"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight! Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power." With those words, the Green Lantern, one of the world's oldest and most popular comic book superheroes, has gone forth to police the universe since 1940. There have been many different Green Lanterns over the years, and many changes made to the character, but his essential nature as a champion of good remains constant.

Other enduring elements of Green Lantern comic books include his costume, a skintight green jumpsuit with a distinctive symbol on the chest, and his power ring, the source of all his superheroic abilities. Unlike most other comic book heroes, the Green Lantern is not a unique individual but one of many superbeings who make up the "Green Lantern Corps," a unit that patrols the universe rooting out evil.

Over the years, many...