(Spoilers for Justice League Animated Series)
So I got to that scene and my heart. My poor heart!
Her leaving and him saying that he loves her. And then he gets with Vixen. Which is reasonable, Vixen is pretty cool, but still! (Southern accent coming out) My heart!
“dont say you dont love me” “ill never say that” love was invented in jltas by john stewart and shayera hol
people cried
So like I was inspired to do a drabble of we don't talk about bruno in the JLU universe. But it's we don't talk about Hawkgirl.
Set this in my au where Shayera left the leauge while unknowingly pregnant with Rex and my hawklantern daughter OC, Eve. In this AU Shayera has adopted the name Sara Hall, uses holographic technology to hide her and her kids wings, and dyes her hair black to match the color of her kids. She does a lot of undercover/tracking/scouting stuff for the leauge "anonymously." It's like Sara does all this information gathering for us but we don't say anything about it. And to Shayera it's her way of trying to redeem herself to her family but also protect her kids.
But anyway Shayera has to do deep under cover mission and leaves the other 7 in charge of her kids.
Rex and Eve want to know more about their mother from when she was in the league, and secretly guess their extended family's reactions should they ever find out their true parentage.
They start with their Uncle Clark and Uncle J'onn, the most netural when it comes to their mother.
J'onn and Clark tense. Clark gently tells the kids. "We don't talk about Hawkgirl."
Rex and Eve push a little harder, and maybe lost their tempers a little bit, which made the their uncles chuckle.
"I haven't seen a temper like that since Hawkgirl," Clark said.
"Temeper?" Rex and Eve looked at each other. Their mother never raised her voice their entire lives, or even shown any signs of anger. In fact the woman was so reserved almost eveyone thinks she's shy.
J'onn snickered. "Be careful, if she heard you say that she would throw you into a wall."
Clark laughed. "You don't think she use her mace?"
That made the twins look back at each other. That wall decoration never left the hooks it was hung up on. They thought it was cermional and had never seen actual combat.
A slammed tray and a pissed Wonder Woman sucks all the amusement out of the room. Their aunt Diana levels a glare at the them. "We don't talk about traitors."
"Diana!" Clark said in warning.
J'onn gives her a disappointed look. "There is no reason to take your anger out on children who were not born when all of this happened."
Tensions and voices rising Rex and Eve back out of the room. Damn it. They knew it was a risk asking. They knew the world was angry at their mother for whatever her part in the Thangarian invasion. They've known about it and the basic details for forever. Shayera never hid it from them for their own saftey. But to have that big of a reaction.
Rex and Eve make it five feet out the door before running into someone else.
Rex and Eve wince. Shit they didn't think of what to say to him yet. "Hi Batman."
Uncle Bruce moves his head in a way that reminds the twins of when their mother raises an eyebrow at them.
"Hawkgirl was given an impossible choice. No matter who she picked she would be considered a traitor."
Bruce began walking in another direction when it hit. The invasion, the reason their mother left. They jog to catch up.
"The Thanqgarians sent her to Earth as a spy to collect information on Earth, and later about the League. When they came Hawkgirl rejoined them and Earth was invaded. She gave them eveything, all our weaknesses filled her reports."
Rex and Eve looked at each other. Their mother was still doing that. Except this time she's helping the leauge.
"The Thangarians built a machine that would help them break the barried the Gordanians used to protect their home planet. It would have destroyed Earth. They told us it would help defend Earth. They told her that too."
"Her own people lied to her." They...they never heard that before. When Shayers told the story she never once put any blame on anyone but herself.
Bruce just kept walking. "Hawkgirl could have let things continue and save her people. Go home where she would be declared a hero for her part in the end of the war. It would have been the easy choice, it should have been her only choice."
"But she chose Earth." The mantra came out so natrually. They don't know how many times they've seen their mother muttering that to herself on those hard days where she could barely get out of bed.
Batman nodded. "She did. She made the harder choice to save an innocent planet that will never choose to try to understand the choices she made. Hawkgirl chose Earth, knowing it would most likely be her prison."
There was an unspoken question that hung in the air.
Do you try to understand? And what would you have done had you been in the sam position?
