Note: Our “Green Lantern: Emerald Ensemble” contest opened the doors to a variety of designs, designers and characters in the Green Lantern Corps. On Mondey we crowned our 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place winners, but we couldn’t go without spotlighting 17 other entries that the judges also enjoyed. Thanks, everyone! – Chris Arrant
Craig Payne
Score: 80.5 out of 100
Rachel: 9. Would’ve been a 10, but that mask is clunky and a poor match for the streamlined grace of the costume.
Jon: 8. See, for my part, I wish the armor were less streamlined and more like the mask, I love that clunkiness!
Vito: 8.5. I’m falling somewhere in between the two of you. Overall, the piece and design is solid. The armor is a nice touch, and I can see it actually being an all black costume, and the green armor is a manifestation of the ring. That mask is clunky, but I think it could be practical from the standpoint of protecting his vitals (but that argument falls apart when you consider that none of his other vitals are protected). Great design, though.
James: 7. I’m okay with the clunkiness on this one, but for some reason I’d like to see the black and green portions of the design reversed. Plus I’ve always been confused by the clunky, armoured mask thing. Looks uncomfortable.
Jess: 7. Now I can’t un-see the idea of reversing the green and black portions, and I’m in love with it. And once again, I think dropping the white out of the costume upsets the contrast and removes the friendliness from the uniform.
Chris: 8.5. So great, but the other judges have hit on the few faults this design has.
Joel: 7. If you long-press the Lantern emblem, does he reboot? I like the general boldness of this design, but I’m a little confused by the arms and legs. Those lovely techy seams appear to be trying to communicate something very specific, but I have no idea what it is. Does he have Winter Soldier arms? Is it armor? Are they little panels that slide open and reveal knick-knack drawers?
Ron: 9. I have to admit, I’m predisposed to liking this. Nicely drawn, and a generally simple design that works well. The tech seams are a little at odds with the sleek black areas, but the dissonance is not severe. And yeah, I DO like the mask.
Dean: 8.5. This is one where I MIGHT have ditched the boots. Black feety pajamas for my space cops! The symbol looks appropriate and powered on, and I can’t fault a guy for drawing Kyle Rayner, the greatest Green Lantern in the history of the DCU. I think I’d go the opposite way Jon did, and see if the mask would simplify down in line with the armor. Anyway, rad look!
Glen: 8. I love the blocking, though I admit I’m partial to glowly-construct-armor over … armor-armor. But that’s just a personal taste. Never got the hate of the crab mask: It was much more effective than Hal’s at being, you know, a MASK.
Ramon Villalobos
Score: 80 out of 100
Vito: 9.5. I think that…if you were to go back in time…no, let’s rephrase that. If you had to start the Green Lantern franchise from scratch, this would be the way to go. This has so many positive elements going for it that I can’t decide which to talk about first. Ok, let’s start off with how it looks like an astronaut’s suit. Maybe it’s all the white, but the first thing I think of is space when I see this. And as a result, the black elements come off as great accents. The shade of green is even bizarre, and that’s great…we’re dealing with an alien space cop, right? The lantern is, itself, so out of left field, and I love it, but I wish the GL logo on the chest reflected that bizarre design. It’s a little kooky, but I contend that if you did a hard reboot, this is the way to go.
Jon: 9. That insignia alone is terrific – I love the heavy industry look of this thing, those gloves look like they could handle molten steel. Ramon has created something somewhere between an astronaut, a soldier and a worker at a nuclear plant, this costume looks like it’s designed to weather the rigors of harsh environments.
James: 9. I’m a real big sucker for Moebius and this design just wreaks of his influence. Love the white with that super neon green. Even though practicality isn’t really a part of the Lantern mythos, this costume looks very grounded in real life. Something the CORPs can get rough in, scuff up those knees and elbows a bit. I enjoy that. Only quibble would be the emblem design, which is a bit weird like Vito mentioned.
Jess: 6.5. The industrial thing doesn’t really work for me, especially when we’re talking about a costume made of light. It just leaves me with a lot of questions – if it’s a thick, protective material like a spacesuit, how is it so tight around the groin and biceps? I’m also not really clear on the purpose of the thigh garters and breastplate – I might like them better if they were color accents on the white fabric instead of elements worn over the suit. I do love that lantern, though! It makes no sense that aliens would use an old-time-y train lantern as their power source, and this is much sleeker and outer-spacier.
Chris: 8. Like Rose’s design, Ramon’s work here exudes athleticism – something overlooked in a hero who does a large amount of battles in the vacuum of space. I’d recommend making the boots to be a little taller and perhaps use their design aesthetic with the gloves, but otherwise great. The mask, from what I can see, looks great. Would love to see a turnaround on that of how it works.
Joel: 6. The amount of white, and the hefty, rumpled, padded quality reminds me less of astronauts than of training gear for new recruits: the ones who are going to get knocked around a bit before they get up to speed with their ring. I think that if the green and the white were reversed, and if the bands on the thighs felt more… necessary, this costume would become a lot more dramatic.
Ron: 8.5. This is kind of the GL love child of Moebius and Frank Quitely, which is not a bad thing at all. The design has a hard sci-fi vibe more than a superhero vibe, so I feel like it would be appropriate to that kind of story, rather than a traditional superhero tale. Some of the design elements — like bands on the legs, the motorcycle-style boots — seem more random than functional, but it all works together nicely. Ramon draws very well, and I found it hard to separate drawing skills from design skills in this contest. A good design in the hands of a less accomplished artist often doesn’t read as well as a lesser design in the hands of a more accomplished artist.
Rachel: 8. This reminds me a lot of astronaut uniforms, but with a heavier, more industrial edge. I thought at first that how much I liked it was pretty much dependent on Ramon’s style, but on closer inspection, I think it’d hold up to a really wide range of interpretations. Big splashes of white are rarely a good idea, but I think this design pulls it off.
