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Dave Scrimgeour and Kevin McCluskey   Story- Denny O'Neil Art- Neal Adams & Dick Giordano Edited- Julie Schwartz Published- November 1971 SYNOPSISHal Jordan charges up the ring and flies into action to help save the victims of a California earthquake, including his understudy, Guy Gardner, whose back comes off worse in a road traffic collision. This prompts The Guardians to select another substitute for Hal in the form of John Stewart, and after merely an afternoon's crash course in how to become a member of the Green Lantern Corps, John has to put his newly learned skills to the test in a racially charged situation that could've been ripped from today's headlines. Dave So, onto the introduction of a new Green Lantern then; it certainly paints the image of a more aggressive, streetwise Green Lantern. I like the cover to this issue. It keeps it fairly simple, and effectively keeps a plain white background to not overwhelm the main image on the page. Kev This cover is certainly bold. And if you’re looking to have a new character make an impact, then this is one way to do it, I suppose. The figures of John Stewart and a crumpled Hal Jordan against the stark white background works really well. There’s a lot of text on that cover though. Compositionally, it gets pretty busy, but it all helps to introduce the character. Dave It shows how some of the most interesting covers don't require a lot on them. The old less is more works. Kev Definitely. Although, it doesn't necessarily accurately reflect the contents of the issue. Dave Yeah, I was expecting something to happen to Lantern, but not that way. It's a bit misleading on the cover right enough, but it does give us a hint to the personality of John Stewart though. Kev Yeh, it certainly gets straight to the crux of the character, alright. Dave The opening splash page is nicely coloured. It's a good blend of greens and yellows. Kev Yeh, it's a striking splash page as well. With some nice use of the green light emitting from the lantern. Neal Adams’s figures in flight always look amazing. They’re so dynamic. Sometimes it almost looks like they are swimming in the air. They’re not just straight arrows. (Pun not intended)  I'm swimming in the air. Just swimming in the air. What a glorious feeling..... Dave First pun of the night. Kev Ha, ha! I'm getting it out of the way nice and early. Dave But we’re straight into the crux of the action, as Lantern has a situation unfolding in front of him. Kev Indeed. Mister Gardner is a hero. He’s willing to risk his life to save one of his pupils’ lives. Can’t say I'm convinced that any of my teachers would have done the same. And they were supposed to all be good Catholics. None of them were in line to be the alternate choice to be superheroes though, to be fair. Not to my knowledge anyway.  Guy Gardner with his green fingers. Dave And this guy is Gardner. 2nd pun of the night. That’s sore on the back, getting hit by a bus. At least Tobey Maguire had a better effort in the Spider-Man movie where he managed to stop the train. I think it is 'Spider-Man 2.' My memory is showing its age now. Kev Ha, ha! I think you're right. I think it was the second one. When he was fighting Doc Ock on top of the train. Dave And this "Guy" was the alternate choice to be Earth’s Green Lantern as revealed in another issue. Well. not anymore. Poor guy has had it. "Have you had an accident at work?" Kev Ha, ha! Sounds like he has a long road back to discovery, does Mr. Gardner. None of my teachers would’ve even survived being hit by a bus like that, as none of them were in “perfect health” like Guy. Dave "Perfect health"? Since when does perfect health entail being able to survive getting hit by a bus? Kev Well, he's certainly not in perfect health anymore. Dave Hence the intro of John Stewart though. I do like how O'Neil’s writing quickly moves the story along at an almost breakneck speed. Or breakback in this case. Okay, enough of the puns. Kev Ha, ha! No, no, keep 'em coming. Yeh, O'Neil doesn't hang around. I suppose he is limited to 13 pages for this story. Dave I think the artwork and colouring in these first few pages are great. They're bright and visceral. Kev I agree. That bottom panel on page 4 is fantastic. The profile shot of Hal is fantastic, and the lighting is, once again, excellent. Adams and Giordano use light, and shade, so well.  All heart, are The Guardians and The Green Lantern Corps. Dave Everytime I see the yellow school bus, I can't help thinking of the last segment of ‘Dirty Harry.’ Kev Terrifying. Scorpio trying to force those kids into a singalong. "The wheels on the bus.....!" Dave I was actually thinking about the concept of Green Lantern; he is basically a superhero who needs to have a standby waiting, in case something happens to him, or he gets fired. Kev A Green Lantern understudy, if you will. Dave Yeah, the original "Expendable." Kev Ha, ha! Did Denny O’Neil think, ‘We need more diversity in these Green Lantern stories, it’s all a bit vanilla.” And I guess you can’t make an omlette without breaking some eggs, so Guy Gardiner had to get Humpty Dumptied. Dave Oh, another pun or ‘Batman ‘89’ quote at least there. Again, with the intro to John Stewart, O'Neil likes that urban setting to show us this streetwise guy who is very savvy, but also has the attitude to match. I definitely think O'Neil was a big fan of mixing it up, and I wonder if John Stewart was based on anyone he admired. Kev Sidney Poitier, apparently. Dave Ah, right. That explains it. Poitier was a great actor. Kev And a groundbreaking one to boot. This would never happen under Trump and Musk though. In fact, it’s a good job I have old printings of this, ‘cause this, and John Stewart himself, might be erased from history now under their DEI executive order. Dave Yeah, and O'Neil wastes no time in dealing with society's bigotries, when Lantern gets told about being prejudice. It’s a good clash of personalities; the stiff, upper-lipped, moralistic, or even too overly moralistic Green Lantern, and his new successor, who is more hip, trendy, intelligent, and basically a stark contrast to our current hero.  "Shots fired!" As the kids used to say. Kev For sure. John Stewart is a dashing, dapper, handsome "mother.... Shut your mouth!" Smart too. He is an architect after all. Plus, he’s not afraid to stand up to abuses of, and speak truth to, power. O’Neil had his finger on the pulse here. This was around the time that Blaxploitation movies were taking off. Is John Stewart essentially DC’s Green Lantern Shaft? That’s reductive, of course, but I do wonder if that was the vibe O'Neil was going for. We’ve said it before, but it’s absolutely depressing just how relevant all this still is. Dave True, the ‘70's had a mass explosion of Blaxploitation films, which made stars out of performers like Pam Grier, amongst other black performers. Kev I love me a bit of Pam Grier. O’Neil is balanced in his storytelling here though, in that one of the cops is critical of his partner. Blue Lives Matter too, I suppose. Dave John Stewart shows his intellectual capacities as this story unfolds, but he is quick to his temper, which can hinder him at times. Kev Yeh, he's got a short fuse does ol' John. Dave One good thing about Hal Jordan is that, although clearly disagrees with the choice of his successor, he still makes an effort to try and make it work to some level, and is not trying to sabotage John Stewart's training. Kev Yeh, I thought that as well. Dave The good cop, bad cop partnership. Kev There is a bit of that, isn't there? Dave I see O'Neil has interjected his own pun into the writing, "Maybe you better call me Black Lantern!" The puns are flying thick and fast here....(Green Lantern flies).....  You too, can become a member of the elite Green Lantern Corps in a single afternoon. Kev 'Black Lantern.' Now THAT would've made for a great Blaxploitation flick. The Guardian lays right into Hal as well, calling him out, and pulling no punches here, “...we are not interested in your petty bigotries!” I found the fact that Hal just offers John the Green Lantern gig in a sweetie shop particularly amusing, as well as the fact that John only takes it, “Considerin’ jobs aren’t exactly plentiful for black architects in the land of the free these days,..” Dave It's interesting how Denny O'Neil describes John getting a crash course in the mysteries of The Green Lantern Corps. They are very much a military unit, which explains the need for a replacement. That’s a good panel on the bottom of page 6. Again, the blend of colours is absolutely great. Kev “Energy is broadcast….blah, blah, blah…” That’s a lot of superhero logic there. It requires a not insignificant amount of suspension of disbelief. Dave Plus, John is more interested in not going for the traditional threads, and ditches the mask. Kev Yeh, I like the fact that he ditches the mask straight away. “I’ve got nothing to hide.” It's a pretty quick crash course. It doesn't take John long