John Stewart’s Ongoing Comic Confirmed as Green Lantern War Journal

When the new Green Lantern #1 was solicited, it included a mention of “part one of John Stewart: War Journal from writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson and artist Montos” though on publication, this had become “Rise Of The Revenant Queen“. Later the September launch of his title, originally announced as Green Lantern: John Stewart, it was then referred to in image filenames as Green Lantern War Journal, a title reminiscent of the Punisher comic book launched with Jim Lee back in the eighties, Punisher War Journal. Well, in the Dawn Of DC Primer, which has just been published digitally by DC Comics on Kindle, the title and date of the new series is confirmed, alongside a bunch of Who’s Who files for new readers. Indeed, this comic might have made for a better Free Comic Book Day title… and I get the feeling that originally, this is what it was meant for. Considering it’s out a week-and-a-half after Free Comic Book Day, I wonder what went wrong?

The series will be written by Phillip K Johnson and drawn by… Montos? Jeff Spokes? I am sure we will know shortly. Phillip Kennedy Johnson, has been talking to Greg Katzman of CBR – who has just taken on the job as Senior Manager, Public Relations at IDW Publishing – about the upcoming Dawn Of DC publishing initiative at DC Comics.

“They’re bigger than they are. John Stewart is that for me, too. John Stewart is too often painted as a little one-note, in my opinion. Sometimes he just comes off like he spits out military jargon. I get it. You’re writing a team book. You got to give everyone little lines like, “How do I make this feel like this person?” Superman is hopeful, you know? Diana’s peaceful, Batman scowls, Flash’s fast and quippy! And you know, John Stewart used to be a marine. I want to see more.”

“I see John as the architect that he was in the beginning and the person who gives their life for the greater good — the thing larger than himself. His being a marine was part of that, but he’s the consummate Lantern — the one who always should have been a Lantern — not just with his military background but with his brilliant architect’s mind that has been fettered by the concept of three-dimensional space. He’s no longer fettered. He’s the perfect Lantern, so I’m telling the story of John Stewart that is meant to feel like mythology. I’m telling a story of a Greek god who became a man.”

Might the title of Green Lantern War Journal fight against that desire somewhat?