Diana in her angry state let it slip that Rex and Eve were asking about Hawkgirl to the rest of the Leauge. Rex and Eve have never seen so many adults give the side eye to a pair of 10 year olds.
Why ask about that dirty hawk?
It's not like she's ever coming back.
Hawkgirl would be a fool to even try to return.
Let's hope someone did the world a favor and put a bullet in her head.
It was scary how many of the so called heroes wished for that last thing. Of course it was never said around the other founders. None of them would tolerate it even Diana for some reason.
Uncle Wally was all to eager to talk about Hawkgirl. And was the nicest of any one.
"Hawkgirl was a good person. In the end she chose us and that's what matters." Wally said, pushing Rex and Eve towards the Founders' room. He was irritated, they walked in on another group of heroes bashing Hawkgirl. "If anything she deserves a chance to earn forgiveness. Why does she have to be so good at hidding!"
Walking next to them is John Stewart aka Green Lantern aka Rex and Eve's unknowing father. He was probably the only hero who has said nothing about Hawkgirl.
Their father sighed. "She can come back anytime if she wants Wally. Prehaps she's not ready."
Rex and Eve stopped. "She can come back?"
Wally groaned. "It's been 10 years GL! We've should've looked for her years ago!"
"Hawkgirl can come back?" Rex repeated, loud enough to catch the mens' attention.
Wally nodded, seeming to remember their audience. He's all smiles. "The vote ended with letting Hawkgirl stay."
Rex and Eve stared on disbelief. "Does Hawkgirl know that?"
"Does Hawkgirl know what?"
Well there mother was back.
Eve quick to speak before the adults could stop her. "Hawkgirl can return to the leauge whenever she wants!"
Their mother freezes. Well she didn't know.
She turned to the other founders. "You would really let Shayera Hol back in? After all she's done?"
The whispers must have been getting to all the founders because all of them glared at their mother.
Bruce is the one to answer. "Sara Hall may I remind you that...."
Bruce trails off. "Sara Hall. Sara Hall. Sara Hall." His eyes widened. "Sara Hall."
Rex and Eve watched their mother crossed her arms over her chest. She was getting ready for a verbal attack. "You gonna say something else besides my name Batsy?"
Bruce looked at their mother, like soul searching looked. "Hidding in plain sight Shayera?"
Rex and Eve were placed behind their mother.
Shayera glared at ever last one of her co-founders. "I have my reasons.
I know the ending of Starcrossed broke all our young hearts, but let's make it sadder, what if Shayera left and she was pregnant.
Guilt ridden and depressed Shayera finds out she's pregnant and just breaks down. She has no support, and how can she face John so soon telling him he's going to be a father? Hell for all we know single moms might be the norm on a war world such as Thanagar.
Shayera getting so depressed she was at the point of offing herself, but now knowing of her pregnancy, her guilt can't handle ending another's life.
Somehow Shayera makes it work. Closed off once again she finds a way to hide her wings. She builds herself a small home/safe house. There she has two children she names Rex and Eve. Shayera renames herself Sara. Rex looks more like John, and Eve looks more like her. They both have her eyes, and her wings.
Shayera teaches them both to fight the moment they can hold a weapon, and she teaches them how to hide their wings and blend in. Shayera isn't a fool she knows ideally she wants the world to never know their mother was a Thanagarian, but someone someday is gonna figure it out and she wants them to be ready to defend themselves. Rex chose clawed gloves, while Eve used a spear. Rex and Eve also learned how to make nyth metal armor for their wings.
As Sara Shayera works for many humanitarian non profits. She also may have accidentally started one too. She's still not sure how she did that. But anytime her charities might end up in Gotham or Metropolis, the kids are suddenly sick.
Shayera, while she loves her kids, is still struggling with her guilt and depression. After an invitation from Dr. Fate she sometimes visits his home for a few hours while her kids are in school.
Years past, and during one trip to Dr. Fate's Shayera gets news that someone brought Grundy back to life.
Determined to help her friend Shayera is brought back under the League's radar, brought back to the family she betrayed, and brought back to the father of her children.
Part two of my rough outline for a Justice League animated/DnD AU, previous part here, original post explaining what the hell I think I'm doing here, I still don't know anything about DnD, lets a-go!
