In Search of John Stewart--Green Lantern

I was going to kill John Stewart.

This was March 2013, and I had just been named the new writer of GREEN LANTERN CORPS from DC Comics. I’d been trying to break into writing mainstream superhero comics for a few years, and this was my shot. It just so happened that my shot came amid rumors that I’d been brought in to murder a Green Lantern.

The reality is that no one at DC ever told me to kill John or asked whether I would do it. From the moment I was hired, we were planning out the future of the book with John as the main star. (As always, I can only speak to my own experience. If John ever was supposed to die, that notion was thrown out before I came onboard.)

But the rumors wouldn’t stop, and I found myself tasked with writing John Stewart as his most passionate fans were primed to hate me. But in the midst of the tumult, I had a realization: John’s fans were stepping up in a big way, expressing their love of the character, rallying to his side. And rather than hide from them, I could pay attention to what they were saying. I could learn.

As I rushed to get caught up on the Green Lantern universe that greats like Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi, and Tony Bedard had created, I also dove into the very message boards where John Stewart fans were cursing my name. Here’s what I saw:

The fans love John for his passion, for his intellect, for his heroism. They love that he is an African-American hero, but they don’t love him because of the color of his skin. They love him for his strength, but also for his flaws. They love him because he’s complex, a man full of seemingly incompatible traits. And again and again, I saw them refer back to GREEN LANTERN: MOSAIC, an oddball series from the 1990s that saw John become overseer of a patchwork world of various alien cultures. As I was looking up the series, I realized I had encountered it almost 20 years before.

I didn’t have much access to comics growing up, and on road trips, I would load up with whatever I could grab. One trip, I picked up GREEN LANTERN: MOSAIC #3 on a whim. It was the cover that grabbed me, John in a strong pose, his eyes piercing, plucking the wings from some fairy-like alien.

I only had that one issue, so the larger scope of the story eluded me. (Why were all of these aliens crammed into one place? Who is this Sinestro guy?) But, still, I read and re-read that issue till—like most of my comics—it fell apart. I re-drew Cully Hamner’s art over and over. It wasn’t the action so much as the characterization of the lead character that pulled me in. John Stewart wielded the most powerful weapon in the universe, and yet he wasn’t a brawler. He was a thinker, a tactician.

Writer Gerard Jones also crafted John a man so deep in thought he had become lost, his struggles to escape his own head driving the tension in the story. John’s psyche splits and manifests, the metaphor turned literal.

John had a dynamic tension inside him, he was both builder and destroyer, always pulled between the two personas. He would create a better world during the day, then tear it apart at night. Heady stuff for 10-year-old Van.

As much as I loved the issue, I couldn’t find Green Lantern comics, and so I drifted away from the universe, from John. I forgot that lone issue of Mosaic, until John and I were reunited.

Back to 2013: I hunted down the full run of Mosaic on eBay and tore through them. It’s a flawed series—Jones himself calls it “pretentious,” so I’ll note only that I concur—but it captures what makes John great. It’s the foundation for the interpretation of John that later appeared in the Justice League animated series, earning John a whole new generation of fans and adding in the great new wrinkle of his service as a Marine. Both of which became the base for me to build up my take on the character.

John is the most challenging character I’ve ever written. I’ve never worked so hard or been more uncertain of the results. I had a lot of help along the way, from Robert Venditti, from my editors (Matt Idelson, Chris Conroy, and Darren Shan), and from the incredible art team of Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo. Beyond that, I also had John’s fans, who weren’t shy in voicing their opinions and frustrations, or their praise.

And it means so, so much to me that those fans seem to have enjoyed my run. I did my best to do John justice. And I couldn’t be happier that my last issue of GREEN LANTERN CORPS, issue 40, delivers a major moment in John’s history, one that will help shape his future.

I don’t know what’s next for John, or whether our paths will ever cross again. Wherever my career takes me, I’ll always remember that John was there at the beginning.

John pushed me, challenged me and inspired me. And, in turn, I ran him through the ringer—almost killing him, breaking apart his relationship, straining his friendships, testing his mettle. But no matter what I threw his way, he came out stronger on the other side. Because, well, that’s John.

Van Jensen wrote GREEN LANTERN CORPS issues 21-40. An omnibus of his first comics work, PINOCCHIO, VAMPIRE SLAYER, was released in 2014 from Top Shelf and he is currently writing THE FLASH with Robert Venditti.

