Cullen Bunn Talks Green Lantern: The Lost Army

by Desh on March 10, 2015

Green Lantern Corps is ending, but this signals a new beginning for John Stewart as he takes the lead in a new series, Green Lantern: The Lost Army. Writer Cullen Bunn took some time with ComicBookResources.Com to talk about this new project.

“As I mentioned earlier, the Green Lanterns are going to disappear from the DC Universe. “Green Lantern: The Lost Army” is their story. It’s very literal. They are lost in another universe that they have never seen. It’s a completely alien, alien universe. It’s all-new for them. They have to learn to survive and figure out if they can make it home. They have to change the way they’ve done a lot of things. They’re scattered through this universe, so they have to find each other, and come together again in order to make it through this ordeal.

Most of the Green Lanterns from the DC Universe are over there, but I am going to focus on a core group of characters: John Stewart, Kilowog, Arisia; some new characters that you haven’t seen before, and some characters that you haven’t seen in green for a while.”

What immediately catches my attention is that John Stewart seems to be the only human Lantern focused on in this title, which really excites me. I was concerned that DC would stuff other human Lanterns in The Lost Army, which would diminish the focus on John Stewart. I like the premise of John-an African American from Detroit-being the lone human in alien environments and interacting with a bunch of weird extra-terrestrials. That is one of the features that drew me so much to Van Jensen’s Green Lantern Corps. I’m very happy to hear that DC Comics is continuing this set up, and I hope to see John continue to advance as a character.

The solicitation for the first issue of Green Lantern: The Lost Army has also been released.

GREEN LANTERN: THE LOST ARMY #1
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art and cover by JESUS SAIZ
1:25 Variant cover by BEN OLIVER
On sale JUNE 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Imagine waking up in a strange place where you didn’t recognize anything, and everyone you knew and loved was nowhere to be found. Now imagine that you are a Green Lantern. The rest of the Corps is missing, you don’t know where you are and there’s not a Power Battery to be found for as far as your ring can scan. Where are you? How did you get here? Those are just two of the many questions facing our heroes.
Starring John Stewart, Two-Six, Kilowog and Arisia, and featuring a surprise guest-star we promise you’ll never predict, LOST ARMY is an incredible journey of discovery, survival, morality and heartbreak. Never has the Corps been challenged in this way – and not everyone is going to make it home!

Despite the rather boring cover (which is this article’s header image, and which I’m hoping DC is only using as a place holder cover), I’m very excited about this series. As the solicitation says, look for this on June 24.

What are your thoughts and hopes for Green Lantern: The Lost Army? Sound off in the comments section below. You can also check out more information about Cullen Bunn’s latest projects at ComicBookResources.Com by clicking the link below:
BUNN TALKS WHAT’S NEXT FOR “AQUAMAN,” “SINESTRO” & “GREEN LANTERN: THE LOST ARMY”

Rapper turned actor Common has expressed interest in playing the role of Green Lantern John Stewart… just like so many other actors. In case you didn’t know, Common was actually cast as John Stewart in the film Justice League: Mortal back in 2007. If you’ve never heard of Justice League: Mortal it’s probably because it never came out. The entire project was canned due to the writers’ strike.

With all the movie news surrounding John Stewart, ScreenRant.Com got a hold of Common and asked him if he was still interested in the role. Common had this to say:

“I would love to be John Stewart and play Green Lantern. That was one of those things where I was so excited because we rarely see African-American superheroes or people of color as a superhero. I think it would be great for the world to see, and for people to see, and for Hollywood to put that out there, too. But just for the world to see, just for kids to be able to see, for all nationalities to see a person of color as a superhero, too.

Plus, it’s just for the fun. Even the pre-production of getting the ‘go’ and studying Green Lantern. John Stewart is from Detroit, so he was this guy that was really for the community, and I really related to that. He used his powers to help people in the community. I was like, ‘Man, I’m going to be John Stewart, the Green Lantern!’ Unfortunately, it didn’t happen at that time. But maybe the possibility is that it could. I would love to.”

It’s really cool that Common is so familiar with John Stewart and greatly respects and appreciates him and what he has done. However, Common really would not be my choice for Green Lantern. Even so, his statements serve to get John Stewart’s name in even more headlines, which never hurts. Check out ScreenRant.Com for more on this story:
Common Would Still Love To Play ‘Green Lantern’ in ‘Justice League’ Movie Universe

Speaking of headlines and movies, a Green Lantern John Stewart fan film by P3Series has been gaining traction. A short trailer of it has been released on Youtube.Com. Take a look at the video and leave an encouraging comment in the Youtube comments section. We John Stewart fans need to stick together and support each other.

