>TMS: What made you want to work on Green Lantern?
>Bechko: Honestly, I love to write sci-fi almost as much as I enjoy writing horror. My co-writer Gabriel Hardman and I preferentially work in science fiction much of the time, and this was a terrific chance to work on a heroic sci-fi story.
>TMS: The gritty Hal Jordan is so different than the versions we have seen before. Yes, he’s been evil, but this was one of the first times Hal really seemed like an everyman character. Why did you feel he was the right person to tell this story rather than another Lantern like Alan Scott, Guy Gardner or John Stewart?
>Bechko: Somehow the story just always seemed like it was Jordan’s. But aside from that, we wanted to use a very well-known Lantern so that people who were only vaguely aware of the characters wouldn’t be too confused by an unfamiliar name.
>TMS: We are introduced to a universe where the Green Lanterns are scattered and their central power is gone. It is in many ways a deconstruction of the mythology about the Corps, Oa, and everything we’ve known about that universe so far. Was it a challenge for you, as a writer of this long franchise, to start at the beginning and turn this into something all your own?
>Bechko: In many ways, it was easier to start clean. The whole point of the Earth One series is to create an entry point for people who might not be too familiar with a given hero. That means that they need to be stripped of all their baggage and history. Weaving a complex story that deals with continuity can be fun, but I’ve always felt that tone and “feel” are the most important attributes when it comes to crafting an existing character. Gabriel and I spent a lot of time talking about how to make sure that this new story felt like Green Lantern without relying on any of the specific history attached to existing books.
>TMS: Each panel is filled with so much detail, and towards the end, it just does not stop moving. How was the process of writing the script for this comic and then the transformation of it into a print medium?
>Bechko: When Gabriel and I work together on our own books, like “INVISIBLE REPUBLIC,” we don’t tend to write full scripts since how it looks is how it reads, full stop. Instead, we work out the story, including what will go on each page, then he does the art, and that informs how the final dialogue will go. Many ideas are executed or rejected on the fly. Obviously, we can’t be quite that freeform when working for someone else, but the essence of how we write remains the same. He tends to think a lot more visually than I do, but neither of us shies away from committing to action. After all, one of the beautiful things about comics is that you can convey a lot through the art without anyone saying a word. Of course, that means that our scripts are quite spare, usually only giving enough detail for our editor and colorist to understand what we’re going for. When I collaborate with other people my scripts are a lot wordier since I don’t always get to discuss the final product with other artists.
Jack Anderson
>TMS: Part of what is so perfect about this comic is that you can pick this up and have zero knowledge of Green Lantern comics. It is a fresh take and a truly diverse, modern reimagining of this character. What do you want readers to take from this new incarnation of Hal Jordan? From the new world you have created for the Green Lantern?
>Bechko: I hope they’ll like him and want to read more about him! Other than that, I hope they recognize that he’s heroic because of the choices he makes, not because of any innate or inborn trait. You often hear people saying things along the lines of “somebody do something!” whenever there’s a crisis, be it a dog that needs rescuing or a climate that needs stabilizing. And yet, we are all “somebody.” For me, the whole point of reading about heroes is to feel like I, too, am a person who can hope for a better tomorrow as well as work to make it happen.
It is also based on another Brazilian character, Astronauta, from Mauricio de Souza/Turma da Mônica/Monica's Gang
Daniel Collins
Awesome! I can't read a word of Portuguese but I can still look at the art!
Brayden Diaz
I have high hopes for this one. If we get a chance of GL stuff done competently then it has the potential to be great. And we eve only have one human Lantern so thats already good again.
Evan Edwards
Good to see the whole 'Powered by will' thing will be an active theme rather than just set dressing. The writer definitely seems to 'get' the character, which is a good sign.
Hunter Harris
The early buzz I've seen for review copies has been positive, I'm excited
Nathan Phillips
>enthusiast press praises something That's to say nothing of whether or not this is good but reviews should mean fuck all, especially in a post-America age.
Asher Walker
>TMS: The gritty Hal Jordan is so different than the versions we have seen before. Yes, he’s been evil, but this was one of the first times Hal really seemed like an everyman character. Why did you feel he was the right person to tell this story rather than another Lantern like Alan Scott, Guy Gardner or John Stewart? >not Kyle fucking retarded interviewer
Elijah Hill
I don't take reviews that seriously but they were a couple reviewers who I have seen review things critically before so I'm still intrigued
Joseph King
>and then sinestro swoops in and puts a ring on hal's finger
Jason Richardson
I love how irritated some people are that they straight up said this is it's own thing and thus will never crossover with the others
Alexander Jackson
Kyle sucks.
Blake Ross
I'm lost on why people think they were all supposed to be interconnected anyway
Was it because of the Earth 1 entry in Multiversity? I don't think any of the actual books have crossed over or mentioned each other and TT definitely doesn't fit in with the others
Leo Bell
I think it's because one Superman or Batman volume had a reference to the other
But yeah I thought Teen Titans being about teens being the first heroes with no adults would've tipped people off I know there was a easter egg of different symbols and the bat symbol was one and naturally people thought it would be Robin, though imo it would probably be Batgirl since if it were Robin it would be a bird Wonder Girl is the only one that doesn't fit but I think Lemire started writing it before WWEO was announced and Wonder Girl is something a child would come up with anyway Even Wally was Impulse, not Kid Flash due to there not being Flash
Jack Wood
Carol always has and always will belong to Kyle
Jaxon Harris
which is strange because earth one sucks. i don't wanna see this cool thing pulled down.
Owen Gomez
get out of here justin jordan, nobody likes that garbage pairing
maybe this will be the first worthwhile one
Liam Rodriguez
This feels extremely Kirby-esque and I like it.
Aiden Wilson
I'm not irritated. Just perplexed, I guess. When you call it "Earth One" I expect there to only be ONE Earth One, not several.
>Was it because of the Earth 1 entry in Multiversity? That's what it was for me.
Angel Johnson
What is this in english? Can't find it
Thomas Powell
You can think of it more as an imprint then I guess.
IIRC Earth One was originally meant to be exactly like Ultimate Universe except in OGN form, but they relaunched literally 1-2 years after the initial announcement (proves how rushed New 52 was, huh), making another new universe superfluous. You can tell with Teen Titans Earth One they threw out the idea of them being connected for good, because they straight up said there were no adult heroes and that is wasn't connected with anything else.
Charles Cooper
>TMS >Not asking about female characters or asking the writer why she didn't write a comic about a woman. Color me very surprised.
