John Stewart: The Emerald Knight # 1 2023 VF/NM

John Stewart: The Emerald Knight # 1 (2023) concludes his adventures in the Dark Sectors, where he must master the immense power of the godstorm to defeat the mad New God Esak and free his fellow Green Lanterns. 

Main Plot

Trapped in the Dark Sectors (pocket dimensions at the edge of Earth-0) for months with the other Green Lanterns, John Stewart's forces are battle-weary as they face the seemingly unending war with the forces of the mad New God, Esak. Esak intends to use the life energy within these sectors to create his own version of New Gods, unhappy with the natural evolution of the pantheon. 

Utilizing the powerful "godstorm" energy he had previously absorbed, John realizes he must become "something new" to win: the Emerald Knight. The plot involves John using the concept of Hypertime to recruit a variant of himself, allowing them to battle Esak on two fronts and restrict his seemingly infinite cosmic power. In a non-traditional defeat, John tricks Esak into choosing a specific destiny, which limits his powers and ends the conflict. 

The issue serves to wrap up the storylines from the previous Green Lantern volume and reintegrate John and the Corps back into the main DC continuity, setting the stage for future stories like the search for his wife, Katma Tui, and his return to Earth. 

Key Details

• Characters: The primary focus is on John Stewart, who takes on the mantle of the Emerald Knight. Other characters include various Green Lantern comrades and the villain Esak.
• Villain: The main antagonist is Esak, a mad New God obsessed with creating his own pantheon and who sees John as a vessel for his plans. He is served by an army led by a character known as the Phalanx.
• Creative Team: The one-shot was written by Geoffrey Thorne with art by Marco Santucci and colors by Michael Atiyeh.
• Context: The story is a capstone to Thorne's run on the character and bridges the gap between the end of the previous Green Lantern volume and the Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths event, and the subsequent "Dawn of DC" initiative.