The Green Lantern Legacy of John Stewart Is Going to "Change Forever," as DC Promises a Fatal Finale

Summary The final issue of Green Lantern: War Journal promises intense battles, character deaths, and a changed status quo for John Stewart.

Olgrun's invasion will challenge Green Lantern to use more power than ever before, potentially leading to devastating consequences.

With the fate of loved ones and powers at stake, the conclusion of Green Lantern: War Journal will be an unforgettable adventure for fans.

John Stewart's latest adventure is coming to a close and big changes are on the horizon for the Green Lantern. The Emerald Knight has been fighting to keep the Radiant Dead at bay and in a few months, John's mission is finally ending.

DC Comics has given fans a look at what lies ahead this summer with its batch of August solicitations. Despite co-existing with the main Green Lantern book for a year, the John Stewart-focused Green Lantern: War Journal's final issue has been solicited. But though the ring-slinger's time in the spotlight is coming to a close, DC Comics is promising big things for its most powerful Green Lantern.

Green Lantern's World is Changing Forever with Final Issue of War Journal

Green Lantern: War Journal #12 (2024) Release Date: Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson Artist: Montos Cover Artist: Montos Variant Covers: Mark Spears, Jason Geyer, and Alex Saviuk It has all led to this! As John Stewart and his allies fight to beat back an invasion by Olgrun and the Old Gods, John Henry and Natasha Irons and the sentient construct known as Ellie Stewart fight to save Shirley Stewart from the vengeance of Star Shroud…and the survival of METROPOLIS hangs in the balance! Can John Stewart make it back to Earth in time to save his mother and his city? And can the entire Stewart family and their allies survive such an onslaught? Characters die, and the status quo is changed forever in this FINAL CLIMACTIC ISSUE!

It won't be long before summer is here and DC Comics is showing off what it has prepared for later in the year with its August solicitations. August is jam-packed with exciting developments in the DC Universe, especially with DC's summer event Absolute Power getting its second wave of titles and tie-in comics. Not to mention August will see a number of titles get their first issue, such as DC vs. Vampires: World War V and Jenny Sparks. But as some titles begin, other DC Comics titles draw to a close.

...Green Lantern’s status quo is going to change forever.

For John Stewart fans, the most heartbreaking solicitation in the bunch is Green Lantern: War Journal, which confirms August’s issue will be the last one in the series. The creative team of Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos bring it home with Green Lantern: War Journal #12 while Mark Spear, Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk provide variant covers (the latter two as part of DC Super Powers-themed covers). Though the series is wrapping up, the solicitation makes it sound like Green Lantern: War Journal is going to have a hell of an ending.

Olgrun and his band of Old Gods have begun to invade the DC Universe. Green Lantern must rally his allies, John Henry and Natasha Irons, as well as the sentient construct of his sister, Ellie to fight off Olgrun's overwhelming forces (not to mention save his mother in the process). Everything from John’s family bonds, Metropolis, and the DC Universe is in danger. The solicitation makes it clear that there is going to be death and that Green Lantern’s status quo is going to change forever.

Green Lantern's Most Consequential Fight Has Been Brewing For Months

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After the United Planets took over the Green Lantern Corps, John Stewart decided to retire from the organization and headed home to resume life on Earth with his ailing mother. Unbeknownst to John, however, an undead army known as the Radiant Dead had come to the DC Universe and began targeting him due to the overwhelming power he possessed. The Radiant Dead attempted to turn John by infecting him and the evil army would have succeeded if not for the intervention of John’s newest ally, Green Lantern Caolán Shepherd.

Shepherd brought John up to speed and after purging the latter of his infection and getting him a new Power Ring, the two Green Lanterns began hunting the Radiant Dead. Things were going well until the duo came across the Radiant Dead’s leader, the Revenant Queen. It was during their fight with the Revenant Queen that she revealed that both she and the Radiant Dead were just harbingers of the mad Old God Olgrun, who was determined to possess Green Lantern and use John's power to reign once more.

The Olgrun twist was seen in Green Lantern: War Journal #6 (2024)!

John was kidnapped and taken light-years away from Earth where he encountered a terrifying celestial body, the Dark Star of the Fenn. The Dark Star is a portal through which Olgrun’s forces can invade the DC Universe. The only thing holding Olgrun and his armies back is a powerful gravity storm generated by the mysterious Byla-Voq, who told Green Lantern that the only way to stop the Old God for good was to destroy the Dark Star before Olgrun could come through.

What Changes are Coming For Green Lantern?

It’s not uncommon for publishers to hype up the final issues of stories by promising groundbreaking changes and big shake-ups to the status quo. But in Green Lantern: War Journal’s case this could be true. Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson has been building up Olgrun since Action Comics’ “Warworld Saga” and this finale will be the first time that readers will see the true might possessed by the Old God. It's not outrageous to think that Olgrun’s invasion will have drastic consequences for Green Lantern Stewart.

If John wants to stop Olgrun and his forces, he’s going to have to expend more power than ever before...

For example, the solicitation clearly spells out character deaths. Chances are John is safe, but the same can’t be said for his supporting cast. The most obvious and impactful death would be his mother, whom the Radiant Dead have been targeting for nearly the entire time they’ve been on Earth. However, another likely choice is Caolán Shepherd, the rookie Lantern who looks up to John more than anything. Either of these deaths would take a huge emotional toll on John. But what is the biggest change that could happen to the Green Lantern?

The last status quo change John went through was in the last Green Lantern book he starred in, which ended with him absorbing a cosmic phenomenon known as the Godstorm. John has been more powerful than ever, which is what attracted the Radiant Dead to him in the first place. If John wants to stop Olgrun and his forces, he’s going to have to expend more power than ever before, quite possibly giving everything he has. For an all-powerful being like John, what status quo change would be more consequential than losing the veritable godhood the Green Lantern attained?

Green Lantern is Losing People and Possibly His Powers

In an epic last issue, literally anything can happen. What's known right now is that John Stewart is going to lose people, quite possibly those incredibly close to him. In the fight against a mighty god such as Olgrun, John could also lose the most powerful upgrade he's ever had. It's hard to tell exactly what's going to happen as Green Lantern: War Journal draws to a close. But it'll undoubtedly be an adventure that Green Lantern fans won't soon forget.

Green Lantern: War Journal #12 is available on August 21st from DC Comics.