Dean: 8. I like how scifi adventure hero this is, and the insignia is so wild and counter-intuitive. I’m not sure it fits into the DCU today, but honestly, I’d rather be reading about wherever this guy’s from.
Glen: 7.5 I take Joel’s point about the trainee-aspect of this. The way the white predominates puts me in the mind of a dojo more than an academy, per se. Which is an interesting take: It’s easy to picture vast platoons of recruits drilling in this gear. The light-glob effect picks up on the fact that the “lantern” has historically gotten interpreted in a host of ways by various planetary cultures interpret differently: “The Green Light-Source!” Unlike many of you, I’m not loving the logo, however; keep seeing a hot dog with three drops of mustard.
Dean: That really might be what’s attracting me to it. I should eat something…
Alejandro Bruzzese
Score: 79.5 out of 100
Rachel: 8. On one hand, this is gorgeous and weird and interesting, and I love how organic and liquid it looks. On the other hand, it’s one of those designs that’s really, really dependent on art style, which gives it a lot less traction as a viable redesign.
Jon: 8. Whoof, yeah, I love this but I can’t imagine many other artists being able to make it work the way Alejandro does.
Vito: 8.5. This is, on many levels, perfect. It’s suitably alien and weird…little blue guys who wear white robes like the Guardians shouldn’t have any concept of how clothes work. Alejandro’s design is one of the best one’s in the contest to use the “ring generated” idea. The different layers of green seem like the suit is alive, and is constantly in flux. That’s not just a praise though; like Jon said, in the hands of another artist, it might not read as well. Definitely a high concept in terms of design.
James: 8. I like this. Super fun and weird. If you’re going off model to create something, you might as well have a good time doing it. If GL were an indie character in a random ‘zine, this would be him.
Jess: 7. I almost feel like it’s too organic – it says “alien,” but it doesn’t say “cop.” Such a great illustration, though.
Chris: 6. While this is a Green Lantern I would love to see more of, I can’t possibly fathom it working in the context of an actual design for DC Comics — current regime or not. I’d tell Alejandro to shave off the GL logos and make this his own hero for his own comics.
Joel: 9. Oh, I am totally onboard with this. The Green Lantern isn’t a lantern at all. It’s unknowable, incomprehensible, ineffable alien concept/technology. The best we can do is equate it to something we know. It’s kinda like a green lantern, only, you know, not at all. Get China Miéville to write, and, obviously, Alejandro on art.
Ron: 6. I admire how different the concept is here, but ultimately the design and drawing don’t work for me.
Dean: 10. I am so nuts about this look I don’t even know what to say. The mask is SO BOSS. The multiple layers of transparent green forming the costume areas are BRILLIANT. I’d imagine the symbol as rotating and shifting, and it seems so powerful and zen. I love how the collar comes up, but isn’t glued to his neck. It looks comfortable. This is Kyle as Ion, and I’d cancel all my other pulls to read his adventures. Well done, Alejandro. I swear to Mogo, I’d give this 20 points if I could.
Glen: 9. Love. Wouldn’t work in the New 52, which is not even remotely a criticism. Love.
Nick Malara
Score: 78.5 out of 100
Vito: 9. What I really like about this one is how alien it looks, especially on a humanoid ring slinger. The high collar is probably unnecessary, but it gives the design such a distinctive look. The inner glow is very interesting, too. The only thing I’d change is the logos on the gloves. Seem a bit thrown on.
Jon: 8. I want to get the gloves and the cut on the thigh-high boots out of the way, because I think those are what’s holding the rest of the design down. That elevated armor, the glow, the cutout for the badge, those all work really well, and the lightest green is a nice switch-out for the white of the palette.The collar could stand to be a little further out so it doesn’t look like he’s hunching his shoulders so much, but really this is an appealing design.
James: 7. Even though I’m a sucker for those clunky neck things, I just can’t see GL when I look at this design. I super dig the colours and the illustration style is probably my favourite part of this one, but I think this design would work better for another hero. For lack of a better word, I feel this is a bit too “hip” for GL … which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Just off the mark.
Rachel: 7. That’s my problem as well: It looks like generic-space-solder #3, colored green and with a few logos slapped on. It’s a nice design, but there’s just… not much to it, and nothing that speaks directly to Green Lantern.
Jess: 7.5. I love everything that’s going on in the torso and color scheme of this design, but the extremities are fiddly – the thigh-highs, the wristlets with the logos, the high collar (which also looks like it would impede mobility). Also I bet whenever Hal puts on shoulderpads everyone around him gets really, really nervous.
Chris: 8. This has a real otherworldly quality I admire. When I see it I imagine it as some sort of regal attire Hal would for formal events, similar to Superman’s Kryptonian robes. The green straps over the hands have stuck with me the past few days while doing these reviews, and are a great little addition as well.
Joel: 7. I love the torso, and the way the open, glowing neck transitions into the architecturally high collar. This is a design that would work really well for non-human-but-still-humanoid Lanterns. Can’t you see Kilowog sporting this as formalwear?
Ron: 8. Nicely drawn, I really like the style. Again, the details are probably just a little busy, but overall a very nice effort that I could see working in a number of drawing styles.
Dean: 8.5. The internally-lit collar really puts this one over the line for me. It’s alien and familiar as GL, and fun. I’m completely with Jon on ditching the gloves and thigh-highs, because the weight of the design feels like it should all be in the gorgeous work on the chest. I’d take the arms and legs to straight black, and let the glowy chest armor carry it.
Glen: 8.5. This GL design strikes the balance between bodysuit and light effects that feels right to me. The suit isn’t simply “glowy-construct armor-slapped-over-neoprene,” it grows from the bodysuit iself, or seems to. Agree, too many lines and logos, but I like this a lot.
