John Stewart: Green Lantern Appreciation 2023

[Vordan]

Yeah I’m happy seeing Stewart working for Irons and this let him show off some of his architectural skill set. Honestly I would love if PKJ got to have Stewart redesign some sections of Metropolis, make it more advanced and high tech. Giving his mom a history with the city is cool too, maybe we’ll get to learn more about her activist background there? With PKJ leaving Action I welcome any way for him to stay connected to Metropolis.

N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell will be doing a story about the first meeting between John and Jo Mullein.

Ahhh so that’s what Campbell’s been up to! Well I’m looking forward to one story at least.

[9th.]

Oh, it was referring to the DC Power 2024 reveal.



N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell will be doing a story about the first meeting between John and Jo Mullein.

This is cool but where is BL? I've been out of the loop for a while is he dead?

[Sodam Yat]

It's nice that it happened organically. Simply being Corps members together meant they'd be in the same books, and under circumstances that had nothing to do with them like Hal becoming Parallax and Kyle taking over eventually lead to John and Guy simply showing up because they wanted Kyle to have familiar supporting characters. Nobody started out saying, "Let's turn John and Guy into best friends." John and Guy just held down the fort when it came to the old guard GLC - they then had more in common with each other than anyone else around. And they continued to be that when Hal would need familiar supporting characters too, whether he was the Spectre or back as a GL. By then, John and Guy had gone through a lot together as Corps members and former Corps members, which is what Tomasi likely picked up on by the time they got their rings back. Kinda crazy when you think of how Guy tried to kill John during Crisis. (back when Guy was crazy - but if Hal can kill Kilowog and still end up being best friends...)

Yeah, John, Guy and Alan all had regular meetups with Kyle at Warriors. During Winnick's run especially, John and Guy seemed to hang out a lot. They acted as mentors to Kyle, but they seemed like they'd become pretty good friends with one another.

Oh ok. Yeah that makes a lot of sense. Those are good points.

[Sodam Yat]

Great issue. I like how PKJ added some historical elements on what made the character different from some of his other human lantern counter parts.

spoilers:

That Durlan GL scrub just couldn't leave well enough alone, huh? If he'd just taken his licking and stayed away he would've avoided him and his companions becoming Revenant Zombies. This is what's become of the GLC. John and John Henry interacting and working together is something that should've been a thing wayyyyy before this. It was just a really sensible and smart direction. Metropolis will become pretty popular if John Stewart moves there. John's mom might have dementia but she's still his mom and knows exactly what to tell him. Inspiring stuff. I'm curious when John is going to don his GL uniform again. He can still transform into it, I assume. John vs. zombification?

end of spoilers

spoilers:

PKJ's story is basically about what makes John a GL from his past interviews. So I think John is going to become a GL again probably close to when this story wraps up. But I wonder if he'll still be considered the most powerful lantern based on the synopsis of this story? He's considered the most powerful based on his ascension powers. I wonder if John's infection from the radiant dead causes him to lose those special powers he has or something, which is why he has to build a ring as shown in the solicits.

end of spoilers

spoilers:

I read this issue, agree that seeing John Henry was great and his mom had a brilliant/tearful moment on the train. My only question though is how is the Radiant Dead different from Black Lanterns? I mean as PKJ has said they donÂ’t have rings outside the leaders and they come from the multiverse but they are still kind of lantern zombies right? Unless thereÂ’s a huge aspect IÂ’m missing. ItÂ’s not bad, just invites the comparison when you got Green Lantern zombies. I still think it works really well though and that itÂ’s a fascinating new villain since itÂ’s only out for John at this point and knows him from a multiversal opposite but John is left completely in the dark which raises questions of how he will handle a threat who knows his moves but he has no idea where they even came from.

end of spoilers

spoilers:

I love the dynamic with John Henry and the interactions with John's mother. As for the radiant dead being a little similar to the Black Lanterns. Yeah they do seem to be a bit similar, concept-wise. One represents death and how light (white) became a threat to death and the radiant dead represented by the leader who controls them by getting infected like what we've seen with John here. If anything the radiant dead is more similar to zombies than the Black Lanterns imo. Those black rings get handed to them after they die and it's hard to fight them where it requires lantern rings from different spectrums to have a decent effect against the black lanterns. Black lanterns also have a tendency on making the people who they know encounter have guilt.

