Green Lantern: War Journal #6 – Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Writer; Montos, Artist; Adriano Lucas, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Phillip Kennedy Johnson has done what many writers have tried and failed to do over the years—craft a story that not only centers John Stewart, but centers his personal story and trauma as a veteran and a survivor. This series has had some of the most emotional moments in recent Green Lantern tales, usually centered around John and his elderly mother and his younger sister—who died as a child and was created as a construct by John, but has now been transformed into a living construct capable of independent thought—and maybe so much more. But then, John pushing his limits has been a large part of this series as a whole, with him going up against the Radiant Dead and teaming up with a young Lantern from the future, Shepherd. This issue reveals the full extent of the Radiant Dead’s nature and power—and artist Montos absolutely delivers in terms of creating a terrifying cosmic entity.
While John and Shepherd start the fight in control, things quickly go south and the team suffers a casualty—which forces John to dig deep and once again push the limits of what a Green Lantern is capable of. The previous GL run was definitely controversial, but it did do one thing very right—it started the process of turning John into less of a single Green Lantern and more of a powerhouse cosmic hero who could redefine the role of these heroes in the DCU, and Johnson seems to be building on that in a huge way. With eerie cosmic art, compelling characters, and a fast-brewing mystery in what exactly Ellie is now and what she’s capable, this first arc has delivered in every way—and paired with Jeremy Adams’ Hal Jordan run, we’re probably in the best era for the GL line since Johns’ days. The only question is—if this arc was this big already, what does Johnson have planned next?
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
