Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011)

Overview

Emerald Knights is a anthology of various Green Lantern stories as told by key members within the corp. This serves as introduction to the vast history of the corp to newcomer Arisia Rrab. The stories range from how the first Lantern was created to why the lantern Mogo doesn't socialize. Like all sci-fi movies it also looks at questions of destiny and fate.The timeline is unknown since several characters interact with one another even though in the comics they never got the chance.

Plot Summary

The coming apocolypse

The disgraced Oan Krona is using the sun near the Green Lantern home world Oa as a gateway to break free from his anti matter prison. The Guardians of the Universe fearing the prophecy that he would return and plunge Oa into flames move to evacuate the Libraries and artifacts of the corp to a safer place. These artifacts include the central power battery and all lanterns must recharge before it leaves.

Book of Oa 1.1

Hal tells Rrab the story of the first lantern, Avra. Before the Guardians of the Universe created the corp chaos rained throughout the universe.Seeing the devastation the Guradians formed four rings formed from the green power of will. After they call the galaxy greatest warriors for the rings to choose their new masters. The fourth and final ring chooses Avra the scribe to the Guardians and in now ways a warrior. Still once chosen he was part of the original four and sent to stop a armada of warring aliens.

Though out numbered the warriors fought valiantly but are soon overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Hidden they give into despair and ready to retreat. Avra trusting in the Guardians and trusting in his will to survive attacks the armada. Through sheer force of will he begins to destroy the armada. During the battle Avra becomes the first Green Lantern by making the first construct, a sword to cut the armada to pieces.Reinvigorated at the site of the scribes success the surviving warriors make construct of their own and defeat the armada.

Ending with "When you shape the light of your ring, you walk in the footsteps of the first Lantern" showing the growth of the corp and linage that Avras ring has created.

Sgt. Deegan

Rrab has a run in with Kilowog, the corps drill instructor. Take aback at the idea of the coming battle with Krona being easier than his boot camp leads to Hal telling her the story of his drill instructor, Deegan.

Deegan was responsible for the training of a rookie Kilowog and Tomar Re and other recruits. Part of the training involves relinquishing their rings and being thrown in to various dangerous situations from volcano's to sandstorms. All very dangerous situations forces the recrutis to work together forming chains and working together to survive.Kilowog not wanting to leave anyone behinde dives into the sand storm and pulls a fallen Re to saftey. Later that night after being told the frost planet was next Kilowog snaps at Deegan for his lack of saftey in training the recurits and that he no more than a murder if one of them dies. Angered at the lack of respect Deegan proceeds to beat Kilowog without the use of his ring. This fight is interrupted by a dress call to save a city from attack.

Deegan takes the brunt of the battle himself having the recruits create forcefeilds protecting the civilians. Overwhelmed Deegan is mortally wounded and surronded by the attacking foes. Kilowog arrives in time to save his teacher adn takes out the remaining forces single handidly. Dieing Deegan wipes his blood on Kilowog signifying him as the next drill instructor of the Green Lantern corp.

Family ties

Liara is a relatively new Green Lantern but is among its most skilled warriors. Hailing from the ruling family of Jade she returns home for the first time, inspecting why her home world has been attacking neighboring unprovoked. After dealing with her stepmother and brother she finds her father in her room reminiscing about happier times. He admits to attacking the planets but only out of protecting his people and in hopes of regaining his honor. Wishing to have the power of a Green Lanterns ring he triest to take it from his daughter forcing Liara to fight back. Battling throughout the palace he eventually succeeds at taking the ring from his daughter. Upon putting it on he is consumed by Liaras willpower taking the form of fire stripping of his armor and defeated. Realizing the error of his ways quickly commits suicide in hopes of finally regaining his honor dieing in his daughters arms. With his death Liara is left ruler and protector of Jade.

Why Mogo Doesn't Socialize

Mogo is a Green Lantern and among the biggest in its ranks since he is a sentient planet.The intergalactic warrior Bolphunga the Unrelenting hearing of Mogos power seeks him out landing on a green forested planet and begins to hunt him down. As time slowly wears on Bolphunga sends out more and more drones wtih mines set to explode to finally draw out the mighty lantern. When they do explode Bolphunga realizes he has mined the whole planet and Mogo is the planet. Shaken he flees the growing explosions but is pulled back in by Mogos construct.

Destiny and Prohpets

After waking up from a attack by several of Kronas demons Sinestro takes this time to tell Rrab about his great friend and warrior Abin Sur.

Sur was attacked by a powerful red alien known as Atrocitus, who speaks of Surs impending death. This battle is made harder by the fact that Surs ring is near 1% charge. Even without the constant use of construct Sur is able to battle Atrocitus in hand to hand combat. Aid eventually comes in the form of Sinestro who helps disarm the alien but not before Atrocitus damages Surs power battery making it nearly explode. Fearing for the safety of the people Sur races to space to recharge and contain the explosion.Healed Sur and Sinestro easily capture Atrocitus before leaving to the prison on Yasmult Sinestro informs Sur that Atrocitus escaped a week ago and already killed three lanterns. Atrocitus claims he was able to see the lanters futures and deaths allowing him to kill him. Sinestro his unimpressed taking a more logical point of view on the matter of destiny. Sur belives the opposite though and that everything is part of one destiny.

Upon reaching Yasmult he listens to Atrocitus predict farther into the future past Surs own death. He foretold the rise of the Sinestro Corp, a corp based on the yellow light of fear used by the most fearsome things in the galaxy. Abin Sur would not believe though leaving Atrocitus before he is able to finish believing him to be a false prophet and only someone wanting to weaken the trust within the corp.

Oa in flames

Krona finally makes his move coming out of a vortex in the sun. The Lanterns are ready though and fire upon the giant being. Krona though uses his demons to slowly overwhelm the corp as well as shield himself. He is able to kill a huge swath of Lanterns who were to closely linked together.Retreating to come up with a plan Rrab realizes the way to defeat him is by hitting him with a piece of matter that is equal to his size since he is formed of antimatter.Together the lanterns form behind Oa and use their rings to push the planet at him but are stopped by Kronas demons. Mogo shows up lending the extra power needed to plast Krona back through the vortext into his prison.

With Oa destroyed the corp uses Mogo as a temporary home while they make a new world. Sinestro comments that Rrabs plan ended with Oa in flames like the book had foretold. In honor of her act Rrab is given her own entry in the Book of Oa.

Critical Reception

The film has recived generally positive reviews.

Alan Kistler from Newsarama said "That’s exactly what these kinds of projects should be. Something that entertains fans both new and old" he was impressed by the movies ablitiy to explain both Green Lantern history as well as explain what the power rings and smaller things mean in preperation for the live action movie.

James Rich from DVDtalk ejoyed the pacing of the film using that the "stories are strung together nicely, avoiding too many overly obvious jokes in the interstitial scenes, finding natural ways to go from one to the next while building towardEmerald Knights' climactic action sequence"

Joseph Szadkowski from the Washington Times thought it had "one of the best animated hand-to-hand and traditional-weapon combat scenes I have ever witnessed" referring to the dramatic battle between Liara and her father.

Joey Esposito writing for IGN did not like the film calling it "an emotionally barren but visually engaging Green Lantern adventure"