There are a lot of comics out there but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week, we take a look at DC Comics latest ongoing series for John Stewart titled “Green Lantern: War Journal.”
Who’s This By?
“Green Lantern: War Journal” is written by Philip Kennedy Johnson. Johnson’s work is recognized most widely by DC Comics readers for the collaborations with artist Riccardo Federici. Federici and artist Rafa Sandoval worked with Johnson on DC’s “Action Comics” series in the Dawn of DC Era. Johnson and Federici also worked together on “The Fellspyre Chronicles” series.
Montos is a relatively new DC Comics artist at the publisher. Montos has worked with celebrated DC Comics creator Christopher Priest on the “Entropy” and “Black Adam” titles. “Entropy” was even published as part of Heavy Metal’s publishing line. Montos utilizes a unique line that makes the art in “Green Lantern: War Journal” look like nothing else on store shelves. Montos also has a knack for picking interesting collaborators with creators like Priest and Johnson.
What’s This All About?
“Green Lantern: War Journal” is all about the series protagonist, John Stewart. DC’s Green Lantern franchise is in an odd place as the Guardians of the Universe have left the Corps. The United Plates are serving in their place, quarantining Sector 2814 where Earth is located. “Green Lantern: War Journal” is about John’s journey to becoming a soldier again in the middle of his own personal struggle with family and being a Lantern hero. John’s struggle to keep his mother Shirley safe despite the looming multiverse threat of danger in the background is thrilling. Also, Johnson’s utilization of Shirley in the supporting cast of the series has given John a strong tether to Earth. Also, the stakes that Shirley and John’s sister Eleanor bring to the narrative perfectly teases out the tension of “Green Lantern: War Journal.”
What Makes it so Great?
DC found a compelling artist for “Green Lantern: War Journal” in Montos. Montos lends a post-modern sensibility to his layouts and storytelling that matches the incredibly strong ambition from Johnson’s scripts. One of my favorite pages from the fifth issue of “Green Lantern: War Journal” is loaded with negative space before catching a side-eye from Stewart from behind in the final panel. This moment in issue #5 of “Green Lantern: War Journal” is also loaded with negative space and punctuates a dark but hopeful moment for Stewart that perfectly catches the unique tone of “Green Lantern: War Journal.” Adriano Lucas and Christopher Sotomayor imbue vivid and unconventional colors towards “Green Lantern: War Journal” that continues to explore the unique elements of the book. The purple hues of the Dark Stars, Radiant Dead and The Revenant Queen look gorgeous on the comic book page. The colors of the scene in the fifth issue showing the fragile psyche of Shirley is an incredibly moving sequence depicted beautifully by the entire art team.
“Green Lantern: War Journal” plunges into alternate realities and fascinating antagonists from the very first issue. However, Johnson wisely ensures there’s a strong characterization for Stewart before pitting him against The Radiant Dead and The Revenant Queen. Johnson and Montos are taking up an extreme amount of plot threads for this title so watching Johnson slowly reveal the cast of characters like Varron as antagonists to John is thrilling. Another element of plot that elevates “Green Lantern: War Journal” is the way that Johnson uses the supporting cast of characters like John and Natasha Irons from Steelworks. The Irons characters help ground the narrative and give a couple more characters for Shirley to speak with late in the series. John’s friendship with Shepherd is another one of the most important relationships in his life that grows beautiful over time as “Green Lantern: War Journal” develops.
As fantastic as the first couple of issues of “Green Lantern: War Journal” are, Johnson and Montos spend a lot of time establishing the threats before actually having John face off against them directly. The sixth issue of the “Green Lantern: War Journal” rectifies this problem and features a massive brawl for the cast of the comic book. Johnson’s build-up to the finale of this opening story line has been paced perfectly so far and I’m really hoping that the creative team will be able to stick the landing of this huge story. Some of the final twists introducing pieces of “Action Comics” to the pages of “Green Lantern: War Journal” were thrilling!
The best part of the latest issue of “Green Lantern: War Journal” is the sheer ambition of the series! Before Johnson and Montos wrapped up their first arc on the comic they opened up one additional loose thread for John in the final panels. Stewart is in a brand new location in the context of future issues that looks to bring even more shocking elements of dark fantasy towards “Green Lantern: War Journal.” Moving forward, I hope Montos and Johnson find something else to say about the Radiant Dead and The Revenant Queen before this run winds down. The way Johnson and Montos flesh out Green Lantern John Stewart as a superhero and family man lends a touching portrait of a superhero in “Green Lantern: War Journal”.
