Geoff Johns is one of the most celebrated comic book writers that redefined the modern-day DC book. Starting off as an intern working for the great Richard Donner, he rose up the ranks and became a writer for DC comics. Right off the bat, he created memorable comics like Stargirl and his early Flash work. From there, he would help launch several critical acclaimed runs on titles such as Justice Society, Hawkman, and Teen Titans. However, his biggest claim to success probably stems from his complete revitalization of the Green Lantern franchise.
Starting his Green Lantern run with the resurrection of Hal Jordan, Johns would completely revamp the Green Lantern mythos. He would add in new lore, new concepts, and introduce new plotlines that help further develop the mythology of the Lanterns. It's through Johns' pen that the other lantern corps were established, leading into a far more vast and interesting universe than it was previously thought. Geoff Johns' run on Green Lantern is the definitive run for the series in the modern-day, and the ten best storylines from that run are some of the best starting points to get into Green Lantern.
10 Green Lantern Rebirth- It Was The First Building Block To Greater Green Lantern Mythology
First published in 2004, not everything about Green Lantern Rebirth holds up. There's a lot of continuity in the story that is no longer canon within the DC Universe, like Carol Ferris being married. Batman is portrayed very terribly in this story as well, almost acting as a secondary antagonist.
With all said though, it's the first major Green Lantern story that Geoff Johns wrote, and serves as the first building block to his greater Green Lantern mythology. It brought Hal Jordan back from the dead and introduced new concepts to the Lantern lore that ended up being essential.
9 Secret Of The Indigo Tribe- The Identity Of The Tribe Provided Readers With A Fascinating Twist
The Secret of the Indigo Tribe was one of Johns' last story arcs with Green Lantern, and it finally revealed one of the biggest mysteries in his run - who are the Indigo Tribe? The tribe is the lantern corps that hold the power of the indigo light, which gives them compassion.
However, it turns out that the tribe is made up of criminals and murders who are brainwashed by the Indigo power to be compassionate creatures. It was a pretty good twist, and the story arc also features Hal Jordan forced to team up with his nemesis Sinestro. The two form an unusual partnership that serves as the cornerstone towards the end of Johns' run.
8 War Of The Green Lanterns- This Comic Felt Like An Outlandish Action Movie (In A Good Way)
A crossover event that had Johns' main Green Lantern book tieing into the other GL books, War of the Green Lanterns is as outlandish as the title implies. It is essentially an over-the-top, space-action movie.
Not everything about the crossover is top-notch, as it features a lot of inconsistent artwork, and the issues not written by Johns aren't as strong. Nonetheless, the storyline showcases a lot of great moments. The highlight of the arc is when the original four Earth Green Lanterns take up a ring from a different corps to face off against their brainwashed fellow lanterns.
7 Green Lantern: Brightest Day- This Comic Steered The DC Heroes In A Positive Direction
After Blackest Night, came Brightest Day. Brightest Day was more an initiative developed by DC Comics that is meant to represent the entire DC line going towards a more positive direction, which was a complete contrast with the darkness of Blackest Night.
Brightest Day within Johns' Green Lantern book had Hal Jordon going across the galaxy to meet up with the other corps, and solve a longtime mystery. The story leads to War of the Green Lanterns, though Brightest Day: Green Lantern is more engrossing to read as it deals with more mythology rather than the straight-up action that War ended up being.
6 Rage Of The Red Lanterns- A Fun And Violent Romp For Those Seeking A Bit More Gore And Action In Their Comics
Yellow and Violet power rings had already long existed within the DC Universe, but Johns decided to expand that with other color power rings. The first major expansion came with the rise of the Sinestro Corps, who wield the Yellow Rings.
Then, Johns created the Red Lanterns with the storyline Rage of the Red Lanterns. Introducing the character Atrocitus as the leader of the Red Lantern Corps, Johns opened the door wide-open for other corps to join. The Red Lanterns have some of the most violent-looking power set, which includes vomiting up blood, making Rage one of Johns' goriest stories in Green Lantern.
5 Green Lantern The End- This Comic Ended His Run On A Positive Note
Many readers and critics found Johns' work post-Brightest Day not up to par with his earlier works, which is true in a sense, yet he at least ended his run on the best positive note. Johns' concludes his Green Lantern story with the final defeat of the villainous First Lantern, Sinestro becoming the new Parallax, and Hal Jordan becoming the greatest Black Lantern ever.
Unfortunately, the issue serves as a tie-in for the First Lantern crossover. The First Lantern is a lackluster villain, though everything else about Johns' final story arc is entertaining.
4 Agent Orange- This Comic Features One Of His Most Unique Characters
Larfleeze, the sole living Orange Lantern, is probably Johns' most unique character he created for Green Lantern. Larfleeze is an alien that is completely overcome with greed, claiming everything is his, and constantly says "Mine!" He first appeared in the Agent Orange storyline in the Green Lantern books and remained a recurring side character/villain for a while.
He can come off across annoying and is intentionally unlikeable, but there's something in how Johns writes the character that makes him great. His unique design also makes him stand out, and he made a big impression on readers in his first appearance.
3 Secret Origin- Fans Enjoyed The Exploration Of The Characters Backstory
When the DC Universe suffered another continuity swift, it gave Johns the perfect excuse to give Hal Jordan a completely new origin.
In Johns' Secret Origin, Jordan lost his father in an air force accident as a young kid. After being traumatized by the event, he grows up to join the air force, becoming a reckless pilot. This new origin deeply humanizes Jordan, who is often considered to be a difficult character to make likable. Johns also further establishes Jordan's troubled family life, and how his recklessness led to him destroying his relationship with his remaining family.
2 Blackest Night- This Darker Comic Gave Fans The Gritty Edge They Were Craving
A story arc that Johns has been building up since the start of his Green Lantern run, Blackest Night is Johns most ambitious project with the character. An event comic series written by Johns and art by Ivan Reis, Blackest Night centers on the supervillain Black Hand becoming a Black Lantern and resurrecting every decease DC character on Earth as zombie Black Lanterns.
Dark, foreboding, yet at the same time full of optimism and superhero action, Blackest Night is one of the best event comics published by DC. Johns would also write the main Green Lantern title that ties into Blackest Night, and those comics are also amazing.
1 Sinestro Corps War- This Comic Features The Highest Stakes And Best Payout Of His Run
Blackest Night may be Johns' most famous Green Lantern story, however, his true magnum opus is the Sinestro Corps Wars. A crossover comic series between the main Green Lantern book and the Green Lantern Corps book, it is a story about an all-out war between the Green Lantern Corps and the newly created Sinestro Corps, led by Sinestro himself.
The crossover was co-written by Dave Gibbons, and it features many great action and story beats. It shows the Green Lantern Corps at the end of their ropes, and the stakes have never been higher for the characters. All four Earth Lanterns are given vital roles, and it establishes Sinestro as one of DC's greatest villains.