John Stewart: Green Lantern Appreciation 2022

[Sodam Yat]

[Frontier]

They remembered J'onn and Kendra .

(Poor Arthur though...)

[Alpha]

Been reading some John Stewart stuff from the 80s. Seems like terraforming planets is really his thing. Surprised by how consistent that was before Emerald Twilight. Which makes sense since he's an architect. Master Builder really is the perfect title for him. And it seems like Geoff Thorne's run might have solidified it back into his profile.

I loved this story between Green Lantern Corps 217-219 where him, Katma, Killowog and Arisia visit a sector that Sinestro blew up and meet 3 of the most interesting Green Lanterns there ever were including one that has become a cadaver whose lifeless body is beinf kept alive by his ring. And John gets to save the day by using his ring in a creative way (which he did often enough in that era). This story really deserves to be adapted.

What are your favorites John Stewart stories? How do people feel about him in the 80s pre Cosmic Odyssey?

And what alien lanterns have the coolest or deepest relationship with John, aside from Katma?

[HandofPrometheus]

Been reading some John Stewart stuff from the 80s. Seems like terraforming planets is really his thing. Surprised by how consistent that was before Emerald Twilight. Which makes sense since he's an architect. Master Builder really is the perfect title for him. And it seems like Geoff Thorne's run might have solidified it back into his profile.

I loved this story between Green Lantern Corps 217-219 where him, Katma, Killowog and Arisia visit a sector that Sinestro blew up and meet 3 of the most interesting Green Lanterns there ever were including one that has become a cadaver whose lifeless body is beinf kept alive by his ring. And John gets to save the day by using his ring in a creative way (which he did often enough in that era). This story really deserves to be adapted.

What are your favorites John Stewart stories? How do people feel about him in the 80s pre Cosmic Odyssey?

And what alien lanterns have the coolest or deepest relationship with John, aside from Katma?

I love the story where John and Katma built an entire planet for Replikon so their children can grow and live. My other favorite storylines are all from Englehart's run.

Bronze Age John or 80s pre-CO is my favorite version of him. Nothing comes close.

Besides Kat, I think Fatality comes second.

[SecretWarrior]

I like how Len Wein and Steve Englehart wrote him, but I wish they did more stuff with John didn’t include other heroes sharing the spotlight.

I like how Van Jensen wrote him in GLC and how Scott Snyder and Robert Venditti wrote him in Justice League. All good modern takes.

His 50th anniversary book has a good sampling of stories from throughout his publication period.

I wish he had stuff that was completely solo in terms of other heroes and that didn’t get bogged down by crossovers. He needs a trade like Batman: Year One, Superman: Birthright, or All-Star Superman. Not sure if any current comic writers could pull that off though.

I like the JL/JLU episodes Legends, The Savage Time, Hearts and Minds, Wild Cards, Starcrossed, Kid Stuff, The Once and Future Thing, Ancient History, and Comfort and Joy.

[BlackClaw]

I love the DCAU line up.

[Sodam Yat]

I love the DCAU line up.

The best JL lineup ever!

[Sodam Yat]

PKJ talks about John Stewart in the Paneloids Podcast. He brings up John at 34:11

[Vordan]

I like how Len Wein and Steve Englehart wrote him, but I wish they did more stuff with John didn’t include other heroes sharing the spotlight.

I like how Van Jensen wrote him in GLC and how Scott Snyder and Robert Venditti wrote him in Justice League. All good modern takes.

His 50th anniversary book has a good sampling of stories from throughout his publication period.

I wish he had stuff that was completely solo in terms of other heroes and that didn’t get bogged down by crossovers. He needs a trade like Batman: Year One, Superman: Birthright, or All-Star Superman. Not sure if any current comic writers could pull that off though.

I like the JL/JLU episodes Legends, The Savage Time, Hearts and Minds, Wild Cards, Starcrossed, Kid Stuff, The Once and Future Thing, Ancient History, and Comfort and Joy.

Yep that’s key. I’d have Thorne or someone else, Ridley might be interested, do a GL: Year One book for John that retells his origin for the modern day in a standalone book.

[Sodam Yat]

Yep that’s key. I’d have Thorne or someone else, Ridley might be interested, do a GL: Year One book for John that retells his origin for the modern day in a standalone book.

