A Belated Review of Guy Gardner: Collateral Damage

Okay, as a Guy Gardner fan I should probably have reviewed Howard Chaykin's Collateral Damage before now, but honestly, SallyP and Ragnell have pretty much said my piece for me.

It's an okay Howard Chaykin comic. But that really isn't Guy Gardner, and since I'm the sort to read for a character rather than a creator, I'm probably not going to continue with the mini-series.

Chaykin's take on the character fits snugly in the JLI interpretation of the character, which would fit in that time period but ignores the very significant part of the whole JLI Behavior=Brain Damage concept that is pretty central to the character. As soon as the damage was fixed (Warrior, Kyle's run of GL, and everything since), his characterization changed. He's a jerk, yes, but he's a self-aware jerk now. And believe it or not, that does make a big difference.

And honestly, the thing with the Thanagarian and the Rann cadet was honestly done better in Green Lantern Corps: Recharge. (And honestly, considering Oa HAS two lanterns from that sector in Isamot and Vath, that seems rather ominous for our GG:CD cadet).

I should be happy about the addition of female characters (since Isamot and Vath are men) but...honestly, it seems like a gratuitous thing here. Like they are ONLY female so that Chaykin can draw breasts and so Guy can be an ass to people with double-X chromosomes. This might just be my bitterness that there are no protruding nipples on THIS main protagonist.

Not that I really want to see protruding nipples. But I've read Hawkgirl, and honestly, what's good for the goose ought to be good for the gander.

It's a shame though, I do like seeing more girl-Lanterns. And I like seeing a female character in a uniform that's actually practical (I don't mind skimpy costumes but I like the variety), but...her characterization seems empty. Vapid. The same with the Thanagarian woman. I'll take Isamot and Vath any day.

Gibbons may not have Chaykin's political finesse, but he writes far more appealing characters, anyday. And in the end, that's why I read.

The Tormockian part is pretty interesting, but the Vuldarians don't even make sense. And it seems like such a waste. I mean, I know not everyone liked that development in Warrior, but being Vuldarian was important to the character then. It was a scary development, initially out of control, but it ultimately led to something of a greater sense of belonging and family with characters like Buck and Veronna.

It should mean something that he's not a Vuldarian anymore. Especially face to face with these others, when he, so long, was considered the only one left. Guy's always had this unfair element of loss to his lanternhood. The first time, becoming a Lantern came hand in hand with losing his sanity. This time it came with losing his personal power/species identity. I'm okay with that loss not being addressed right now in GLC, as the focus of his current stories isn't in that direction at this moment. But in a story revolving around Vuldarians and Tormocks and all that, I want to see something.

Dark G'Nort is hilarious, but well, he's already coming off like a one-note joke to me. Okay. You have G'nort. Dark. Where do you go from here?

I'm not sure if I'll buy the next one. Probably not. Though I am a sucker for anything with Guy Gardner on the cover. Still, as I said, I read for character. And the character I like to read about really isn't in there.

I'll stick with Gibbons and Johns, thanks.

I do have to admit though, reading through Collateral Damage, I couldn't help but think: "This would have been so awesome if written by Beau Smith." Missed opportunities.