Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern buying guide
Compare Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern paperbacks, omnibuses, and compendiums by issue. See where to start, what overlaps, and what each route leaves out.
Main DC comics continuity, 2004–2013 · Spoiler-light. Story titles and issue numbers only.
Which book should you start with?
Try the opening stories
Book One (2024 paperback) gives you Rebirth, Recharge, and the start of Hal’s ongoing series in one 400-page book.
Read through the 2013 finale
The three Johns omnibuses follow Hal’s main series through Blackest Night and the New 52. Look up side chapters if you want the wider crossovers.
Read more of the Corps
The first two compendiums give Kyle, Guy, and the Corps more room. They’re larger paperbacks and cover the early years of the run.
Already have a book? Match the ISBN-13 and binding before comparing. Rebirth here means the 2004–2005 miniseries. Green Lantern (2005) and Green Lantern (2011) are different runs with their own issue numbers.
Use the edition finder to compare books you own from Rebirth through the Sinestro Corps War climax.
Amazon may match you to another storefront. Check the ISBN and binding on the listing there too.
The numbered paperbacks
Start with one book and continue in smaller volumes. These three 2024 editions take you through the opening years and the Sinestro Corps War. Match the ISBN if you’re buying a different printing.
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Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Book One
Paperback, 2024 edition · 400 listed pages
The best first buy if you want to try the run. It gives you Hal’s return, the Corps rebuilding, and the first three issues of the 2005 ongoing series.
ISBN-13 9781779527653
Issue contents
- Green Lantern: Rebirth (2004) #1–6
- Green Lantern Corps: Recharge (2005) #1–5
- Green Lantern (2005) #1–3
- Green Lantern Secret Files and Origins 2005 #1 (selected material)
Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Book Two
Paperback, 2024 edition · 400 listed pages
Continues Hal’s solo series from #4 through #20. Pick it up after Book One if you want the setup before the war in the same format.
ISBN-13 9781779527752
Issue contents
- Green Lantern (2005) #4–20
Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Book Three
Paperback, 2024 edition · 440 listed pages
The numbered paperback for the Sinestro Corps War. It brings the opening special, the core issues from Hal’s series, and the parallel Corps chapters together.
ISBN-13 9781779527875
Issue contents
- Green Lantern Sinestro Corps Special (2007) #1
- Green Lantern (2005) #18–20 (check this printing)
- Green Lantern (2005) #21–25
- Green Lantern Corps (2006) #14–18
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime (2007) #1
- Green Lantern / Sinestro Corps Secret Files and Origins (2008) #1
The 2024 catalogue lists #18–25 together. Check the #18–20 stories or backups in your copy if you already own Book Two. The earlier 2020 printing has a different ISBN.
The three Johns omnibuses
Choose these oversized hardcovers if you want the main run from Rebirth to the 2013 finale in three volumes. The publisher listings total about 3,400 pages. Some parallel Corps and New 52 crossover issues are collected separately.
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Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 1
Oversized hardcover · 1,232 listed pages
Starts with Rebirth and Recharge and takes Hal’s 2005 series through #25. This is the first hardcover to buy if you’re starting the full run.
ISBN-13 9781401251345
Issue contents
- Green Lantern: Rebirth (2004) #1–6
- Green Lantern Corps: Recharge (2005) #1–5
- Green Lantern (2005) #1–25
- Green Lantern Corps (2006) #14–18
- Green Lantern Sinestro Corps Special (2007) #1
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime (2007) #1
- Green Lantern Secret Files and Origins 2005 #1 (selected material)
- Green Lantern / Sinestro Corps Secret Files and Origins (2008) #1
The publisher lists Corps #14–18. Plan for the #19 epilogue separately if it isn’t in your copy.
Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 2
Oversized hardcover · 1,072 listed pages
Hal’s 2005 series #26–52, including Secret Origin and the buildup to Blackest Night. The indexed seventh printing contains the event’s finale.
ISBN-13 9781401255268
Issue contents
- Green Lantern (2005) #26–52
- Blackest Night (2009) #0–8
- Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns (2008) #1
- Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps (2009) #1–3 (selected material)
- DC Universe (2008) #0 (selected material)
- Untold Tales of Blackest Night (2010) #1 (selected material)
The publisher’s listing ends Blackest Night at #7 and differs on the short stories. The seventh-printing index includes #8. Check the contents in a specific copy if buying for that issue.
Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 3
Oversized hardcover · 1,104 listed pages
Starts with the Brightest Day era of Hal’s book, carries the War of the Green Lanterns crossover, and ends with his New 52 finale.
ISBN-13 9781401258207
Issue contents
- Green Lantern (2005) #53–67
- Green Lantern Corps (2006) #58–60
- Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors (2010) #8–10
- Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special (2010) #1
- Green Lantern (2011) #0–20
- Green Lantern Annual (2012) #1
The printed-volume index includes #61–67 of the 2005 series and #0 of the 2011 series, which the publisher’s short description omits. Brightest Day here refers to Hal’s issues, with the separate Brightest Day event series outside this volume.