Ha Huy Hoang
Score: 77.5 out of 100
Jon: 9. Lee Chen Fang created a Green Lantern costume that was really specific to Guy Gardner, Ha Huy Hoang’s design complements that by featuring Guy Gardner in a costume that could work for any humanoid Lantern – it’s a distinctive military-style uniform, the lines and colors are bold enough to make it distinctive and the shapes (at least from what I can judge from the smaller illustrations) are customizable enough to lend it a lot of variety. Very impressed with this one and its low-tech look, I’d love to see more Corps members decked out in something similar.
Vito: 10. Agreed on all points. I know that’s Guy, but this is definitely one of the more universal of the designs, in terms of the entire Corps. It’s functional, it looks like a uniform of a paramilitary unit. It’s pretty spot on.
James: 9. Yep, I’m a sucker for designs that play off the illustration style, and this nails it. So fun, clunky and strong. A small quibble, I’d like to see the emblem in the center of the chest, just below the collar, but having it where it currently is doesn’t take me out of the design. Nice one!
Jess: 7. It’s hard to objectively rate the costume when the art is so charming – I love the playful qualities here but I don’t think they’d come through in a typical GL book. (Can we get an all-ages book with this Guy and Rose’s Arisia, though?) On its own, nothing about the costume says “space” or “alien” to me – it’s almost too functional.
Rachel: 7. Agreed. This is a piece that’s really dependent on art style–it wouldn’t look like a superhero costume from most artists. For training or transit gear, maybe–the Lantern equivalent of FBI windbreakers?
Chris: 9. Beautiful piece. This design exudes character specific to Guy but also is accommodating for others. The green ribing is fantastic with the jacket.
Joel: 7. Echoing agreement with all. My only quibble is the placement of the emblem. It’s a little busy, having it right next to the face. I think this design would be just as strong with the emblem moved to the chest, or the belt buckle, or the back of the jacket.
Ron: 7. I absolutely love the drawing style. In fact, I like the style much more than the design, which looks like a fleece top and fatigue pants. There’s “keep it simple,” of which I wholly approve, and then there’s “I bought this in Old Navy,” for which I have less enthusiasm. Ha Huy Hoang drew the hell outta this, but I’m not sure this would work under another artist’s pen.
Dean: 6.5. It suits the character, I guess, but it’s a little too off-the-rack SWAT for me. Obviously that is Guy’s prerogative, and all, but I like to see a little more space and a little less cop in my space cops.
Glen: 6. Closer to Ron and Dean on this. Couldn’t love the drawing style more, but … I mean, this guy was sitting across the Metro from me on the way home yesterday, you know?
Nathan Nelson
Score: 75 out of 100
Rachel: 7. I think my feelings about crotch arrows have been pretty well documented at this point. That said, this is a really sharp design, and I like the piping–it does a good job of hinting at energy without being a full-on glowing suit. You just really need to shorten that center panel a bit.
Vito: 9.5. I took a half point off because I didn’t see the arrow until Rachel pointed it out and now, it’s all I can see. But, it’s not. I really like this one because it looks like a military uniform. There aren’t arbitrary straps; just two at the wrists and two at the ankles. The lantern, itself, is a very interesting design. I like it too much to score it lower.
Jon: 7. For me, there’s really not a lot cogently coming together here. The parts I like seem like improvised riffs on the classic costume, and the parts I don’t like – the ankle cuffs, the half-boot, the bodice-cut – just seem too fussy. The green piping is a nice touch and works well in the collar, but I feel that it’s only filling up space in the remainder of the costume. Great design on the Lantern and a super illustration, but it doesn’t seem to say much about the character or corps.
Joel: 7. I agree that the ankles and wrists are fussy, and I’m not sure why some of the costume elements end at the glowing piping (is he only wearing boots on the outside of his leg?), I think that the glowing green piping isn’t so much filling up space as holding space. That is to say, it activates parts of the design that might otherwise seem empty. The overlapping panels of green in the torso seem pretty well balanced to my eye, and set off the lantern-emblem nicely.
James: 8.5. I enjoy this one. Nice sleek design and I’m a fan of that piping as well. Nathan did a great job at keeping the design subtle and smooth, no outrageous additions or self-indulgence. I like how the upper body looks more like a vest than the typical modern day “armour plating” or whatever. I can see this playing well in a GL movie or something. Nice work.
Jess: 7. I’ve gotta go with Jon here. There’s also not enough contrast between the black and the dark green for me – I feel like I have to squint to make out the shapes of this costume, and the glow from the lantern, while gorgeously rendered, makes that harder. Also, is it just me, or does the logo more like the reflective side of a CD?
Chris: 6. This is a great illustration and a lot of work seems to be poured into this, but it doesn’t feel to me like a Green Lantern costume.
Ron: 8.5. One of the best drawings in the group, so I’m drawn to it … no pun intended. A fairly simple design as well, which I like. To me, the best superhero costumes are sleek and simple; that’s why Gil Kane was such a master at designing them. I would actually lose or reduce the details at the waist, wrists and ankles for this design. I also like how the vest aspect harkens back to Hal Jordan’s original costume.
Dean: 6.5. I really like the drawing style and the symbol, but the rest feels a little too generic for me. Not bad at all, but I feel like if you put any symbol there, it’s a completely different character. I’d like to see some more thought in how the lantern iconography wraps into the rest of the look.
Glen: 8. I see what y’all are saying about the uniformity, but hey: It’s a uniform. I’ve convinced myself that the piping will be used variously to denote different ranks/roles, which is cool. That said, it looks an awful lot like the kind of GL design that tends to show up in video game properties, with lots of tweaky reinterpretations that seek to modernize the classic Hal costume, but serve only to complicate it.
