Red Lanterns #22

Let me just state for the record that when I heard that Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi were leaving my beloved Green Lantern Books...I was worried.  And filled with consternation.  Uneasy even.  I had become quite used to having some of the best writers and best artists working on my favorite books, and I LIKED that.  Having these new guys...well, I am a creature of habit, and I didn't know what to expect.

My fears are laid to rest.  

Damn it, this was a good book!  I enjoyed the last issue, where Hal had Guy go and infiltrate the Red Lanterns much more than I expected to...and with this issue, I am firmly behind Charles Soule, the new writer, who is doing amazing and amusing things with Guy Gardner.

Last issue, despite his own misgivings, Guy...as a good Lantern, goes ahead and does what Hal wants him to do, which is join the Red Lanterns to find out what they are up to.  Naturally, he told Hal what could happen...and naturally Hal ignored the warnings.  I would imagine that eventually Hal will...regret that.  But Guy not only joined, he beat the crap out of Atrocitus and took his ring! 

But putting on a Red Ring can really mess you up, as Zilius Zox so eloquently points out, and Guy is in a bad way.  Bleez wants to leave him as a mindless blood-spewing weapon, but Rankorr, who met Guy earlier has a better idea, and dumps him  into the  blood lake on Ysmault, which eventually restores Guy's brains.  Bleez isn't happy about this, but the rest of them seem fairly resigned. 

In his usual fashion, Guy says hello to his new buddies, and lays a few ground rules, and then points out that they are stuck living in a virtual hell hole, and does anyone else feel that this sucks as much as he thinks it does?  They all raise their hands.  He also points out that they don't necessarily NEED a leader, and since there are only a few of them anyway, maybe they could just do things by committee, and possibly improve their lot at the same time.  Again, they really can't argue with him, and therefore, go out and hijack a pirate ship...because why the hell not? 

Oh Guy. 

For the first time, the other Red Lanterns are actually showing some personality, which is nice.  Guy as usual has all of the best lines, and still manages to show off HIS unique personality.  Soule seems to have a pretty good grasp of Guy's character, which is always a nice thing.  The art isn't bad, and gosh...it was a pretty great issue!

I'm so happy.