may remember a while back, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tweeted that he was talking to Warner Bros and DC Comics about some badassery of some sort. There has been much speculation as to who he could be playing in either the Man of Steel sequel, Justice League or possibly a stand-alone film. Some have thought that he would be playing Shazam but there have been rumors that Warner Bros thought the character was too close to Superman. Others have speculated that he could be playing an older Cyborg. An interesting thought especially with the Justice League rumors swirling about.

But then the Rock Insta'd this on Instagram:

The last hashtag reads, "#JohnStewartCanStillWhupSupermansAss”

Sarsgaard is Hector Hammond

The above picture is a crude adaption of what Peter Sarsgaard will probably look like since being cast in Green Lantern the movie. I have said it before and I will say it again, that when super hero movies need actors like Peter and Lively. They bring no Hollywood baggage to a film that needs their blank slate sort of approach to make these fantastic characters real. Renolds is much like Robert Downey Jr by being on the fence of Hollywood. Robert has more recently planted his feet in the mind of movie goers and is rapidly approaching his super stardom I believe he has been owed. But the cast that Campbell is building truly has my support and has me believing that this movie will bring the realism that it must have to be good, and the talent that we all want. Sarsgaard is awesome and will be a perfect Hector Hammond. I just don't like the character.

The other good thing about this news is that we now have more information on the story which leads me to believe it is the Secret Origin story. If you have never read it or comics in general, pick this one up. Its a great read and welcomes noobs into the modern mythos of the Green Lantern saga which seamlessly blends the old stories with the new. The story reads just like a movie and also includes such plot points that lead to future events that shock the Green Lantern and DC Universe. Bomb!

Green Lantern All Around Thoughts

Its been a while since my last post, but I've got a lot planned in the coming weeks including a countdown of my top 15 LOST episodes so stay tuned for that. But right now I have a lot of thoughts on Green Lantern on and off the comic book pages.

First off, Green Lantern Corps #42 brought one of the best single issues of a comic book I have ever read. Pacing, action, dialogue, and art worked so harmoniously that you almost forgot it was just a single issue of a comic book and not a tw

o hour long movie. It was that good. It ended with a sacrifice that was felt all throughout the DC Universe fan base. The death of Kyle Rayner. The Torchbearer, Ion, the Alley Rat (as Sinestro would say), the heart of the Green Lantern Corps. I was sad to see him go, but it was a very fitting end to such a hero.

This is where it goes wrong. Issue 43 comes out and he's back

from the dead......

What the fuck?

This single handedly took at the magic out of the previous issu

e and robbed it of all its beautiful story telling. The fact that Kyle's sacrifice meant nothing has cheapened the Green Lantern Corps series as a whole and now it leads me to believe that other big moments will add up to nothing; such as Guy Gardner becoming a Red Lantern. If he doesn't stay a Red Lantern for at least three or four issues, I'm going to be very pissed. DC, a word of advice. Let things be. Of course people are going to be upset but life is about change. Change is good, especially in such great story telling. What you're doing with Batman still being dead is fantastic. Its been over a year, so kudos to you!

With that being said, lets move on to the casting of Blake Lively as Carol Ferris. To me Carol and Hal's relationship is interesting but hard to nail since he is off protecting the universe. She is what grounds him, what ties him back to his humanity and his past. I know nothing about Lively nor have I seen her in anything. But I will say this, I could not be happier with the choice. Super hero movies don't need A list stars, they need someone new. Someone different that can transport them to this new and fantastical world. Lively is beautiful and new to most. Though her hair is blonde she will be perfect. I know you may be thinking that Ryan Renolds is a A lister but I don't consider him as such. To me, he is the people's favorite, not Hollywood's. He isn't Ben Affleck, he isn't Hugh Jackman, he is good and low key while remaining prominent. Like a good after taste in your mouth.

This casting news just gets me more pumped up for this movie, I can't wait until we hear who Sinestro is being played by. Hawt Damn!

Green Lantern Casting Rumors and Thoughts

I didn’t really have much faith, and still struggle a bit, with the idea of a Green Lantern movie. Of course I want it to happen and I hope it will be as great as it could be, but something inside of me knows that it is a massive undertaking that is going to be a challenge.

Not only is it a superhero movie, but its also a sci fi movie. Its massive in its scope and touching in its humanity. It will require half the film to be CG and the other half to be prosthetics or animatronics. I think it treated with care and respect, a Green Lantern movie has the potential to be the great defining film of the DC Universe that the JLA movie was trying to be. Green Lanterns are cops that police the DCU and often feature many of DC’s hero stable. So this really opens up opportunities for DC to create the franchise mosaic that Marvel is doing for the Avengers.

Even with Ryan Renolds as Hal Jordan, I feel somewhat hesitant to believe that this film will be good. I like Ryan and I think he is a great pick but I just think that he could also bring a campy sort of humor that will sink such a serious and dark character and series.

Alas, some of my faith has been restored with the rumor of Jackie Earle Haley being cast as Sinestro. Jackie brings a level of credibility that I think could take the film to the right level. He can be dark, calculating, and smart all while keeping it inside. I think he would be perfect for Sinestro that will eventually turn into the main villain of the series. He even somewhat looks the part. The only thing is that he is really short and Sinestro is supposed to be tall. Whatever. I originally was thinking of someone like Danial Day-Lewis or Hugo Weaving but they are a stretch I think.

The other piece of news is that the film is looking to draw mostly from Secret Origin, Geoff Johns’ retelling of Hal Jordan’s earliest adventure which completely reshapes the GL mythos and sets the stage for Blackest Night. If they do this, Green Lantern has the potential to be my favorite comic book movie. The story is perfect by itself but it leaves the door open for a dark future.