to master being a Green Lantern. I also like how John undercuts the oath as well. “Man, that’s pretty corny…” I wonder if O’Neil was also using John Stewart as a character to make Green Lantern a bit more contemporary for the 1970s. Dave I think he was trying to make Green Lantern more hip, in the wake of the blaxploitation movement, and hence try to reach a wider audience as well. You can't help but like John Stewart. Kev Absolutely. He's an intriguing character right out the gate. There’s perhaps an argument to be made that O’Neil is making John Stewart a bit of a stereotype here; the Salvation Army clothes, the tough neighbourhood etc. etc. but it feels well intentioned. Like he was going for representation, rather than exploitation. Going back to those films, ‘Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song’ wasn’t a “Blaxploitation” movie when it first came out. From what I’ve read/seen, none of that original wave of those movies were. They only became “Blaxploitation,” as in exploiting their blackness, when they started to make money with white audiences, and white producers got involved. Then the clothes got louder, the afros got bigger, the sexuality got turned up to 11. They became a caricature of the black experience. Says the whitesplaining, middle-aged white dude from Scotland. Dave True. It’s the film industry taking something that’s growing in popularity, and ramping it up for a mass appeal. When reading this issue, although you said he was based on Sydney Poitier, which makes sense, I couldn't help thinking how good Steve James would have been for this role. John Stewart kind-of reminds me of him. Kev Yep. I could imagine Steve James as John Stewart. That's a good shout. Dave Again, I’m really liking the pacing of this story. It does not drag on at all. Kev Yeh, it's snappy, alright. And I'm always here for a James Brown reference. Not sure about the colouring on that bottom panel of page 8 though. That looks more like Hal than it does John. I found it to be a little confusing.  Some people'd pay good money for a service like that. Dave Well purple works with green. The Joker goes for those colours. Kev That's true. That “picking cotton” line; ooofffttt. The edge on that could cut diamonds. I’m not sure that would fly in 2025, but it was a bullseye. It was right on target. Dave I get the sense O'Neil loves tackling these difficult issues head on. Like a bulldozer. With no apologies made. And yet, look how current what he is writing about is, as it still goes on in today’s politics. Kev No doubt. For example, that fourth panel on page 9 is depressingly relevant to 2025. Hal is a bit self-righteous. O’Neil is using him to show a bit of a counter argument though.  2016. 2024. Dave Hal has always been a bit self-righteous though. He sees himself as an upstanding pillar of morality. Kev He certainly does. He can come across as a bit of an establishment stooge at times. Dave It's interesting how sci-fi has always been used as a medium for making political statements, or statements on social inequalities. This one is hidden behind all the mumbo-jumbo talk of the Lanterns' world, but really the point of these stories is to allow the writers to get their message across about what they want to address, perhaps back then it was frowned upon to do so directly, so it had be hidden behind sci-fi. Kev Well, they do say that the best sci-fi reflects the present rather than predicts the future, don't they? Dave Yeah. I wonder if that's why Denny O'Neil did Green Lantern, as it was his only way to get this stuff out there. Kev He certainly used this ‘Hard Traveling Heroes’ arc with Green Arrow as a vehicle to get that stuff out there, yeh. Dave The second panel on page 10 does bear a stark resemblance to an Adolf Hitler pose and speech. With the camera angle looking up at him to emphasise his stature and power. That wasn't accidental for sure.  