Elizabeth Beals
Score: 75 out of 100
Rachel: 8. 10 for style, but points off for having someone create force-of-will armor that doesn’t protect her chest or throat. Don’t get me wrong–it’s gorgeous–but if you’re going to make a point of showing that a character can have armor, give them armor that actually works. The use of the neckline to imply the insignia is creative and interesting but doesn’t really work for me; like others below, it took someone else pointing it out for me to notice it.
Jon: 8. I’ve seen the lantern used as a costume cutout in a lot of places on the body, but I think this is the first time I’ve seen it used as a cutout around the neck and shoulders, and the shape is interesting. It unfortunately makes for an odd line around the chest and under the arms, but I’m happy to give it points for trying something different so elegantly. I think having the insignia that high on the chest and close to the cutout is a bit of a problem, though, it might have made it more interesting to lower it and base the lines of the costume out from the abdomen or hips. But this is a lot of nitpicking for an otherwise very strong design, I’m quite fond of this.
Vito: 7.5. Agreed, but for me, I can’t see it applying to other members of the Corps. Say Tomar Re or Kilowog. Conceptually, it’s really high up (if it were only for Soranik, I’d give it a 10), and I have to thank Jon for pointing out that the cut out is in the shape of a lantern logo, but it’s pretty character specific. I hope Elizabeth continues to enter our contests because she’s obviously got the goods.
James: 9. This one is sexy, for lack of a better term. The linework on the costume is really elegant and plays off her curves nicely. Love the white on the hands and boots. I’ve never been a fan of the energy armour thing, so I’ll just grade the straight-up bare costume design. I think it works for the character, and I like that the emblem wasn’t tampered with. Nice one, Elizabeth!
Jess: 8. So much of this is so gorgeous, but I just can’t sign off on a quasi-military tube top. Can’t. It also leaves the green shape totally unfinished at the top in favor of cleavage. If it was connected to the sleeves or collar – if there were a way for the suit to stay up besides willpower, basically – it’d get full marks.
Chris: 7. I’d give this a higher mark, but for some reason I can reconcile a superhero/space cop with a strapless top. I love the idea of the energy armor, but thinking through it practically — armor is there to protect you when you’re at your worst. With it being tied to your willpower, wouldn’t that also leave your armor prone to disappearing just when you need it?
Joel: 6. An issue with the cutaway top is that it creates these really bold forms (black triangles with white piping, and red and green contrasts) that are so dynamic that it really draws attention away from the much tamer Lantern emblem.
Ron: 6.5. I want to like this more than I do, but the “hey, look at my cleavage” window, as well as some drawing issues, throws it off for me.
Dean: 8. Very cool. I agree with the issues of the strapless top, but the negative space symbol around her neck is just too clever to bother me. Dig the optional armor layer!
Glen: 7. The red in a GL costume seems weirdly shocking, transgressive. Not Christmas-y at all, as you might think, but cool. Design just too complicated and disjointed for me.
Mike Ransom Getty
Score: 74.5 out of 100
Vito: 10. Here’s why. The one thing that was going through my head during this entire competition was, “Don’t take the costume and personalize it.” What I mean is…I didn’t want to see a design and think, “That’s Kyle.” Or “That’s only good for an alien GL, not a humanoid one.” This one is one of the few that can be worked for EVERY Green Lantern. Not just Hal or any of the Earth-bound ones, but all of them. And Ransom shows how. When the movie came out, I thought the costume was one of the more clever bits, at least in how the SFX team executed it. Here, the movie costume is one-upped. I especially love the offsetting white elements because it breaks things up nicely. I could keep talking, but I think I’ve said my piece. It’s a great design.
Joel: Everyone, please ignore Vito. Take the costume and personalize it. The Green Lanterns aren’t rank and file, trained to act as a cohesive unit. They are highly capable individuals working primarily on their own in wildly different environments and cultures.
Vito: I still love you, Joel.
Jon: 7. I originally thought those shoulder pieces were baseball caps. The half-boot, the lines under the arms, the half-gauntlets and the arbitrary way the color comes up the face, none of these are working for me. I appreciate all the thought that’s gone into the power effect (very cool), the shoulder insignia denoting rank (also very cool), the bones and muscles becoming visible when the power is used, the way the insignia is clearly an energy effect – all the concepts here are well-thought-out, but the design itself doesn’t make much of an impact.
Joel: 7. I’m often a little creeped out when costumes get this skin-tight. But if it’s going to make sense for anyone, it probably makes sense for a Green Lantern with a suit of mental energy. There are a lot of ideas here that make this a fun design to think about. I especially appreciate that the suit is fluid and adapts to the different needs. Visually, I think things get a little messy around the waist. You have an area where a white stripe and a larger black strip terminate in different ways: the white stripe tapers off and the black stripe curves into a sorta garter-suspender design that runs down the legs. This is a high-contrast pairing, and it draws a lot of attention to this area, but there’s no particular significance to this part of the design. Then, between these two stripe-combos is a much lower contrast transition between the lighter and brighter green of the center torso and the darker and duller green of the legs. This transition basically gets lost, because of all the tension from the neighboring stripes. Add to that the wavey-effect created between the shapes on the hips and the crotch-arrow, and the whole waist area is just drawing a lot of undue attention to itself.
James: 7. While I like how the colours play off the original GL design (a bit) all those swoopy lines and colour changes are a bit much for me. The lines going down the legs and arms look unnecessary and remind me of an Olympic sports uniform for bobsled. We also need some contrast on the ring, green on green makes it disappear so those gloves should be white or black to offset.