Several people scream as they witness Clark seemingly murder a man for no reason, and again after the monster's hideous true form is revealed when it's illusion spell fades upon death. Clark regains his senses and stares in dawning horror at the creature he just killed as its silvery-white blood drips from his sword and armor. The tentacles on the creature's face continue to frantically wriggle and writhe, almost like the decapitated head is about to get up and crawl away on its own. A few incredibly tense seconds pass as the tentacles slowly cease their squirming and finally go still with one last, feeble twitch.
The tavern-owner's trigger finger slips and he accidentally fires his crossbow at Clark, but Bruce catches the bolt in midair. He levels a glare at the owner, who meekly retreats to the backroom.
I was rewatching the first three episode of the Justice League cartoon yesterday and I love how they set up John and Shayera from the beginning.
Like they clearly knew each other. They were usually next to one another. She frees him from his shackles when they’re trapped by the white martians. I just love when things are set up quickly
“How Would That Even Work?”
Day 4: “How would that even work?"
Fandom: Justice League the Animated Series
(Set after the events of Season 2 Episode 21-21 Wild Cards!)
John and Shayera take a moment to reflect amongst the stars.
Okay but I have published my first Justice League fanfic and I gotta tell you, it feels awesome. Been writing them for over a decade now (yup, I'm old) and I believe I have promised someone here to let them know once I upload something so here we go
It involves a lot of my headcanons smashed together and a whole lotta of wonderbat and green hawk. If you need that in your life go ahead, read and comment
this parallel is just 🫠
Fic Recs! DC:
Fandoms: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited, Young Justice, The Flash (Comics) (note: this section is combined with Halbarry fics), Miscellaneous
Key:
Character/Character = Romantic Relationship
character & Character = Platonic Relationship
MCD = major character death
GDOV = graphic depiction of violence
Fics under cut
Young Justice:
“In Case of Emergency” by Deranged Black Kitten - Fanfic.net, one-shot (though its really long), Roy Harper & Dick Grayson & Wally West, teen and up audiences.
It had started as a joke, contingency plans made for various hypothetical circumstances, but then the world falls under mind-control, their mentors turning against them, and those rules made up in jest become something to survive by.
“A Flashlight to See in the Dark” by Kazyre - Ao3, 21/? chapters, unfinished, Hal Jordan / Barry Allen.
When Iris dies suddenly, leaving Barry to raise their three-year-old nephew by himself, Hal Jordan steps up to help out his best friend. Years pass, friendship grows into something much more, and somehow the three of them become a family. Story will span Wally’s life from age three all the way to the formation of the Team - will be mostly humor and fluff.
Justice League & Justice League Unlimited:
“Remembering normal” by SmallInsect - Fanfic.net, one-shot, Wally West & John Stewart, Teen And Up Audiences.
“Batman’s satellite cameras had clocked the Flash at an average of four point five six seconds per cycle. Four point five six seconds. To circumnavigate the entire globe. John can see why everyone freaked.” [Oneshot, spoilers for “Divided We Fall”].
“Conspiracies” by SmallInsect - Fanfic.net, one-shot, Wally West & Don Hall, Wally West & Vic Sage, general audience.
There’s a new rule in the League that The Question and Flash aren’t allowed to be alone together on the same mission. Post “Divided We Fall”. Oneshot. Flash, Question, Dove.
“Mask” by SmallInsect - Fanfic.net, one-shot, Shayera Hol, general audience.
Her real name is Shayera Hol. That much is true, at least
“Keeping Your Appointments” by incense-whiskers - Fanfic.net, one-shot, Bruce Wayne & Wally West, MCD (non-graphic and doesn’t happen within the story), general audience.
bruce wayne is known for his impeccable sense of timing. death, however, runs by his own clock/on anniversaries
“Pretzels, trust and evil twins” by incense-whiskers - Fanfic.net, one-shot, Bruce Wayne & Wally west, drabble, general audience.
flash is impulsive and lively, it’s his nature. it’s not something batman holds against him, rather, it is something he tries to protect./drabble, relationship study via Crisis on Two Earths.
“Homework” by onlyanorthernsong - Fanfic.net, one-shot, Wally West & John Stewart, Wally West & Bruce Wayne, general audience.