Oh yeah, and one other thing. It is rumored that Superman makes a cameo which is fucking awesome. That is the thing that DC’s films lack. Unity. Hopefully Green Lantern can bring them together.

Blackest Night Cometh!

For the past decade almost, Geoff Johns has been crafting what I believe will be one of the greatest comic book runs of all time. Through the years he has built story after story, carefully pacing himself and giving us hints of what is to come. First it was the Sinestro Corps War then came the Rage of the Red Lanterns which was eclipsed by the Sins of the Star Saphires and eventually came Agent Orange and the War of Light. Yet all has been leading to this point.

BLACKEST NIGHT.

The first issue of this blockbuster event hit stores today with its companion piece TALES OF THE CORPS. And I must say that Johns is gearing up for something special.

The concept is simples. Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange and Violet Lantern Corps have emerged with the Green Lanterns at the center of it all. War ravages the universe but a new threat has emerged. I can almost hear the buzzing fly-ish sound the Black Rings fly through space with. But get close enough and you realize they as saying flesh. The Black Lanterns have come to raise those dead in the DC Universe which includes some powerful peeps if I do say so myself.

This story really has so much potential to be awesome! And with the first issues as good as they are, my hopes are pretty frickin' high. I mean, zombie superheroes in the already fantastic Green Lantern saga? What more could you ask for?

Johns pacing is impeccable giving the book a very cinematic feel. It builds with revelations and shocking moments in between the beautiful splash pages. And Johns has crept a very tangible layer of horror into this superhero tale, which is excitingly new and fresh. Ivan Reis' pencils are dare I say some of the best in his career. The rotten and twisted faces and bodies of the Black Lanterns are terrifying to behold and the gore is unprecedented in DC history.

Alas, we must wait until next month for the story to continue but at fortunately DC is providing us with three Green Lantern books before then so I don't go completely insane. Sounds off with your thoughts or critiques.

Will the real Hal Jordan please stand up?

I know I am late on this news but I just graduated and I was intoxicated for the last week. But now I'm back in full swing of things, ready to blog my brains out. So here it goes.

Last week it was rumored that Bradley Cooper was in the running to play Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern in the titular film adaption. Now, though he may not be a well known actor, Cooper can be seen in the new movie The Hangover and Wedding Crashers - the former looking hilarious and the latter being hilarious. Back in March Star Trek's young Cap'n Kirk Chris Pine was rumored to be in running though I haven't seen him in anything and was worried about him as Hal.

Now for those of you who don't know, Hal Jordan is a hotshot pilot for the US Air Force who even after watching his father die saving hundreds of lives in a plane accident, followed in his footsteps except the dying part. Hal is cocky, arrogant, sly, funny, and above all else a daredevil, unafraid of risking his life just for the thrill. Now, I see Nathan Fillion as the perfect choice because he can carry that cocky humor and he is easy on the eyes. Girl eyes I mean. Alas, the movie execs look for youth even though most of superheroes are not all young, especially not anymore.

Now Cooper on the other hand could bring a fresh arrogance and pride to the role that would fit Hal perfectly. He is young, good looking and fairly in shape, he meets all the criteria though he would not be my first pick and I hope they take more people into consideration before choosing him. Yet, I think with the right direction, Cooper could fit into the ring quiet nicely. Plus, I trust Warner Bros. in their casting choices ever since they chose Heath and Eckhart for TDK. Either way, I am just glad that Green Lantern news is starting to come more often. I just hope the movie is as good as it could be.

First Blackest Night Art!

For those of you who don't know, I am a huge fan of Green Lantern. All star comic book writer Geoff Johns has been behind the hugely successful and consistently amazing run of the Green Lantern series. From the reintroduction of Hal Jordan in Rebirth to the action packed epic of The Sinestro Corps War, Johns has been slowly laying the groundwork for one of the most anticipated comic book events of the year, if not the decade - BLACKEST NIGHT.

Johns has subtly and carefully hinted at the coming storm that not only the Green Lanterns will face, but the entirety of the DC Universe stable of heroes. With the Sinestro Corps War it was revealed that there were multiple Corps from the color spectrum all correlating to a specific emotion: Yellow/Fear, Red/Rage, Blue/Hope, Indigo/Compassion, Green/Willpower, Orange/Avarice and Violet/Love. With the end of Sinestro Corps War we saw the formation of the BLACK POWER BATTERY which will give birth to the Black Lanterns with the tagline - The dead will rise... In more recent years the other Corps have made their presence known, most recently with the Agent Orange storyline featuring the greedy sole Orange Corps member Larfleeze. I for one think that the introduction of each Corps through both Johns' Green Lantern and Peter Tomasi's Green Lanter Corps has been phenominal. Both books truly have been some of the best books on the rack for quite some time and have not, and I think will not, miss a beat in the saga to come.

As opposed to Marvel's MARVEL ZOMBIE run, BLACKEST NIGHT brings a legitamit reason for the walking dead. With Marvel the story it was just a "What If" senario and nothing more. Being a fan of zombies myself, I can not wait for this event. Especially with tons of dead DC characters who I would love to see rise from their graves: Martian Manhunter, Batman, Aquaman...oh yeah, Batman is dead in comics, or presumed dead. Did you know that?

So here, courtesy of the official DC COMICS BLOG - THE SOURCE, is the first art work released from Blackest Night by the awe inspiring Ivan Reis. Enjoy! And if you are a comics fan, be sure to check out this awesome event come July. And be sure to check in, I'll be all over dat shit.