In this review of Green Lantern: War Journal #12 — the epic conclusion, John Stewart faces off against the deadly Revenant Queen. With John’s family at risk, the stakes have never been higher!
Green Lantern: War Journal #12
Written by: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Art and Main Cover by: Montos
Variant Cover: Mark Spears, Jason Geyer
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: August 21, 2024
This review contains spoilers
Nearly a year after the first issue’s publication, Green Lantern: War Journal #12 ends in the siege of an ancient space crypt, in this final chapter, titled The Builder. With a final push against the Revenant Queen’s forces, Lanterns Stewart, Shepard, and Gardner, and an army of stranded alien refugees fight to quell her evil and find a way back home. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Varron, a former Green Lantern infected by the Radiant Dead, hunts down Stewart’s mother, Shirley.
But Shirley, armed with the power of the Green Lantern via a construct of her late daughter, is no shrinking violet. She defends herself against her assailant, using knight’s armor from a fairy tale she would read her children. “I see why John took to this [ring]. It’s pure creation. John was always so creative… but he’s quick to scrap, too. I may not have my boy’s mind for building… but he got his love of punishing bullies from me.”
Ultimately, with the help of his mentor, Byla, John is able to thwart the Radiant Dead’s evil plans by using their own power, the Darkstar ring, to trap and incapacitate them. Shepard and Gardner in tow, John races back to Earth to save his mother from the last of the Radiant Dead’s vengeful forces. Together, John and his mother defeat Varron, but Shirley’s condition deteriorates too fast. In her dying words to her son, she thanks him for the privilege of motherhood and praises him for his sense of duty and responsibility. Tearfully, John replies, “Everything that ever mattered about me came from you, you know. I need you to know that. The clearer I hear your voice, the better a Green Lantern I am.”
In a sun-drenched epilogue, John and his family, now companions in the form of artificial constructs, install important infrastructure in Botswana, cementing his identity not only as a fierce warrior but also as a selfless builder.
Phillip Kennedy Johnson closes out the series strong, maintaining the emotional throughline of John’s interpersonal life whilst also keeping readers engaged with high-fantasy battles of alien deities. Particular acknowledgment is earned by exploring new ways of utilizing the power of the Green Lantern ring, which, wielded by so many other characters in so many other previous and ongoing stories, may seem drained of innovation; the inclusion of John’s departed sister as an autonomous entity powered by his own willpower is a creative addition to a power set other writers may have thought was tapped-dry.
As stated in my last review, Johnson’s characterization of John Stewart as a man represented by two identities (veteran and architect) is an emotionally intelligent way of drawing more life from a 2D page. We relate to John in his personal life, and root for him in his heroic day job, specifically because the way he solves problems (with ingenuity and compassion) sets him apart from other square-jawed heroes. This focus is so absorbing, however, it makes the main plotline of space warfare actually less interesting by comparison. Finer details of the villains’ master plan fade as we long to return to the more rooted elements of John’s story.
Montos’ collaboration has been an integral part of the series’ identity, as his artwork really encapsulates the emotional stakes of each moment. Diversity is the operative word; Montos displays diversity of expression, of choice, and of action in a way that synchronizes with Johnson’s efforts to create a multifaceted ensemble. Close-up panels of fear, calm, defiance, and pain are the emotional knots we cling to as we bob in the water of yet another cosmic battle.
Green Lantern: War Journal #12 concludes the compelling series with a bow, reminding us that what makes a hero is not his fist but his heart.
Enjoy this comic book review? Find more reviews here. If you would like to buy a copy of this title, and help support the Comic Book Spot at the same time, consider purchasing this book at Amazon, My Comic Shop, or Things From Another World.