Wally has homework due tomorrow. He, Gl, and Bats are on monitoring duty. Oneshot.
“Angle Of Death” by xffan-2000 - Fanfic.net, one-shot, Shayera & The League, general audiences.
A drabble series. It’s an unspoken truth that Shayera is the resident killer in the League…
“Atomic Time” by Constance Eilonwy - Fanfic.net, one shot, Wally West & Bruce Wayne, Wally West & The League, general audiences.
Bruce is only thinking of the good of the team. Really.
“A Hero’s Heart” by Everhere - Fanfic.net, one-shot, Wally West & Shayera Hol, CW: Alzheimer Disease, general audiences.
Years in the future, Wally has contracted Alzheimer’s Disease, and the only person he still remembers is Shayera.
“These Small Hours (Still Remain)” by CluelessKitten - Ao3, two chapters, completed, J’onn J’onzz & Wally West, Diana Prince & Wally West, general audiences.
“Do I want to know?” Diana asked.
And Superman, who could hear more clearly than the rest of them, shook his head. “Nope.”
Behind her, J'onn said, probably to Flash, “I do not understand why we had to do this in front of a burning warehouse.”
“Sharing Food is a Human Friendship Ritual” by those_painted_wings - Ao3, one-shot, J’onn J’onzz & Wally West, general audiences.
After the events of the Justice League animated episode Warworld, Flash notices J’onn being even more reserved than usual.
“Snapshot Collection” by Belphegor - Ao3, 8/12 chapters, on-going, Linda Park / Wally West, The League, general audiences.
Snapshot: 1. A photograph, especially one taken quickly or in a sudden moment of opportunity. 2. A glimpse of something; a portrayal of something at a moment in time.
08 - When Batman hears that a member of Flash’s “Rogue Gallery” was killed, he shows up in Central to check on the kid.
“Walking on the Moon” by Belphegor - Ao3, one-shot, James Jesse & Wally West, CW: mental health issues, teen and up audiences.
The Trickster was sitting on the top of a building, thinking of trying out his air-walker shoes for the first time. And then the Flash stopped by for a chat.
(reposting from FFnet)
“Wife” by Belphegor - Ao3, one-shot, The Rogues & Wally West, Wally West & Snart’s Wife, general audiences.
Sure, being the wife of a supervillain was supposed to have perks, but having his colleagues show up on your doorstep with grim faces and bad news was not one of them. When the Flash - of all people - did, it was a nasty surprise. DCAU Rogues.
(reposting from FFnet)
“Territorial” by KingWatney - Ao3, one-shot, The Rogues, general audiences.
When Flash is away, the Rogues step up to defend Central City. Because we can’t have a bunch of outsiders wrecking the shopping mall, can we?
“You Ain’t Nothing But Gone” by Thistlerose - Ao3, one-shot, Shayera Hol / John Stewart, John Stewart & Wally West, general audiences.
Set during Part 2 of “Starcrossed.” Wally tries to reach out to Green Lantern.
“Practice” by Tomboy13 - fanfic.net, nine chapters, completed, Wally West & Kara Danvers & Don Hall, teen and up audiences.
First JLU fic. A mistake puts Flash’s life on the line. Now the others must make things right, before Cadmus gets a hold of him. NEW CHAPTER UP!
“Onions and Cakes” by Alba Aulbath - fanfic.net, five chapters, completed, Wally West & Vic Sage, Wally West & J’onn j’onzz, teen and up audiences.
When the League grew in size after the Thanagar invasion, the Flash took a temporary leave. Which might prove to be a mistake if the Question has anything to say about it.
“Gut Feeling” by Super Chocolate Bear - Fanfic.net, ten chapters, completed, Wally West & Carter Hall, Wally West & Shayera Hol, Wally West & John Stewart, Wally West & Bruce Wayne, Shayera Hol / John Stewart, Teen and up audiences.
Dark events start unfolding in Central City, and Flash is the prime suspect. Just how far will blind faith and friendship go?
“Ouch” by Onlyanorthernsong - fanfic.net, four chapters, completed, Wally West & The League, Wally West & Lex Luthor, Wally West & Shayera Hol, Wally Wst & John Stewart, Wally West & Bruce Wayne, Shayera Hol / John Stewart, general audiences.