Elon Musk will be delivering this keynote speech at your local Republican Party fundraiser. Kev Definitely not. Neither was Elon Musk’s “Roman salute.” Dave Good point made by Hal though, "Such stupidity is the price we pay for free speech." Kev Yes it is, Hal. Yes it is. And it’s a pretty hefty price. In fact, some might argue that it’s too expensive. Dave Hal still has his moments of genuine wisdom. Kev He does indeed. I'll give him that. Jeez! “...Darkies!” That took me back. I’ve not heard that since I was a kid. Thankfully. Can’t say I’ve missed hearing that word being bandied around. Dave Oh yeah, it was a common word back then. O'Neil is pulling no punches here. He is grabbing the reader and making them pay attention to what is going on in the world. Kev Totally. He's grabbing them by the throat. Going for the jugular. Dave And by no means is John Stewart going to the aid of the victim of this assassination attempt. Kev Nope. He's got too much pride for that. Despite his moments of wisdom, Hal can still be pretty dense sometimes though. The gunman didn’t use his pistol on you because you weren’t his intended target, Hal. Because you’re not a Nazi oppressor. Although, arguably you are still an oppressor, Mr. Space Cop. Dave He's also following his military code of following his assignment though. I like how John’s powers of deduction are quickly piecing together what happened here. And the tension between Hal and John is quickly escalating. The student is starting to challenge the teacher.  Props to Hal for managing to get a fistful of spandex, considering it was so tight against John Stewart's burly chest. Kev Yeh, there's a tension brewing here, alright. It's like the old and the new brushing up against each other. Tradition and progress fighting for the same space. Dave It’s similar to Arrow and Lantern, who are stark opposites and always clashing. Kev Absolutely. And that's kind-of been the secret sauce for this entire run. It's all been excellent stuff. O’Neil is going to great lengths not to portray every white person as a supporter of institutionalised racism. That’s two decent white cops in the space of around ten pages. My white guilt is assuaged. Probably O’Neil’s too. Dave John Stewart has pieced this puzzle together pretty quickly. He would give Columbo a run for his money. Kev "One more thing....." Holy shit! Fake assassination attempt of a Nazi politician who wants to be president!?!? Again, this is all very prescient for a comic book that is over half a century old at this point. “Then Clutcher waltzes into the presidency…and pretty soon this country is ripped apart…with civil war!” Yeh, we might get there too. Dave A very naive statement made by Hal to Clutcher though, "I’m certain your colleagues in congress will bounce you where you belong." Kev Ha, ha! Not if you’ve got control of congress by installing a bunch of patsies as well they won’t. Yeh, complete naivety from Hal here. Dave Yeah, he will probably get a promotion. You're right about how dense Hal can be. Kev Mr. Jordan is just a deluded optimist. Dave Good point Hal is just a very deluded optimist. The final panel is interesting. It’s a good visual panel, as Hal clears the air with John. I do like John’s final statement. It has a real bit of substance. "Style isn't important...any more than colour." Wise words again from the talented Mr. O'Neil.  Style Wars. Kev It is a cracking panel, and yeh, you're right, it's a good note to end the story of this issue on. The sentiment reminds me of Martin Luther King's "content of their character" line from his, "I Have A Dream" speech. Dave And John Stewart gets the final James Bond outro at the end of that segment of the story. "John (Green Lantern) Stewart will return!" Kev Indeed. O'Neil clearly had high hopes for this new character. And history has proven him to be correct. Dave So this was really the intro to a character who went on to have a good run in the series. Kev Yeh. A character who has stood the test of time for over half a century now. And soon to be seen in the TV series ‘Lanterns.’ Dave Nice one. What did you make of this story then? Kev I really enjoyed it. It was a short, sharp introduction to a character. One that has stood the test of time. There's some language in it that "reflects the time in which it was written," but it was also still stunningly relevant. Depressingly so, in fact. What about yourself? Dave I liked it, and also like how O'Neil is very clear in making his statements, and tackling those issues head on. He really is a writer who knows exactly what he wants to put on the page, and I think that's a great quality, regardless of how hard hitting the subject matter is. Plus, the artwork and colouring are great, as always. I keep forgetting how visually appealing this series has been, but every time we come back to it, it never falters in its standards. Kev Yeh, the creative team of Denny O'Neal Adams is a winner, alright. This run is considered a classic for a reason. (D) & (K) Next: 'What Can One Man Do?'  "Delay, deny, depose!" "Resist, impeach, remove!"
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