Kyle Chandler will be slinging the ring as Hal Jordon in the television series Lanterns and it has been revealed that Aaron Pierre will be his partner in cosmic space policing as John Stewart.
Pierre was one of the actors rumored for the role and this would not be his first time playing a live action comic book character. Pierre was Dev-Em in Krypton, based on the Superman mythology. He was also a performer on the Old soundtrack, a film based on a graphic novel. In possibly his biggest role to date, Pierre will voice Mufasa in Mufasa: The Lion King.
Lanterns is going straight to series and comes from Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelöf, and Tom King. The trio are co-writing and executive producing the series, with Mundy serving as the showrunner.
The show is still casting for other roles and looking for directors, looking to begin shooting in January. In June it was announced the show was going straight to series for eight episodes.
The series focuses on Jordan who will mentor John Stewart. The two will investigate an Earth-bound murder with larger implications.
(W) Geoffrey Thorne (A) Marco Santucci In Shops: Dec 27, 2022 SRP: $5.99
John Stewart has been trapped in the dark sectors for months with the rest of his Green Lantern comrades. With the power of the godstorm at his disposal, John’s using everything he can to take down Esak, the mad New God, and bring his fellow Corpsmen home. John will need to become something new to win the war against Esak: he’ll need to become the Emerald Knight!
As DC’s first Black Super Hero, and since his first appearance on the cover and in the pages of Green Lantern #87 on October 28, 1971, John Stewart has worn the ring of the Green Lantern Corps with honor, dignity, and unparalleled courage. On June 22, 2021, DC recognizes this trailblazer with a hardcover collection of his greatest adventures!
Green Lantern: John Stewart – A Celebration of 50 Years is a 368-page collection of the ring-bearer’s most memorable adventures, both earthbound and spacefaring. From his first appearance in the legendary Denny O’Neil/Neal Adams Green Lantern run, to taking over from Hal Jordan as Earth’s Green Lantern, to calling the shots in the latest incarnation of the Justice League, some of the greatest John Stewart stories in DC history are in this collection. Storytellers include Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams, Len Wein, Geoff Johns, Judd Winick, Dale Eaglesham, Ed Benes, and many others.
Featuring a stunning cover by Jim Lee and Scott Williams, this $39.99 hardcover collects Green Lantern Vol. 2 #87, #182, and #185, Green Lantern Vol. 3 #74 and #156, Green Lantern Vol. 4 #49, Justice League Vol. 4 #40, and Justice League of America #110. This collection also contains brand-new essays from John Stewart co-creator Neal Adams, acclaimed screenwriters John Ridley and Geoff Johns, and the voice of John Stewart from the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated TV shows, actor Phil LaMarr! The book arrives in comic book stores and on participating digital platforms on Tuesday, June 22, 2021.
Greetings again, friends! We have a veritable title wave of DC Multiverse to catch up on in our next couple of installments, as well as a look at the Imaginext Remote-Controlled Batmobile. We’re getting started today with five figures from the DC Multiverse “Batman: Ninja” Collect + Connect figure assortment. But first, we thank the fine folks at Mattel for providing us with these figures for free for the purposes of review. That said . . . Titans Together!
Nightwing: Four
of the six regular figures in this group are Titans affiliated characters, and
we’re starting off the ur-Titan, the original Boy Wonder himself, Dick Grayson,
aka Nightwing. Nightwing has a pretty prestigious figure history at Mattel,
having appeared in number of comic and animation-based lines. He lines up in
verticals that include the mainstream DCU and animated product, as well as
Imaginext. This particular version is a really nicely done piece; it’s look is
taken from the recent Rebirth era in the comics.
One of the cool things about this particular figure is the hair. There was a singular look that Nightwing had in regard to his hair in the recent Titans series, via artist Brett Booth and others. Well, the sculpting and design team nailed it. On top of that, the general overall look of the figure is impressive. This is a rock-solid Nightwing. The figure comes with two sets of hands (fists and “holding”) and two escrima sticks. (I’ll talk about the individual Collect and Connect pieces in part two when I assemble Batman: Ninja).
Starfire: This is
a really good representation of Kori. Focusing on the hair for a minute again,
I really like the translucent effect that they used on the plastic; it allows
light to pass through while also giving it a fiery and otherworldly vibe. It’s
a nice resting effect for the character that gives the hair a unique look. The
costume reflects that one that Kori’s been wearing in the Rebirth-era DCU, and
that’s great. I have zero problem with her classic Perez look, which I love,
but it’s been made a few times. This is a whole new take, and I dig it.
