Green Lantern: War Journal #1 is a bright new start for John Stewart. Make sure you add this title to your pull list. Read Full Review

It hasn't been uncommon in DC to have multiple Green Lantern titles playing out at the same time and this is a very strong start for hopefully a long run of War Journal. Read Full Review

After a controversial previous run and a surprisingly long hiatus, the Green Lantern line is finding some real momentum again. And the interesting thing is, it's being done with a status quo that doesn't actually involve the Corps right now. Read Full Review

Green Lantern: War Journal #1 firmly roots the John Stewart character in a familiar and relatable status quo, while also setting up a new, threatening villain. The art and writing blend well for a great jumping on point for new readers. Read Full Review

Green Lantern: War Journal #1 expands the story into something much bigger. The book is intensely creepy and atmospheric, with the overriding feeling that something awful is about to happen. This feels like the last moments of peace for John before bringing him into the action. Read Full Review

Green Lantern: War Journal #1 is the start of a well-crafted character study about John Stewart that aims to put him back into the spotlight. If you've been asking for John Stewart to have a bigger role in the DC Universe, this is the comic for you. It also helps that the creative team has a genuine love for the character, and a desire to drive him to greater heights. Read Full Review

Montos delivers some great art in the issue. I love the visual style and how it plays into the dramatic and horrific elements of the plot. Read Full Review

Green Lantern: War Journal #1 is a very good debut issue. While I do think that the entry point isn't necessarily new reader friendly, I think Phillip Kennedy Johnson will provide enough details as the series evolves to flesh it out for anyone who feels lost now. This issue is emotionally strong and brings the cosmic adventure that many fans have been missing with a Green Lantern title. While I think there's one moment where things get a little heavy handed, all in all it's a terrific start. Eight out of ten lanterns. Read Full Review

War Journal feels like a great new introduction to John Stewart while working with a new status quo for the Lanterns that ups the ante for the superhero. Read Full Review

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. Read Full Review

I really like John Stewart (best human Lantern, after Guy) so I was looking forward to this series. Phillip Johnson has been putting in work on Action Comics and The Hulk. He's a writer who seems to make an effort to understand the characters he's writing, so I was cautiously optimistic . I was not disappointed.

My cover was the John Giang variant, and it looks fantastic. The interior art, by Montos, has a lot to recommend it. The art style is detailed and gritty, and fits the story being told. The horror elements depicted worked well and were chilling. The storytelling was good, with page layouts being clean and easy to read, and a relatively high panel count. There is only one splash page in this comic, and it's a good one. The colors are fine, if a bit dull. I have a single gripe, and that's that the credits were dropped as a 2 page spread over a green background.

The script is very good, with natural dialogue and almost no exposition. Johnson lets the art tell the story, for the most part. Not much actually happens in this comic, but you won't mind, because what happens is good. We get a look at John's new status quo. The bad guys are introduced. A bit of a mystery is set up. We are reminded that John is not to be messed with. Solid beginning to a promising series.

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PKJ comes out on fire with this issue. Stewart quick establishes why he is a real green lantern, even without the ring compared to a green lantern with the ring. Also I will say the end of life of a parent with dementia was written very realistically, which was both great, yet very painful if you have lived that. Almost too realistic.

Art is great.

All in all, a wonderful start, that was well written and shows great promise with a solid understanding of Stewart.

If you've read my reviews of the first three issues of Jeremy Adams's current run with Hal Jordan, you would know that I was feeling a bit unsure about this series based on Johnson's backups. However, this series has delivered with a strong first issue, in my opinion. It could be the fact that we actually got a lot of John Stewart this time around, which I would hope for considering it's his series, and it's great. Finding out that John's mother has dementia/Alzheimer's hit me like a truck and I really enjoyed seeing the relationship John has with her. One other part I also liked was John's fight with one of the new Green Lanterns, which purely existed to remind everyone how powerful he is. Plus, Montos's art throughout the issue was pretty cool and I thought it fit the book well. I must admit that this surprised me a bit after my more mixed feelings towards Johnson's backup stories in Green Lantern, but this was, overall, a nice start to this series that fires on all fronts. more

A very strong debut issue with good art. I hope this series sticks the landing, and I hope this is the definitive John Stewart run.

