As I type this, I just finished watching the first episode of LANTERNS on HBO, the new DCU TV series featuring the Green Lanterns. Admittedly, when it was first announced, I was a tad disappointed, as I’d prefer a feature film, rather than a TV series. Specifically, I’d prefer a film heavily featuring intergalactic sci-fi action, rather than a gritty crime drama, as this series was described, but I was willing to give it a shot.

For the record, I’ve always loved the concept of Green Lantern. My first introduction to the character in comic books was Hal Jordan, and then the earlier version of Alan Scott, when I started reading All Star Squadron. I’d see the character in team books, but when I first bought the Green Lantern comic book, it was soon after John Stewart had taken over as the lead character. Ever since, he’s been one of my favorite superheroes. I also still liked Hal Jordan, and Guy Gardner, and I was reading the book when Kyle Raynor was introduced, and I greatly enjoyed it (I also like several of the alien Green Lanterns), but John is my favorite.

Even though I didn’t watch the early 2000’s Justice League animated series regularly, I was happy when they used John Stewart a the team’s Green Lantern, and I could see that to a new generation of fans (those who weren’t necessarily comic book fans), he had become the Green Lantern. I thought it was a mistake when DC Comics rehabilitated Hal Jordan (after making him a supervillain) and restored him as Earth’s premier Green Lantern, which continued in making him the lead character of the 2011 feature film. For the record, I didn’t hate the film, but it wasn’t great, but I remember at the time reading articles about Black movie goers who were upset because they’d only heard of John Stewart, and assumed that Warner Bros had made the character White, specifically to appeal to White viewers.

Seriously.

Anyway, I’m not going to formally review the episode, better writers than me have done so, I thought it was fine. It was good enough to entice me to tune in next Sunday night to watch the episode. But I did want to speak about Arron Pierre. From the moment he was announced as cast on the show, I was happy. I’d seen him before in a miniseries in which he played Malcolm X, and he was absolutely brilliant. So this was a good choice, for me. However, I was surprised when I started seeing criticism about his casting, from Black fans. And the reason was because of his skin color!

Again, seriously.

They said Aaron is too light-skinned. The argument was that John Stewart is supposed to be a dark-skinned Black male.

First, Aaron is not that light. I mean, he is darker than me. Yes, he is lighter than actor Wayne T. Carr, who was set to play John Stewart in Zack Snyder’s aborted DC films.

But he’s about the same shade as Common, who was signed to play John Stewart years ago in George Miller’s aborted Justice League film.

Some would even point to statements by John Stewart’s creator, Neal Adams, who did specifically want John to be colored darker than average Black comic book characters of the time. Okay, in fairness, I do often think that creator-intent matters. However, I’d argue in this case Adams was fighting back against other comic book stereotypes of the time. He was determined to create a positive Black male superhero. But this particular aspect isn’t as necessary as it was back then.

Now, speaking as a Black fan of comic books, who will freely admit that part of the reason (but not the only one) I like John Stewart, is that he’s a Black man, I just don’t agree with that. Out of the hundreds of stories that I’ve read about John Stewart, I’ve never thought that his exact shade was integral to the character. And he has been colored in different shades in different comics and shows over the years. But the important thing was simply that he’s Black. There have been many stories that have high-lighted that fact and, again, it goes back to his creation. He wasn’t meant to be just another Green Lantern, he was meant to be the first Black man who is a Green Lantern. So he just needs to be unambiguously Black, which Aaron Pierre is.

But what really bugged me about this argument, was statements from Black fans who tried to claim that Aaron’s casting was another example of colorism. That this was Hollywood, once again, preferring light-skinned Black people over dark-skinned Black people.

B.S.

No, I’m not denying that colorism exists, I know it does, in many ways, and as a light-skinned Black man I’ve inadvertently benefited from it many times. Bigots, and even those who don’t think they’re bigots, likely see me as less-threatening, less-dangerous, and interact with me better, because of my complexion. Of course, I can’t always prove that and can’t do anything about it even if I could, it just is. And, yes, it exists in Hollywood, as well.

However, first, I think colorism affects Black women, more often than Black men, and that sucks. But when it comes to Hollywood, and we’re specifically talking about superhero movies and TV shows, if you really think out it, it’s the opposite of light vs. dark.

I’m not kidding. Think about the major Black male characters in superhero productions. Going back to the 1990s. From DC and Marvel, heroes or villains, or supporting characters. Most of the Black males are darker or, at least, medium skinned. From Pete Ross on Smallville to Jimmy Olsen on Supergirl. Blade. Nick Fury. The Falcon. Black Panther. Mordo. Mr. Terrific. The wizard Shazam. Kingpin. I could go on.

Of sure, they originally cast the light-skinned Terrance Howard as James Rhodes in the first Iron Man movie, but when they unjustly fired him, he was replaced as the character with the daker-skinned Don Cheadle.

So, no, Aaron Pierre is not an example of colorism against dark-skinned Black males. If anything, it’s the light-skinned Negroes like ME who deserve more on-screen representation!

So, yeah, I’m happy with Aaron’s casting, I hope the rest of the TV show is good, and I’m looking forward to seeing him as John Stewart in the upcoming Man of Tomorrow film!

Just my opinion.