Green Lantern comics: the complete collector's guide

Green Lantern is one of the few DC franchises to span four distinct eras of comics history. Alan Scott, the Golden Age GL, debuted in 1940 in All-American Comics #16. Hal Jordan, a test pilot recruited by a dying alien, revived the concept in 1959 and carried a solo series through 1988. John Stewart and Guy Gardner both made their first appearances in a single Bronze Age issue. Geoff Johns then reunited all these generations beginning in 2004 in a modern run that remains a benchmark. This guide gives you real market data for each key piece.

Method: eBay medians below come from our estimator (eBay.fr + eBay.com, June 2026) and are only cited when volume exceeds 15 active listings. The two grails (Showcase #22, All-American Comics #16) are covered by documented auction records only — the estimator tool does not cover those series. Important caveat: eBay medians blend all printings and all grades, which means they significantly understate the value of high-grade copies.

Key issue overview (June 2026)

Record sources: Heritage Auctions, QualityComix, sellmycomicbooks.com.

The Golden Age and Silver Age grails

All-American Comics #16 (July 1940) is the absolute starting point of the Green Lantern universe. Martin Nodell created Alan Scott — a railroad engineer who forges a ring from a mysterious green lantern — on a script by Bill Finger. Fewer than one hundred copies are estimated to survive. Our eBay estimator does not cover this series; the only reliable price references come from auction rooms. In 2018, a CGC 6.5 copy — a solid mid-grade result for an 85-year-old comic — sold for $215,100, illustrating the extraordinary rarity of the book even in average condition.

Showcase #22 (October 1959) reinvented Green Lantern for the Silver Age. Writer John Broome conceived Hal Jordan as an Air Force test pilot chosen by the dying alien Abin Sur's power ring; artist Gil Kane drew his definitive silhouette (inks by Joe Giella), under the editorial direction of Julius Schwartz. The issue stands alongside Showcase #4 (Flash) as one of the defining triggers of the Silver Age. A CGC 9.2 copy sold for approximately $149,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2017; a second CGC 9.2 changed hands for around $105,000 in 2024 — top-grade copies remain firmly in the high five figures to low six figures. Our eBay tool lists Showcase as a separate series and returns no usable median for this issue.

Green Lantern vol.2: the solo-series keys (1960–1988)

Green Lantern vol.2 #1 (1960) opens Hal Jordan's solo career, capitalising on his success across Showcase #22–24. Our estimator returns a blended eBay median of €8 across all grades on 40 active listings — a statistically sufficient volume, though this figure combines worn reading copies with better-preserved examples that sell for considerably more. It is the logical first acquisition for any Hal Jordan run.

Green Lantern vol.2 #40 (October 1965) is the underrated Silver Age key of the series. Written by John Broome and drawn by Gil Kane, it introduces Krona — a renegade Guardian whose forbidden experiment is held responsible for the creation of the anti-matter universe — and lays the cosmological groundwork that later stories would build on. Our estimator returns a median of €9 (98 listings), a robust signal reflecting the dominance of mid-grade copies in the open market; certified high-grade examples trade significantly above that figure.

Green Lantern #76: O'Neil, Adams, and the Bronze Age

Green Lantern vol.2 #76 (April 1970) is one of the most consequential American comics of the 1970s. Writer Dennis O'Neil paired Hal Jordan with Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) to confront poverty, racism, and drug addiction — subjects then considered off-limits in mainstream superhero comics. Neal Adams provided artwork of documentary realism that broke sharply from the Silver Age house style. The O'Neil/Adams run on issues #76–89 is a Bronze Age landmark comparable to Amazing Spider-Man #96–98 on the Marvel side. Our estimator returns a blended eBay median of €9 (69 listings). A CGC NM/MT 9.8 white-pages copy sold for approximately $31,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2014; a CGC 9.6 copy previously changed hands for around $7,000.

Green Lantern #87: John Stewart and the Corps' diversity

Green Lantern vol.2 #87 (December 1971 / January 1972) is doubly historic: it contains the first appearance of John Stewart — an African-American architect proposed by Hal Jordan as a backup Lantern, one of DC's earliest Black superheroes — and a cameo by Guy Gardner. Both characters were created by Dennis O'Neil and drawn by Neal Adams. John Stewart is today the Green Lantern most recognised by the general public, largely owing to his central role in the Justice League animated series (2001). Our estimator returns a blended eBay median of €9 (66 listings). In top grade, a CGC 9.8 copy has sold in the range of $10,500 to $20,000 at Heritage Auctions depending on the sale date.

The modern era: Geoff Johns and the Rebirth (2004–)

Green Lantern: Rebirth #1 (December 2004), written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Ethan Van Sciver, brought Hal Jordan back from editorial exile. It launched a decade-long run at DC that encompasses Sinestro Corps War (2007) and Blackest Night (2009) — two events that expanded the franchise into a spectrum of rival Lantern Corps (Yellow, Red, Blue, Orange, Indigo, Star Sapphire, Black, White). These modern arcs remain accessible in trade paperback format, but first-printing single issues in Near Mint have appreciated on the secondary market. On the adaptation front, the series Lanterns — starring Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart in a noir-thriller format — is scheduled to premiere on Max/HBO on 16 August 2026 as part of James Gunn's new DCU Chapter One.

Practical tips for building your collection

Several entry points exist depending on budget. Mid-grade copies of Green Lantern vol.2 #76 and #87 are available on eBay for tens of euros — bear in mind the blended median does not reflect the price of a solid ungraded Very Fine copy, which is worth substantially more. Issues #1 and #40 round out the Silver Age run at moderate cost. Showcase #22 requires a budget of several thousand euros even in a lower grade, and All-American Comics #16 is effectively confined to auction rooms. For the two grails, consult Heritage Auctions' completed sales and ComicConnect before making any purchase decision.