Green Lantern: Emerald Knights

• Title: Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
• IMDB: link

The latest animated feature from DC Animation is a sequel to 2009’s Green Lantern: First Flight. There’s a little continuity juggling from the first film (Hal Jordan is a veteran and Sinestro is still part of the Corps). The focus here isn’t on Earth’s Green Lantern but other members of the Green Lantern Corps.

As the threat of Krona‘s return looms Hal Jordan (Nathan Fillion) takes new recruit Arisia (Elisabeth Moss) under his wing and regales her with tales of different Green Lanterns over the course of the Corps’ history.

“The First Lantern” tells the tale of Avra (Mitchell Whitfield), a scribe chosen as one of first Green Lanterns and the first to use to ring to create a construct. “Kilowog” shows Kilowog‘s (Henry Rollins) and Tomar-Re‘s (James Arnold Taylor) first adventure with the hard-as-nails drill instructor Deegan (Wade Williams) who makes Kilowog look fluffy by comparison.

“Laira” follows the sad adventure of one Lantern (Kelly Hu) who must come to terms with destruction of an entire world at the hands of her brother and her father. In “Abin Sur” Sinestro (Jason Isaacs) and Abin Sur (Arnold Vosloo) fight Atrocitus (Bruce Thomas) while discussing the ideas of fate and destiny. And “Mogo Doesn’t Socialize” (adapted by Dave Gibbons from the story he originally drew) Alisa learns about the largest Green Lantern and his adventure with the warrior Bolphunga (Rowdy Roddy Piper).

Each of these stories are intertwined with the Krona story (which is the weakest of the bunch). The choice of Arisia who, like the audience, learns about the Lanterns from Hal Jordan, is a good one, but the threat of Krona is far less interesting than the stories Jordan narrates.

The Blu-ray includes trailers for this summer’s big budget Green Lantern and DC Animated’s last feature All-Star Superman along with a couple of animated episodes chosen by Bruce Timm, and first look featurettes for both All Star-Superman and DC Animated’s next project Batman: Year One.

The single-disc also includes featurettes about Green Lantern and the Corps. “Only the Bravest: Tales of the Green Lantern Corps” explores bravery as a concept and how it relates to DC heroes, specifically Green Lantern. “Why Green Lantern Matters” focuses on Geoff Johns, the return of Hal Jordan, and relaunch of the Green Lantern Corps.

Also included are a digital copy and DVD (neither with any extras), short introductions to the characters of Abin Sur and Laira Dmoto, commentary by Geoff Johns and Dan DiDio discussing Green Lantern: Rebirth, the return of Hal Jordan and reemergence of the Corps in the current storylines of DC comics, and a virtual comic book.

It keeps the same look and style as Green Lantern: First Flight, and I would have liked at least cameos from other notable Lanterns like Ch’p and G’Nort. Although it’s not one of DC Animated’s strongest entries (such as Justice League: New Frontier) there’s plenty here for fans of the Corps to enjoy.