Warning! Spoilers ahead for Green Lantern: War Journal #12!John Stewart may be the most powerfulGreen Lanternwho ever existed, but he’s confident that one novice hero is going to reach heights Stewart never could. As Stewart’s latest adventure comes to a close, he shares his thoughts on one of the most powerful allies he’s ever had.
The past year has seen the DC Universe invaded by the Radiant Dead, terrifying extensionsof the Old God Olgrun’swill. But John has ventured to the furthest reaches of space to put an end to Olgrun’s mad work and by his side is someone Stewart believes has the potential to be the strongest Green Lantern who ever existed.
Green Lantern’s Apprentice Caolán Shepherd Could Surpass John Stewart
InGreen Lantern: War Journal #12by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Montos, Adriano Lucas, and Dave Sharpe, John Stewart has just been joined by Guy Gardner andnewbie Lantern Caolán Shepherd. John has just rebuilt the Necropolis that once stood several millennia ago and is preparing to return the Dark Star Ring to its proper place and cut Olgrun off from the rest of the DC Universe. Unfortunately, Ajna, the Revenant Queen,isn’t going to let Green Lantern seal Olgrun away and unleashes the full power of the Radiant Hostto stop him.
Guy comments on Caolán’s lack of experience in the field, but John defends the rookie…
John, Guy, and Caolán, along with the rest of the survivors who have been marooned in the Dark Star of the Fenn’s orbit fight back against the Revenant Queen’s haunting constructs. The Radiant Host is working tirelessly to destroy the crypt and kill the Old God Byla to stop the gravity storm that’s been keeping what’s left of Olgrun in his dimension. While all hell is breaking loose in the Necropolis,Green Lantern successfully commands his team as he prepares to return the Dark Star Ringand end this nightmare.
The Radiant Host breaks through the building and a giant eldritch monster comes for the Lanterns. Green Lantern Shepherd confronts the construct himself, only to be rescued by Gardner and Stewart. Guy comments on Caolán’s lack of experience in the field, but John defends the rookie,saying the younger Green Lantern can do things that John couldn’t at his age. Guy agrees to cut Caolán some slack and the Lanterns carry on in their mission to return the ring and stop Olgrun.
Who is Green Lantern Shepherd and What Makes Him So Powerful?
Unlike John and Guy, Caolán comes from another world in the DC multiverse. His home was one of the first ones attacked by the Revenant Queen and the Radiant Dead. Shepherd was one of the last surviving Green Lanterns in his universe, along with a god-like John Stewart. The two stopped the Revenant Queen from extinguishing the Green Light, but not before she escaped into the multiverse. Shepherd was tasked with following her to whatever Earth she traveled to and teaming up with its John Stewart to finish her for good.
Caolán Shepherd makes his debut in the backup story ofGreen Lantern #1 (2023)!
Shepherd traveled to the Prime Earth and began hunting down the Radiant Dead, using unique constructs like close-quarter combat weaponry and fantasy creatures. Shepherd eventually found the Prime John, only after he’d been infected by the Radiant Dead. Thankfully, Caolán was able to save John’s life by pulling them intothe Space Between Moments, a liminal void outside of time created by Shepherd’s Green Lantern Power Ring. Despite worshiping John as a hero on Shepherd’s world, Caolán was disappointed his idol was nowhere near the legend he recalled.
However, Shepherd and Stewart became fast allies. Shepherd even showed John how he could heal his Radiant Dead infection by performing a ‘Soul Trek’ and using his Power Ring to venture inside Green Lantern’s own mind. John was equally impressed thatCaolán figured out how to give each of his Green Lantern constructs individual sentience, later inspiring the older Green Lantern to make one of his own. The two pursued the Radiant Dead together and made some real headway until Stewart was kidnapped by the Revenant Queen to turn John into a vessel for Olgrun.
Could Shepherd Be the Strongest Green Lantern One Day?
It takes a lot to impress someone like John Stewart. Not only is the man one of the most seasoned Green Lantern vets in the DC Universe but he’s also got more power than ever thanks to absorbing a powerful phenomenon known as a Godstorm. Throughout Green Lantern: War Journal, John has fought armies single-handedly, staved off being converted to the Radiant Dead and gone toe-to-toe with the remnants of an ancient and powerful Old God. YetGreen Lantern is still impressed by what he’s seen in Caolán Shepherd.
If Shepherd never made the trek to the Prime DC Universe, John Stewart would certainly be dead.
To be fair, John’s absolutely right. Shepherd has done things that fans have never seen from other Lanterns. Creating the Space Between Moments saved John from being turned into one of the Radiant Dead and the Soul Trek was crucial to John conquering his infection. If Shepherd never made the trek to the Prime DC Universe, John Stewart would certainly be dead. Thankfully, Caolán came and in doing so,the senior Green Lantern discovered someone he could potentially mold into the DC Universe’s next great hero.
Shepherd is indeed powerful, but he’s also young and can be a little brash (not unlike Guy Gardner). John knows that Green Lanterns like him need someone to guide them in order for them to truly be one of the greats. Shepherd’s already shown considerable growth since he first came to the DC Universe. If John took the rookie under his wing and became his mentor in an official capacity, there’sno telling how powerful Green Lantern Caolán Shepherd could become one day.
John Stewart Can Bring Out the Best of Green Lantern Shepherd
Despite the rockiness when they first met, Shepherd respects John. Stewart, in turn, highly values Caolán and knows he has the potential to be one of the most powerful Green Lanterns. John’s got a lot on his plate, but he’d do the entire DC Universe a serious boon by continuing to guide Shepherd. Granted, the world is getting by just fine with the godlike John Stewart around. But it wouldn’t hurt for John to mentor Caolán and maximize the potential the olderGreen Lanternsees.