Jess: 7. It’s just so very naked. I mean, can you imagine if this guy came up to you to help settle a political dispute or cap off a volcano? You’d be so uncomfortable. There are elements where there’s clearly been a ton of thought put in – the shoulder insignias denoting rank are great! – and elements that seem totally random, like the green-on-green crotch arrow and the garters. I’m also not sure why the green comes up the side of the face like that or what it means when the whole head gets enveloped in it.
Rachel: 7. Yeah–there’s actually a note on the design that says “using power ring illuminates bones and muscles,” but you’ll notice that Mike is careful not to explore that effect below the waist. Maybe consider the implications of the rules you come up with ahead of time, because at this point, your only options are narrative inconsistency and a dong. It’s a sharp design otherwise–I like the insignia, and I actually really like the asymmetrical white–but taking the visible-man route opens it to a world of grief.
Chris: 7. Those shoulder insignia — it’s something only someone who works in the business like Ransom would know is important and how it could work in the larger context of the series. But the two green tones here really get to me. They’re just different enough to be different, and with them bleeding together I could imagine it getting caught up in coloring snafus when in different lights.
Ron: 6.5. I really like the rank insignia on the shoulder. The rest is pretty standard. I’m not crazy about the “half-boots,” or the dark green line that runs down the legs.
Dean: 9. I’m with Vito on this. I think Getty’s taken elements from the terrible movie uniform and brought it into a context I can actually appreciate. Sure, I’m all for Lanterns making their own custom variants, but in a story where that isn’t the case (like the movie or a lot of the animated outings), this look would work really well for me. I’m thinking of it as a new base uniform, with mission-specific constructed add-ons for missions. Super fun. Love that he included the look on some fan favorites. Great work!
Glen: 7. I’m with Ron on not loving that green line on the legs (all that sweet green icing flowing down) (and it took so long to make it!) (stopping now). The bio-suit aspects come off more unsettling and a bit hyper-detailed than I’m comfortable with.
John Murray
Score: 72 out of 100
Rachel: 8. I really like that this is more space-cop than superhero; frankly, I’m surprised that’s not something we’ve seen more of in this batch. It’d be fiddly to draw in issue after issue–a lot of subtle detail–but it could be streamlined pretty easily to address some of the issues Ron brings up. It’s not there yet, but it’s a strong start.
Vito: 8.5. This is what I mean about Stefan’s facemask being too restrictive. John takes the space cop uniform motif and leaves room for individuality. However, the most striking feature, to me, is the outfit under the body armor. It looks simple, but those are the designs that excel. The lack of a logo on the front isn’t such a bad thing (he has them on the arms), but as a result, it lacks a badge, so to speak.
Jon: 8. This is one of the submissions which looks like it could be an alternate service uniform, like for an occupying force or border patrol of Green Lanterns in an active warzone. The highlights and helmet are sharp, I “get” Green Lantern even if I don’t see the shoulder badges. I don’t know that I see this as an everyday redesign for the Corps – I have trouble imagining Jordan hanging around JLA headquarters in this, for instance – but as a special services outfit it’s terrific, really helps expand the concept of an intergalactic peacekeeping force.
James: 7.5. While I like what John is exploring here, the lack of GL personality takes me out of the design too much. I really like that headpiece and mismatched gloves. But this looks like something from TRON, which isn’t a bad thing because I loved all the movie designs. To me, GL always needs that emblem front and center. Too much of a departure for me to be onboard.
Jess: 7. Like Jon, I see this as more of a sometimes food. It’s too dark and utilitarian to serve as a uniform for more peaceful missions – the diplomatic arm of the Corps – but for active, entrenched warfare, it works. I see elements of Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle costume in this, especially in the spine, and though that’s a great design, it was designed for infiltrating potentially hostile planets. This doesn’t work for when the Guardians need to put a friendly face on the Corps.
Chris: 7. Argh, so close. I’ve went back and forth on this design four times. The elements that are good are stellar, but it’s weighed down by the lack of distinctness in terms of it being a GL costume in other areas. The helmet is a brilliant touch that I’d bet money someone at DC will “borrow” in the next 18 months, but the rest needs some work. I wish I could send this back to John Murray and give him a couple pointers to really hone this into something magical. From the shoulders up it’s a 10, but the rest weighs it down.
Joel: 6. This is a really lovely drawing of a really neat set of space trooper togs, but it looks a little gear-driven to be a Green Lantern.
Ron: 6. Most superhero costumes are mirror images. In other words, the left side of the costume is a mirror image of the right side. Kyle’s original costume broke that rule, but it’s one of the few that does. “Mirror” design makes life much easier on the artist, who has to draw the costume over and over again from every possible angle. A design like this makes the job that much harder on the artist, as details get forgotten or mistaken. I don’t understand the functionality of the costume here; the details seem random.
Dean: 7.5. This has a cool interestingness to it that I think should be applied to a creator-owned character. I dig it for John, but it’s too cool to not use. The face-lighting is great, and I’m totally with Jon on this as a border-patrol uniform.
Glen: 6.5. Cool GL riot gear. Them space-hippies from the TOS episode “The Way to Eden” had best watch their space-butts. But not quite simple and iconic enough for me.
Bob-Al Greene
Score: 71 out of 100
Rachel: 6. The armored version of this is cool, but the unarmored version screams “Olympic speed skater.” From a practical angle, I can’t see that kind of flat black field working in an actual comic, especially one that involves a lot of flying through space.
Jon: 7. I have to agree that the armored look is by far more interesting than the single stripe – honestly, I’d work with the armor angle and lose the stripe altogether. Even if you wanted to have a plain bodysuit underneath the armor, flat black would work better than that line.
Vito: 8. I’m probably alone in this, but I actually prefer the unarmored one. It says “space faring ring slinger” to me. Not quite sure why or how but that’s what I see.
