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Writer Geoff Johns has become DC Comics’ go-to guy for breathing new life into old characters. His company-wide crossover event Blackest Night, whose first issue dropped last week, continues a massive revision of the Green Lantern mythology, one that Johns argued could take on not just DC hotshots like Batman and Superman, but also world-beating franchises from George Lucas and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Whether it’s the new animated film Green Lantern: First Flight  or the forthcoming 2011 live-action blockbuster starring Ryan Reynolds, Johns is convinced that the emerald hero can reach the stars with the right kind of help.

“I think the Green Lantern mythology has the potential to be one of the biggest franchises in the world, superhero or otherwise,” the Los Angeles-based virtuoso explained to Wired.com. “It’s as epic as Star Wars and as deep as Lord of the Rings. I think it could rival every other superhero out there if explored, supported and executed right.”

That’s big talk, given that the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader for decades have gone viral in pop culture, with a velocity that easily outruns Green Lantern’s power ring. But Johns, DC Comics and Warner Bros., are all committed to a leap to the big leagues as they roll out a succession of Lantern-related events, comics and films.

“I think the success of films like Iron Man and The Dark Knight has shown us that good comics films can rule the screen,” Johns said. “I’m surprised by how much business even mediocre ones do. But if they’re all mediocre, it’ll spell the end of it. I have immensely high hopes for Green Lantern. Martin Campbell is an amazing director and I’m thrilled about Ryan Reynolds. It’s going to be exciting to see it unfold.”