WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Green Lantern #10 on sale now from DC Comics
The DC Universe has long embraced the idea of legacy, with multiple characters over the years taking on long-standing heroic traditions. Along with an ever-growing roster of heroes, the DC Universe is theoretically a perfect place to introduce new characters. But some land better than others.
Green Lantern #10 (by Geoffrey Thorne, Chriscross, Juan Castro, Marco Santucci, Mike Atiyeh, and Rob Leigh) confirmed Jo Mullein's place in the DC Universe, by teaming her up with the Justice League. But it also played up why certain "new heroes" like her succeed in-universe, and why some others seem more likely to fall flat with readers.
The DC Universe has introduced plenty of new characters, recently. This includes a number of new heroes, who (in theory) could become the torchbearers for the future of the universe. Future State was a major way to showcase these new characters, but it didn't necessarily introduce them. Instead, it tried to highlight the potential of the characters in their new roles. Jon Kent growing into his role as Superman, Jace Fox assuming the mantle of Batman, Yara Flor inheriting the role of Wonder Woman, Jo Mullein becoming Green Lantern, and Jackson Hyde embracing his place as Aquaman. All of these series were coupled with fresh new heroes, with none gaining such a quick spotlight as Naomi.
In theory, this is a great idea. It helps push the legacies in new directions and sets up a new character to be embraced by the public. It could lead to a whole new generation of heroes. Unfortunately, it's been something of a mixed bag. While Jon Kent has become a successful successor to his father as Superman, the others have been a bit trickier to highlight. Yara Flor has been a minor player in the modern Amazonian stories, and Jace Fox left Gotham behind for New York. Meanwhile, Jackson and Jo have been accepted and embraced by their fellow heroes, but Naomi remains a celebrated character in-universe despite a general lack of accomplishments or achievements. In particular, Jo Mullein has been a quiet success. Introduced in Far Sector as a solitary Green Lantern in an isolated area of space, Jo's slowly been introduced to the rest of the universe. Green Lantern #10 even gave her an official team-up with the Justice League. An act that cemented her status not only as a Green Lantern but as a fixture of DC's superhero community.
Notably, Jo had stories before she was thrust into the spotlight. It meant she had a stable and solid character to lean back on, outside of her apparent destiny as the future of the heroic legacy. Likewise, Jon Kent had years of stories building to his ascension to the role of Superman. These characters feel defined in ways some of their peers do not, as if they've earned their promotions. By contrast, Yara Flor has slowly been fleshed out in her (recently canceled) solo series, and Jace only received due attention in his solo series before departing for New York. Naomi in particular has only played a very minor role in Young Justice and Justice League but hasn't gotten much chance outside of her origin story to flesh out her own personality.
This might be the key difference between the heroes who take on the spotlight after a greater deal of development. It makes the transition to these heroes less jarring, and feel more natural. Jo's upgrade to Justice League ally feels earned after the events of Far Sector tested her and Green Lantern exposed her to the greater universe. Naomi's place in the Justice League came more as a result of her potential but that potential is rarely actually shown. Seeing legacy heroes step up is an exciting and unique aspect of the DC Universe and one that the company has quietly codified the rules to succeed in. Hopefully, characters like Naomi and Yara get the further depth they need, allowing them to better grow into their roles too.