Green Lantern Emerald Knights

Animé and Toons
Green Lantern Emerald Knights
By Chris Zimmerman
June 7, 2011 - 09:37

Writer(s): Michael Green, Marc Guggenheim, Peter J. Tomasi, Dave Gibbons, Geoff Johns, Alan Burnett, Todd Casey, Eddie Berganza
ISBN: 1-4198-9982-1
$24.98 US
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Jason Isaacs, Elisabeth Moss, Henry Rollins, Arnold Vosloo
Directed by: Christopher Berkeley, Lauren Montgomery, Jay Oliva
Produced by: Sam Register, Bruce Timm
Running Time: 84 minutes
Release Date: June 07, 2011
Distributors: Warner Premiere

With the release of the live action adaptation of Green Lantern on the horizon and the potential for a new film franchise, it’s only reasonable to expect DC and Warner’s to place as much emphasis as possible on the character and his universe through every source of media available to them. This extends to the animated line, having been used as a marketing tool for the Dark Knight. The effort is a solid one if done correctly, bringing attention to the property and allowing Warner to profit off the grandiose stories and beautiful animation DC’s animated department is known for.

Emerald Knights takes a similar approach to the previously released Gotham Knight but with a few key differences. The animation and design appears to be uniform while Gotham Knight took the Animatrix route and employed various Japanese directors to fill the mold. The stories herein also display little connection to the film beyond the character names, opting instead to expand on the universe in which they exist, serving as a bridge between the comics and the film.

The film’s plot details new recruit Arisia’s adventure accompanying the Lanterns on their road to confronting Krona, one of the Corps most formidable foes. Hal Jordan takes Arisia under his wing and in an effort to calm her nerves dispenses several tales focusing on the Corps origins and members. There are six in all, and while the box proclaims them to be interlocking, they have no significance on one another beyond explaining who everyone is.

The method of doing so feels a bit forced when compared to Gotham Knight. The previous film told the stories as individual episodes with story beats that rolled over into the next. Here, the stories are set up in formulaic fashion, with Arisia encountering one Green Lantern after the next and Hal Jordan explaining the circumstances behind what made them the warriors they are now. This happens in successive order while little bits between the stories are devoted to showing the Lanterns gearing up for their fight with Krona.

Despite a flimsy execution, the film succeeds based on the strength of the stories. There isn’t a bad one in the bunch. Each explores a different facet of the Green Lantern mythos and brings attention to stories never before animated outside of the comics. Of particular interest is Laira’s origin, culled straight from the 90’s of grim and gritty. The tale is reproduced faithfully and introduces another of the Lantern’s most popular characters. Fans of the comics will also salivate over the story focusing on Abin Sur, teasing glimpses of the universally popular Sinestro Corps story. Hopefully a full length version is in the cards should the live action film succeed.

The animation is top notch as one would expect from Warner Premiere. The look of the film is carried over from the previous Green Lantern First Flight with only a few tweaks to speak of. The character’s movements are fluid and the designs sleek. If you’ve been following these releases you know what you’re in for.

The film is released in both DVD and Blu-ray/DVD combo packs. Judging by the bulk of the extras and the beautiful image, the Blu-ray is the best option available. The bonus features for these releases have been less than substantial in the years past but with the recent release of All Star Superman, a greater focus seems to be in educating the audience of the character’s history using the extras as a means of doing so. Exclusive to the Blu-ray is an assortment of spotlights focusing on the characters and the creators behind them. Though short, they are informative for those coming into the movie with little understanding of who they are. We also get a commentary with DC’s chief creative officer and Green Lantern scribe Geoff Johns and Co-Publisher Dan Didio. The DVD only has one feature exploring the various characters as well as trailers for the other films.

If you’re a fan of the Green Lantern mythos or are new to the franchise and looking to brush up on the characters, this is the film for you. The stories contained within are superb and demonstrate the most favorable aspects of the characters. Even with a questionable execution, the release is a worthy addition to the DC library and worth the watch if only to see characters and stories never before explored beyond their comic roots.

B+