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Categories: News

Clyde

I’m excited for the whole premise of GL: Lost Army. It’s going to be a very interesting take on what happens when you’re stranded in another universe. The concept remains me of the show “Lost”, only it’s Green Lanterns lost in space in another universe. Just throw in space zombies and you’ve got quite a show. Oh hold on, we’ve had that already with the concept of the Black Lanterns. Lol.
- Desh Derringer
  
  I’m curious if John Stewart will get a new love interest. I was wondering if John Stewart will meet a Shayera Hol from this new universe. Anything is possible in a new universe, even John meeting another Katma.
Clyde

Breaking news!!! Hey Desh, if I didn’t know the source of this article or the author who wrote it, I would swear it was you who wrote it. I mean this guy shares your every thought on this subject right down to the fine details. And here’s the kicker. This is coming from a Caucasian male. Please read this article asap and give me your thoughts and share it with our fellow brethren.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2015/03/12/please-dont-cast-chris-pine-as-green-lantern-in-justice-league/
- Desh Derringer
  
  I read that article yesterday… or the day before, I can’t quite remember. It’s a good article and I echo the author’s points 100%. I think the only thing he left out is that Cyborg is really not going to scratch many people’s itch to see a strong, idealized Black superhero on the big screen, because he has about -15% wish fulfillment capability. A lot of people want to imagine themselves as John Stewart, but Cyborg is worse off than even a regular person. Who wants to be like that?
  
  As for the ethnicity of the author, I don’t think this is an issue where White people universally feel one way and Black people feel another. There are many White people who would rather see John Stewart on the big screen, either because they have an affinity to him, or because they see that (like this author) it REALLY IS THE SMARTEST, FAIREST, WISEST THING TO DO. People have now seen that DC has gone out of its way to bury and try to kill their most popular, celebrated PoC character. That’s undeniable by now, and in this age when people are looking for more diversity, they’re wondering what is wrong with DC. It looks rather suspicious on DC’s part.
  
  I will say this about the race issue. Who we are mostly up against is a small but loud and passionate portion of the White fandom who feels that Hal Jordan is vital and infallible, not because he really is, or because anyone else thinks so, but because some of the comics depict him as such.
  
  I think there comes a time when creators need to not go by what the fictional comics say, but rather go by what the true reality is. From what I’ve been able to discern, the only people who really care about Hal Jordan are hardcore Hal Jordan fans, who are mostly the type of guys who read the comics and collect the expensive memorabilia, and then sometimes chide people who like John Stewart better for not knowing their Green Lantern history. Relatively speaking, there aren’t that many people like that. Hal Jordan doesn’t have much of a casual fanbase, whereas John Stewart does, thanks to JL/JLU.
  
  It’s great to see more large, credible, and influential sources get behind John Stewart. It’s very apparent that if WB uses Hal Jordan over John Stewart, many people will be disappointed in them.
  - Clyde
    
    Well said Desh, I should’ve known by now that you would be all over anything John Stewart at every turn and at every source. Lol. So I posted the link to screen rant as well as comicvine, and to no surprise, I received a reply from each site. Both of course was from Hal supporters disapproving of the article and hating on the author Scott Mendleton. Why am I not surprised. Hey one of those who sent me a comment was the infamous “zeeguy” from comicvine. I’m glad that he of all people took the time to go to that site and read that article. You see Desh, that fool is under the impression that John has no fans and no one really likes him or knows him. And yet I pointed out to him, that a writer who works at Forbes magazine, a credible company, knows who John is. So I asked Zeeguy, if Scott knows John, then how much more does as well? He and many have underestimated John’s value at every turn, and I think the reality is beginning to set in that John is a legitimate contender against Hal. Now to Scott’s point, will DC/WB continue to maintain the status quo, against all better judgment?
    - Desh Derringer
      
      Zeeguy is an utter fool. He decided to lash out at me on ComicBookResources.Com and I got him permanently banned, which is a lot more fulfilling and beneficial than arguing with him nonstop. Hopefully the same thing happens to him at Comic Vine. If he says anything too outrageous or insults you, flag his post. The best thing to do with someone like that is eliminate them. It shouldn’t be too hard, his temper often takes hold of his judgment. Arguing with him is fruitless, but having him removed from future discussions is not.
      - Clyde
        