John Stewart's next chapter got off to a rousing early start as the backup story in the previous three issues of the current 'Green Lantern' series and the official first issue didn't disappoint.

Phillip Kennedy Johnsons' script is super tight and really leans into Stewart's humanity now that he's been relegated back to Earth. The moments with his mother, who is suffering from some form of dementia/Alzheimer's disease, was absolutely heart-breaking — especially for someone who has dealt with these types of ailments in loved ones. But Johnson still allows us to see just how powerful Stewart can be when he's ambushed, which is also a scene where the art gets to shine as well.

Much like's the art in the prelude story, Montos' art throughout this issue is equally compelling. I loved how he created two distinct worlds with the Revenant Queen in space and John on Earth. It's all perfectly complemented by the colors of Adriano Lucas. Everything pops of the page with a vibrancy that only a Green Lantern tale could do. more

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Review at (1:52) in video

Man, ever since JLU turned John Stewart from a radical architect with a social conscience to a tough-as-nails marine, his character has been pretty one-note and has suffered as a result.
Plus how clichéd is it to have a GL member be a military guy.
At least this writer has said he's going to refocus on the architect part, but there's a lot of character salvaging to do here. Not there yet.

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Hex - Sep 20, 2023 (edited)

That's exactly why its cliché. If everyone is, it loses its value. For me, John being a marine tended to supersede his architect background but that's because I just grew up with the animated series so even my perspective is skewed. I definitely agree that it is cliché and played out which is unfortunate because that type of character, the "tough-as-nails marine" can work really well but it tends to just be written the same way every time like an 80s action movie. Move away from the tropeiness.

Hex - Sep 21, 2023

There are 7 Earth Green Lanterns that are actually a part of the Corps. Jordan, Gardner, Stewart, Rayner, Baz, Cruz, and Mullein. 3 of those 7 have military or police backgrounds. That's still a large ratio and most of the stories that people have read hosted predominantly the first 4. 2 of those 4 had military backgrounds that really enveloped their characters as well as the fact they they are all space cops. It's cliché, it's redundant, it's a trope. That's why we have Kyle, Simon and Jessica.

Ulf - Sep 25, 2023 (edited)

@DCFanofSorts RE: Guy, That's another retcon. When he was created he was a GYM TEACHER. When John Stewart was created he was a young man from a poor background starting out as an architect. Heck, when Kilowog was created, he was a Communist-sympathizing pacifist medical engineer, who loved to create tech to help out the general population (a great subversion of the 'big muscle guy' character). Now suddenly Guy is a cop, John is a marine, and Kilowog is a tough GL training sergeant. YAWN!

Ulf - Sep 25, 2023 (edited)

@Hex I hear you. And they just threw Hal into the military background recently too. I guess it makes sense as he was a test pilot, but they never got into any military part of him until maybe the GL Emerald Dawn thing in the early 1990s or even much later in Johns' run. At least it's not his defining characteristic now like it seems to be with other GLs. Morrison and Sharp were on to something. And yes, there are way too many human/American GLs out there for a big space sector.

Hex - Sep 28, 2023

I totally forgot about the Kilowog bit. That is great subversion to the expectation and would love if they lean on that more.

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For God's sake will writers of DC stop making new earth lanterns and new lantern corps?

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Ulf - Sep 26, 2023

hell I'd settle for an earth lantern that isn't American! A space sector the size of a galaxy and all they pick are Americans?

maljoss - Oct 6, 2023

You are aware that John's not a new lantern. He's been around since 1972 (GL v2 # 87). That said, I agree. Earth Lanterns are boring. Except Guy, of course.

Ulf - Oct 9, 2023

@maljoss he's not talking about John, the 3rd Silver Age GL. There's another one in this issue.

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