Interview: Robert Venditti on taking over Green Lantern

Recently I caught up with new Green Lantern writer, Robert Venditti, to talk to him about taking over the title, what we can expect from his run and who we can expect to see. The interview is below!

Harry: Now, the topic of this interview is your upcoming run on Green Lantern, how do you feel to be taking over the title after Geoff John's nine year run? Is it a little intimidating or do you see it as a challenge?

Robert Venditti: It's a bit of both. Geoff Johns became synonymous with Green Lantern, and deservedly so. He made Green Lantern a household name. I try not to focus on things like that, though. All I can do is tell

Green Lantern #21

the kinds of stories I know how to tell the way I know how to tell them, and hope readers like them.

Harry: How closely do you work with the writers on the other four Green Lantern related books?

Robert Venditti: I'm co-plotting Green Lantern Corps with Van Jensen, so he and I talk pretty frequently. But then I've known Van for years, so talking through stories with eachother is something we do whether we're co-plotting or not. As for Justin Jordan and Charles Soule, we all get on the phone for conference calls, and I see them at conventions as well. So we have an open line of communication with eachother.

Harry: How much input did you have on the finale of Geoff John's run on the series? Did you get any say over what happened or did you just have to adapt your stories based on Geoff's plans?

Robert Venditti: It wouldn't be appropriate for me to try to inject myself into Geoff's story. He wrote the book on many of these characters- literally- and he more than earned his right to leave on his own terms. I was aware of how he was going to end his run on the series, though, so I knew before I started writing  what I'd need to introduce my plotlines in as seamless a way as possible.

Harry: With Green Lantern being mostly Space-based do you feel like your creativity can really run wild with all of the new species and alien villains you can create?

Robert Venditti: That's one of the really wonderful aspects of the series. I've never written anything this cosmic before, and knowing the entire universe was up for grabs was a big attraction for me. By the end of the first arc, we'll have gone places and seen things that I hope the readers will find exciting.

Harry: What can you tell us about the first big villain of your run, Relic?

Relic design, by Green Lantern artist, Billy Tan.

Robert Venditti: He's a huge threat to the Corps in many ways,  not the least of which is his chosen mission to rid the universe of Lanterns. He's big, he's strong,  and he's very old, and the knowledge he brings will present a challenge to Hal and the corps that they've never faced before.

Harry: With Green Lantern being one of the characters with the most history still left after Flashpoint, what stories do you think new readers will have to know before picking up your run, if any?

Robert Venditti: The run is meant to be a jumping-on point for readers, so I don't think you necessarily will have to read anything to understand the story. but Green Lantern does have a lot of continuity still in tact, and they're great stories. You really can't go wrong reading Geoff Johns' entire run. I'm certainly glad I did.

Harry: We've already seen in a preview that DC Comics posted on their blog we get to see Kyle Rayner, Kilowog and Larfleeze in the first issue of your run, along with Hal Jordan, but what other characters can we expect to see in your run?

Green Lantern #21 preview

Robert Venditti: Wow. That'd be a pretty long list. Some others who'll be appearing in the first few issues are Carol Ferris, John Stewart, Salaak, Voz and Graf Toren. But that's by no means everyone.

Harry: As I mentioned in the previous question, we've already seen stars of three of the four other Green Lantern related books are appearing in the first issue that you're writing. Do you think the books will be closely tied together now or after a few issues will they move away and into their own stories?

Robert Venditti: The intent is to have common threads running through all the books but to have each stand on their own as well. One of the great things about the Green Lantern family of titles is that, while they're all science fiction, each of them stands as it's own subgenre of sci-fi. I've spent a lot of time talking with Van, Justin and Charles, and they have really clear directions of how they'll be playing up the unique aspects of their respective titles.

Harry: Can we expect some new characters to appear?

Robert Venditti: Absolutely. Issue 21 has some new lanterns, as well as the first appearance of two new villains. One is Relic, and the other... readers will have to wait and see.

Harry: With such a vast variety of characters in the Green Lantern universe, do you feel like you

Green Lantern #21 preview

have a good choice for characters to use in stories? 

Robert Venditti: It's an incredibly diverse cast, which does give you a wealth of plotlines and character arcs. But it can also be daunting, because each of the characters has it's own chain of continuity that you have to try and pin down before you write them. Suffice to say, I'm still learning.

Harry: What have you found to be the most enjoyable part of writing this series so far?

Robert Venditti: I could tell you, but not without a significant amount of spoilers. By October we will have made some important status quo changes for the main Green Lantern title, and across some of the other titles as well. All the teams are working really hard to keep readers surprised and entertained.

Robert Venditti's first Green Lantern issue ( #21 ) is released on June 5th.

You can also catch him on his twitter and his website .