In terms of comic accuracy, Mattel went with the heeled boots here. Frankly, that doesn’t always work out, as figures with heels tend to fall easily. However, I had no problem standing or posing Starfire with the heels; even with the large hair, the figure is incredibly well-balanced. That’s a big win for displaying collectors. I also think that the face sculpt is fine work, with the individual tendrils of hair in front being a nice touch. This figure comes with two green energy signature/blast accessories. I found them to fit really nicely and up the display presentation of the figure.
Rebirth Wally West
Flash: OG Wally West is one of my two favorite DC characters. I was a
massive fan of Mark Waid’s run, and I was sad that he vanished from the DCU. I
like the newer Wally, but I was also glad when our guy here made his return.
For me, this was the figure that I anticipated the most from this assortment.
I’m not disappointed.
Wally here has a number of cool touches. He’s got the silver
accents. He’s got the two shades of red. He also has some cool hair. (Is 2019
the greatest year for action figure hair across all companies? It might be.)
Including two sets of hands (fists and flat running/sprinting posed hands)
makes complete sense. The silver lightning effects attach to the wrists to give
the look that occurs when Wally is using his speed in the comics, which
definitely shows that Mattel is paying attention to the books when they make
the figures. Like Nightwing, Wally’s been represented a bunch of times in
several formats, going back to Justice
League, even. This is a fine version of the character that we’ve had back
for a few years, and I was glad to see Mattel give it some love.
Green Lantern John
Stewart: Not a Titan, but a stalwart of the DCU. With his somewhat recent
return to the Justice League and his long history in animation and comics, John
is definitely a DC A-lister. I’m glad to see him get a good treatment here. Of
particular note are the eyes; the eyes might be the most “alive” set of eyes
that I’ve seen on any of the DC
Multiverse figures. That’s a really refined job there; it took some real
craftsmanship to get that set and expression.
The figure overall is a pretty smooth sculpt. John doesn’t
require a lot of extra details; just precision in the paint op and general
quality, and this figure’s got both. In terms of extras, John comes with some
alternate hands. The rest one is a ring-hang with a blooming energy signature.
It’s a cool effect and looks good for display. It’s another strong showing from
the team.
Black Lightning (CW
TV version): Black Lightning (co-created by Tony Isabella and a Trevor Von
Eeden) is back! This is a great
representation of the TV version of Jefferson Pierce. First of all, that facial
likeness, even around the goggles, is terrific. You can tell its him at a glance. It’s really well done.
The best thing about this figure would be all of the little
fine details. The circuitry layout, etc. is captured really nicely and just
pops under the right light. It makes the figure distinct from other figures.
It’s a very cool effect. Also worthy of praise are the extra hands; we get
three pairs here, including fists, holding, and electrified. I shot a picture of
the lightning hand from the side to capture that “mid-action” look, and I think
the piece turned out well. I’m historically less sure of TV or film-based
figures, but this turned out to be a really good one.
So where’s Beast Boy? And the completed Batman:Ninja figure? You’re going to have to wait for the next
installment for those! We’re going check out Garfield, assemble the Batman, and
quite possibly check in with a couple of underwater inhabitants of the DCU.
What do you think of these? Did you have luck finding them in your area? What’s
your favorite? Talk to us here and on social. Thanks for reading!
Intergalactic guardian of Sector 2814, John Stewart, is presented in his Green Lantern Corps uniform – intricately detailed and featuring a 3D chest insignia. Included is a real light-up Power Battery lantern as used by the Green Lantern Corps to recharge their power rings. Activate the light-up feature by placing the right fisted hand in the recess of the lantern.
John Stewart – architect, U.S. Marine veteran, intergalactic guardian, and hero. After his service in the Marines, John Stewart was selected by the Guardians to be inducted into the Green Lantern Corps, bear the power ring, and protect Sector 2814 where his home planet, Earth, is located. An active member of the Justice League, Stewart stands along side the other great heroes of the DC Universe to uphold justice and protect his planet, sector, and fellow man against the powers of evil.
