The solicitation for the December issue of Green Lantern Corps has been released, and boy, some very interesting stuff is going down! It seems things have come to blows between Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The two are apparently going to battle over control of the Green Lantern Corps.

I believe John Stewart will win, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my obvious favorite.

Let’s consider a few points.
Both John and Hal are operating on Oa. It’s only logical that one of them has to go. With a universe as broad as Green Lantern’s, why have two major lead characters at the same place doing the same kind of stuff? Geoff Johns, writer of Justice League, likely wants to use Hal Jordan again, which means Jordan will probably be returning to Earth. That wouldn’t be a terrible idea for the Green Lantern title, seeing as there are four Lantern books (more if you count Larfleeze) and none of them focus on a Green Lantern in Sector 2814. If Hal Jordan heads back, then he will probably no longer be leading the Green Lantern Corps. Which means… John Stewart will hopefully win the upcoming battle! Additionally, recent issues have shown John to be a very competent Lantern and leader, while Hal is being shown to be somewhat inept.

Of obvious note is that the battle will be taking place in John’s book, so he has the home court advantage. Van Jensen is certainly into giving John respect in a way that no creator has since Bruce Timm and company, and Gerard Jones before them, which also lends to John’s favor.

And really, John deserves it. He deserves… something! It’s a crime for a character as great and noteworthy as he is to have gone through the mishandling he did during the Johns reign of the Green Lantern franchise. John Stewart has so much potential that was never realized by the writer. Actually… it’s not even potential. He has real merits that are well known and easily seen. Just watch Justice League or read Green Lantern: Mosaic.

Here is the official solicitation for Green Lantern Corps #26:

“It’s Lantern vs. Lantern as John Stewart battles Hal Jordan for the leadership of the Corps! For months, John Stewart has let his anger build as Hal Jordan sent Guy Gardner into the Red Lanterns and declared war against other corps across the spectrum. After the devastating events of “LIGHTS OUT,” John is determined to rebuild the Corps as he sees fit—even if it means taking down his oldest friend!”

I can’t wait! Green Lantern Corps has been so good, in no small part due to artist Bernard Chang, who continues to bless our eyes with grandeur! Excellent cover. I especially love the crowd in the background. What really catches my attention is Fatality’s face… which is just perfect. I like the contrast between her expression and many of the others around her.

Let’s all pick up Green Lantern Corps #26 and watch John hopefully become leader of the Green Lantern Corps!

I’d also like to thank many of the readers who have left so many kind comments on this site. It really means a lot to me that… well, this site means a lot to you. Please keep visiting.

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Going along with the solicitation, could DC be grooming John Stewart for something big? We have reason to believe that Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver are working on a large original graphic novel starring John Stewart, which they’ve been staying very closed mouthed about. Gail Simone has offered a few tantalizing crumbs, however. In an interview with Major Spoilers, she states:

“It is going to come out as a graphic novel so it’s going to be 90 pages and the reason we haven’t announced it yet is that we want to get more of it done before we announce it, it’s really a lot of work to do 90 pages and have it ready all at once, but it’s a huge story, there’s a lot of big scary horrific elements, the kind that Ethan loves to draw, and that I love to write, and probably most of it’s characters that you like.”

Why do I suspect that John Stewart is the star of this? First of all, it’s no secret that he is Gail Simone’s favorite Green Lantern. Of him, she has said:

“My favorite Lantern, no question about it.”

Link.

But even more convincing are the art pieces that have been revealed from the project. We know it’s a Green Lantern project, and John is the only character who consistently shows up prominently in all the art we’ve been shown.

Considering what we’ve got to work with, I think it’s safe to assume this will be a John Stewart story. Taking into account other goings-on, it makes me wonder if DC is working hard to raise John’s profile.
Van Jensen, writer of Green Lantern Corps, assured worried John Stewart fans that DC Comics does not hate John Stewart and that they have plans for him…

That’s a very vague thing to say, and it could mean anything, but by the looks of things, it’s very positive.

I truly hope that we’ll see more of John in related media, like films, and another attempt at a Green Lantern cartoon using him as lead. It’s true we saw John Stewart in Young Justice and as downloadable content for Injustice: Gods Among Us, but lately, it’s pretty much been Hal Jordan, Hal Jordan, Hal Jordan.

I understand WB and DC wanting to have a main, definitive Green Lantern, but I question why they would keep attempting to give that role to Hal Jordan after his movie was critically panned and financially unsuccessful, his merchandise didn’t sell, and his cartoon lasted one season.

What I’m saying isn’t out of disrespect to the Hal Jordan character or his fans. It’s more a matter of making intelligent business decisions. If Hal Jordan wound up being a massive hit, I would accept that. But I can’t see why WB would continue massively pushing the character when audiences haven’t responded favorably, especially when there is another Green Lantern they’re familiar with. All I’m saying is if one Lantern doesn’t work out, try the one that people know and like again. It’s a simple and sound concept.

I know I’ve slagged DC off a lot recently (many people have). But I have no trouble admitting they’re taking steps in the right direction as far as John Stewart is concerned. I hope they only continue on that course, and I’m very excited by the Simone/Van Sciver project and am happy to see that DC has plans for John Stewart. The last time we heard anything about the graphic novel was June of this year when Gail Simone tweeted a page from it. As she said, it’s a big job, and Ethan Van Sciver is a notoriously slow artist. Let’s try to contain ourselves and be patient as we await more news on this awesome looking project.

You can read the rest of the Gail Simone interview at Major Spoilers:
Link.

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Categories: News

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