end of spoilers

[Vordan]

spoilers:

I read this issue, agree that seeing John Henry was great and his mom had a brilliant/tearful moment on the train. My only question though is how is the Radiant Dead different from Black Lanterns? I mean as PKJ has said they don’t have rings outside the leaders and they come from the multiverse but they are still kind of lantern zombies right? Unless there’s a huge aspect I’m missing. It’s not bad, just invites the comparison when you got Green Lantern zombies. I still think it works really well though and that it’s a fascinating new villain since it’s only out for John at this point and knows him from a multiversal opposite but John is left completely in the dark which raises questions of how he will handle a threat who knows his moves but he has no idea where they even came from.

end of spoilers

If you go back to the first issue PKJ wrote, the Revenant Queen has a Darkstar symbol on her ring. Whatever her origin/background is, it’s connected to that, and obviously it connects to John then since he spent time as a Darkstar. PKJ has said that he revamped the background for the Darkstars and we’ll be exploring that, they’re not “zombies” but “gateways” to something else that’s possessing their bodies and working its will through them. It’s similar to Black Lanterns but since those were tied up in Hal’s Mythos I’m fine with giving John his own equivalent group that let us explore his backstory in a natural way.

[HsssH]

They also have lovecraftian touch with those tentacles and gateways thing makes it sounds like some eldritch thing might come out of them.

PKJ is trying to connect this series to his Superman work with Steel appearance and John potentially moving to Metropolis. And there was Necropolis story seeded early in PKJ's Action issues. And Necropolis obviously is about dead people.

What do you think Vordan? Maybe PKJ isn't leaving Aethyr entirely to Waid.

[Sodam Yat]

I never imagined that John would be moving to metropolis. I wonder whether this be his hometown for now on. If so, I'm unsure whether that's the most logical thing for the character.

[Shockingjustice]

I doubt moving permanently to metropolis will be a thing. I'M just happy to see him smiling for once. He looked like he had a genuine good time talking to John Henry.

[Sodam Yat]

I doubt moving permanently to metropolis will be a thing. I'M just happy to see him smiling for once. He looked like he had a genuine good time talking to John Henry.

I don't mind John being there, but as long as it's not permanent, it's fine with me. I rather John have his own city for his playground than using some other character's. But yeah, I'm sure PKJ won't make it permanent.

[Vordan]

They also have lovecraftian touch with those tentacles and gateways thing makes it sounds like some eldritch thing might come out of them.

PKJ is trying to connect this series to his Superman work with Steel appearance and John potentially moving to Metropolis. And there was Necropolis story seeded early in PKJ's Action issues. And Necropolis obviously is about dead people.

What do you think Vordan? Maybe PKJ isn't leaving Aethyr entirely to Waid.

Could be! The whole Lovecraftian entity vibes is exactly what he was shooting for Aethyr, perhaps there is a connection. In the Action 2021 Annual he also portrayed Aethyr as transforming people into monsters, perhaps that is something he wants to connect to how the Revenant Queen became who she is.

I never imagined that John would be moving to metropolis. I wonder whether this be his hometown for now on. If so, I'm unsure whether that's the most logical thing for the character.

He’ll be going to space sometime next year, we know PKJ and Adams have been talking about their 2024 plans.

[StarSpangledMan]

PKJ's book is already my favourite of the two GL books out now. I wonder if - when he suits up - John will get some costume tweaks, a brand new one or stick with ol' tried and true?

[Frontier]

PKJ's book is already my favourite of the two GL books out now. I wonder if - when he suits up - John will get some costume tweaks, a brand new one or stick with ol' tried and true?

They've been using his traditional look for covers, I think?

[StarSpangledMan]

They've been using his traditional look for covers, I think?

That's true, I was thinking more of a reveal when the time comes in book.

[Vordan]

I’d like a new costume design for John. Costume variants are cool! Batman gets to have a bunch of new suits but the rest of the League is stuck with what they’ve been wearing for decades, and I don’t get why creators seem so afraid to change things up now and then.

[Frontier]

I’d like a new costume design for John. Costume variants are cool! Batman gets to have a bunch of new suits but the rest of the League is stuck with what they’ve been wearing for decades, and I don’t get why creators seem so afraid to change things up now and then.

They do it just always defaults to the classics most of the time (except Wonder Woman).