As revealed this morning via The Source, DC’s four Green Lantern-related titles will cross over in October for their first joint event since the New 52 launched in September of 2011. “Rise of the Third Army” is about the Guardians of the Universe trying to eliminate all colored Lanterns from the universe.
The “Third Army” is a reference to the soon to be three groups that the Guardians have formed to police the universe, first the Manhunters, then the Green Lantern Corps, and now this group of skeletal-looking soldiers. Whether or not they will be known by a name other than “the Third Army” remains to be seen.
Ivan Reis has drawn four interlocking covers for the crossover, with each featuring the Lantern of that title, as well as dozens of “Third Army” members. Of note is the fact that neither Hal Jordan nor Sinestro is anywhere to be found on the image, but the “new” Green Lantern from the DC New 52 Free Comic Book Day issue/”Green Lantern” #0 is on the cover. Will the cover to “Green Lantern” Annual #1 be a sign of some deaths in the GL ranks?
To read the full press release from DC Comics, see below.
This October, the “Rise of the Third Army” will spawn across GREEN LANTERN, GREEN LANTERN CORPS, GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS and RED LANTERNS.
To commemorate this exciting storyline, artist Ivan Reis has created a stunning piece of artwork that will be split into 4 interconnecting covers for each of the books involved. Take an exclusive first look below!
“This was the first time in my career that I’ve illustrated 4 interconnecting covers,” Reis told THE SOURCE. “It’s also the second time I’ve done a 4-page spread (the first one was in BLACKEST NIGHT). That one had just 12 characters so I loved returning to the Green Lantern universe to work on this image. I had too much fun working on these hundreds of characters.”
So how will the “Rise of Third Army” play out in all of these books? We asked the writers of each series to tease a little bit about what to expect from their respective titles come this October.
GREEN LANTERN writer Geoff Johns:
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely–and the Guardians time is finally here. The Lantern titles spent the first year of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 re-establishing themselves, but it all comes back together with year 2 starting with GREEN LANTERN #0 and leading into October’s #13’s – which share an amazing cover by Ivan Reis. In October, the Guardians’ Third Army rises to replace the Green Lantern Corps – but how is horrifying and why will change the Guardians and their ancient mission forever. As we discover what the Third Army actually means, our strongest Lanterns are targeted for absolute destruction. From Atrocitus to Guy Gardner to our newest Green Lantern from Earth – who may have been wrongly chosen – all their darkest secrets and failures will come to light. What is Sinestro’s ultimate fate? Who is this new Green Lantern and why was he chosen? What is the Third Army? What with Atrocitus sacrifice to take on the Guardians? What will Larfleeze give up to find the one thing he wants? What happens to Guy Gardner when he’s targeted after Hal Jordan? And, most importantly, who is the First Lantern?”
GREEN LANTERN CORPS writer Peter J. Tomasi:
“How sick is that cover?! C’mon, on your feet — let’s give it up to Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Albert Oclair, and Rod Reis — they’ve earned their own power rings for the willpower to finish this masterpiece! The Guardians and the Third Army want to break the Green Lantern Corps — and they’ve now got their sights on Guy Gardner and John Stewart! The question is not IF the Guardians can accomplish their mission, but how horribly will they shatter our ringslingers’ lives!”
GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS writer Tony Bedard:
“In GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS, Kyle Rayner has gathered a team of Lanterns from all seven colors of the spectrum. As the Third Army strikes, Kyle must combine all seven shades of power within himself. A bigger and badder lineup of New Guardians will push Kyle to become our secret weapon against the onslaught of the Third Army.”
Continued belowAnd last but certainly not least, RED LANTERNS writer Peter Milligan:
“The Red Lanterns are continuing their mission to bring bloody vengeance to an unjust world when they run into (or are run into) a mysterious enemy with no mouth and a curious resistance to death. One Red Lantern succumbs to this new adversary, while Atrocitus finds a way to fight back — which entails returning to a place of great pain and associating with an ancient nemesis.”
Don’t miss the “Rise of the Third Army,” beginning with GREEN LANTERN #13, in stores October 3.