Neal Adams. Gerard Jones. Bruce Timm.

Those are all names of creators who have made an everlasting impression on the John Stewart character.

And Van Jensen [with the help of Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo] stands among them.

Jensen is definitely right about coming onto the Green Lantern books during a tumultuous time. Joshua Hale Fialkov left his Green Lantern Corps and Red Lantern books before ever writing them, stating that editorial planned on killing off John Stewart. The internet blew up. Neal Adams or Dennis O'Neil--one John's creators--called up DC demanding to know what was going on. There was definitely a lot of distrust with DC in regards to the character.

It wasn't that John couldn't be killed. It was that his death would be unceremonious at the time. The "Four Corpsmen" were taking over after an eight-year run in which John Stewart received no development and had large chunks of his history erased. In the world of comics, it felt as though John hadn't gotten any shine since the critically acclaimed Green Lantern Mosaic. Despite his popularity, he seemed to have been shoved into the backseat, especially in comparison to the other human Lanterns. Some "fans" regularly insulted a vibrant, complex character because they never saw what made the character great.

Then Jensen came on Green Lantern Corps and absolutely won everyone over. He did his research, re-fleshed out/re-developed the character, wrote compelling stories, and made the fans proud. He embraced John's complexity, proved that John was fully capable of being a lead, gave John a fresh, new origin, and injected the exact right amounts of humor, heart, and weird into the book, making it one of DC's best sellers.

Jensen never coddled John. He put him in situations that showcased his best characteristics. And, most importantly, he emphasized John's humanity.

Thank you for carrying the torch on a hell of a run, Van. You carried it well--which is to say with dignity, humor, and imagination. Your writing on the book will be deeply missed.

Here's to you:

Beautiful. Simply beautiful.I still remember growing up on Justice League animated series and seeing John as The Green Lantern made me so happy knowing a non-white character could be a hero amongst the likes of Wonder woman and Superman. Mister Jensen your comic Green Lantern Corps was and is the only DC comic I have been reading since the new 52 started. I know they give Geoff a lot of props but you brought characterization and team dynamics to this title. I will never forget the great work you have done for this character and for the Green Lantern Corps. I wish you, Venditti and Chang all the best.

VAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNnn JENSEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~MiB

Awesome to see Van Jensen have passion for the character. Great article, and I'm definitely happy John was never killed off. Looking forward to see what happens to the Corps after Convergence

Van Jensen, your Green Lantern Corps is my favorite comic book series. I really appreciate all the effort you put into researching John and doing the very best you could for him. I'm happy you saw what I did with his relationship with Fatality. It was weird and wrong in so many ways. I prefer not to have my favorite superhero in such a bizarre and near fake relationship, especially when the properties of it weren't even explored, as if it was totally normal.

You're really the first writer in comics since Gerard Jones to seem like you actually cared about the character and weren't just using him to prop up other characters. I think the fact that the previous teams paired John with a brainwashed Fatality as his key love interest moving forward (even to the point of writing a future when they're married), without even bothering to explore the zaniness of that, shows they didn't really care.

I'm also grateful for what you did with John's new origin in Secret Origins #9. I can tell you really listened to John's fans and I couldn't have asked for more from you.

You care about John and about his fans, and that means a lot to me, because for so long, it seemed like DC Comics either didn't care about us, or were oblivious to our existence. I seriously hope that you return to John Stewart someday, and I'll always cherish your Green Lantern Corps run as some of the best times I've had with comic books.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for a great run, Van. You really did the Green Lantern Corps justice. As has been said, you will be missed on the Green Lantern titles. Good luck with your upcoming projects!

@g_man@k4tzm4n: Now, this is awesome. :)

@captain13: :)

Man, that was touching. I have to read this run eventually

@g_man: really glad you guys got to interview Jensen. Honestly, when I was voting during the character of the month segment I was torn between Black Panther and John Stewart. I wanted Black Panther to win because I felt he had more of a history than John especially seeing as how DC has never done anything major with him recently and continued to side-line him but when John was selected as the character of the month I was beyond ecstatic to know that his fan base was still strong and vocal. Jensen's work on this character is phenomenal and it will be held in high esteem for a long time like The Justice league animated series.

