Green Lantern: Key Annuals, Specials, and Modern Firsts

Green Lantern is unique in comics history: it is one of the very few DC franchises to have featured four distinct heroes under the same mantle across every major era — Alan Scott (Golden Age, 1940), Hal Jordan (Silver Age, 1959), John Stewart (Bronze Age, 1972) and Guy Gardner (also introduced in 1972). That richness is reflected in the specials, annuals, and one-shots that punctuate the title's history: each era produced its own landmark issues, from unattainable Golden Age grails to still-affordable modern keys.

This guide sticks to the verifiable: eBay data from our estimator (eBay.fr + eBay.com, June 2026) and records documented by Heritage Auctions, ComicConnect, and specialist press. Our estimator does not cover the annual format by series number — the eBay medians cited below apply to the main Green Lantern vol.2 series. For the major Golden Age and Silver Age keys (All-American Comics #16, Showcase #22), which belong to separate series, only documented auction records are cited.

Green Lantern key issues and specials ranking (real values, June 2026)

Record sources: Heritage Auctions, ComicConnect, GoCollect, Intelligent Collector.

All-American Comics #16 (1940): the birth of the first Green Lantern

Published in July 1940, All-American Comics #16 introduces Alan Scott, a railroad engineer who, after a catastrophic train crash, comes into possession of a mystical green metal lantern carved from a meteor. Written by Martin Nodell (under the pen name Mart Dellon) with dialogue contributions from Bill Finger, the issue launched the Golden Age Green Lantern — a character rooted in occult magic, entirely distinct from the interstellar Corps and the Guardians of Oa that would follow two decades later. His ring's weakness is wood, not yellow. The CGC Census has certified only around 58 copies, with just two unrestored high-grade examples (CGC 8.0 and 9.4). A CGC 6.5 copy sold for $215,100 at Heritage Auctions in 2018; the sole CGC 9.4 copy has never been offered publicly, though a reported offer of $1,000,000 has been made for it. Our eBay estimator catalogues this series separately and returns no usable median.

Showcase #22 (1959): the Silver Age reinvention

In October 1959, Showcase #22 completely reimagined the concept: Hal Jordan, a US Air Force test pilot, receives a power ring from the dying alien Abin Sur. Written by John Broome and drawn by Gil Kane under editor Julius Schwartz, the issue established the science-fiction Green Lantern — power ring, interstellar Corps, Guardians of Oa — that has defined the character ever since. The highest-graded unrestored copy in the CGC Census is a 9.2 (NM-), which has sold in the range of $105,000 to $150,000 at documented Heritage Auctions sales. Our eBay tool catalogues Showcase as a separate series: no median is available.

Green Lantern vol.2 #200 (1986): the end-of-an-era issue

Published in May 1986 and written by Steve Englehart, Green Lantern #200 is the final issue of volume 2, which launched in 1960. It closes a chapter: the Guardians announce their departure from Oa, leaving the Corps to police itself. Starting with issue #201, the series was renamed Green Lantern Corps. Our eBay estimator returns a median of €9 across 35 listings — a reliable signal for average-grade copies. The issue remains accessible for collectors of the Bronze/Copper Age period.

Green Lantern: Rebirth #1 (2004): the modern key to own

Published in December 2004, Green Lantern: Rebirth #1 is the first issue of a six-part miniseries that brings Hal Jordan back from the dead — retroactively establishing that Parallax was a separate fear entity that had corrupted Jordan rather than a character flaw. Written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Ethan Van Sciver, it redefined the GL mythology for the following two decades and directly set up both the Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night. The first printing alone sold 156,975 copies — an exceptionally high figure for the period — and DC produced four successive printings, making the first print the variant collectors seek. Our estimator is not calibrated for this separate series; check GoCollect or eBay completed listings filtered by "first printing" for current CGC 9.8 values.

Sinestro Corps Special #1 (2007): the launch of a landmark crossover

Released on June 27, 2007, Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 is a 68-page one-shot (cover price $4.99) that ignites the Sinestro Corps War, one of the most critically acclaimed DC crossover events. Geoff Johns writes the lead story with Ethan Van Sciver on art — the same team behind Rebirth — while Dave Gibbons co-writes a six-page "Origin of Sinestro" backup. The issue's value lies in its narrative and historical significance rather than its market price: it remains widely available at modest cost on the secondary market.

Green Lantern on screen: the Lanterns series (2026)

The series Lanterns — produced for HBO/Max by DC Studios — premieres on August 16, 2026 (eight episodes ordered, with a second season already announced on May 19, 2026). Kyle Chandler plays Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre plays John Stewart in a noir detective format described by its showrunner as "as much a buddy cop show as a superhero show." The production is renewing collector interest in the key issues of both characters — notably Showcase #22 (1st Hal Jordan) and Green Lantern vol.2 #87 (1st John Stewart). The 2011 Ryan Reynolds film had been a commercial disappointment; the HBO series marks the character's comeback in James Gunn's DCU.