Art by: Montos
Colors by: Alex Guimaráes
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Taj Tenfold
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: October 17, 2023
Green Lantern: War Journal #2 makes the Revenant Queen's designs for John Stewart personal when the Queen's forces attack his Mama.
Is Green Lantern: War Journal #2 Good?
Phillip Kennedy Johnson has a tall hill to climb with this series after Geoffrey Thorne's disastrous run. John Stewart is a popular Lantern with many readers, but his last series left him in an awfully wobbly state. Thankfully, Johnson is climbing that hill, and Green Lantern: War Journal #2 has me on board.
When last we left John Stewart, he was busy not being busy as a retired Green Lantern on Earth. A haughty GL from the UFP decided to give John a little trouble when Lantern energy was detected on John's person (in a heavy-handed metaphor for racial profiling), but John's power is no longer ring-based, so he sent the Lantern, Varron, packing. Meanwhile, the Revenant Queen appeared in orbit and took out a space station on her trek to find and eliminate every John Stewart from the multiverse.
Watch our Green Lantern: War Journal #2 Video Review
Now, John and Mama Stewart take a trip to Steelworks in Metropolis for an impromptu job interview. When the two make their way home after a successful meeting, the train is attacked by Varron and his GL cohorts, now under the Revenant Queen's control. John ultimately holds his own, but he's wounded and possibly infected with the Revenant Queen's energy.
Readers may notice the pacing and urgency of this issue aren't consistent, but that's okay. Johnson appears to be following a rough approximation of the 7-7-7 rule of comics, which effectively breaks up the issue into three acts. It just so happens the middle act is a little out-of-step with the first and third. Don't worry, it reads fine, and you get a strong idea of the bond John has with his mother, so just go with it.
What's great about Green Lantern: War Journal #2? You never see the Revenant Queen in this issue, but her presence and actions play a big part in presenting a threat to John. The Queen's conscripted Lanterns are dangerous, and their willingness to attack civilians poses high stakes for John, especially when his mother is in the crossfire.
What's not so great about Green Lantern: War Journal #2? Admittedly, yes, the pacing takes a nosedive in the middle of the comic. It's nice to see Steel pop up for a cameo (not so much for the Jay Nakamura insert), and the prospect of John working at Steelworks has great team-up potential, but the middle section felt too long and uneventful.
How's the art? It's... okay. Montos's sketchy style looks great in some panels, but the characters look misshapen in others. Some backgrounds are fully rendered; others are not. On average, the art is fine albeit inconsistent.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Green Lantern: War Journal #2 is a solid entry in the series that brings the Revenant Queen's hunt to Earth and puts John Stewart's mother in the crossfire. The Revenant Queen presents as a formidable threat with high stakes, and the art is decent.
7.5/10
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