[QUOTE=Lightning Rider;3913644]So who are John Stewart's closest "work-friends" outside of the other GL's?[/QUOTE]
I mean, he hasn't really interacted with anyone outside the other Earth GL's in a long time.
But back when he was on the comic League he got paired with Wally a lot (probably because of the cartoon), and during McDuffie's run he hung around Vixen, Firestorm (Jason), and Zatanna a bit as I recall.
In the Joe Kelly run of JLA, he had John Stewart bond
with the Ray Palmer Atom over
...music of all things.
Apparently they both have a fondness for Sinatra era swing.
[QUOTE=Vic Vega;3914819]In the Joe Kelly run of JLA, he had John Stewart bond
with the Ray Palmer Atom over
...music of all things.
Apparently they both have a fondness for Sinatra era swing.[/QUOTE]
Good music choice, I could definitely see Ray Palmer listening to Sinatra while doing some science in his lab.
I remember that Ray Palmer was helping out Firestorm--but I can't remember which Firestorm it was. I guess that was twenty years ago by now.
[QUOTE=Lightning Rider;3913644]So who are John Stewart's closest "work-friends" outside of the other GL's?[/QUOTE]
John keeps his distance from most due to a lot of the tragedies that he's experienced as a boy and as a superhero. He witnessed his abusive grandfather murdered by his grandmother, his little sister also died in a shameless attempt to ripoff the final episode of MASH, his mentor turned wife was murdered by the possessed girlfriend of his best friend, which blinded him with so much rage that his attempts to meddle an Apartheid-ruled South African country led to him freeing a mass murderer. This self-destructive period culminated in the destruction of Xanshi during Cosmic Odyssey.
As a result, John has evolved into a much more thoughtful and methodical character, but also a much more solitary one.
[QUOTE=Jim Kelly;3915020]I remember that Ray Palmer was helping out Firestorm--but I can't remember which Firestorm it was. I guess that was twenty years ago by now.[/QUOTE]Ronnie. Ray was sort of taking Professor Stein's place at the time. Just before [I]Identity Crisis. [/I]It was in JLA just before Kelly's run I believe.
[QUOTE=Bored at 3:00AM;3915033]John keeps his distance from most due to a lot of the tragedies that he's experienced as a boy and as a superhero. He witnessed his abusive grandfather murdered by his grandmother, his little sister also died in a shameless attempt to ripoff the final episode of MASH, his mentor turned wife was murdered by the possessed girlfriend of his best friend, which blinded him with so much rage that his attempts to meddle an Apartheid-ruled South African country led to him freeing a mass murderer. This self-destructive period culminated in the destruction of Xanshi during Cosmic Odyssey.
As a result, John has evolved into a much more thoughtful and methodical character, but also a much more solitary one.[/QUOTE]
I wanted to read Cosmic Odyssey but do you recommend a run or two before that first?
(And thanks for the input)
[QUOTE=Lightning Rider;3915063]I wanted to read Cosmic Odyssey but do you recommend a run or two before that first?
(And thanks for the input)[/QUOTE]
Cosmic Odyssey is pretty self-contained. It's a pretty great story. Starlin's conception of the Anti-Life Equation was very different from Kirby's, but Geoff Johns was able to make it all work later on (as is his particular knack).
The stories leading up to John's appearance in this story have never been collected, so you'll have to track them down on your own, but I think they are pretty interesting. They are written by Christopher Priest, who was then known as James Owlsey, so, if you've read any of his stuff, you know he favors a deconstructed style in which his heroes are tested morally and don't always come out clean.
The Apartheid story is pretty good and very much sets-up John's state of mind going into Cosmic Odyssey.
[IMG]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sggAAOSw5cNYMuD1/s-l640.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=Bored at 3:00AM;3915091]Cosmic Odyssey is pretty self-contained. It's a pretty great story. Starlin's conception of the Anti-Life Equation was very different from Kirby's, but Geoff Johns was able to make it all work later on (as is his particular knack).
The stories leading up to John's appearance in this story have never been collected, so you'll have to track them down on your own, but I think they are pretty interesting. They are written by Christopher Priest, who was then known as James Owlsey, so, if you've read any of his stuff, you know he favors a deconstructed style in which his heroes are tested morally and don't always come out clean.
The Apartheid story is pretty good and very much sets-up John's state of mind going into Cosmic Odyssey.
[IMG]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sggAAOSw5cNYMuD1/s-l640.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
I am familiar and that sounds excellent. Many thanks,.