I kind of want to read the Pinochio vampire slayer comic.

Thanks Van, thank you so much :)

Thank you Based Jensen. I hope to see you writing a GL title in the future. Your great work along with the beautiful art and inking of Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo kept me interested in Green Lantern after years of staying away from the title. It was also nice how you developed John Stewart as more than just the mopey guy who blew up that planet and used the Green Lantern Corps members as more than just cannon fodder and cheerleaders. I hope DC does more than just let you write the Flash because I think you could be doing so much more, no offense. Good luck with your career and thank you for your time on this book. It was a great ride while it lasted.

Thank you Mr. Jensen. Thank you for your incredible run on Green Lantern Corps, and thank you for treating John with so much respect.

Unfortunately a majority of his fans do like him simply for his skin

No need to take the bait. While some may want to ruin this moment, Jensen's work with John is what we are here to celebrate.

Well said and well done Mr. Jensen

You guys ever going to hire anyone Black? Or use any Black writers? Just sayin.

@stormshadow_x: we may like him for his skin (because they are not A LOT like him. Limited diversity sadly) but we love him for his character and everything else.

What would that do for the character? I'd take Brian Bendis over Eric Wallace any day.

Also, why are you posting this in this thread rather than making a post in the DC Comics forum? This guy just had a great run. Can we not turn this into a bash thread?

@cagl: You should read this article if you havent already.

This article made me want to read Van Jensen's run on GL Corps. My first introduction to John Stewart was like most people, through the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons. I grew to love John Stewart as Green Lantern and began reading Green Lantern comics but, I noticed as I read them that John wasn't getting the same love (spotlight) that he was getting in the JL and JLU. He was a boring side character that seemed like they just threw in a black Green Lantern for the sake of having one. He was not the calm, cool and collected ringslinger I'd grown to love on tv. As a black comic fan, I'm happy to hear that during Van Jensen's run he put John front and center, where he deserved to be. To be honest though, I was very surprised that John Stewart won this month because I didn't know that there was so much history of this character and neither did I know that John had that much fan support.

I can honestly say that this month has been my favorite character of the month since I've joined Comicvine. The staff and community are seriously awesome! The knowledge that I watch and read as I scroll through the forums and articles is second to none. This is what a comic community should be, a hub of knowledge and resources along with a passionate group of members. Glad to be a part this community. Thanks.

Am I the only one who wants to see this guy dead?

C'mon! We need to start a campaign: Kill Stewart! Kill Stewart! Kill Stewart!

@dv: Youre going to have a mob come after you now.

Again, avoid bait, guys.

There's nothing I can say that would do the brilliance of this article justice. Thank you for for your help in showing people the true John Stewart.

You da man Van

" I don’t know what’s next for John, or whether our paths will ever cross again."

So this means Jensen will NOT be part of the writing team on a possible upcoming Green Lantern weekly? That's really too bad!!

@egie_asemota1:

If only that was true for a majority of you :p

First off, thank you "Vandinejd_1991" for sending me a message about this article, I was a little busy and over looked it.

Secondly, to Van Jensen: What a very pleasant surprise. my name is Clyde and it is an honor, privilege, and pleasure for you to grace us all with your presence. I'm not sure if you actually sat back and thought about this concept, but thanks to you, you have kept the memory of John Stewart alive through his comic adventures, post JL/JLU animated series run. No matter what you do, where you go, and even after you are long gone from this Earth, you will be a part of the history of the Green Lantern John Stewart. I am proud and honored for the higher power that people call God to have created you, because John Stewart is more than just a fictional character, he is a symbol of real life issues, he is a positive role model for black males and that they are more than what the media portrays them to be. John Stewart is a step forward not just for the black race, but also to help pave the way for more minorities to shine in the spotlight. The world is ready, the world wants and needs more diversity. Now we need to be inclusive of more Asians and more Hispanics and Native Americans and a whole lot more. John Stewart isn't the "black" Green Lantern, he is one of the finest members of the corps. who happens to be "black" in origin.

