Constructing a Legacy
By: Andrew Hines
I haven't been much of a Guy Gardner fan in the past, but with the New 52, I've gotten a better look at him and he seems more stable than in years past. Less arrogant and selfish than he was in the old DCU, he started out the year by helping rescue his long-time friend John Stewart escape the Alpha Lanterns. For the last few years, he's been one of the Corps' Honor Guard, which is a huge leap past just being the (sorry) red-headed stepchild of the Guardians.
This issue, penned by Peter J. Tomasi, gives us a better insight into Gardner. We see the obviously screwed up family life that he led prior to being brought into the Corps and the selflessness that propelled him into being one of the greatest GLs. The dialogue and police lingo that Tomasi uses are pretty much spot-on and don't feel forced, as it typically does on many police dramas on television. The scripting here works very well for Gardner without seeming to try too hard to humanize him. Instead of trying to build on his relationship with Stewart, this issue is just completely about Guy, and that works beautifully.
The artistic team of Fernando Pasarin, Scott Hanna and Gabe Eltaeb has done a splendid job from the get-go on this title. Joined in the last few issue by Marc Deering, GL Corps is full of awesome artwork. While it may not be as instantly recognizable as some other art teams, they've been making a name for themselves this past year. From the smallest shadow to the most in-your-face action panel, this is full of quality artwork.
The team deserves major props for this one. I give it an "A" which is something i never thought I'd do for a title with Guy Gardner as a main character.
