Is it time to put Xanshi to rest?

[Bat22 Guy's Drinking Buddy Find all posts View Profile Close Bat22]

Before it becomes to John as the Wayne deaths are to Batman, or Uncle Ben is to Spider-Man. It irks me for a few reasons.

The common misconception that John destroyed Xanshi as opposed to failing to save it.
That this stain on John's cred came from some limited series featuring an ensemble cast, where Superman and Batman couldn't be expected to make that colossal failure.
How this moment would be popularized w/ newer fans to provide the Alley Rat w/ a new villain to protect John from.

I'd be happier seeing John move on to new things or at least reconnect w/ his time in the Mosaic or the Darkstars.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

I'd say retcon it away, but it's just as effective to never mention it again in the comics.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

It's hard to believe but with all the retcons they still keep repeating that awful story.

[Dr. Naysay Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Dr. Naysay]

Here's the fucking joke of it all..... as far as I'm concerned the damn thing never happened.

When did John get the ring? How did John get the ring? When did Cosmic Odyssey happen? Did it ever happen?

THIS is the kind of stupid ass bullshit that happens when you take away a characters origin. Everything that follows exists in a sort of netherrealm of happened but didn't.

Ugh.

I hate comics.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Another point, does anything good ever happen come from Xanshi's destruction being re-revisited? And by "good" I mean as a storytelling point? Of all the times John's involvement with that planet has been used, I can't think of one that ever blew me away. No story where I finished the issue and thought, "THIS issue? Right HERE? They just NAILED John". NEVER happens. At best I shrug it off as a passable issue where the writer couldn't think of anything of interest for John to do so they dug that old story up again to generate some drama.

Well let me tell you, THAT well is fucking DRY. Time to move on with John. And by moving on, I don't mean have him destroy Mogo, or kill another Green Lantern. That just takes him down the road of the tragic hero and I don't want to see that for him. Stop being lazy and do good things with this once great character. Denny O'Neil did it. Steve Englehart did it. Fuck, even Gerard Jones could tell a good John Stewart story.

[d3v1lb0y Red Lantern Black Ops Find all posts View Profile Close d3v1lb0y]

or just get rid of John

[Dr. Naysay Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Dr. Naysay]

Fuck, even Gerard Jones could tell a good John Stewart story.

Gerard Jones told a GRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT John Stewart story.

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

Gerard Jones told a GRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT John Stewart story.

The best, IMHO. And, I might add, while not central to the whole story, his guilt over the destruction of Xanshi DID play a role in shaping his character in this. Of course, sadly, this is gone from continuity, and pretty much has been for years, even before the new 52. At this point, I have a hard time caring what they do about Xanshi. I've lost hope that John will ever be handled well again. And if it happens, he will almost certainly be a totally different character than the John I most enjoyed from Mosaic.

[Tommy Boy Hal's Understudy Find all posts View Profile Close Tommy Boy]

I think it can be kept in continuity, but for the love of God, the horse is dead. Quit whipping the damn thing.

A dark part of someone's past is as much a driving force as it is a burden. In fact, it's this implied instance that is the core of the character's actions. That's the POTENTIAL beauty of Xanshi to John even though it's action rather than circumstance that has this dark mark on his mind. For example, look at the Lone Ranger. His whole ranger contingent wiped out including his brother by the Cavendish gang and while this is the fire that drives the Ranger to do what he does, with the Cavendish gang out of the picture, it's still what fuels him. It doesn't make him dark and brooding, but it's his driving force. THIS is how I see Xanshi affecting John best, not this puking drivel and suicidal thoughts. Steeling his will to fight the good fight, which in turn plays right into the hands of being one of the most powerful Green Lanterns in history.

And that's what kills me. Why all this emo trash? The character doesn't have to be dark or emotional or brooding over instances in their lifetime REGARDLESS of how the character sees fault. You don't see Ranger Reid debating on eating a silver bullet via the brain. Why John?

[Sylent_Asassin Black Lantern Find all posts View Profile Close Sylent_Asassin]

Gerard Jones told a GRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT John Stewart story.

It's a travesty that this story isn't in TPB form.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Two trades would do it.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

if you tell someone about something you did right, he'll forget it immediately. but if you tell someone about something you did wrong, he'll remember it for life. that's why you need to be careful about burdening a character with something like that.

if you guys haven't seen it, get over to the fanfic section and check out story #3 on my list, which stars john and raker. it's coming along, and i promise it's going to be good.

[Bat22 Guy's Drinking Buddy Find all posts View Profile Close Bat22]

One good thing you might take from Xanshi is perhaps establishing a familiar partnership between John and J'onn akin to Bruce and Clark or Hal and Ollie. Not that you need to reference Xanshi itself each time, the way you don't have to go over the first team-ups of the World's Finest or Brave and Bold.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

One good thing you might take from Xanshi is perhaps establishing a familiar partnership between John and J'onn akin to Bruce and Clark or Hal and Ollie. Not that you need to reference Xanshi itself each time, the way you don't have to go over the first team-ups of the World's Finest or Brave and Bold.

But now J'onn wasn't supposed to be known to the JLA or GLC until very recently.
Which begs the question how exactly did Stewart fail? His failure the first time was in stopping J'onn from helping but if J'onn wasn't there ... ?

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Now it happened, but Martian Manhunter wasn't even there? There are probably ten other things about that miniseries that couldn't have happened now that I'm not thinking of too. The whole thing should be wiped from the record books.