Lastly, we all have an origin story of our own lives, as well as how we became exposed to John Stewart, and I have been asking others to share their John Stewart origin story. Thank you for sharing yours. I'm touched. My origin story is a little lengthy so I won't get into it, but just a brief summary, in reading John's past stories I could relate to his feelings on certain matters because I too am a minority and I understand all the emotions and obstacles that he has endured. I also had a custom made costume made as I have portrayed him for Halloween each year. John is a former U.S. Marine and I was in a military academy, so John's personality is the same personality that I had for several years. John going from his time in the Marines to entering in the GL corps. its almost like he never left the Marines environment, except now he's doing it on a intergalactic level. Van Jensen, I am proud to say that me along with many others have campaigned to have John take his rightful place as character of the month. We have not been silent at all. We have written emails to DC Entertainment, to WB Entertainment, posted our comments on any article relating to John Stewart. Its a tireless process, but the mission and objective remains crystal clear.....Van Jensen as God as my witness, death shall not have me before I see John Stewart on the big screen for the entire world to see. There are those who want to maintain the status quo, and me and many others simply will not stand for it. You are a credit to humanity and like I said before, even after you are long gone from this world, the next generation after next, will see your name next to the works that continues to make John a beloved character. Just know that the more exposure that John gets and the more he's exposed to the public, you would have been an important piece of that history. I don't know where you will go from here and what your relationship and status is with DC, and its none of my business, but just know that wherever you go in life, me and the John Stewart followers will never forget the work you've put into making him a respectable character.

VAAAAAAAAN JENSEN! *Mat Elfring voice*

@cagl: It is my genuine pleasure. I knew you would love it.

I think I want to read this now. Good stuff.

Ex- soldier turned intergalactic space cop. His tactics on the battlefield with use of constructs is amazing. He is meant to wear a ring.

I don't know why some people like John just because he's black. When I first saw the JLAS growing up I thought he and Hal were the same person like Firestorm. (That time travel episode confused me terribly)

Van Jensen might go down as the best John Stewart writer IMO

I can't beleive Green Lantern Corps and Red Lanterns are ending because of this very stupid event that is a rip off of the dumb event that marvel is doing

DC and Marvel are really starting to lose me as a fan of superhero comics

im thinking of quitting at the end of February im sick of these events

Van Jensen might go down as the best John Stewart writer IMO

You should, it's actually the stronger Lantern book.

Red Lanterns is a great read too check it out

Awesome stuff

do u like white heroes for the color of their skin, or do u dislike john for the color of his skin.

@stormshadow_x said:

Do you have a problem with black people?

@mysoulz:

No. That's a stupid assumption. I myself am African American. I just think John Deserves more love from people who like him because he's a interesting and Rich Character. Not just because he's Black as I've seen rarely on YouTube or in actual life. They know nothing about him not even the JL Cartoon Non canon things. All they can say is he's better then Hal Jordan or Kyle Rayner because he's just not another white guy or a Black Character when John has plenty of things about him that make him interesting Compared too those two.

@christianrapper

Neither. Either way its a stupid question. I don't actually dislike John. This Made me actually like him more. Is he still my least fav Human GL Sure? Buts that's for preference and who the character actually is. Seriously go all over the internet not counting Sites that actually no Crap about these characters and 75% of the comments are John Because he's a Black Guy and we don't need another white guy. I mean that's all good but they know nothing about the character. For example just the other day. I was having a Debate on why Hal Jordan should be the Human GL instead of John Stewart. I stated that if the Flash really is Barry then Hal and Barry could bring much needed sigh of comedy too a universe that's obviously going for a more serious route. Unlike John who's just another serious character with more serious Characters. His reply? " John is black and good for diversity reasons" Which is all good and all I mean Yeah. Diversity FTW but when you are choosing a Character for skin color and not for what they bring too the table especially in a Universe where we'll see team up's a lot then there is no point. I Find John Overated. I do. But I can see why his actual true fans like him. I mean even his original Origin and Intro in the GLS Corps is a fav of mine how Hal Recruited him and they were in this whole racist scandal and what not. It was a interesting story that took on a issue not as big (But still a problem) today as it was back then.

@christianrapper:

Did you read the right one? That one was too @mysoulz... Yours is the one with your actual name above it. Jut making sure you knew that.

Great, another thread derailed because people refuse to understand that John is popular because people like his personality, because people think he has an interesting history, and because people are familiar with him. Always someone raining on the parade.

Let's turn this ship back around, everyone. There is a lot to be happy about in the article and there is a lot of good in the comments that should not go overlooked.