The Green Lantern Omnibus Vol. 1

I have to agree with the previous reviewers who commented that the glued binding (versus sewn) is inexcusable production for such a large and pricey hardback. However, in regards to the quality of the cardboard used for the covers of this volume and their production value, I find them completely acceptable. True, they are inferior to the quality of the Marvel Masterworks volumes--nevertheless, they're perfectly standard hardback novel quality. The quality of the cover doesn't feel particularly cheap to me. Likewise, the interior paper may be thinner stock than some other comic reprint volumes, but it's still a good stock with superb crisp white brilliance. If they had just sewn the binding, it would have been a top-quality product.As for the stories contained in this volume: wonderful! True, if you're not a particular fan of Green Lantern and you just want to pick up something to familiarize yourself with the character, buying one of the newer, cheaper Geoff Johns trade paperbacks would certainly be more worthwhile for you. But if you love GL, or you love classic comics, this is a must. Yes, some of the old DC Comics stories from the 1960s were a bit...lackluster...at times. But there are so many essential characters and themes introduced in these stories--many of which are still relevant to the current stories being published today--that it's still a worthwhile read.And it's got Gil Kane art, which is always a plus in my opinion. Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of when he inked his own pencils...but he's got such a classic, easily recognizable style, his work always shines through.Here's hoping that they'll keep releasing further GL Omnibus volumes past Volume 2 (which has already been solicited).

This Omnibus collects Showcase #22-24 and Green Lantern, volume 1 #1-21. As other reviews have noted, the paper quality is nice, though still of lower quality than Marvel Omnibuses or DC Archive Editions. The boards are cheap: unfinished black cardboard with a Green Lantern imprint (no leather finish or foil-stamping). The binding is glued. In contrast to Marvel Omnibuses, this DC Omnibus lacks supplemental material: there is a two-page, rather generic forward by Gil Kane, written in 1993, and nothing else. Overall, the Green Lantern Omnibus feels hurriedly produced and rather cheaply made for $75, especially considering that the stories it contains will be primarily appeal to collectors.For those unfamiliar with superhero comics from the '60s, each Green Lantern issue collected within contains one or two self-contained stories usually involving a puzzle or trick that Green Lantern must solve. For the most part the puzzles are rather unimaginative (there's nothing like the flights of fancy Stan Lee and Jack Kirby dreamed up for Fantastic Four). Characters are fairly one-dimensional, though this is true of most superheros of the era. The stories also feature a good deal of sexism, though much of it is so over-the-top that it reads as humorous today. Notable stories include the introduction of the Guardians, Sinestro, and Star Sapphire; most of the other stories are fairly forgettable. Silver age fans generally admire Gil Kane's art for the series; readers more used to contemporary comic book art, however, may find it a little staid.Collectors lacking the Green Lantern Archive Editions will likely be satisfied with this Omnibus. More casual consumers looking for a good read from this era of superhero comics would probably be better off buying the Iron Man, Spider-Man, or Fantastic Four Omnibuses instead. Teenage readers new to Green Lantern (perhaps interested in it due to the 2011 film) should check out  Green Lantern: Secret Origin (New Edition) .***This review was edited on 2/17/11 in response to feedback in the "Comments" section.

DC's omnibus sized books have become my new favorite format, because I enjoy having so many issues in one volume. I own the first Green Lantern Chronicles volume, so I'd read the first six issues contained in this book. The rest of the material was new, and even the stories I had read look better on the high quality paper and larger size of this omnibus. The stories and art are, as expected, less detailed and a lot simpler than modern art, but I often prefer that approach. It's very clean and easy to read, and it tells the story perfectly well. If you're a fan of Hal Jordan, I'd highly recommend this book. A lot of it is world building, where so many of the familiar cast and enemies of GL are first introduced and established. Good stuff.

When a teenager and starting to read comic books, Green Lantern was my personal favorite superhero. This volume collects over 30 of his original stories and was a great re-visit to a reading era fondly remembered. The great supporting cast here make their original appearences: Carol and Star Sapphire, Pieface, Sinestro, the Jordan brothers, the Guardians, Hector Hammond, The Shark, Sonar, and also the first teamups with Barry Allen and the Flash. How much plot and action John Broome and Gardner Fox squeezed in so few pages! Lots of nostalgic fun!

I have been completing my Green Lantern collection from that large auction web site and found that trying to obtain the original early comics was very expensive. This book allowed me to read the first appearance of Green Lantern as well as issues 1-21. You don't get to see the original ads that were in the comics which I find entertaining but still worth the money. A must have for GL fans.

Through Brightest Day And Darkest Night- let not these stories escape your sight. If you haven't read them, then you might- even under an emerald green light.

As a Green Lantern fan since the day these issues were originally printed, I can honestly say this book was more than worth the money. It's a great compendium!

Exactly as advertised. Essential for fans of the Silver Age Green Lantern. Grab it with the Amazon discount. I hope there will be more from DC like this for their other characters (eg, Hawkman, Atom, Flash, Superman).

Very good omnibusExcellent hardcover and nice dustjacketTruly amazing worth buying