Ridley wouldn't be bad if he doesn't write a John Stewart story that involves in a tragedy.

I would say Thorne, Van Jensen, Scott Snyder, or Robert Venditti would be my picks.

All Star Green Lantern would be good if it's a John Stewart space adventure, but I'm more interested in an modern day origin story for John.

So I think Year One would be suitable.

I really hope there would be another John Stewart standalone project that involves in an origin story where Kat is part of his supporting cast.

[SecretWarrior]

Yep that’s key. I’d have Thorne or someone else, Ridley might be interested, do a GL: Year One book for John that retells his origin for the modern day in a standalone book.

Thorne hasn't impressed me with his character work, especially when it comes to addressing inner fears and motivations, and Ridley is an edgelord. This would've been up McDuffie's alley.

Kevin Grevioux or Al Ewing would be cool. I wouldn't mind Van Jensen coming back an getting to cut loose. Robert Venditti consistently wrote a pretty good John as well. Scott Snyder would be respectful and would know how to celebrate the character. I wonder how well Jen Van Meter would do. She did the excellent Black Lightning: Year One and then pretty much dipped, lol.

If they could get non-comics folks in, it would be cool to see Jordan Peele. Seems like the type who'd do it, like how Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon wrote comics.

[Alpha]

You know, going back and reading John Stewart in the 80s (and thinking about Mosiac), I can't help but feel that the soldier retcon was a mistake. I totally understand why they gravitated towards the JLU backstory, but it takes away from John's entire thing which was the master builder (not just as a title but as his theme).

What I would do is have John's father be an active soldier that spent a lot of time away, while his mother was a successful architect (one of the few black women to get that chance). And John took after her, while having some misgivings about his father's service. To me it justifies him protesting the role of Green Lantern when he is given the ring. While also establishing his knowledge of that enviroment.

[Vordan]

Thorne hasn't impressed me with his character work, especially when it comes to addressing inner fears and motivations, and Ridley is an edgelord. This would've been up McDuffie's alley.

Kevin Grevioux or Al Ewing would be cool. I wouldn't mind Van Jensen coming back an getting to cut loose. Robert Venditti consistently wrote a pretty good John as well. Scott Snyder would be respectful and would know how to celebrate the character. I wonder how well Jen Van Meter would do. She did the excellent Black Lightning: Year One and then pretty much dipped, lol.

If they could get non-comics folks in, it would be cool to see Jordan Peele. Seems like the type who'd do it, like how Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon wrote comics.

Venditti has written a solid John, I’d be fine with him writing a solo rookie John. No thanks to Snyder or Peele, Snyder did nothing interesting with John in his JL run and Peele being successful outside of comics doesn’t mean he’d be a good comics writer.

[SecretWarrior]

Venditti has written a solid John, I’d be fine with him writing a solo rookie John. No thanks to Snyder or Peele, Snyder did nothing interesting with John in his JL run and Peele being successful outside of comics doesn’t mean he’d be a good comics writer.

Fair enough.

[SecretWarrior]

You know, going back and reading John Stewart in the 80s (and thinking about Mosiac), I can't help but feel that the soldier retcon was a mistake. I totally understand why they gravitated towards the JLU backstory, but it takes away from John's entire thing which was the master builder (not just as a title but as his theme).

What I would do is have John's father be an active soldier that spent a lot of time away, while his mother was a successful architect (one of the few black women to get that chance). And John took after her, while having some misgivings about his father's service. To me it justifies him protesting the role of Green Lantern when he is given the ring. While also establishing his knowledge of that enviroment.

Good thoughts, but I think the soldier thing is engrained into the public consciousness about him now. Approaching the architect vs soldier thing through his parents is interesting because it gets right into his motivations, values, and perspective.

The soldier retcon partially came from the DCAU writers leaning into the Seven Samurai archetypes:



John was the team’s smart guy, a veteran who could speak with the same level of authority on how to handle conflict as Superman or Batman. Would have been cool if they emphasized some of his more intellectual elements to give him more depth, like his love for playing jazz on the piano, his familiarity with famous thinkers, etc.

John is tough, but he’s not a run of the mill jarhead. He regularly defies authority and has an intellectual bent.

The addition could have also been influenced by all the Black soldier characters in the 80s and 90s, like War Machine, Spawn, Bishop, etc.

They may have been looking for thematic overlap between the Marines and the GLC.