As any newcomer to comic books will tell you, there are few mythologies more complicated than Green Lantern‘s. With a kaleidoscope of colored rings and multiple humans all claiming the same title, the grounded and focused Lanterns TV series can’t get here soon enough. Luckily, the minds at DC Comics are also giving the spotlight to one hero come 2026, officially naming Kyle Rayner as the Green Lantern of Earth, with a re-imagined uniform to match.
Kyle Rayner is Relaunched As DC’s ‘Green Lantern’ in 2026
The Promotion Brings A Redesign of Rayner’s Original ’90s Uniform
The announcement and details are long overdue for DC Comics fans of the 1990s, when the most legendary Green Lantern, Hal Jordan turned evil and slaughtered every fellow space cop who stood against him. With just one ring to keep the legacy and future of the Lanterns alive, the twentysomething artist Kyle Rayner of Earth became the most important hero in the DC Universe. In the most extreme, over-the-top, and radical fashion the ’90s could produce.
Now 30 years later, DC is finally looking to give Kyle the spotlight he has been forced to shared ever since. Set to reclaim the role of Earth’s Green Lantern in Issue #300 this March, Kyle will be debuting a new uniform, inspired by but dramatically reinvigorated by artist David Nakayama. Aiming to capture the spirit of Kyle’s equally awesome and dated new take on a Lantern uniform, there is no denying the finished product in Nakayama’s concept sketches above.
It’s Finally Time To Give ‘The Torchbearer’ The Respect He Deserves
As The Only Green Lantern For A Decade, Kyle Remains Underrated
A radical new costume if news for any DC superhero, but in the case of the Green Lanterns, the concept of any ‘uniform’ has led to intense controversy and debate, whether in the comics, movies, or soon the Lanterns TV series. While the stars of the new HBO series haven’t been glimpsed in anything even close to a true superhero costume, it’s not hard to understand the reasoning. Especially after James Gunn’s DCU style debuted in Superman to some mixed reviews.
But for Lanterns, able to create their own vision of what a costume or uniform should look like, all bets are off. It’s possible that this new updating of Kyle’s costume could be connected to DC’s larger brand vision behind the scenes (in which case, don’t be surprised if Gunn’s Lanterns echo this style as well). But keeping the spotlight entirely on Kyle for this banner year, the honored Torchbearer has never looked better.
Fans can see the new costume in action when Kyle Rayner takes the spotlight as Earth’s new guardian when Green Lantern #600 arrives on March 25, from DC Comics.
- Created By
-
Martin Nodell, Bill Finger, John Broome, Gil Kane, Dennis O’Neil, Neal Adams
- First Appearance
-
All-American Comics
- Alias
-
Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, Sojourner Mullein
- Alliance
-
Justice League, Justice Society of America, Green Lantern Corps
