Comic book fans should be in Heaven by now. Where long ago there were just a few options outside of the printed page for them to see their heroes, many are popping up not just on TV but on the big screen as well, far more than at any one time (with the exception of perhaps the golden age of serials). These heroes are also being given a much better reception on DVD as well with some fantastic animated pieces coming out. And just in time for the release of the much touted GREEN LANTER in theaters is this gem, GREEN LANTER: EMERALD KNIGHTS.
For those who don’t know who the Green Lantern is watch GREEN LANTER: FIRST FLIGHT. In short you’ll learn that a group of cosmic brains trusts known as the Guardians forged rings out of the greatest power that exists, that of will power, and entrusted them to those brave enough to wield them throughout the galaxy as a sort of space cop. Yeah you’ll get that in this DVD as well but not as in depth.
At present there is a force that is unstoppable that has sworn vengeance against the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps, an all powerful entity filled with anti-matter known as Krona. As the Lanterns charge their rings from the central battery, new recruit Arisia (Elizabeth Moss) talks to Hal Jordan (Nathan Fillion), Earth’s Green Lantern, and is told tales of the most legendary of the Lanterns.
Each story tells about the different Lanterns and how their nature has helped to change the Corps from what they were to what they are now. Stories range from the first Lantern to the man who trained Kilowog (one of the more well known Lantern’s for those who read the comic, saw the earlier DVD or who have seen the new movie).
The main point stressed in this direct to DVD feature is that the diversity of the Corps’ make up has helped to make it what it is today. Each different group of aliens has helped to make the whole that much better. A nice idea and one that should take place in today’s world. But not as something forced but as a fact of nature that merely exists. These Corps members aren’t thrust upon the group but meld in to become a part of the whole.
Through each story we see an act of heroism as well. Members are willing to give their lives to do what’s right. They act not because they are told to but because inside they feel the need to do so, that they have no choice but to do the right thing. That’s something missing from so many heroes depicted on the big screen today. Amazing that it has to come out in the form of a comic book rather than in that of an everyday person who makes the choice to do the right thing.
The animation is top notch here as it has been all along in the new DC Universe titles. My copy is the blu-ray edition and the colors just feel like they leap off the screen at you. They’re deep, bright, and dark when need by and just seem to glow just as the light of the lantern does. Cartoons have come such a far way from where they once were.
With any luck we will have the chance to see more stories of the Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps. They are ripe for fans of the comic book and for fans of science fiction. At its heart these stories travel into that area more than most comics have currently or in the past. In so doing they have transported us to different worlds to meet different peoples only to discover they’re not quite that different from us inside.
The extras feature a few other animated pieces to enjoy as well as a look at the next DCU animated feature being worked on, BATMAN:YEAR ONE. Based on the Frank Miller comic, it was the story that changed the way Batman would look from then on. Unfortunately we don’t get to see any animation from that, just who’s doing voices and such.
The DCU animated features are better than most. I’d have to say that many appear to be better than those coming from the Marvel comics group. Here’s hoping that they continue to feature quality over quantity and that perhaps we will find ourselves transported once more to the world of the Green Lantern Corps down the road.
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