He gave a sharp, uneasy sigh. “I don’t know who I am, but apparently, I hang out covered in blood in tight spaces with a mask on. What kind of a freak am I, seriously!”
“Perceptions of non gods” by SmallInsect - fanfic.net, JLU cast, MCD, GDOV (?), Justice Lords Universe, general audiences.
A year after the death of President Luthor, revolution rises against the Justice Lords. [A oneshot of many ficlets. Set in the Lords Universe. Spoilers for A Better World.]
The Flash (comics) / Halbarry:
“Radio Free Keystone” by Liviapenn - Ao3, one-shot, Hartely Rathaway & Barry Allen, Hartley Rathaway / Earl Povich, MCD, teen and up audiences.
When Superman died, it happened on Main Street in Metropolis, live and in color, from five different angles, on five hundred different channels. There was nothing like that for the Flash. He just… disappeared.
“Rewind, Press Play” by TheObsidianSun12 - Ao3, four chapters, completed, Barry Allen & Hal Jordan, Barry Allen & Jay Garrick, Barry Allen & The League, teen and up audiences.
The Justice League. Protectors of Earth, they have beat back invasion after invasion without fail. Even the mighty Darkseid, Lord of Apokolips, fell to them on their first attempt. How, you may ask? Well, all it takes is one speedster to turn back the clock and transform a devastating loss into a victory. But while the rest of the League isn’t aware of their world-ending defeats, the Flash remembers each and every one in vivid detail. He may be the fastest man alive, but there are some things even he can’t outrun.
“with shortness of breath (you explained the infinite)” by LostOnMyRoad - Ao3, ½ chapters, unfinished (on-going?), Barry Allen & The Justice League, Barry Allen & Leonard Snart, general audiences.
“Daydreaming, Flash?” someone asks. He turns to see Superman watching him intently. The man may be built like a Greek God, but he’s got an inside like marshmallows. He smiles, shaking his head. “Just thinking,” he grins. The shadow of the Speed-Force wavers in the corner of his vision. “Think we could convince Bats to get us an official Justice League minivan?”
Superman sighs. “I suppose you’re calling shotgun?”
Barry grins.
Or,
Barry struggles to come to terms with the fact that he’s going to effectively disappear while simultaneously trying not to let anyone know about said disappearance.
(It starts, like it often does, with the dreams.
Fire and heat, over and over again every night until Barry starts taking a bottle of sleeping pills before going to bed, in the hopes of staving off the visions for a few seconds, maybe a minute, when he’s sleeping.
The Speedforce has always been rather volatile, but never like this.)
“Acrophobia” by Orphan_Account - Ao3, one-shot, Barry Allen / Hal Jordan, Teen and up audiences.
Barry becomes a blue lantern, and Hal is thrilled at the fact that they can fly together. But Barry’s been avoiding doing just that, and Hal wants to know why.
“fooled around and fell in love” by finalfrontierpioneer - Ao3, one-shot, Barry Allen / Hal Jordan, Teen and up audiences.
The first time is an accident. The other times after that? Not at all accidental.
Or: Hal starts calling Barry pet names and finds that he doesn’t actually want to stop.
Or: Instead of revealing Barry’s civilian identity to Batman and Superman, Hal calls him “babe.” And then proceeds to call him a lot of other things.
“I died a sinner, you died a saint (a look from you and i would fall from grace)” by DynamicDuo (XylB) - Ao3, one-shot, Barry Allen / Halbarry, teen and up audiences.
Will-they-won’t-they-should-they-shouldn’t-they, could-they-would-they-will-they, the five times Hal and Barry almost and the one time they did.
It goes like this: Hal can’t stop looking in broken mirrors, and Barry can’t stop with the what-ifs, and together they can overcome death but somehow intimacy draws them up short.
(5+1 fic!)
“Yellow Butterflies” by ChocolateTeapots - ao3, one-shot, Barry Allen / Hal Jordan, Hal Jordan & Thaal Sinestro, teen and up audiences.
Much as Hal doesn’t want to admit it, Sinestro’s right. Barry does represent Hal’s fears, though not in the way Sinestro means.
