The recently announced HBO series of the Green Lantern Corps has many collectors and speculators excited. Both the market and rumors are pointing to Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz as the two main characters next to Sinestro. Although Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner were not named, it’s likely season one would be setting up to a larger event, such as Blackest Night or Sinestro Corp Wars, for season two. As the market heats up surrounding Baz and Cruz, other aspects of the Green Lantern lore have cooled off and may have collectors interested in bargains. Though there are not many fans of the 90s Green Lantern run, and the HBO series seems to reflect this, nevertheless, they remain worthwhile comics to purchase while the market is cold.

The Parallax Storyline

Although the Parallax figure was not fully explained until Geoff John’s run, its initial storyline caught many off-guard and showed a craven side to Jordan. Following the destruction of Coast City and Jordan’s inability to cope with the travesty, we see the rise of a fully charged figure with every Green Lantern ring in the universe, Parallax. If the HBO series chooses to make the Blackest Night series, Parallax as the embodiment of fear and the entity that powers the Yellow Lantern Corps may appear in the television series. However, that would not require Hal Jordan. Thus, the original Parallax storyline is being ignored by both HBO and speculators and may be worth searching for in CGC 9.8s or highly mint copies. The following are the key issues of this series and always look out for the DC Universe logo! According to the census:

Green Lantern #48 CGC 9.8 = 485 total with a fair market value of $130.00.
Green Lantern #49 CGC 9.8 = 149 total with a fair market value of $160.00.
Green Lantern #50 CGC 9.8 = 375 total with a fair market value of $100.00.

Kyle Rayner and the Death of Alexandra DeWitt

In the midst of the Parallax storyline, Green Lantern fans were introduced to the most 90s hero ever, Kyle Rayner. Part Karate Kid, part MegaMan, Rayner was the cheesy embodiment of every “cool kid” of the era. Although first appearing and becoming a Green Lantern during Parallax’s rampage, Rayner also brought along his girlfriend, Alexandra DeWitt. In this story, DeWitt became the “Gwen Stacy” to Rayner with her tragic and somewhat crazy death (she was stuffed into a refrigerator). This story is too close to earth for the HBO series and thus is extremely cold or not even existent on the collectors' market and may be worth searching for in CGC 9.8s or highly mint copies. The following are the key issues of this series and always look out for the DC Universe logo! According to the census:

Green Lantern #51 CGC 9.8 = 174 total with a fair market value of $80.00.
Green Lantern #54 CGC 9.8 = 8 total with an unknown and pending fair market value.

Ion

Similar to the Parallax entity, Ion is the embodiment of the Green Lantern Corp’s will power. If HBO goes the route of Blackest Night, Ion would be another entity they would have to incorporate into the series. This may be Rayner’s only possible chance of appearing at all in the upcoming HBO series. Though Ion appears early on in Green Lantern lore as the highest form of Sodam Yat, Ion was not fully fleshed out until Rayner’s story and even later in Blackest Night. Thus, HBO might pick this storyline up, however, not many graded copies exist on the market currently. The following are the key issues of this series and always look out for the DC Universe logo! According to the census:

Green Lantern #145 CGC 9.8 = 7 total with an unknown fair market value.
Green Lantern #146 CGC 9.8 = 1 total with an unknown fair market value.
Green Lantern Vol. 4, #52 CGC 9.8 = 0 total with an unknown fair market value.

Hal Jordan as Spectre

The final and most likely overlooked Green Lantern collectors comic is Hal Jordan as Spectre. This is perhaps fans least liked Jordan storyline, however, it still maintains a small cult following. Following Jordan's death and his embodiment of the wrath of God, most readers were put-off by Hal’s transformation (once again) from a Green Lantern to a quasi-religious figure and Biblical entity. Going into realms further than space, writers such as J.M. DeMatteis took this cult following into a brilliant Hal Jordan Spectre series that rivaled Neil Gaiman’s Sandman in its intelligence and mythical lore. With the upcoming show going off into space, perhaps old Green Lantern fans can find these more obscure tales while no one is looking for them. The key issues of this story arc are Day of Judgment #5, Green Lantern vol. 3 issue 119 and Spectre vol. 4 issue 1. According to the census:

Day of Judgment #5 CGC 9.8 = 0 total with an unknown fair market value.
Green Lantern Vol. 3, #119 CGC 9.8 = 0 total with an unknown fair market value.
Spectre Vol. 4, #1 CGC 9.8 = 16 total with an unknown fair market value.

Conclusion

With HBO’s emphasis on Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, and other intergalactic characters, fan favorites such as Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner may not make their way into the show. We can further presume the show will not be depicting any of the 90s Green Lantern storylines that most comic book fans aren’t even aware exist. Although Parallax and the death of Alexandra DeWitt make compelling storylines that some readers would love to see play out on television or in a movie, in the time being, it may just be worth finding all of these obscure tales in mint condition.