That’s what Green Lantern writer Geoff Johns told Newsarama the last time we talked to him about the title, and sure enough, the battles have begun. Emotion-charged aliens donning rings of red, blue, yellow and violet are all getting involved in the melee as the story builds toward this summer’s DC event, Blackest Night.

And with next month’s Green Lantern #39, Johns begins the much-anticipated introduction to the Orange Lanterns and their leader, “Agent Orange,” a vile, greed-twisted creature named Larfleeze (whom Johns has already called one of his favorite characters). Featuring art by Philip Tan, the storyline is the final one before the Blackest Night event begins in July.

For today’s “green theme” in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, we talked to Johns about the Agent Orange storyline, the many corps flying around the title now, and what the status is on Blackest Night.

Starting with next month’s Green Lantern #39, readers will get a look at the greed-focused Orange Lanterns and their leader, the “Agent Orange” character named Larfleeze, through the artwork of Philip Tan .

The artist, who impressed DC fans with his work on Final Crisis: Revelations, has been sharing his designs for the Orange Lanterns here on Newsarama over the last few months. Now, as we celebrate the green of St. Patrick’s Day, we talk to Tan again about his upcoming work on Green Lantern with writer Geoff Johns.

Exploring the idea that emotions hold energy that can be harnessed with power rings — with the Green Lanterns controlling the central green-colored energy of willpower — the Green Lantern title has been revealing the various colors of the emotional spectrum and their ring-wearing corps. It’s all leading toward Blackest Night, an epic summer event by Johns and artist Ivan Reis that promises to see deceased DC characters rise from the earth wearing black rings as the universe is embroiled in a War of Light between all the ring-wearing factions.

The previously unseen Orange Lanterns utilize the power of avarice, and as Tan has pointed out before, their focus on greed has made them “grotesque.” They “look like predators,” he said, and are “very hunting based,” although he didn’t want to explain too much about their looks, as it ties into the story of the Orange Lanterns.

The storyline will also focus on Agent Orange, the group’s leader, who has been revealed to have a relationship to the Guardians of Oa. Described in solicitations as “the most disgusting, filthiest, vilest being in the universe,” Agent Orange has been hidden away in the Vega System until now.

As Tan opens his sketchbook to reveal a few more of his many designs for these Orange Lanterns, we talked to the artist about these creatures of greed who wield the power of orange as the title heads toward Blackest Night.

The fabric of intergalactic justice is threatened – until Hal Jordan arrives for his initial mission – in the animated Green Lantern: First Flight, the fifth entry in the popular DVD series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies. A co-production of Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, the illuminated hero’s first-ever full-length animated film is set for release by Warner Home Video on July 28, 2009. Green Lantern: First Flight will be available as a special edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def for $29.98 (SRP) and $34.99 (SRP), respectively, as well as single disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP). Order due date for all versions is June 23, 2009.

The ‘Wonder Woman’ DVD landed on our doorstep this weekend. We watched the movie and it’s a great flick, but that’s not what we’re here to write about today.

Included as an extra on the DVD is the exclusive first look at DC Universe’s upcoming ‘Green Lantern’ animated movie!

We were surprised to see this, since we hadn’t even heard about the film before. Color us even more surprised when it’s revealed that the film is due out later this year.

The first six minutes of the ten minute feature focuses on bringing the uninitiated up to speed with who and what the Green Lantern is, in terms of the history of the comics as well as the character.

But then producer Bruce Timm, director Lauren Montgomery and voice director Andrea Romano begin to take us behind the scenes of the movie, introducing the cast along with artwork from the production.

So who’s voicing Hal Jordan in the movie?

None other than Christopher Meloni of ‘Law & Order: SVU’ fame.

The story follows Hal’s acquisition of the ring and his journey into the Corps where he meets his mentor Sinestro, played by Victor Garber of ‘Alias’.

The film looks to be heavy science rather featuring space faring adventure rather than Earthbound action. In fact it looks as if dozens of GL Corps members will appear, with Kilowog, Boodikka and Ch’p figuring prominently.

Michael Madsen (‘Kill Bill’) voices Kilowog while Tricia Helfer (‘Battlestar Galactic’) plays Boodikka.

No actual animation from the film is revealed, but the preview does show lots of design drawings, story boards and animatics, some of which we present below.

The “first look” closes with the declaration that ‘Green Lantern’ will be on DVD and Blu-Ray Summer 2009!

While the current stories in Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps are building toward the Blackest Night event coming up later this year, artist Ivan Reis is already there.

As he sat in Artist’s Alley at New York Comic Con, the Green Lantern artist was in the midst of working on Blackest Night, which will kick off with issue #0 on Free Comic Book Day in May.

Reis started drawing comics professionally when he was only 14 years old, working in his home country of Brazil. Five years later, he debuted in American comics with Ghost for Dark Horse. Over his career since, he’s worked on comics for various publishers, including Marvel and DC, but really caught the attention of fans with the epic space battles he drew in the DC mini-series Rann-Thanagar War in 2005.

Since becoming the regular penciler on Green Lantern with issue #10 in 2006, Reis has been chronicling the saga of the Green Lanterns and other energy-wielding corps, teaming with writer Geoff Johns for the top-selling title.

After Reis drew 43 pages for Green Lantern #25, the much-anticipated final issue of Sinestro Corps War in 2007, the artist told Newsarama that it was the biggest and most important comic he’d ever drawn.

But as we spoke to him in New York, it became clear that he now believes his work on Blackest Night will become even more important. As the Brazilian artist talked to us at his table on the convention floor, his friend and fellow-DC-artist Joe Prado translated many of the questions and answers as Reis struggled to express just how excited he is to be working on Blackest Night. Click on the link above to read the whole story.

A day later than usual due to the holiday, but here is DC’s FULL solicitations and cover images for May 2009

Newsarama’s Alex Zalben and Justin Tyler talk with DC Comics’ writer Geoff Johns at New York Comic Con 2009.

DC Comics’ FULL April 2009 Solicitations is now up at Newsarama.

DC Direct is proud to produce action figures for THE event of the summer – the beginning of the highly-anticipated “Blackest Night” storyline! Included in this series are Earth-2 Superman, the first member of the lifeless, emotionless Black Lanterns to be revealed; Boodikka, the veteran corpsman who was among the first to become a member of the Green Lantern Corps’ own policing unit, the Alpha Lanterns; Saint Walker, the first member of the Blue Lantern Corps, which champions hope in the universe; and Atrocitus, Abin Sur’s killer and the first to utilize the power of blood and rage to become a member of the Red Lantern Corps, which is out to destroy both the Sinestro and Green Lantern Corps! All four figures feature multiple points of articulation and include a display base. The Saint Walker and Atrocitus figures include lantern accessories, and the Boodikka figure comes with a removeable face plate. 4-color clamshell blister card packaging. FEB09