From his smile, Sinestro’s unconcerned with the distinction.
“I Second That Emotion” by CapedCommissioner (smittenbritain) - Ao3, one-shot, Barry Allen / Hal Jordan, teen and up audiences.
Hal’s report is simple. The Guardians tried to make some upgrades to the Central Power Battery, and they went awry. All Green Lanterns are, currently, at the mercy of their emotions - ones that are, in fact, amplified by that fuck-up with the Power Battery, and perfectly visible through the rings.
Barry decides to keep him company while he’s under lockdown, and Hal’s ring decides to force his heart onto his sleeve.
“Five Times Hal Complains and One He Shuts The Hell Up” - ChocolateTeapots - ao3, 9 chapters, completed, Hal Jordan / Barry Allen, Hal Jordan & Oliver Queen, Hal Jordan & Bruce Wayne, Hal Jordan & Dinah Lance, Dinah Lance / Oliver Queen, teen and up audiences.
The world’s ridiculous, and Hal’s going to tell Barry all about it. Oh, and hopefully they’ll get together at some point.
It’s not like Hal really has a plan, but that’s never stopped him before. Let the whining and dining commence!
Miscellaneous:
“Split” by Wolfsbanesparks - Ao3, 43/50 chapters, on-going, Billy Batson & Captain Marvel, Billy Batson & The League, Billy Batson & Damian Wayne & Jon Kent, Captain Marvel & The League, teen and up audiences.
After a fight with Black Adam goes horribly wrong, Billy Batson and Captain Marvel are forced to navigate the world as two beings instead of one. But such a separation comes at a cost and they must race against the clock to fix what’s happened to them before it’s too late.
Unfortunately the Justice League is all too eager to help their trusted colleague and his ‘son’.
“Small Favors” by susiecarter - Ao3, one-shot, Bruce Wayne / Clark Kent, teen and up audiences.
Bruce doesn’t exactly intend to start doing nice things for Clark. But once he has, he can’t stop—and maybe Clark doesn’t want him to try.
Any chance you've seen Bewate My Power?
I have yeah. Someone uploaded the entire movie briefly to Youtube and when I saw that I said screw it and gave it a watch. SPOILERS BELOW.
First off: if you're one of those John Stewart fans who has been complaining incessantly that John deserves better because he was the DCAU GL, you better buy this movie. This one is for YOU guys. Gives John the top dog status the way Stewart fans have been begging for, in fact this movies goes out of it's way to cater towards that group's wildest dreams. Flopping means all the claims that John is the most popular and well-known GL because of the DCAU are either false, or the situation has changed enough that John being the DCAU GL doesn't mean much anymore. Time to show DC how large the Stewart fanbase actually is!
Animation is good, they've been steadily improving with each movie released set in the Tomorrowverse, and that trend continues here. Final fight between John and Parallux is especially cool looking, they tried hard to make the GL constructs look powerful, and for the most part they succeeded. Everyone gets at least one moment to contribute to the fights and it makes me wish we had gotten more time with the group bonding. Music score, when it played, reminded me of Mass Effect's OST which is a upside. GL franchise would be in a better place if it took influence and inspiration from Mass Effect in my opinion.
Story wise BMP is typical for a DC animated movie: First two acts are pretty good but the quality drops hard in the final act because they bit off more than they could chew. BMP is trying to be a John Stewart origin story, and an adaption of the Rann-Thanagar War, Sinestro Corps War, and Emerald Twilight storylines. Just one of those could be a great movie but it's trying to do ALL of them, and the end result is underwhelming. There's just not enough time to give all of these plot lines the focus they need. We're introduced to the Green Lantern Corps and then almost immediately after it's revealed to have been destroyed. Rann and Thanagar get a little fleshing out but then it's revealed that actually Sinestro is behind the conflict. Sinestro gets some backstory, as does Hal/Parallux who is the real "Big Bad" of the movie, but no one else in his group even speaks. Result is that everyone feels undercooked because the focus is spread too thin. Even John isn't developed to the level I would like.
