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2010 was a great year for cosmic fans. We love our epic story lines as much as we love our characters, and this year was chock full of both. New characters were introduced and old ones returned; there was plenty for all fans. Touring the Cosmos is going to take a look at the books that brought the great moments of 2010 to us from the stars and beyond.

For fans of anything cosmic DC, we all know where to look. Green Lantern and anything related has been where it’s at. Starting in the middle of Blackest Night, a huge look at the other colored corps and various prominent members, to a brand new Green Lantern title being launched, 2010 was a HUGE year for cosmic comics.

In this special, we will be looking at what DC has done in 2010 for the cosmic/sci-fi fans, and some guesses as to what is in store for 2011.

Green Lantern

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Doug Mahnke, Ed Benes, Ivan Reis

This was quite the year for Green Lantern. Probably one of, if not the hottest book of DC and comics in general, 2010 saw some serious action out of Green Lantern. The year started out in the middle of Blackest Night, uniting all of the corps against one common foe. Certain characters were resurrected by the White Light, launching a new 26 issue series titled Brightest Day. Many of Johns’s intriguing new creations were given a lot of background depth, such as Atrocitus and Larfleeze, bringing readers deeper into the mythos of Green Lantern. When Blackest Night ended, we had a ton of new characters with nowhere to go. A new Green Lantern book was launched, called Emerald Warriors. Many of the aliens from Blackest Night took up residence on Earth, each starting their own agendas. Near the end of 2010, the entities that power each of the corps were being captured by a mysterious being.

In the hands of Johns and Mahnke, I don’t see how 2011 can disappoint. We will be seeing the resolution of the entity thief and the War of the Lanterns, a multi-GL book story that has been hinted at for some time now. As much as I do enjoy the huge stories though, I’m hoping that Green Lantern will eventually wind down. I love a huge story, but I also do love seeing Hal Jordan in some simpler ring-slinging action. This won’t be likely, though, seeing as this year will see the release of Green Lantern on the big screen on June 17th.

Green Lantern Corps

Writers: Peter Tomasi and Tony Bedard
Artist: Pat Gleason, Ardian Syaf, Tyler Kirkham

Green Lantern Corps is the book that features some of the less prominent but still fan favorite Green Lanterns. Guy Gardner, Kilowog, Kyle Rayner, and many others star in a book that feels as though it is a back-up to the main Green Lantern feature. Although in itself, it is as entertaining as the main title. Following suit of its brother title, 2010 saw us in the midst of Blackest Night. When that wrapped up, GLC took a different turn than Green Lantern. With new writer Tony Bedard on board, GLC had the feel of a much smaller title, focusing on just its main characters and their adventures. With story lines involving Cyborg Superman and The Weaponer, GLC  is looking good for 2011 as things get to a boiling point.

I like the fact that GLC does not always fall into the shoes of its big brother Green Lantern. I think Tony Bedard and Tyler Kirkham make for a great team, and they will be bringing a new dimension to the book. Rather than always trailing behind the big stories, we will be privy to smaller scale stories that bring more life into some b-list characters. I have this feeling that someone big is going to die in 2011, and its reverberations will be felt throughout this title.

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors

Writer: Peter Tomasi
Artist: Fernando Pasarin

The third and last GL book, Emerald Warriors started pretty late in the year. Only a handful of issues deep, it’s turning out to be a pretty intriguing book. The cast of Green Lantern Corps was turning out to be a bit too large for its own good, so DC decided to release a third Green Lantern title to compensate for this. It features Guy Gardner, Kilowog, Arisia, and newly appointed Lantern, Ganthet. We are also seeing lots of Atrocitus and Bleez, Red Lantern Corps members. With some fantastic Migliari covers, Emerald Warriors is really setting the stage for War of the Lanterns. Guy Gardner is on a secret mission involving Atrocitus, and he knows that when he is done, there will be a lot of unhappy people around him.

Tomasi moved from GLC to Emerald Warriors, and I think the smaller cast allows him to breathe a bit more. Not that he was doing poorly before, but now he has really been allowed to shine. This book is going to set the stage for the big events in GL for 2011. You’re right, I have no basis to say this other than what I have read, but when the writing is on the wall (or floor in blood in Atrocitus’s case), you can’t help but read it.

R.E.B.E.L.S.

Writer: Tony Bedard
Artists: Andy Clark, Geraldo Borges, and Claude St. Aubin

I can’t go on long enough about how much I have been enjoying R.E.B.E.L.S. It has been a sleeper title, consistent all the way through. The characters are unconventional, but the stories being put out by Bedard continue to be amazing. R.E.B.E.L.S. had some minor play in Blackest Night in 2010, but had its own share of self-contained greatness. 2010 saw the end of the the reign of Starro, and a new era for R.E.B.E.L.S. began. Starfire and Lobo were added to the roster, as well as Lyrl Dox being a mainstay on the title. The Sons of Brainiac story gave a great look at Vril’s history, and now R.E.B.E.L.S. has gone a bit more mainstream by featuring some Green Lanterns.

I think Bedard really has a great thing going with R.E.B.E.L.S. I hope it gets a bit more recognition with the addition of some Green Lanterns in the pages. Bedard is also writing Green Lantern Corps, so it will be interesting to see how he can make both books work without compromising the integrity of R.E.B.E.L.S.

Other notable reads and upcoming stories:

Brightest Day – Not completely a cosmic book, but features some White Lantern action after the fallout of Blackest Night.

Justice League of America – Saint Walker is apparently joining this team, so it may be worth checking out.

Action Comics – Lex Luthor looking for more power, Black Lantern power to be exact.

Weird Worlds – Lobo, Garbage Man, and Tanga in some cosmic adventures. Not sure how good this will be, but I would keep tabs on it.

Check back next time for our look at Marvel and BOOM! cosmic stories in 2010!

Mike Parente
mike@comicattack.net