Back in the early 1980s DC Comics decided to shake things up
a bit and canvas for new writing and artistic talent outside of the United
States. This was lauded by some and
loathed by others, nevertheless, DC proceeded.
Some of its earliest foreign talent was from England which
included writer Alan Moore and Grant Morrison, among others, and artists Brian
Bolland, Alan Davis and Dave Gibbons who would later go on to pencil Alan
Moore’s ground-breaking series; Watchmen).
Gibbons had garnered himself a solid reputation as a
competent and reliable artist in England.
Drafted by DC Comics Gibbons would do a few single issues of various
titles to prove himself with his first full series assignment was on Green
Lantern.
At the time Green Lantern was a second tier title at DC
Comics and although it had a loyal following its print numbers were not
impressive.
Writer Len Wein was an excellent storyteller but for some
reason Green Lantern did not jell with many of DC Comics’ readers.
Dave Gibbons was placed on the title in the hopes that its
readership would increases and after a few issues it did in no small part due
to Dave Gibbons artwork.
Although not as polished or detailed as his later work,
Gibbons had a talent for creating interesting page layouts, character designs and
well-designed environments and accouterments.
In his first issues (#172) Gibbons and Wein bring Green
Lantern back to Earth, reestablished him back among friends and rekindled his
love affair with Carol Ferris.
A short Green Lantern Corps tale was also drawn by Gibbons.