Finally! DC Just Changed How the Green Lantern Corps Recruits New Members

Warning: contains spoilers for Green Lantern Corps Annual #1!

Finally, after decades, the Green Lantern Corps is changing how it recruits new members. The Green Lantern Corps is respected throughout the universe for its commitment to the principles of freedom and justice. Being chosen to be a Green Lantern is an honor, and as seen in Green Lantern Corps Annual #1, the way this happens has undergone a drastic shift, and hopefully for the better.

Green Lantern Corps Annual #1 is written by Jeremy Adams and Morgan Hampton and drawn by Fernando Pasarin. A new day is dawning for the Green Lantern Corps. After nearly being destroyed by the corrupt head of the United Planets, Thaaros, the Lanterns are starting to think outside the box when it comes to how they conduct business. One way is how new Lanterns are recruited: instead of the Power Ring taking off to find a replacement when a Lantern dies, members of the Corps will select new recruits themselves.

The Times Are Changing for the Green Lantern Corps

Sinestro Has Returned to the Green Lantern Corps, Among Other Changes

How new members are selected is but one of several changes coming to the Green Lantern Corps. At the dawn of Infinite Frontier, the Guardians of the Universe relinquish control of the Corps to the nascent United Planets. This was a mistake, as corruption began seeping in almost instantly. Once the corruption was purged, the UP returned control of the Corps to the Guardians. The Guardians themselves also have a new outlook: they have christened Jessica Cruz the new head of the Corps, the first non-Guardian to hold the position.

While the Green Lantern Corps deals with new leadership and new methods, they must also contend with the return of Sinestro to the ranks–and he actually proves their new way of selecting recruits may be for the best. In Green Lantern Corps Annual #1, Sinestro helps a young Tamaran overcome her fear through willpower. Impressed by the young woman, named Vexar’u, he recruits her to the Green Lantern Corps. While Vexar’u is still a novice, she already shows great potential. Sinestro, while possessing a dubious moral code, is an excellent judge of character.

The Green Lanterns Are in Damage Control Mode

The Green Lanterns New Recruitment Method Ensures New Members Are Vetted Thoroughly

Time will tell how Green Lantern’s new strategy for picking new members plays out, but if Vexar’u is any indication, this might be the way forward. For thousands of years, Power Rings would take off into the unknown to find a recruit. The Ring selects candidates based on their ability to overcome fear, and while it usually found good people, it was not foolproof. Under this new system, a potential recruit must not only display great willpower, but also have integrity and good moral character. Vexar’u embodies all of these qualities.

Part of the reasoning behind the new method for picking future Green Lanterns is to help rehabilitate their image. The takeover by the United Planets, and the subsequent corruption, sullied the Green Lantern name. Thaaros, the evil head of the UP, warped the Green Lanterns into his private fascist army, which nearly destroyed their legacy. The rest of the universe will be watching the Green Lantern Corps closely, waiting for another screw-up. Knowing this, the Lanterns made some changes to ensure a takeover from happening again, including how they recruit new members into the fold.

Sinestro Proved the Green Lanterns New Recruitment Method Works

Will the Green Lantern Corps Be Strong Enough to Stop the Fracturing of the Emotional Spectrum?

Sinestro, and later John Stewart, conclude the Green Lantern Corps must change, or else. The Corps’ new recruitment policy is one such method of accomplishing this task. Sinestro immediately saw the worth in the technique, and recruited someone who could one day become a great Lantern. Seeing it in action made John Stewart a believer, prompting him to give a passionate defense of the Green Lantern Corps new methods and tactics. With new threats such as the Sorrow Lantern threatening the galaxy, the Corps must be stronger than ever, and their new recruitment trick is a step in the right direction.

Green Lantern Corps Annual #1 is on sale now from DC Comics!