A Favorite Set of Panels, from GL v3 13:
I've said before that brain-damaged Guy is basically, mentally, a very angry ten-year-old boy at heart. And this was really, really made obvious in Green Lantern version 3, where they'd play it up.
See this example:
These images are some of my favorites ever in the Green Lantern comics. Mostly for the depiction of Guy, which I think is quite exquisitely done...ignoring the migrating green of his uniform between those two panels. It must have been difficult to strike the right balance to draw a character that's physically an adult, but mentally not. But the use of body language and expression here is *perfect* I think.
The dialogue doesn't hurt either, but I think a lot of the impact would have been lost with a different artist.
I also really like Hal in this too. He's actually doing it *right* for once. Because honestly, as annoying/obnoxious as Guy was, Hal was as much at fault for most of their quarrelling, I think. Hal let things like residual guilt and irritation and anger make him forget that he really was dealing with someone of very diminished mental capacity.
Here though, he seems to remember. He's being coaxing and supportive. He's being brotherly. And gosh, if I don't have such a *thing* for Hal being a big brother.
He's so *gentle* here. I'm practically swooning.
(I'll tell you one thing though, I can *not* read these issues right before reading JLI. When I read JLI on its own, especially the part where Batman takes Guy out in one punch, I laugh because it's damn funny. But if I read this first, then I get annoyed. Congratulations, Bruce, you basically knocked out a *kid*...and then I stop and think about how unfair that whole thing really *was*. I mean, Batman's a martial artist, his body is his primary weapon. Guy's is his ring. For all his temper, he's never been a physical fighter. Guy takes off the ring to fight Bruce he's at a severe disadvantage. So yeah, Congratulations Bruce, you knocked out a *kid*...who was taking a *handicap* for you. And you can't tell me *Batman* didn't know about the injury to begin with, not when his hospital/sanitarium stay seems to have been public record.
So, yeah, much more fun when you don't read those issues first.)
(ETA: Scans given to me by Ragnell, yay!)
See this example:
These images are some of my favorites ever in the Green Lantern comics. Mostly for the depiction of Guy, which I think is quite exquisitely done...ignoring the migrating green of his uniform between those two panels. It must have been difficult to strike the right balance to draw a character that's physically an adult, but mentally not. But the use of body language and expression here is *perfect* I think.
The dialogue doesn't hurt either, but I think a lot of the impact would have been lost with a different artist.
I also really like Hal in this too. He's actually doing it *right* for once. Because honestly, as annoying/obnoxious as Guy was, Hal was as much at fault for most of their quarrelling, I think. Hal let things like residual guilt and irritation and anger make him forget that he really was dealing with someone of very diminished mental capacity.
Here though, he seems to remember. He's being coaxing and supportive. He's being brotherly. And gosh, if I don't have such a *thing* for Hal being a big brother.
He's so *gentle* here. I'm practically swooning.
(I'll tell you one thing though, I can *not* read these issues right before reading JLI. When I read JLI on its own, especially the part where Batman takes Guy out in one punch, I laugh because it's damn funny. But if I read this first, then I get annoyed. Congratulations, Bruce, you basically knocked out a *kid*...and then I stop and think about how unfair that whole thing really *was*. I mean, Batman's a martial artist, his body is his primary weapon. Guy's is his ring. For all his temper, he's never been a physical fighter. Guy takes off the ring to fight Bruce he's at a severe disadvantage. So yeah, Congratulations Bruce, you knocked out a *kid*...who was taking a *handicap* for you. And you can't tell me *Batman* didn't know about the injury to begin with, not when his hospital/sanitarium stay seems to have been public record.
So, yeah, much more fun when you don't read those issues first.)
(ETA: Scans given to me by Ragnell, yay!)
posted by kalinara @ 2:22 AM
5 Comments:
At April 21, 2006 9:51 AM,
Kevin Melrose said…
Guy used to be drawn as attractive? Huh. At what point did his depiction switch to the sneering, hit-in-the-face-with-a-frying-pan Guy that we so often see now?
At April 21, 2006 9:56 AM,
kalinara said…
Actually, there are points in as late as Warrior and even one or two in Recharge that Guy looks attractive. And many other issues at this same time period when he looks as hideous as you remember.
See, if you pay attention, he's always sneering, grimacing or pulling faces. Twisting up his face into those weird expressions is what makes for the ugly-stick beaten Guy.
When he's relaxed, in repose, or just doesn't feel like sneering, grimacing or pulling faces...he actually looks attractive.
This is *very* rare though. Guy apparently likes making weird facial expressions.
At April 21, 2006 5:16 PM,
Anonymous said…
Why would Batman have any qualms about beating the mentally ill? That's pretty much all he does.
At April 21, 2006 6:41 PM,
Anonymous said…
And what was the story between Guy and Gnort? Or would we reeeeally rather not go there?
At April 21, 2006 7:10 PM,
kalinara said…
spiritglyph: heh, good point. Still, most of his usual victims, while crazy, aren't mentally children. :-)
anon: it was actually really cute. Kind of a "a boy and his dog" sort of story. A really brain damaged boy and his really, really dumb dog. But it was sweet. Especially the end. :-)
It is a little disturbing though, especially if you're not used to kid-brained Guy.
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