The Corps-focused compendiums
These thick paperbacks weave more of the ensemble books into the early years. Choose them if you want to read the side stories alongside Hal’s. The two books below reach the Blackest Night buildup, with later parts of the Johns run collected elsewhere.
Green Lantern: Rebirth Compendium
Compendium paperback · 1,536 listed pages
Start here if you want Hal’s return alongside the Corps rebuild, the Ion miniseries, and the Rann/Thanagar crossover.
ISBN-13 9781799503347
Issue contents
- Green Lantern: Rebirth (2004) #1–6
- Green Lantern (2005) #1–17
- Green Lantern Corps: Recharge (2005) #1–5
- Green Lantern Corps (2006) #1–6
- Green Lantern Corps (2006) #7–9 (check this printing)
- Ion (2006) #1–12
- Rann/Thanagar War (2005) #1–6
- Rann/Thanagar War: Infinite Crisis Special (2006) #1
- Guy Gardner: Collateral Damage (2006) #1–2
- Green Lantern Secret Files and Origins 2005 #1
The publisher lists Hal’s series through #17 and Corps #1–6. A first-printing seller record gives #13 and #9 as the respective endpoints. Check the printed contents for either series if you’re filling a gap.
Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War Compendium
Compendium paperback · 1,440 listed pages
Takes both ongoing series into the war and beyond, with more one-shots and Corps stories than Johns Omnibus Vol. 1. The printed-edition index carries Hal’s series through Agent Orange (#39–42).
ISBN-13 9781799507451
Issue contents
- Green Lantern (2005) #18–42
- Green Lantern Corps (2006) #10–13 (check this printing)
- Green Lantern Corps (2006) #14–38
- Green Lantern Sinestro Corps Special (2007) #1
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Parallax (2007) #1
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Cyborg Superman (2007) #1
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime (2007) #1
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Ion (2008) #1
- Green Lantern / Sinestro Corps Secret Files and Origins (2008) #1
- Blue Beetle (2006) #20
- The Brave and the Bold (2007) #1–2
- Booster Gold (2007) #2 (check this printing)
- Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns (2008) #1 (selected material)
- DC Universe (2008) #0 (selected material)
- DC Universe Halloween Special (2008) #1 (selected material)
- DC Universe Halloween Special (2009) #1 (selected material)
The publisher page lists Hal’s series through #38 and Corps #10–32. The edition index lists Hal through #42 and Corps #14–38. Check Corps #10–13 and Booster Gold #2 in the copy you’re considering.
Publisher listing Printed-edition index Archived DC solicitation
What will you duplicate or miss?
- Book One → Omnibus Vol. 1 or Rebirth Compendium
- Both larger books repeat all six Rebirth issues, all five Recharge issues, and Green Lantern (2005) #1–3. If you already own Book One and want to keep the smaller format, Book Two picks up Hal’s series at #4.
- Book Two → Book Three (2024 editions)
- The publisher lists Green Lantern (2005) #18–20 in both. Check the stories and backups in your copies before treating the overlap as three identical issues. Book Three advances to #25 and adds the Corps chapters and the opening special for Sinestro Corps War.
- Omnibus Vol. 1 → The Sinestro Corps War Compendium
- Expect to see Green Lantern (2005) #18–25, Green Lantern Corps (2006) #14–18, and the opening special again. The compendium adds more Corps chapters and continues past the war. For the epilogue in Corps #19, see the event guide.
- The Sinestro Corps War Compendium → Omnibus Vol. 2
- They overlap on at least Green Lantern (2005) #26–38. The indexed compendium also includes #39–42, the Agent Orange arc. If your copy ends at #42 and you only want the next event, pick up the main Blackest Night miniseries and Green Lantern (2005) starting at #43. The crossover guide gives the order and marks the optional branches.
- Finishing the New 52 stretch in Omnibus Vol. 3
- The volume includes Hal’s finale in Green Lantern (2011) #20. The companion Corps, New Guardians, and Red Lanterns chapters for Rise of the Third Army and Wrath of the First Lantern are separate reading choices. The finale guide explains those branches.
The Blackest Night Compendium is announced for March 2027. Penguin Random House lists Green Lantern (2005) #43–52 and Green Lantern Corps (2006) #39–47. An earlier retailer listing gives #39–52 and #33–46 instead. Check the printed contents when it’s released before deciding which issues overlap the second compendium.
How to use the books with the checklist
Use the Johns reading checklist to track the stories you’ve read in any edition. When a crossover moves between titles, follow the issue-by-issue crossover guide. If you began with the standalone Secret Origin, you can check it off when you reach Green Lantern (2005) #29–35 in Omnibus Vol. 2 or the second compendium.
We compared ISBN-specific publisher listings with printed-edition records where they disagree. The comparisons cover the editions shown here. Page counts come from publisher listings and can differ by printing.