REVIEW: ‘Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Guy Gardner’ Issue 1

Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Guy Gardner Issue 1 is a one-shot published by DC Comics, written by Gerry Duggan, art by Matteo Lolli, Laura Braga, and Vasco Georgiev, colors by John Kalisz, and letters by Dave Sharpe.

As Guy unleashes a violent reign of terror across the universe, the Internal Affairs of the Green Lantern Corps steps in.

This one-shot is a chaotic thrill-ride, spinning out of the pages of both Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps. It can be disconcerting stepping into cold, but Duggan brilliantly explains what you need to know. John Stewart died, but it turned out he had created a duplicate, and Stewart is back. There’s also more structure within the Corps, issuing orders to try to keep the Lanterns in check and ensure their safety. The first half of Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Guy Gardner Issue 1 sees Guy as dangerous and intense. He’s toeing the line, still hunting down criminals, but being awful while doing it.

The action is fun and hysterical. Gardner is like a rogue sheriff, right on the outskirts of the known universe and causing chaos. So Stewart is sent after him. When they engage, the tone becomes angrier and more confrontational, culminating in a very physical fight. The cosmic stories can be grandiose, but Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Guy Gardner Issue 1 manages to be grounded when it needs to be.

The pacing and structure towards the end can be too repetitive, but it does an excellent job of establishing a sense of brotherhood across many of the Corps. But there are multiple times when it seems like the issue has ended, only for another scene to appear and lose effectiveness every time.

What’s fascinating about Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Guy Gardner Issue 1 is that it presents the title character, and ultimately the protagonist, as such an obnoxious person. Which is exactly what Guy is like. Duggan recognizes that and accentuates it further. He’s even more of a nuisance in this issue. Angry, dangerous, and cruel. He’s usually loud and crass, but his actions are extreme here.

There’s also an insight into a chaotic home life, filled with paranoia and depression. But there are reasons for him acting so drastically, and that becomes more evident when John enters the fray. John is more of a model citizen, but he’s also Guy’s best friend. He’s a stabilizing force, or at least someone who can try to get him in line. Duggan superbly digs beneath the surface of such a noisy figure, finding the intricacies.

The art celebrates the chaos, unleashing a manic cosmic story. Guy always looks ridiculous, and it’s that design that generates assumptions and expectations. The bowl cut and expressions that flow between snug and furious, which create a dislike. His attitude is always worn on his sleeve. The constructs he makes are not just massive; they also convey a tremendous sense of movement.

The constructs have moving parts, not just singular solid objects. There are big trains and cars, and there’s a fantastic energy within Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Guy Gardner Issue 1. The great thing about constructs is that they can reflect the emotions and personality of the Lantern creating them. The movement translates to the closer fights. Rings come off, and a fist fight breaks out, which is a better demonstration of an outburst of anger and a need to let off steam.

The colors in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Guy Gardner Issue 1 showcase a phenomenal range of shades. It’s very easy to use one shade of green with this particular Corps. However, Kalisz actually includes a spectrum that differentiates the colors, giving the constructs depth and dimension. The lettering is very bold, used to convey just how loud Gardner is.

Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Guy Gardner Issue 1 gets personal with the universe’s worst Green Lantern. The comic doesn’t shy away from how bad, annoying, and often grating Guy Gardner is. But there is a diversity in just how bad he is. He’s like a toddler, a teenager, and a frat boy all rolled into one, yet still ultimately doing the right thing. And Duggan delivers extraordinary depth, actually finding some sadness within.

Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Guy Gardner Issue 1 is available now wherever comics are sold.