Did Anyone Else Notice How Geoff Johns Became DC Comics’ John Wick?

The criteria for what makes a good writer varies depending on genre. A few key things will always stand out. When it comes to comic books, nothing impresses me more than a writer that can make you care about a character everyone considers a joke. I’m not talking about underdogs, I mean heroes and villains considered second or third string folks. They aren’t household names unless it’s in terms of being the butt of a joke. A good writer can make those characters interesting. A great writer makes you care and keeps you invested in them long after they’re given over to another creator. The writer who taught me the difference was Geoff Johns of DC Comics. I constantly make the joke with friends that Geoff Johns is DC Comics’ Cleaner. The guy that shows up and cleans up the crime scene, gets rid of the witnesses, and ties up all the loose ends. I’m beginning to believe Geoff Johns is the fucking John Wick of comics.

“I can assure you if nothing else, the stories you’ve heard about this man have been watered down”

I’ve been following Johns’ work like a detective working a homicide case ever since he teamed with Ivan Reis on Green Lantern: Rebirth back in 2004. The Green Lantern fandom had been fucked up for eleven years, since the Emerald Twilight storyline. In Emerald Twilight, Hal Jordan goes mad after Coast City is destroyed. He falls out of grace with the Guardians and shames the Green Lantern Corps. After that, we got a new Green Lantern in Kyle Rayner and a lot of people…