ComicBookMovie.com Quote Completes Another USA Today Article

Comic devotees are hoping Lantern signals a superhero competition in theaters similar to the one waged on magazine shelves between DC and Marvel.

But the real test comes for DC's film division, whose big-screen hits have been limited to guys named Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne. While Superman and Batman remain the granddaddies of comic-book movies, DC has few young turks to inherit the mantle.

Studio executives are wagering they have found one in Hal Jordan, the reluctant human hero in Lantern.

Should Lantern glow enough to become DC's version of Iron Man, analysts say, the movie could expedite film versions of Flash and Wonder Woman. Most enticing: the prospect of an all-star Justice League film, which could include the dark knight, the man of steel and Hal Jordan, aka Green Lantern. Flash and Wonder Woman are in pre-production, and Warner Bros. is eyeing a 2013 League release, but their paths could be forged by Lantern.

Lantern also faces a challenge as imposing as any Sinestro ever laid at his feet: fanboy skepticism. Like Fantastic Four, Lantern is aimed directly at families — not always an endearing quality to comic devotees who like their villains twisted and their heroes emotionally fragile.

Will it be as profitable? Jim Littler, founder of comicbookmovie.com, says that while Lantern's throwback approach "has given people some pause, fans are overwhelmingly excited Green Lantern's coming to the big screen. They see it as a good sign."

While the film won't make friends of DC and Marvel loyalists, fanboys see a surging comic's tide lifting all superhero boats.

"Sure, people will have their complaints; they always do," Littler says. "But this is a comic-book fan's dream summer."