A new cover shows Green Lantern not only taking Superman's look, but pulling it off quite well. As the year goes on and James Gunn's Superman film draws closer, DC is preparing to honor the Man of Steel with bold initiative. A new series of variants shows DC icons, including Green Lantern, modeling themselves after DC's biggest icon.
DC Comics previously announced In honor of Superman and his film, the publisher is releasing a swath of 'Supersmash' covers that shows multiple heroes and even some villains in costumes inspired by the Man of Tomorrow.
Karl Kerschl contributes one such variant for Green Lantern #23, which shows Hal Jordan altering his costume to include a Superman shield and a glowing, construct cape. Interestingly enough, Green Lantern also appears to have manifested kryptonite-looking crystals beneath him.
Green Lantern Steals Superman's Look for Himself in Killer Cover
Is it a Tribute or a Dig at the Last Son of Krypton?
Ever since fans got their first look at James Gunn's Superman film last December, the buzz surrounding the movie has only grown. To capitalize on the hype and honor the hero's tremendous legacy, DC Comics is capitalizing on the excitement with the "Summer of Superman" initiative. Starting in April, the publisher is going all-out in celebrating its beloved hero with new storylines, new ongoing titles and miniseries, new graphic novels, and more. The publisher is also letting artists honor Superman with dozens of variant covers for various DC titles over the course of the months-long initiative.
Maybe it's not fair to call out Hal alone for stealing Clark's look, as Superman's style is influencing a lot of different characters in these Supersmash variants. It does seem like there's a slight bit of cockiness to Green Lantern's cover, but perhaps that's just because of Hal's peculiar choice of standing among kryptonite-looking crystals. Either way, he does pull off Superman's look really well. Between the sleek, stylized symbol and the flowing construct cape, Hal effortlessly blends his own elements with Superman's, creating something incredibly original and, frankly, one of the best alternate costumes Green Lantern's had in years.
Green Lantern's New Costume is a Solid Alternate Look
Not to Mention a Great Way Way of Honoring Superman
Of course, Hal's loves his identity as a Green Lantern (not to mention, he'd never even think about taking Superman's identity for himself). But it's hard to deny how good he looks in Kerschl's variant. Maybe these slight alterations could make an appearance in canon should Green Lantern need to provide some backup to Superman. But even if it never makes an appearance beyond this singular cover, it's a fun way of paying tribute to the Man of Steel. While DC Comics continues to generate hype for its greatest hero, Green Lantern looks damn good tipping the cap to Superman.
Green Lantern #23 is available on May 28th from DC Comics.