James: 7. While I like where this one is going with its simplicity, there’s just not enough there to really grab on to. Totally agree with Rachel that it looks like a speed skater, first thing that popped into my head. BUT, there’s some interesting stuff happening with the armour shot on the lower left. I’d like to see that explored a bit more.
Jess: 6. Yup, all I see is speed skater.
Chris: 7. This reminds me of the sleek designs Alex Ross once proposed for Cyclops in the late 90s with the simple black togs with only minor accenting. The small drawing of an armored look looks very enticing — wish we could have seen more of that.
Joel: 6. The emblem loses definition when part of a long stripe like that. The eye follows that long line, and just skips over the little indents that should define the circle of the lantern. The circular cutaway on the armored version, however, pops the emblem out nicely.
Ron: 6. Actually too simple for my tastes. There’s nothing to break up the lines of the top half to the bottom half (one of the reasons I miss Superman’s red undies). Even a simple costume like that of the Flash has a “belt” to break up the body shape. I like the “armor” look here more than the main design; I wish we were getting a better view of that.
Dean: 8.5. Man, I’m surprised this isn’t working for more of you guys. I love the simplicity. Feels like it could’ve replaced the Silver Age GL. I love it. The green palms and feet work for me, and the symbol is genius. I just dig clean base uniforms, I think, which lend themselves to armoring up for fights/missions. I think a slightly more modern touch for this one could included green star charts in the black, to make it more space-y.
Glen: 9.5. What can I say. I’m a simple man with simple needs, and this has a ruthless cleanness to it that threatens to spill over into Mummenschanz, but doesn’t. Might look weird/less-than-stirring to see a few hundred of them kitted out like this — especially against the inky backdrop of space — but it means their constructs will really pop. Would given a 10 if the mask picked up on the suit’s design elements more. Just seems too standard issue Jordan.
Bal Gamis
Score: 69.5 out of 100
Vito: 9. In light of Jon’s article on Alan Scott, I’m really interested in what he says, but before he does, I have to say that this is a great updating for Scott, but also…I can see it on every member of the GLC. The idea of a ring generated avatar isn’t new, but sometimes you need to see it again to really appreciate how cool it can be. What really appeals to me is the idea of the alien members of the Corps wearing their civvies. THAT is something I’d like to see!
Jon: 6. I see what Bal’s going for here, but I need to see more in context to understand the extent and limitations of the design; obviously there’s a suit of emerald green energy armor here, but I want to understand why “semi-historical armor” rather than “alien armor”, plus if it’s different from one ring-slinger to the next, if it’s always this enormous, how the legs work, and mostly how this conveys the idea of “Green Lantern” rather than “Green Legionnaire ”, etc.
James: 7. This design is a bit too off the beaten path for me, but could work really well in some kind of alternate universe, Elseworlds or whatever they’re called. Reminds me of Doctor Who or something. I love the nutty armour design though, really stands out against the other submissions. I see a rad character with some great story potential, but I don’t see GL.
Jess: 6. I just have too many questions about mobility and how this would work on an alien Lantern. Although I guess it makes a little more sense If it’s only intended for Alan, who has no real ties to the Corps…
Rachel: 6. Ditto. It’s fascinating but wildly unwieldy.
Chris: 8. This looks like an Elseworlds design to me. It has a lot of storytelling potential, but loses that iconic-ness when you think about GLs wearing civilian clothes under the semi-transparent armor.
Joel: 7. Just so you know, if I were given a Green Lantern ring, this would totally be my approach. A wardrobe of exquisitely tailored Loro Piana suits and some power armor. Yes.
Ron: 6. I’m not interested in a guy in a suit and tie in a superhero book. I’d much rather the armor were opaque, rather than letting us see what Alan wore to a morning business meeting. There’s a hint of dragonfly to the armor, which I like, but the overall it doesn’t come together for me.
Joel: Ron, The Spirit would like to have a word with you. And the Green Hornet, the Question, John Constantine, and Detective Chimp. But I agree that this design hasn’t quite come together, yet. I think there are two issues here: no iconography to tie this immediately into the larger Corps; and no internal consistency to the design of the armor itself. Mentally projected power armor doesn’t need to look exactly like real armor, but parts of this armor look like they are at least making reference to historical armor, parts look segmented like an exoskeleton, and other parts, like the legs, are just sort of shapes, ala the Holtzman shields in Dune. Pick an approach and develop it thoroughly and awesomely.
Dean: 6.5. I knew Joel would like this one. I dig it, too, and I think it’d work great in an Alan Scott solo book, but it does seem like his real costume is the suit and tie (he be on it), and the armor elements would be changeable. I’m on the fence about it.
Glen: 8. This strikes me as wonderful design for a one-off as opposed to a series. A one-off I’d love to see. But yeah, tough to generalize to the GL brand.
Stefan Tosheff
Score: 69 out of 100
Vito: 7.5. There’s a uniformity to this design that I really like. It says, “Anyone can be a Green Lantern.” However, it’s the lack of detail that leaves me cold. It’s a little too uniform. The face area should be open to interpretation, but I feel like that’s one of the strongest parts of Stefan’s design (the kind of nameless officer that every cop represents). I really like the emblem though.
Jon: 7. I’m with Vito, while it’s a striking – and even menacing – design, it’s also a little too impersonal. I like the emblem a lot and the fact that it’s pulsing with energy, I think what would help this look less ominous and a little more expressive would be if the same green energy used for the face were also used for highlights on the body, definitely along the limbs and the trunk.
Joel: 6. This makes for a nice bridge from the Manhunters and the Green Lanterns.
James: 7. I agree with Vito and Jon, for sure. Aesthetically I really enjoy the overall design, the dark body nicely offsets the glowing head and emblem. But in the end, it really doesn’t say “Lantern” as much as it should.
