Green Lantern War Journal #8 review

Green Lantern War Journal #8 follows the threefold story of John Stewart fighting away a dark horde in the far reaches of nowhere, an alternate universe Kyle Rayner reaching out to Guy Gardner for backup, and the safety of John’s mother being threatened back home. Stuck inside a gravity storm, John is the only line of defense for a group of alien people in the face of the coming horde. It is interesting to see John juggling being a hero, being seen as a messiah by the people he protects, and his desire to go back home and simply be by his mother’s side. While this is happening, alternate Kyle visits Guy Gardner’s apartment and is surprised by what he finds.

Phillip Kennedy Johnson keeps up his track record of incorporating high fantasy in his DC stories to great effect. He writes in a way that fills the story and conflict being told with history. Additionally, he explores the endless possibilities of a Green Lantern’s power, having a construct protect John’s mother in more ways than one. Artist Montos complements the writing by amazingly utilizing the limitless concept of a Green Lantern, creating detailed constructs that are in line with John’s background as a soldier and architect. The giant mechs and guns will satisfy readers looking for imaginative if not lengthy fights.

The cracks in the issue only come from the antagonist, as the character and motive of the Revenant Queen are still unclear. To pour salt in the wound, her appearance has now been sidelined in exchange for another new dark lord named Olgrun, which is debatably less interesting. The corrupted United Planets lantern Varron acts as a more consistent and believable antagonist for John Stewart than the two big bads. Varron creates a sense of urgency for John to find a way back home as his mother and construct sister are being haunted. This is the heart of the story, and what makes everything else work.

Green Lantern War Journal #8 is another chapter in the story of John Stewart as he battles his heroic responsibility with that of his family. The inclusion of Guy Gardner makes for great continuity and reminds us of the Lanterns’ connectivity with each other even with the change of the status quo. Though the villain leaves more to be desired, John’s dementia-ridden mother makes this a story worth telling and I can’t wait to see how that plot thread gets resolved.