I'm behind on my homework, so I'll make this quick:
What character starts off as a furiously intelligent, out-of-work architect, ascends to the status of Green Lantern, ascends to the status of Guardian, enjoys a unique run on a popular animated series, and then plays bland, tortured second fiddle to his three other counterparts? John possesses a unique feel for his ring, and his skills as a diplomat and tactician are increasingly sidelined to make Hal look more competent than he deserves in-story. Bland, here, refers to Johns' characterization consuming the near-useless attributes acquired in the series (what has becoming a Marine really done for the character?) along with rehashing the same traumas. How many planets does John have to kill before an interesting plot comes his way? And its these plot points, and not his Guardian tenure or his more creative uses of the power ring a la the Silver Age, that are recycled every odd number of issues. Kyle was Ion. People remember he was Ion, and it's been referenced his Rebirth, and now he works as the Green Lantern representative in the New Guardians. Guy has enjoyed prominence as the "rebel" of the four 2814 Lanterns. And yet, John, a former GUARDIAN, still defers to Hal for some reason. What about that time Hal started a fight over a girl that decided to date John instead? What about the time Hal let his fear make vulnerable to Parallax? Johns rewards Hal for little aside his status as first Green Lantern of the Silver Age. This leaves John left to play stock "supporting, logical-if-boring black guy". His most interesting role in the last year was as a diplomat teasing Braniac 2 in "L.E.G.I.O.N". It would be nice if DC could find a writer genuinely interested in writing the character as opposed to planting him in stale stories. PLEASE, ANYONE!
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