Jess: 7. Agreed, especially with Jon’s use of the word “menacing.” It’d be a phenomenal redesign for the Manhunters, though.
Chris: 6. I appreciate the uniformity of this design, but it reads to me as too restricting. The fact that the person inside the suit is glowing green furthers that to make it seem almost like a containment suit, and not a core GL design to me.
Ron: 7. Would definitely be a worthy design for a supporting character, but there’s not enough contrast to make it appropriate for a lead character.
Rachel: 7. Solid design, but I agree with Ron–it’s more faceless troops or background characters than a lead.
Dean: 8.5. I really appreciate the clarity of this design. The seams seem (heh) like they’d be optional in the hands of other artists, and they’re not overblown into Tron-style piping. The simplified symbol is very modern and clean, and the full face mask works really well. Like a glowy light helmet. I really dig it. A lefty ringbearer, eh? Alan?
Glen: 6. Not much to add: A great look for a sinister, emerald-powered army, but not quite distinctive enough to, um, shine.
Rudy Jordan
Score: 66.5 out of 100
Rachel: 6. Can we please leave facial buttresses in the ‘90s? In general, this isn’t bad, but it’s extremely evocative of a very specific era, and that makes it look immediately dated.
Vito: 8.5. I really like this one. It’s fairly open to any race or sex. I think it might be too heavily armored, or paneled, and therefore, maybe a little too complicated. But I love the colors, the shape of the whole, and, sorry Rachel, I like the buttress.
Jon: 7 The panels are a bit much, I’m not sure that they all make a lot of sense – the five-sided panel along the top of the thigh, for instance, or the one along the top of the knee, they don’t seem to complete any shapes or complement any of the figure’s lines. It comes in much too tight in the crotch, it’d be a big help for it to be more acclimated to the shapes of the muscles. I do think it looks better with the power effect off, tho, more of a rough and tumble incarnation of the Corps uniform.
Joel: 6. If this were the first Green Lantern design I’d ever seen, I’d assume they were lizard-based, somehow. The way the shoulder plates run up into the neck, and the tapering of the belly-plates do a lot to create this impression. But the general effect here is nice. I think a bit more time spent thinking out the why’s and wherefore’s of the armor could result in an incredibly appealing design. I’m curious as to the function of the mask. It doesn’t seem to be there to obscure identity; is it a heads-up display?
James: 7. Off the bat, I do like that energy mask. But as Rachel alluded to, this design really reminds me of 1994 Image Comics. Don’t get me wrong, I was all about that stuff back in my teens, but it doesn’t fit for a proper Lantern costume. Also, bit too much padding/armor.
Jess: 6.5. It’s striking, but too much of it seems like detail for detail’s sake rather than for practical or aesthetic reasons. The panels on the little wrist gloves seem especially egregious to me. I do like it much better powered-up than down; the visor is cool, and powered-down the logo seems like an afterthought.
Chris: 7.5. There’s a lot here in Rudy Jordan’s design for me to like, from the visor on the head down to the leg/boots combo. But like the others have said, the detail level with the segmented armor reads to me as about 25% too much. If you could get rid of those seams, tinker with the logo, and maybe work on the lower torso so it doesn’t look like a big green arrow pointing down at his crotch I’d be a 9 or a 10 in my book.
Ron: 6. Too busy for my taste, without much of a character reason for it. A costume this busy would be hellacious for an artist to draw on a monthly basis.
Dean: 6. This has a serviceable quality to it, and feels like it’s suit Hal far better in a film than his last look did. Feels like a DC animated appearance to me, though the gloves seem a bit out of place.
Glen: 6. This is gonna be a running theme with my comments, I think, but an armored Lantern comes off to me as space-soldier, not space-cop. I know that line’s traditionally a fuzzy one, but I’ll always lean toward a simple bodysuit as a base, so that all the energy constructs can really stand out in contrast. So this is a little disjointedly jointed, for me.
Henry Elliott
Score: 66.5 out of 100
Jon: 6. With the all-leather look and what appear to be a collar and something resembling chaps, I didn’t get “super hero” out of this, or “space cop”. It’s too restrained, he seems bound up in this costume, there’s no lines that seem to extend outside the figure and the lines inside the figure don’t do much in terms of the shapes or contours of the body. It’s not a lost cause, but it does need to be opened up – loosen the collar, connect the arm designs to the body, free up the legs a bit…
Vito: 7. I can see super hero, but you’re right, Jon. It’s not necessarily a space cop uniform (and I can’t judge on that too harshly…it’s a hard look to accomplish). That said, this looks like the most New 52 of the bunch (and that’s actually intended as a compliment) and I find the design, specifically the shapes contained within, to be very interesting and eye catching.
James: 7. Look at all those angles. My first impression is that the colours are far too muted. I like my bright green since “Green” is a part of the character’s name. This also has some of the staples of a 90s character with the headpiece and exposed hair. The angular thing is very interesting though. Maybe it could be massaged a bit.
Jess: 6. This seems to be angular for the sake of being angular – even the logo has been sharpened – and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, this costume doesn’t sell that choice to me. In general I think the costumes that ditch the white elements come off as very unapproachable (that New 52 aesthetic!) and lose something crucial about a character who’s named after a light source.
Chris: 7. Henry’s got a lot of great ideas here, but I feel like it could use a few more tweaks to make it work. The triangular logo coupled with the angular design is great, but I’d lose the box around the logo on the chest and simply have the logo be black. Likewise, the neck and check work should be pulled down. As James and others have said the coloring is a bit muted — lightening that up a few shades would do a lot for the design.
Joel: 6. This design really needs something strong to contrast with all those angles. A big circle, or some curvy bits. Or put it on a big blobby alien.
Ron: 6. Did I miss a memo about high collars extending onto faces? A number of designs utilized that, and can’t say I’m a fan. Again, a busy design that would be a pain to draw on a recurring basis. The would be an interesting look for a background character, but not a lead character.