THE ONE:12 COLLECTIVE GREEN LANTERN FIGURE FEATURES:
One:12 Collective body with over 32 points of articulation
Two (2) head portraits
Hand painted authentic detailing
Approximately 17cm tall
Eleven (11) interchangeable hands
One (1) pair of fists (L&R)
One (1) pair of posing hands (L&R)
One (1) pair of flying hands (L&R)
One (1) lantern holding hand (L)
One (1) smoking ring effect hand (R)
One (1) star ring effect hand (R)
One (1) blast ring effect hand (R)
One (1) shield ring effect hand (R)
COSTUME:
Fitted suit with 3D chest insignia
Wrist gauntlets
Combat gloves
Mid-calf boots
ACCESSORIES:
Power Battery with ring activated light-up function
Energy Ball FX
One (1) One:12 Collective display base with logo
One (1) One:12 Collective adjustable display post
Each One:12 Collective John Stewart – The Green Lantern figure is packaged in a collector friendly box, designed with collectors in mind.
This series already on the eighth issue, and perhaps more troubling, it is also on its second crossover into other comics, the first being Futures End and this issue representing the second tie-in to Godhead. As a comic reader I tend to give comic crossovers the same consideration as I do series, and so I will only buy into a crossover if I really am interested in it, not just as an exercise to complete a story tied-in to a series that I am following. In my case, Godhead was not as interesting to me, and so with this being the only cosmic title that I read from DC, it was bound to be choppy in parts for me. At its best then, this issue would have to have some qualities of standing on its own, but if this is the case, then this issue does not come up to the necessary standard.
First the good though, as there were some redeeming moments in this issue. Sinestro is almost completely exactly in character, as his sneaky and manipulative best. As he teases and toys with Bekka throughout the issue, he has other concerns with the gathering of the other Lanterns, namely trying to get them organized in some way to achieve some kind of counterattack. It is here where the issue kind of falls apart, as almost every other character from the various Lantern titles is reduced to a punchline for Sinestro’s condescension. As John Stewart argues with him, he almost agreed with him that he is not a capable leader for the Corps, despite that being a role that he performed admirably on numerous occasions. So too is Soranik reduced to dealing with a reaction from friends that is out-of-character for almost everyone involved.
In the end there are a few neat plot developments in this issue, but the characters are so off-the-mark that it ends up being a distraction from the series, instead of supplementing it. As is always the case, when a story’s characters fail then it is up to the plot to carry through, but it ends up being too little and too late to redeem the story here, especially as a sizable part of this issue was eaten up by action sequences which did not move the plot along. Perhaps given the right opportunity and fewer tie-ins to the other titles, this series might stand a better chance to establish its anti-hero in the titular role, but as of now, the lack of focus on this series as an independent story is hurting it.
Did you miss the return of Graphic Policy Radio this past Tuesday? It’s ok, because you can catch the archived episode and listen to it on the go! This week we take on a varied amount of topics including mutants, DC Comics, killing little kids on comics, John Stewart and more!
So, check out what you missed and join us this coming Monday for a new episode!
At Wizard World St. Louis this past weekend Neal Adams was on a panel where he discussed race in comic books as well as the creation and current rumors of the planned death of Green LanternJohn Stewart. Those rumors have since been denied by DC Comics, but, according to various sites, this plan is what lead writer Joshua Fialkov to recently and abruptly exit writing the Green Lantern comics.
In deciding who could be the back-up to Hal Jordan, Adams explained that it didn’t make sense to have another white guy as Green Lantern. Looking at things like Olympics, you see a myriad of different types of people.
Here’s what Adams had to say on the character and controversial subject (I did my best to transcribe the audio):
I get the script. First page of the script I read it. He’s an architect. Good. He’s out of work. Makes sense. A black architect, not being able to go to work. Very sensible. Name, Lincoln Washington. So I go to Denny. “Denny, I’m guessing you didn’t name this character.” Denny says no. I’m guessing Julie named the character. He says yes. I go to Julie’s office and close the door. Julie. Lincoln Washington. (Julie says) “What’s wrong with that name? I know lots of guys with that name.” That maybe true, but it’s what we call a slave name.
More:
John Stewart has made such a difference…. I’ve had black guys come to my table and cry because it’s made such a difference.
More:
John Stewart is a message we send into the world. That and Barack Obama, which is pretty good too.
And on the rumor of Stewart’s death:
I had Jim Lee called and I had Dan Didio called. Ok. Because I can do that. They said “No that’s bullshit. That’s total bullshit.” Now that could still be a lie. You know. It could happen.
You can hear audio of the full panel at Batman News.
Intergalactic guardian of Sector 2814, John Stewart, is presented in his Green Lantern Corps uniform – intricately detailed and featuring a 3D chest insignia. Included is a real light-up Power Battery lantern as used by the Green Lantern Corps to recharge their power rings. Activate the light-up feature by placing the right fisted hand in the recess of the lantern.
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