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Was Martin Nodell Credited as Green Lantern's Creator in the New Warner Brother Movie?

By Hervé St-Louis
June 19, 2011 - 08:26

Martin Nodell passed away on December 2006. He was the original creator of the super hero known as Green Lantern. Specifically, in history he is often credited with the creation of Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern also known as the Golden Age version. Alan Scott is a different character than Hal Jordan who stars in the new Green Lantern movie. Bill Finger, helped Nodell with many early scripts of stories featuring Green Lantern although the design of the character, his name and powers had been created before he wrote stories for the character, for Nodell to draw. Should any of them have been credited as creators of Green Lantern?

DC Comics has credited creators in many of its movies, television and even comic books recently, sometimes because of legal requirements, sometimes because of contractual obligations. In every Superman movie, Joe Siegel and Joe Shuster are both credited as Superman's creators. Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston is also credited, although illustrator Harry G. Peter often is not. Batman creator Bob Kane is also credited in most Batman media products, although Bill Finger is not.

Bill Finger helped define the Batman concept and even co-created seminal characters such as Robin and the joker with Kane. I would argue that Finger made substantial recommendations on Batman, also having penned early stories that would warrant him to be co-credited as Batman's creator.

In the case of the Green Lantern, Finger does not appear to have made major recommendations on the design of the character as he did with Batman. But again he did write many of the character's original stories.

The problem with Green Lantern, just like Flash, Aquaman, and the Atom is that they are not unique characters used comic books. There are many versions of each. The modern concept of the Green Lantern with Hal Jordan as a space cop, the Green Lantern Corps, as well as designs were defined by John Broome and Gil Kane in 1956. Neither were credited in the Green Lantern movie.

I would argue that Nodell, as the original creator of Green Lantern, the Green Lantern ring and battery, the definition of the hero's powers, and his oath should have been credited as the creator of Green Lantern in the latest movie. Its not like DC Comics and Warner Brothers will pay the man or his family any kind of stipend. They probably won't or would fight it in court. However, in comic books, it's quite frequent to have an original concept expanded upon and enriched by later creators. However, it does not take away any of the original merit of the original creator of the character. Nodell's contribution should be seen as the beacon and mortar upon which every layer of the the Green lantern mythology has been built on. There are conflicts about Finger's contribution to Green Lantern. I would argue that his case is weaker here than in Batman's case.

I would like future Green Lantern movies to credit Martin Nodell as Green Lantern's creator.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12