In line with the DCAU take, John here is a Marine and that's all he is. His interest in architecture doesn't come up once, I was hoping for a mention of that when he was practicing his constructs, but no such luck. Suffering from PTSD, John is looking for a purpose in life which arrives when a Guardian crashes in his backyard and gives him a power ring. Tasked with figuring out how he ended up with the ring of Hal Jordan - the previous owner, first human Green Lantern, and founding Justice League member - John sets off with Hal's best friend Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow. Along the way he learns about the history of the Green Lantern Corps, the conflict between Rann and Thanagar two planets with a history of warring, and the machinations of the fallen hero Sinestro. By the end he's met his predecessor Hal, who has secretly become the evil mastermind Parallux, and beaten Hal in a contest of willpower to cement his status as the new Greatest Green Lantern.
Aside from a minor arc about coming to appreciate what it means to be a GL, nothing is really done characterwise with John. His PTSD is barely relevant to the larger story (apart from a sequence where he almost murders Shayera and Hal attempting to corrupt John by saying he can tell John is sick of war and conflict too). Topics like that deserve to be handled with care and respect, and while there's nothing offensive, I don't have any clue how John's relationship with PTSD has changed as a result of the story. Is he "better" now? Why, because he found a new purpose with the Corps? Will he continue to struggle with that affliction the way real life vets do? Ending is a pretty straightforward "John has found his new mission and is happy" which just makes me wish they hadn't even included the PTSD. Felt superfluous and could have been cut easily since it didn't add anything. Aldis Hodge's voice acting is ok, he does have a few good deliveries like when John is exasperated at the corniness of the GL oath, but mainly he's stoic and flat. In-line with the DCAU characterization for sure. Ollie is entertaining and his VA is great, easily my favorite Green Arrow VA since the DCAU.
Neither Rann nor Thanagar gets much in the way of fleshing out, and the same holds true for the the two characters meant to represent the two sides: Hawkgirl and Adam Strange. Shayera is just a hotheaded warrior here. There's a tease of a romance between her and John at the end but it isn't built up believably and comes out of left field unless you go into the movie knowing that those two are "supposed" to get together because of the DCAU. Adam is a reasonable figure, but he's seemingly the same Adam Strange from the titular short that was released, and if you haven't watched that - I have not - then you're going to be left wondering who the hell this guy is and why he's such a big deal. Sinestro's depiction is terrible to be frank. He's a mustache twirling bad guy who dies like a complete idiot in a way that has you groaning at how cliched it is.
Ending is especially weak. We don't get to actually see John and company negotiate an end to the Rann-Thanagar War, it happens entirely off-screen. How were they able to compel the two factions to end their conflict when all of the conspirators were dead? All John and friends have is their word that Sinestro was responsible for everything and Hal went insane. Adam is gone so there's no reason for the Rannians to believe John that actually Sinestro was behind everything. Shayera is a low level soldier from what we've seen, and even if her side believes her that doesn't fix the problem of Thanagar and Rann being close in proximity to each other, or the long-standing animosity between the two sides. At best I could buy a temporary ceasefire from Thanagar in return for Rann trying to send the planet back where it's supposed to be, but there's no mention made of how the heroes resolved the conflict, we're just left to assume I guess that the war is over and everything is fixed. Never mind the exorbitant loss of life on both sides - that's sure to have resulted in some members wanting to keep fighting until the other side is utterly annihilated - I guess somehow they shook hands and let bygones be bygones.
Meanwhile Ollie is pretty nonchalant about killing his best friend, to the point he and John are seemingly new best friends. They spent what, the equivalent of maybe a week together? How long were Ollie and Hal comrades? Did they even bring Hal's body back to Earth for burial? Man was a founding Justice Leaguer! Writers had it out for Hal here, he gets dumped on relentlessly. Lipservice is paid to Johns' depiction of Parallux as a "fear parasite", but the writers still make Hal out to be a bad guy. At the end there's no dying moment of clarity where Hal tearfully begs for redemption, he dies with a spiteful "fuck you" line about how it's too late for them to stop his genocidal plan. Some have claimed Hal was at his most interesting as a villain but I sure as shit didn't see that here. Typical generic power hungry maniac, with a halfhearted "sympathetic" angle about how Hal was corrupted because he was tired of conflict. Doesn't really make sense given Hal was seemingly in charge after being possessed, and had to be giving Sinestro orders to continue provoking the Rannians and Thanagarians to keep fighting, but whatever he's evil now. Logic isn't his thing anymore.