        Lol. Wow, that guy never learns. If that’s the extent of his ignorance on a fictional level, then I wonder how he thinks on more reality based issues. Anyhow, i thought about what you stated in your 1st paragraph in your last posted comment and thought to myself, what person would really want to be Cyborg? Sure he may be an interesting character to dress up as on Halloween, but if you were to translate that to real life let’s review the following Justice League starting lineup. In spite of the fact that Superman is an alien from another planet, do you know how many of us would trade in our humanity to be Kryptonian and to have all the powers that he does. And Batman, who wouldn’t want to be a billionaire, whose intellect is through the roof and has all those cool toys at his disposal. Wonder Woman, an amazon, we’ve seen women get breast implants, tummy tucks, butt lifts, and do so much to themselves just to feel beautiful. What woman alive wouldn’t want her beauty as well as power. Green Lantern regardless of which lantern it is, has a ring that could take you to places that no other human on earth will ever get to see in their lifetime, and with your will and imagination your ring can do whatever you want. The Flash, with speed like that, who needs any form of transportation ever again? The amount of cool things you can do with that speed is limitless. And that’s, not even including time travel with the use of the speed force. Aquaman can swim at depths that no other human has ever done. You can be a king of an under water world of Atlantis, a place that many thought was lost in history; and you have the ability to communicate and influence the marine life. Hawkgirl, a strong, sexy, and feisty woman who can fly and has a mace that can break through almost anything. What woman wouldn’t want to be her? Then there’s Cyborg, due to a horrible accident he loses most of his limbs, and his cybernetic enhancements was funded no doubt by the government, who looks at him as their property. I see in real life military soldiers who lost limbs and even regular people, the psychological damage of emotional suffering, physical suffering, and feeling less than a whole human being. Of course there’s being afraid to be intimate with a partner. Yes, you get all those cool enhanced features courtesy of your newly built cybernetic limbs and such, but at the expense of losing what many if not all humans hold so dear…their body parts. Who wants that? And to make matters worse, the government controlling your every action bringing up the fact that they saved your life and that they own you. They probably would plant a microchip somewhere hidden in your cybernetic structure so that if you ever defy them, they’ll just simply turn off the chip. So not only have you lost your life the way that you once knew it, but now you are a weapon for the government and they will never allow your life to be your own. You are their property till you die. So Desh, who really would want to be Cyborg when you really analyze the pros and the cons. And that’s who DC is forcing minorities to accept and like as one of us. And the insulting part is, Hal Jordan fans love this move and welcome Cyborg with open arms and try to justify his value as a founding member for one, and even above Martian Manhunter or Hawkgirl as the second point. So Desh, I see your point loud and clear.
      - Desh Derringer
        
        I agree with you that the whole Cyborg situation is insulting. Being a handicapped invalid eunuch is not a natural desire most people have. About the Hal Jordan fans, if they’re really honest with themselves, they understand exactly what we’re talking about. How can they not? Any person with the ability to reason should be able to. The fact is, they just do not care. They’re only thinking about themselves, which is fine, I guess.
        
        However, I think there’s a problem when corporate officials approach the matter with that same heavily biased fanboy mentality, because that’s what makes it so that many people of color do not want to partake in this hobby. Also, what makes it so younger people do not want to partake in it is that older people who run the show often make the entertainment cater to themselves and people like them. Therefore, if a PoC or younger person is looking for John Stewart, 50 year old White men say they can’t have him.
        
        Then, there are certain fans who try to run off people who are different than them and who like different things. So, if you like John Stewart, you apparently “only like him because he’s Black,” or only because “you saw him in a cartoon,”
        
        You know what’s interesting, though? I’ve never seen anyone say people only like Vixen or Cyborg because they’re Black. And Vixen, who’s powers come from an African totem or whatnot, is a character more rooted in being Black than John Stewart.
        
        It’s just that Vixen, Cyborg, et al, do not threaten some White hero they admire. There are so many holes in some of these people’s reasoning that it is sad. It’s largely just certain types of people being in a panic and belligerently lashing out at what they perceive as a threat.
      - Steve Rogers
        
        Hey, I read that argument with Clyde and Zeeguy. Zeeguy is a real anti-John Stewart fan. He not only dislikes the character, but he HATES the character. This is what he said:
        
        “I can tell you in all seriousness that if John was a real person, he would not be my
        friend and I would certainly not respect him. Hal? Hal’s cool and
        funny. Him I can have a beer with. John is most certainly dull and
        boring and judgmental and offensive. He’d more so be the guy that would
        try to follow me and my friends around the bar, but that we’d end up
        trying to ditch.”
        
        How can you not respect a war veteran and an architect that builds to help society!? Somethings wrong here.
        
        I’m glad that people is calling him out in the comments section. This could hurt his rep as well!
        
        If you guys reads his long rant on his post on CV, beware…..
      - Desh Derringer
        
        He’s kind of gone off the deep end.

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Cullen Bunn Talks Green Lantern: The Lost Army