By: Van Jansen (script), Robert Venditti (co-plot), Victor Orujiniu and Ivan Fernandez (main sequence pencils), Juan Castro and Rob Lean (main sequence inks), Allan Jefferson (flashback pencils), Rob Lean (flashback inks), Garry Henderson (colors)
The Story: John Stewart’s knowledge of the Super Bowl halftime show saves the day. No, seriously.
The Review: John Stewart is one of the most interesting figures in DC’s history. Created by Denny O’Neill and Neal Adams, Stewart debuted as an architect and a somewhat justified Angry Black Man, focused on egalitarianism, transparency, and questioning authority. Since then he’s had a number of false starts that generally left him languishing in obscurity until the next reboot of his role came along. That changed in 2001 when he was chosen to represent the Corps in the Justice League animated series, making him the Green Lantern to an entire generation. This John Stewart was a former Marine; stern, straight-laced, and stoic. Before long this was transferred into the comics continuity and this new John returned to the Green Lantern Corps with honor, before beginning his cycle of reinvention once again.
I mention this because John is a character who people really want to succeed but has rarely found a status quo that worked for him. His history is a bit of a mess; for instance, I don’t know that it’s ever been addressed that John is man in his thirties who’s supposedly served as an active Marine and undergone the mandatory five or more years it takes to become an architect before joining the Green Lantern Corps.
Well here, it kind of pays off for the long-suffering Lantern. Where other heroes were just Gotham civilians during Zero Year, like Nightwing and Batgirl, or fledgling heroes who found reasons to visit, like Superman or the Flash, John Stewart’s origin gives him a solid reason to be in Gotham during the blackout.
Assigned to a Marine unit sent to help with evacuation efforts, John encounters a new version of Anarky, who’s partially assimilated and partially taken hostage a stadium of refugees in an attempt to establish a foothold in Gotham. The plot is solid and finds a logical wrinkle within the crossover’s premise in which to base itself. Apparently Zero Year is a good time for old Alan Grant creations.
Anarky toes the line between strawman villain and voice for change, but generally falls on the side of the prior. His militaristic garb and dark skin immediately tell us that this is a different take on Grant’s creation, and from time to time he talks the talk to back up his claims. However, whether Anarky is playing upon socioeconomic divisions or is merely drunk on the power his philosophy gives him, Van Jensen doesn’t portray him with any moral authority; a shame, given the character’s complex history.
Anarky’s violent progressivism is met by Sgt. Stewart’s commanding officer, one Lt. Tasker. Tasker begins as a calming influence on his unit, but quickly escalates as he meets with resistance from Anarky and the people he was tasked to rescue. By the end of the comic, the Marines have done relatively little to combat Anarky’s perception of them as “perfect little war robots.”
If the issue sounds simplistic, that’s because it kind of is, but the delicate balance of these conflicting ideologies is mediated by a lengthy monologue from Sgt. Stewart’s mother. Framed by Shirley Stewart’s recollections of growing up in underprivileged 1970s Detroit – a setting that I can’t help but notice was the original home of John Stewart himself – the issue actually does an impressive job of exploring the complexity of power and privilege. It’s also lovely to see how John was influenced by his mother, apparently a successful single mother of color and an active community organizer. Her legacy is clear in how Jansen writes future Lantern Stewart, but John feels distinct enough that he isn’t a Man of Steel-style stand in for his parent.
This issue’s version of John Stewart is an admirable synthesis of the character’s conflicting history and makes perfectly clear what he brings to the table as a Green Lantern, a question that far too many would answer with an awkward “diversity?” However the cost of fitting so much into the issue is a certain weakness in defining John’s voice. John says a great deal more with his actions than his words in this issue, and when he does speak it usually expresses his correctness more than any other quality. Indeed, it might have been nice if John had shown a little less certainty or if another member of his unit had demonstrated a positive characteristic at some point.
The art on the Marine extraction is moody and well inked, but it can also feel stiff and slightly generic. I can’t help but wonder if the sheer number of creators involved on this issue alludes to some rush or trouble getting it print. Either way, while the main sequence’s backgrounds are usually strong, panel compositions sometimes fail to direct the eye and pages tend to lack flow, leaving us with a series of images rather than a sequence. The figures are fine, but don’t often distinguish themselves. The one exception, oddly enough, is the faceless Anarky, whose body language and new design speak with crystal clarity.
For his part, Allan Jefferson turns in some lovely work on the flash back sequences. The panels are strewn throughout the issue and vary widely in their coloration, but , but they’re all quite nice. Jefferson and Lean’s work is simple and cartoony, but every so often they tip their hand, revealing the level of detail that they’re capable of, which explains why their understated panels look so lovely.
The flashback sequences immediately summon up the feel of the 1970s without descending into full-on caricature. The emotions are clear and powerful and the detail, ink, and color of the panels work together seamlessly in order to guide the eye.
I also think that Garry Henderson deserves a brief moment of congratulation as he displays impressive range, from the monochrome memories of days gone by, to the oppressive grey of the present, to a pair of beautiful sun-soaked pages depicting the Stewart family, which bookend the issue.
The Conclusion: Providing an enjoyable and complex look at John Stewart comes at the price of many of the other characters this week, but Van Jenson and Robert Venditti succeed in making one of the most distantly related characters to this event feel right at home. And we also get a first glimpse at a new take on an old Gotham standout who has only grown more relevant as time has passed.
The art is solid, with Allan Jefferson’s flashbacks being particularly eye-catching and strong inkwork throughout. The new Anarky design is great and Orujiniu and Fernandez do an excellent job of bringing it to life.
Green Lantern Corps #25 had a tough job ahead of it, but while it isn’t perfect, it succeeds in crafting a compelling origin tale for one of DC’s most underutilized heroes.
Grade: B-
Some Notes:
- I try not to spoil things so I can’t say too about this, but John’s thoughts at the end of the issue seem to be somewhat at odds with how the Marine Corps works. Am I wrong?
- Seriously, an analysis of the racial politics of this issue would probably be fascinating. Would someone better educated than I please get on that?