[QUOTE=Vic Vega;3914819]In the Joe Kelly run of JLA, he had John Stewart bond
with the Ray Palmer Atom over
...music of all things.
Apparently they both have a fondness for Sinatra era swing.[/QUOTE]
I could see John and Ray getting along, especially modern John.
They strike me as both being thoughtful, introspective, types.
[QUOTE=Bored at 3:00AM;3915033]John keeps his distance from most due to a lot of the tragedies that he's experienced as a boy and as a superhero. He witnessed his abusive grandfather murdered by his grandmother, his little sister also died in a shameless attempt to ripoff the final episode of MASH, his mentor turned wife was murdered by the possessed girlfriend of his best friend, which blinded him with so much rage that his attempts to meddle an Apartheid-ruled South African country led to him freeing a mass murderer. This self-destructive period culminated in the destruction of Xanshi during Cosmic Odyssey.
As a result, John has evolved into a much more thoughtful and methodical character, but also a much more solitary one.[/QUOTE]
Damn, when you list all that stuff, you'd think John & Bruce would be pals.
If Hugo Strange captured both, he'd have a PTSD field day.
[QUOTE=Anthony Shaw;3915883]Damn, when you list all that stuff, you'd think John & Bruce would be pals.
If Hugo Strange captured both, he'd have a PTSD field day.[/QUOTE]
Batman & John certainly have a better relationship than Batman & Hal do ;)
Maybe retroactively Hal and Bruce have a bad relationship--since about the mid-1990s, I'd guess--but that wasn't always the case. Just in B&B alone they teamed up nine times--including the 100th issue (one of my favourite issues). And to me they always seemed similar in temperment.
It's telling how both Hal and Bruce have been warped into different characters that they are now antagonists. This seems to have fallen out because of Zero Hour--where Bruce is put in the ridiculous position of being the moral stick-in-the-mud and Hal is the rebel rule breaker.
As Bruce can't forgive Hal, even after death, he has to maintain that arrogant posture and Hal has to be annoyed with Bats despite all the crimes he committed when he was yellow. Neither can be the better person they were in the past when they were reasonable and open-minded.
Because writers equate characterization with overwrought emotions.
[QUOTE=Jim Kelly;3917188]Maybe retroactively Hal and Bruce have a bad relationship--since about the mid-1990s, I'd guess--but that wasn't always the case. Just in B&B alone they teamed up nine times--including the 100th issue (one of my favourite issues). And to me they always seemed similar in temperment.
It's telling how both Hal and Bruce have been warped into different characters that they are now antagonists. This seems to have fallen out because of Zero Hour--where Bruce is put in the ridiculous position of being the moral stick-in-the-mud and Hal is the rebel rule breaker.
As Bruce can't forgive Hal, even after death, he has to maintain that arrogant posture and Hal has to be annoyed with Bats despite all the crimes he committed when he was yellow. Neither can be the better person they were in the past when they were reasonable and open-minded.
Because writers equate characterization with overwrought emotions.[/QUOTE]
I'll be honest, I've kind of had my fill of Batman and Hal bickering.
[QUOTE=Jim Kelly;3917188]Maybe retroactively Hal and Bruce have a bad relationship--since about the mid-1990s, I'd guess--but that wasn't always the case. Just in B&B alone they teamed up nine times--including the 100th issue (one of my favourite issues). And to me they always seemed similar in temperment.
It's telling how both Hal and Bruce have been warped into different characters that they are now antagonists. This seems to have fallen out because of Zero Hour--where Bruce is put in the ridiculous position of being the moral stick-in-the-mud and Hal is the rebel rule breaker.
As Bruce can't forgive Hal, even after death, he has to maintain that arrogant posture and Hal has to be annoyed with Bats despite all the crimes he committed when he was yellow. Neither can be the better person they were in the past when they were reasonable and open-minded.
Because writers equate characterization with overwrought emotions.[/QUOTE]
I enjoy Batman & Hal's contentious relationship, because it is accurately based upon their respective personalities. It doesn't mean that they hate each other, because they don't. I think they both have deep affection and respect for each other. I also think they completely disagree with the other's approach towards being a hero. Mark Waid had great fun with their dynamic in the Post-Infinite Crisis Brave & Bold when Bruce & Hal went to Vegas together. While Geoff Johns had a lot of fun playing the two off each other during the original GL Rebirth and the JL New 52, he also showed how far their relationship had come by the end of Darkseid War.
I think Batman's long-since moved past the Parallax stuff, which had grown incredibly boring during that long decade wherein Hal was stuck as everything but a planet hoppin' space cowboy.