Friday, March 19, 2021

Weirdly, Guy with a yellow ring feels like last week, while Guy with a red ring feels like a million years ago.

Five or six years ago, I referred to Red Lanterns as "surprisingly readable," but have I blogged an issue of it? Better get started! From 2013, Red Lanterns #24, "Lights Out, part four: Blood Brothers" Written by Charles Soule, art by Alessandro Vitti. 

Red Lantern Bleez thinks she has their new leader, Guy Gardner, over a barrel; since she found out Guy had originally joined them as a spy for Hal Jordan. Either through badassery or bluster, Guy is unperturbed: not only had killing Atrocitus earned him a lot of cred, but it was also her word against his, with no guarantee the others would side with her. Guy even asks if  Bleez wants to share with the group, and she falters. So, Guy spills the beans himself: yes, he joined as a spy, but the Greens didn't care about him, so he was done with them. Eff those green bastards! Of course Hal Jordan immediately appears, with a good chunk of the Corps, and token pink Star Sapphire Carol Ferris.
Meanwhile, the not-dead Atrocitus and his cat Dex-Starr plot their revenge on Guy first, then the rest of the universe; but Atrocitus's bonding with the "embodiment of Red Lantern energy" hasn't really taken yet, as "the Butcher" breaks away from them. 

The Reds attack the Greens, as Hal orders them to play defense. Horned skullface Skallox takes it to Hal, but is held back by Guy, who then pops Hal in the face. Snippily Hal complains, "Sucker punched by Guy Gardner. Must be Tuesday." Guy felt Hal had left him out in the cold, but Hal has an excuse: Relic, from "the universe before ours," was draining the Greens' powers, but the Reds still had theirs. Hal is in no position to give orders, or even ask favors of Guy, who considers himself a Red now, and has something in mind...

Elsewhere, Atrocitus and Dex-Starr fail to round-up the Butcher, which is absorbed by White Lantern Kyle Rayner: Dex-Starr has to give up the chase, to save the powerless Atrocitus in space. Good kitty! Kyle apologizes, which just gets him added to Atrocitus's list. Whatever, man, be a dick. Kyle and some Guardians then face-off with Relic, but not to kill him, but to bring down the Source Wall!

Finally, Guy confers with the other Reds, who grudgingly agree to help kill Relic, but on one condition: in return, they get their own sector! Something tells me they aren't going to settle for G'nort's old sector, either. This would be concluded in Green Lantern Annual #2...which I don't think I have lying around here? I've bought a lot of random cheap GL and related books, and about six out five of them seem to be mid-crossover, so maybe.

2 comments:

  1. On one hand it was brave to try something different like that even though, on the other hand, the writer HAD to know all that was just going to be rolled back sooner rather than later. Guy oddly enough sure fit the Red Lanterns better I thought. Especially since he was forced to mature in order to be a better leader for his crew. Much like Hawkeye, if they finally gave him leadership of his own crew, he'd actually mature the fuck up. Something about responsibility I guess.

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  2. Exactly! They were like the Hell's Angels/biker club of the GLC

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