John Stewart: Green Lantern Appreciation 2021

[SecretWarrior]

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I'm just hoping that DC learns from their past mistakes in management.

Ha! Not much hope of that. I have seen a lot of management changes at DC and the only constant is that DC's head honchos will always find ways to screw up big. It's inevitable. There's too many moving parts and someone or something is always going to get missed, or mismanaged or outright screwed over. In the end, all we fans can hope for is that the successes are more numerous than the failures.

[Sodam Yat]

Ha! Not much hope of that. I have seen a lot of management changes at DC and the only constant is that DC's head honchos will always find ways to screw up big. It's inevitable. There's too many moving parts and someone or something is always going to get missed, or mismanaged or outright screwed over. In the end, all we fans can hope for is that the successes are more numerous than the failures.

You're right about that. It's very unfortunate

[Sodam Yat]

It looks like Tom Raney is going to be the artist in Green Lantern issue #3 it seems. Reported from newsarama.

I don't know whether there's going to be any rotation between artists, though or whether Tom Raney is the only artist on the book after June.

[EmeraldGladiator]

Don't know if it has been mentioned earlier, but I am a Green Lantern fan period, I love Hal, Alan, John, Arisia and Guy. My favorite John issues is the Mosaic series. For me it was telling the Green Lantern story with a Vertigo mentality. My question to John lovers was Mosaic good for John as a character? I know I hated Cosmic Odyssey and how it was the the defacto John touch stone and that story sucked. Mosaic was John's book and he took down Hal in it. I am curious how do John lovers view Mosaic? I have no doubt they hate Cosmic Odyssey as much as I do which is weird because Starlin's Marvel work is some of my favorite storytelling ever.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

You're right about that. It's very unfortunate

In fairness, juggling all these characters has to be an impossible task. As much as I loved Giordano's tenure, he absolutely screwed over Roy Thomas and his beloved Earth-2 characters. Carlin cancelled both the JSA and John's books not because of low sales, but because he simply didn't like them. Didio treated John a little better in comparison by at least trying to give everyone a book, but he really kneecapped John by firing McDuffie from JLA for spilling the beans on what an editorial shitshow that book had become, and then planning to kill John off in another dumb event in the post-Johns era. But, in the end, it sounds like he did right John by giving Redjack the green light to make John Stewart the main focus of the GL franchise, which hasn't happened since 1985.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Don't know if it has been mentioned earlier, but I am a Green Lantern fan period, I love Hal, Alan, John, Arisia and Guy. My favorite John issues is the Mosaic series. For me it was telling the Green Lantern story with a Vertigo mentality. My question to John lovers was Mosaic good for John as a character? I know I hated Cosmic Odyssey and how it was the the defacto John touch stone and that story sucked. Mosaic was John's book and he took down Hal in it. I am curious how do John lovers view Mosaic? I have no doubt they hate Cosmic Odyssey as much as I do which is weird because Starlin's Marvel work is some of my favorite storytelling ever.

Englehart & Staton's GL run, Preist's GL Special #1 and Jones & Hamner's Mosaic are what made me a fan of John. I think what hurt Mosaic was how utterly pretentious the first issue was, which likely drove away all but the most die-hard fans.

[Redjack]

Englehart & Staton's GL run, Preist's GL Special #1 and Jones & Hamner's Mosaic are what made me a fan of John. I think what hurt Mosaic was how utterly pretentious the first issue was, which likely drove away all but the most die-hard fans.

my name is geoffrey thorne and i endorse this statement.

[lemonpeace]

Actually, let's widen this out to everyone in the thread. What are THREE moments, stories or images that you think best sum up who John Stewart is.

For me, it's his introduction scene in the O'Neil/Adams run with the racist cops. One of the best intros in superhero comics ever.

Second, would be the "Mind War" issue of GL: Mosiac in which we get the definitive John vs. Hal story, particularly the scene where John splits himself into a dozen parts, each completely different from one another.

And the last would have to be the JLU episode "Child's Play, in which we get confirmation that John was a big nerd when he was a kid (which was already set-up with the Justice Guild story in season one).

These three moments really show all the potential that John Stewart has as a character.

