Red Lanterns #21

Well.

Well!

I have to admit that I was looking forward to this book with a combination of anticipation and dread.  Anticipation, because I had gone ALL MONTH LONG without Guy.  Dread, because I really haven't been all that thrilled with the Red Lanterns.   And it is by a new writer to the Green Lantern mythos, and I have been accustomed to Peter Tomasi and Geoff Johns, and Fernando Pasarin and Doug Mahnke and Pat Gleason...and because I'm a bit of a pain in the ass.

However...

This was...Good! 

We begin with Atrocitus killing one of his own Lanterns.  He's a bit regretful about it, but apparently the Guardians had planted a bug...literally...inside one of the Red Lanterns, in order to keep an eye on what Atrocitus was up to.  Atrocitus found out and he's not happy at all.  The Red Lanterns also don't quite see why they have to keep coming to the rescue of the other corps whenever the latest Huge Disaster Threatening the Universe Du Jour occurs.  I get the feeling that the Red Lanterns would like to do a little bit of menacing on their own...and who can blame them? 

Then Atrocitus decides...for the good of his corps...that he is going to bleed Rankorr dry, in order to gain access to his ability to create constructs.  Rankorr is not happy about this.  Atrocitus isn't winning too many friends here.

Meanwhile...back on Oa, Hal drops by as Guy is tinkering with is motorcycle.  Hal feels that they need to do something about the Red Lanterns, especially since their source of information has...er...dried up.  He feels, that in light of his past history...Guy would be the perfect person to infiltrate the Rage Corps.  Guy of course wonders who died and put Hal in charge. He even expresses a certain amount of sardonic glee when he finds out that Hal is indeed running the Green Lantern Corp.

Guy, in a fairly calm and cool fashion, decides to lay out for Hal exactly what he is asking for, and what he is asking Guy to sacrifice.  Hal really doesn't understand fully, because...well, because he's Hal, but assures Guy that he would have one of the Blue Lanterns standing by to help him.  Guy points out that with a Red Ring, there is a good chance that he wouldn't WANT to be saved.

So, he goes off to the bar, to talk it over with his old buddy Lee, who managed to survive, which is nice.  Thre is a nice back and forth, and Guy discovers some of his motives in the discussion.  I also get the feeling that Hal may have been put in charge, but that for a whole LOT of Lanterns...especially the newer ones...Guy is the one that they know and trust.

Back on Ysmault, Rankorr has defended himself successfully against Atrocitus and the rest of the Reds, when Guy drops by and offers to come and hang out.  Atrocitus, not being completely stupid knows of course, that Guy is there to infiltrate his corps, and of course they start fighting.  .  Guy had mentioned that getting mad was his super power BEFORE he had super powers, and as they tussle, he's thinking to himself about all of the reasons that he's pissed

Guy has a righteous anger.

And he beats Atrocitus AND takes his ring!  Woohoo!

Dexstar the Rage Kitty takes off with Atrocitus, and Guy is mad as heck...and apparently loving it.

 

Hal should be careful about what he asks for. 

I was impressed with Charles Soule, and his insight into what makes Guy Gardner tick.  There were some moments of dark humor, introspection, and an excellent insight into the Red Corps as well as the Green.  I  didn't know what to expect, so I was expecting the worst, and wound up pretty impressed.  The art by Alessandro Vitti was...ok.  It didn't rock my socks off, but it was adequate.  But I thought that this book was the best of the new Green Lanterns.  Although naturally, being a Guy fan, I may be prejudiced. 

Still.  Very good indeed.