Art by: Montos
Colors by: Adriano Lucas
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Taj Tenfold
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: September 19, 2023
Green Lantern: War Journal #1 finds Jon Stewart settling into retired life as a retired Green Lantern on Earth when a vindictive entity from another universe comes calling.
Is Green Lantern: War Journal #1 Good?
Green Lantern: War Journal #1 picks up from the backup chapters in Jeremy Adams's Green Lantern run to imagine what happens when a Radiant Dead ring-bearer from another universe decides to wipe out all versions of Jon Stewart from across the multiverse. Does Green Lantern: War Journal #1 give you all the ring-slinging excitement from the main Green Lantern title? Sort of, but not really. Also, nah-maybe-yes.
Phillip Kennedy Johnson's script centers on Jon Stewart living out a humdrum life on Earth, caring for his ailing mother, and generally staying out of trouble. The United Planets (UP) are in control of the Green Lantern Corps, and the UP has declared Earth a quarantine zone due to the high incidents of interstellar shenanigans that seem to focus on Sector 2814. Jon no longer slings a ring, but he's imbued with Lantern energy, which makes him a formidable force when enemies and misguided law enforcement knock on his mother's door.
Meanwhile, the Revenant Queen, glimpsed in the Green Lantern backups, finds her way to Earth to kill the next Jon Stewart.
For the most part, this is okay. Johnson sets up a clear dividing line between the Earth and the Corps' new management. You get plenty of ring-slinging. And the Revenant Queen has the potential to be a Nekron-level threat, in outcome and style.
What's great about Green Lantern: War Journal #1? Although Jon Stewart is technically retired, it doesn't take long for him to show off his powers on a small and large scale, especially when a Corps cop comes along to start trouble. You could argue that Johnson gets a little heavy-handed with the racial profiling metaphor in this issue, but it fits the scenario well enough.
What's not so great about this issue? If you HAVEN'T read the backups in the main Green Lantern title, you'll be mildly lost. A preface paragraph on the credits page gives you the basics surrounding Jon's current status, but everything about the Revenant Queen, Lantern Shepherd (a GL from an alternate dimension/timeline), and everything surrounding one chasing the other comes out of nowhere. The previous backups should add expansive information to the story, not become required reading.
How's the art? The aforementioned backups and this first issue are my first exposure to Montos's work, and it's perfectly good. The figure work, ring-slinging, and overall panel layouts are strong, and Adriano Lucas's coloring is excellent, as usual.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces:
Green Lantern: War Journal #1 sets up a Jon Stewart-centric story that puts his life of quiet retirement on the back burner. There's plenty of creative ring-slinging, and the art is strong, but readers who missed the backups from the main Green Lantern title may feel a little left behind.
Is Green Lantern: War Journal #1 Good?
Green Lantern: War Journal #1 picks up from the backup chapters in Jeremy Adams's Green Lantern run to imagine what happens when a Radiant Dead ring-bearer from another universe decides to wipe out all versions of Jon Stewart from across the multiverse. Does Green Lantern: War Journal #1 give you all the ring-slinging excitement from the main Green Lantern title? Sort of, but not really. Also, nah-maybe-yes.
Phillip Kennedy Johnson's script centers on Jon Stewart living out a humdrum life on Earth, caring for his ailing mother, and generally staying out of trouble. The United Planets (UP) are in control of the Green Lantern Corps, and the UP has declared Earth a quarantine zone due to the high incidents of interstellar shenanigans that seem to focus on Sector 2814. Jon no longer slings a ring, but he's imbued with Lantern energy, which makes him a formidable force when enemies and misguided law enforcement knock on his mother's door.
Meanwhile, the Revenant Queen, glimpsed in the Green Lantern backups, finds her way to Earth to kill the next Jon Stewart.
For the most part, this is okay. Johnson sets up a clear dividing line between the Earth and the Corps' new management. You get plenty of ring-slinging. And the Revenant Queen has the potential to be a Nekron-level threat, in outcome and style.
What's great about Green Lantern: War Journal #1? Although Jon Stewart is technically retired, it doesn't take long for him to show off his powers on a small and large scale, especially when a Corps cop comes along to start trouble. You could argue that Johnson gets a little heavy-handed with the racial profiling metaphor in this issue, but it fits the scenario well enough.
What's not so great about this issue? If you HAVEN'T read the backups in the main Green Lantern title, you'll be mildly lost. A preface paragraph on the credits page gives you the basics surrounding Jon's current status, but everything about the Revenant Queen, Lantern Shepherd (a GL from an alternate dimension/timeline), and everything surrounding one chasing the other comes out of nowhere. The previous backups should add expansive information to the story, not become required reading.
How's the art? The aforementioned backups and this first issue are my first exposure to Montos's work, and it's perfectly good. The figure work, ring-slinging, and overall panel layouts are strong, and Adriano Lucas's coloring is excellent, as usual.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces:
Green Lantern: War Journal #1 sets up a Jon Stewart-centric story that puts his life of quiet retirement on the back burner. There's plenty of creative ring-slinging, and the art is strong, but readers who missed the backups from the main Green Lantern title may feel a little left behind.
7.5/10
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