My top 3:

Static and Black Superman
Like just about every millennial, the Justice League/Justice League: Unlimited iteration of John Stewart was my introduction to not just John but the Green Lantern concept, period. so that's been my blueprint for his character a grip. the moment that actually defined that character for me, as a kid who didn't know comics, was his guest appearance on State Shock in the episode "Fallen Hero". This was the episode that really cemented John as what I could only describe as "black Superman" in my little brain. Static was my avatar to superheroes, so seeing how much Static respected and looked up to John made him feel so grand and aspirational to me. Then seeing them teaming up, Static super charging John's ring to take down Sinestro, and then capping it off with The Oath? it was so iconic to me. this was also the first time I heard, not just the Green Lantern oath, but the first time I'd ever heard a legit superhero oath ever. that wasn't like a parody one on a different show, ya know? Phil LaMarr is the GOAT.

Mosaic #5
GL: Mosiac is in pretty much my IDEAL John. I loved how confident and cerebral John was during this series. this was definitely John at his most artsy, philosophical, and weird, which is why I love it. they really swung for something out there for this take. I think this run is what defined John as an architect for me. smart, cultured, socially conscious, doesn't wear gloves, and plays a piano. I was kinda pretentious ngl but i think that led it to some cool ideas and concepts. the only downside is it's written by a horrible person, which all but guarantees this legitimately compelling take gets buried, and ruining it's rereadability for me. The one issue I actually do revisit from time to time is the John vs. Hal story. I love that John beats Hal with code switching. no disrespect to Hal but it felt like John beating and exorcising white mediocrity in a way; not calling him mediocre, I mean white mediocrity as a concept. It starts with him having Hal envy, white idealism, and it ends with him using all parts of himself, a spectrum of blackness, to overcome that inferiority complex. I dug it.



Talks with the Ganthet
I really liked Venditti's run with John from Green Lantern Corps all the way through Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps. while he did lean into the militaristic side of John, I like that he still had a character to him and we see his ability to lead progress from GLC to H&GLC. The moments that really defined John for me were his interactions with the Ganthet and the other Guardians. Venditti really made John as the leader of the Corps feel like an equal to the Guardians, in respect and authority if nothing else, within the Green Lantern ecosystem. Whether it be them advising him or him straight up letting them know "look, I'm here to keep y'all lil bloompa loompas in line", it felt like they respected John's authority and his leadership over the rest of the Corps. if we're never gonna get to see John as an actual Guardian again, then seeing him be the one Lantern the Guardians acknowledge and respect as a peer (almost like they're grooming a colleague) is the next best thing. I can see Ganthet and John actually chilling outside of Lantern work, just picking each other's brain and exchanging culture. it makes moments with the Guardians from before, like when they teach him how to use the language of the spheres against Fernus in 90's JLA, feel more significant to me.

[Sodam Yat]

Artist Amancay Nahuelpan is showing off his artwork with John Stewart from the upcoming DC anthology, DC Love is a Battlefield



The art looks really good!

[Sodam Yat]

In fairness, juggling all these characters has to be an impossible task. As much as I loved Giordano's tenure, he absolutely screwed over Roy Thomas and his beloved Earth-2 characters. Carlin cancelled both the JSA and John's books not because of low sales, but because he simply didn't like them. Didio treated John a little better in comparison by at least trying to give everyone a book, but he really kneecapped John by firing McDuffie from JLA for spilling the beans on what an editorial shitshow that book had become, and then planning to kill John off in another dumb event in the post-Johns era. But, in the end, it sounds like he did right John by giving Redjack the green light to make John Stewart the main focus of the GL franchise, which hasn't happened since 1985.

Good points. I just thought that since there's big changes in the industry, there will be better DC management happening. I also didn't like the way Dick Grayson was handled during Infinite Crisis and Forever Evil. But I guess management has different perspectives on these characters and it's showing. I'm just glad that DC officially gave John the green light. And Redjack's pitch must be really good for DC management to get onboard even after Didio being gone.

I haven't finished listening to Redjack's interview on YouTube. I need to check that out again

[SecretWarrior]

That's an awesome image-- Just ran it through a green filter:

[Sodam Yat]

I love that green color!

[sifighter]

That's an awesome image-- Just ran it through a green filter:

Man there should really be a black, white, and green anthology for John and the other lanterns, because this looks great.

[SecretWarrior]

I love that green color!

Man there should really be a black, white, and green anthology for John and the other lanterns, because this looks great.

Agreed.