More I think about this movie the more baffled I am about the creative decisions made, and the worse I rate it. They shoved an entire trilogy into one movie, and left the GLC in their brand new shared continuity completely destroyed. Why would the first thing you do with the GL franchise in a new continuity be destroying it? Where could they even go with a hypothetical GL sequel in the Tomorrowverse? Hal is dead and died unrepentant, kinda ruling out Spectre Hal and an adaption of Johns Rebirth storyline. Sinestro and his fledgling Sinestro Corps are all dead too. No way could they adapt any of Johns storylines in the Tomorrowverse, something I'm personally glad about given how they treated Hal here. Guess maybe they could steal some of Kyle's stories for John?
Like I said at the start, this movie is for John fans. By the end he gets everything Hal had - his friendship with Ollie, his status as the "Greatest" Green Lantern, seemingly his place on the JL - and everything of Kyle's - he's the Torchbearer who will rebuild the GLC, the Last Lantern, the one who surpasses Hal - in a way that's going to piss off those two fanbases. John and Hal are my two favorite Lanterns, and I hate how the two fanbases are at each others throats. Plenty of John fans will eat this up the same way Batman fans eat up another "Superman turns evil and Batman has to kick his ass" storyline, but it just doesn't feel satisfying. John graduates to "Greatest" status over the course of a week and is so powerful he can outwill a god-tier Hal, armed with multiple rings, who was able to destroy the rest of the GLC. It's too fast to really feel believable that a rookie John is that good. While I think it's long past time that John got his due, elevating John at the cost of everyone and everything else is not how I wanted them to do that.
Spreading the story out over a trilogy could have worked. Start the first movie with Hal recruiting John to help him with the Rann-Thanagar War, and have Hal seemingly die at the hands of Sinestro at the end. Next movie do Sinestro Corps War with Sinestro leading his army against Oa, have John lead the GLs to beat them, then you end with the reveal that Hal is possessed. Final movie you do Emerald Twilight where John and Hal face off and the GLC's future is at stake. That would give you time to flesh out John, Sinestro, and Hal in a way that makes the events feel impactful since we'd get to see Hal and John be friends, as opposed to here where the two don't even know each other.
Final verdict for BMP is a 6/10. If you're a hardcore John Stewart fan: go buy this. Show your support for John because if this movie fails you guys are unlikely to get anything else. DCAU fans will have a good time too. Hal fans should stay away, there's nothing for you here and this movie doesn't care about extending an olive branch to you. I do hope we get a sequel because I'm genuinely curious where they go from here, and I wouldn't mind seeing a John/Shayera romance. Make that the focus and stop trying to cram three movies worth of plot into one.
Words cannot describe how much I shipped Hawkgirl and Green Lantern in the Justice League animated series, when I was 10 years old and didn't even understand the concept of shipping.
John Stewart and Shayera Hol Kisses
Okay but this damn scene is always going to make me cry and weep for their starcrossed love
I know, I know, but hear me out: Shayera had to make an impossible choice.
She became her mask and fell in love. Probably felt an overwhelming guilt all the time, tried to deny her attraction towards John and warm feelings towards her groupmates. Then her people - the ones who counted on her all that time - came to see if she has succeeded.
GL has a heart of solider so on some level he understood that she was on duty yet he loved her and felt betrayed as a person and as a fellow Leaguer.
The amount of romantic heartbreak was enough to make a ordinary person break down, but this was just a beginning: Shayera had to betray her nation to save a planet she grew attached to during her undercover mission. Damn.
This one of the most wonderfully dramatic love stories ever and you can't tell me otherwise
Okay but imagine being an OTP so perfect that you find one another in different incarnations and different universes, even though you are not even from the same plane
John and Shayera are always going to have the most iconic love story of all time for me I've always associated their relationship with fire: there is passion, constant longing, anger, jealouy, lust, emotions bigger than life itself. Do I know that they are canon (existence of Rex in Batman Beyond is a proof)? Yes. Do I wish to see it, animated and dubbed? YES I DO THEIR LOVE DEFIED LAWS OF TIME AND SPACE