Green Lantern: War Journal #3

Lyles Movie Files

There’s some fun cameos as well as Johnson continues to show an impressive mastery of DC characters as a whole. War Journal remains a shining light for this Dawn of DC.

Comic Watch

Green Lantern: War Journal #3 is a fantastic mix of heart and action, setting up what seems to be one of the most definitive John Stewart stories of all time.

Geek Dad

The idea of a zombie plague in the Green Lantern sector of the DCU isn’t new—obviously, one of the most famous DC events of all time hinged on this plot—but the Radiant Dead seem different. They’re not mindless, but rather function like locusts in service of a specific cause. The art style by Montos also makes them seem genuinely otherworldly, with a sickly purple glow. The main plot is fascinating, introducing an older version of Kyle Rayner from Shepherd’s universe and leaving John with the challenge of living up to his own legacy. But the best scene by far in the issue is a one-sided conversation between John and his unconscious mother, as he grapples between his promise to her and his promise to the universe. John is a complex character when written well, although too many writers treat him as one-dimensional stoic. This could wind up being one of the character’s defining runs.

The Blog of Oa

Green Lantern: War Journal #3 is another gem of a Green Lantern book and as a fan it’s great to see. Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos are a fantastic creative team, and this issue is a shining example of how two talents can complement each other so well to put together something special. Nine out of ten lanterns.

The Super Powered Fancast

The Story: An intense and entertaining story from Phillip Kennedy Johnson. There is a great dark tone to the story that fits perfectly with the character of John Stewart and I really enjoyed the action and stakes being set up for him. There is some great conflict in the story and I look forward to seeing how John overcomes those conflicts both internal and external. The Art: Montos has a wonderful visual style that brilliantly captures the tone and mood of the story. The action is thrilling and there are some great visual moments that connected with me as a reader.

Weird Science DC Comics

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.

AIPT

Our hero clearly has a complicated path ahead of him — not only in terms of the obstacles to face but his own development and relationships to boot. Whatever happens with that, one thing is clear: this is a truly complex and utterly compelling hero’s tale, and we’re only still getting started in this multilayered adventure.

ComicBook.com

War Journal continues to throw some interesting challenges Jon Stewart's way, while incorporating several elements from the DC Universe as a whole. Where this new series excels is focusing on Jon's relationship with his mother, while attempting to juggle his family with the horrors of a new Green Lantern-sized threat in the "Radiant Dead". The one-sided conversation that Stewart has with his ailing mother is the highlight of this third issue, as Jon both praises his mother and knocks himself. The addition of the new Green Lanterns is a little complicated, but the threat of the Revenant Queen remains a creepy enough one to warrant their introduction. War Journal is a series worthy of one of the greatest Green Lanterns so far.