Sources Say Fialkov Left ‘Green Lantern Corps’/’Red Lanterns’ Over John Stewart Death Plans

Though writer Joshua Hale Fialkov's blog post announcing he'd no longer be writing DC Comics' Green Lantern Corps and Red Lanterns simply pointed to "editorial decisions about the direction of the book that conflicted with the story I was hired to tell" as the reason for his departure, Bleeding Cool and Comic Book Resources reported today that the specific editorial direction that drove him away involved the death of Green Lantern John Stewart.

A DC spokesman declined to confirm whether editors planned to kill off one of the most prominent black characters in its current catalogue, or whether it spurred Fialkov's decision to resign from the Green Lantern franchise.As the de facto lead character of the Green Lantern Corps title, Stewart is one of the few non-white characters headlining a current DC comic. Stewart is also well-known for his portrayal as the Justice League's resident Green Lantern in the Justice League animated series early last decade.

Fialkov announced his departure from Green Lantern Corps and Red Lanterns Wednesday, the same day that writer Andy Diggle said he'd no longer be writing Action Comics at DC. In January, DC replaced writers Robert Venditti and Jim Zubkavich on Constantine and Birds of Prey, respectively. The month before that, the company reportedly fired writer Gail Simone off of Batgirl, only to re-hire her a little more than a week later.

Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer writer Van Jensen, co-plotting with Venditti, will take over Green Lantern Corps, DC has stated. Swamp Thing writer Charles Soule will take the writing reins on Red Lanterns.