Rachel: 6. Those cheekbone collars evoke a really specific era, to an extent that they make any costume look immediately dated. This costume somehow manages to be both too intricate and kind of boring, which I’m still puzzling out–agreed that it’d be much better on a background character.
Dean: 8.5. A very rad look, but I think it would’ve been helped by inverting the triangle shapes on the symbol so they match the diamond cut-out better. Another design I’d have like to have seen in the movie.
Glen: 7. I agree bolder colors might make it work better. They’d certainly help me find the iconic “core” of this look more easily.
Daniel Agbodjo
Score: 66.5 out of 100
Jon: 8. I like the majority of the outfit, the boots in particular seem to recall Alan Scott’s original outfit, the shoulders tie into the arms really well, and while I like the idea of the giant glowing symbol, the white is too much.
Vito: 9. You’re right, Jon…the white is overwhelming. But I dig this one a lot. Like Ramon’s, this seems like a very “square one” approach with the overall concept, and for me, it works. Take the outer white circle away, and I think you have a winner.
Jess: 6.5. The logo is overwhelming, and I’m having a hard time getting a sense of how the green elements relate to each other. In some places they seem skintight, in others like armor.
Rachel: 6. Wrap-around logos are almost never a good idea. More than anything, this feels like a lot of basically decent elements poorly balanced.
Chris: 7. The frank hugeness of that logo knocks off a point on an otherwise great design.
Joel: 6. A giant white circle on a black body stocking is is not a slimming choice. I like the power-armor elements, and would like to see some turn-arounds to get a better sense of how they work.
James: 6. The combination of football player shoulders and oversized GL emblem makes this one a bit awkward. I do enjoy the green lines on the body, but feel it might be more suitable to another hero. It’s too “modern” for Lantern.
Ron: 6.5. Another high collar that overflows onto the face. The huge lantern symbol is an interesting idea, but I’m not sure it’s entirely successful in meshing with the rest of the design.
Dean: 5.5. I don’t dislike it, but I feel like the elements just didn’t quite come together on this one.
Glen: 6. A bit too disjointed for me, and while I enjoy the boldness of the giant honkin’ lantern symbol, my first-glance reaction takes me to a whole weird MODOK place.
Giovanni Costa
Score: 64.5 out of 100
Rachel: 5. Fun, but, unless I’m completely mistaken, totally irrelevant to actual Green Lanterns. This is a one-off gag, and a pretty good one, but it’s not really a tenable costume design.
Vito: 7. It’s really awesome, and as an idea, it’s fairly left field. While the concept of doesn’t truly fit what the Corps is all about, I think it’s an awesome entry.
Jon: 7. Charming as heck, but obviously not feasible as a redesign. I kind of want the insignia/pendant to actually be a mirror ball, though.
James: 8.5. I love this, man. So funny. If GL ever cameoed on Powerpuff Girls, this would be the guy. I love that he’s giving us the metal horns with that right hand. \m/
Jess: 7. Completely delightful illustration, but not really a GL uniform.
Chris: Illustration get’s a 9, but as this is a design contest — and trying to imagine this design being replicated across a comics line — I give the design a 6.
Joel: 5. Fun!
Ron: 5.5. Fun indeed, but more specific to a singular story than a true redesign.
Dean: 7.5. I love this so much. Cosmic Crooner GL teams up with the Powerpuff Girls to save Townsville from a Sinestro/HIM alliance. Count. Me. In.
Glen: Design: 6. Notion that the GL symbol is the ultimate “Mars Symbol” necklace pendant for standing out at the Regal Beagle: Um, 100? 1001?
Edward Michael Atienza
Score: 59.5 out of 100
Vito: 6. It’s not bad, but I feel like I’ve seen it before. I’m sure I haven’t, but it doesn’t say fresh to me. That said, the lantern logos on the knees seems…I really want to like it, but I find them distracting. Not entirely sure, but I think the white elements are manifestations of his power, but I don’t get why they’d be coming out of his feet. I’ll cop to probably missing the point on that, though.\
Jon: 7. I like the idea of giving the Lantern insignia a broader presence on the front and back of the costume, but I’m not sure the knee-lanterns work. I’m fond of the wrist-gauntlet design and the concept of the ring merely being the barrel of a larger weapon, but I don’t think both forearms should have the power effect – it diminishes the result (same with the split shoes revealing the power-toes)
James: 6. I see Kyle Rayner when I look at this, and I can’t get past it. The design is too close to that one from the 90s, minus the white chest plate.
Jess: 6. Yeah, while I’m glad to see Kyle represented here, this is too fiddly (which, admittedly, is something Kyle would totally do). The back and front almost seem like they come from two different outfits. I’d like to see that restraint on the back carried around to the front.
Chris: 5. This does a lot to evoke the Kyle Rayner design Jim Lee came out with a decade or so back, but it lacks any cohesiveness to tie it all together. It looks like a lot of individual accoutrements put onto one costume.
Joel: 5. The glowing white elements are not really integrated into the design. And since they are white and glowing, they get pretty distracting. Bring the white into the design, and give it a real reason to be there, and this design could really start to sing.
Ron: 6. Just too busy for me. I feel like a lot of the designs here have a “lines for the sake of lines” aesthetic. Simple is good. Negative space is good.
Rachel: 6. It’s not bad; it’s just also not all that interesting. Too much detail for too little impact.
Dean: 6.5. A little unfinished as an entry, imo, but I like where the thinking was going, and I’m a sucker for Kyle fans. The knee-symbols and leg-stripes gotta go, though.
Glen: 6. Not so much a redesign as a stylized extension of an existing design. “Kyle Rayner, The After Six Collection.”
