Art by: Montos
Colors by: Adriano Lucas
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Montos (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: November 21, 2023
Green Lantern: War Journal #3 puts John Stewart at the center of one difficult decision after another when the Revenant Queen's emissary threatens John's family and infuses him with a deadly virus.
Is Green Lantern: War Journal #3 Good?
Green Lantern: War Journal #3 is a gritty, surprisingly emotional entry in John Stewart's war against the Radiant Dead. Phillip Kennedy Johnson's latest chapter gives readers all the ring-slinging action they want, but the dramatic moments remind readers that John is still a man who wrestles with the pain of doing what's right, even when at a personal cost.
When last we left John Stewart, he and his mother enjoyed a day trip to Metropolis for a job interview at Steelworks. The trip home by train, however, was not so enjoyable when GL Varron, now a thrall to the Revenant Queen, attacked the train, putting innocents at risk and eventually infecting John with the Radiant Dead.
Now, John escapes Varron's attack with the help of a visiting Lantern from another universe, GL Shephard, who understands what the Revenant Queen is after and what it takes to stop her. GL Shephard explains the infection will accelerate every time John uses his powers, and the appearance of an old but different friend helps John to accept that this isn't a fight he can leave to anyone else.
In writing parlance, this issue is the 'Crossing The Threshold' part of the hero's journey. John knows he has to fight, but he's resisted the call because of a promise he made to his mother not to leave her alone. But in the hero's journey, fate gets what fate demands, and to Johnson's credit, John's moment of acceptance is an emotional gut punch.
What's great about Green Lantern: War Journal #3? Johnson's script isn't an action-heavy superhero romp, but the mix of drama, emotion, and imagery makes this entry no less effective. Johnson is writing a classic hero's journey that takes John, the Lanterns, and the universe they inhabit seriously.
What's not so great about Green Lantern: War Journal #3? This point isn't so much a criticism as a point of confusion. A familiar face shows up to push John through his 'threshold' to accept the challenge ahead, but it's unclear where this character came from and his connection to what's happening.
How's the art? It's growing on me. Montos's gritty, shadow-heavy style suits the grim, emotionally weighty tone of Johnson's script, and the construct scenes are solid.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
How's the art? It's growing on me. Montos's gritty, shadow-heavy style suits the grim, emotionally weighty tone of Johnson's script, and the construct scenes are solid.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Bits and Pieces:
Green Lantern: War Journal #3 is a dramatic, emotionally weighty take on the classic hero's journey as John is forced to accept his mission to fight the Revenant Queen. Johnson's script contains aspects of a classically mature war drama, and Montos's meaty art is aces.
8.5/10
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