Red Lanterns #34 (DC)

writer: Charles Soule
artist: Alessandro Vitti

via DC Comics News

This is the finale of "Atrocities."  Guy Gardner's version of the Red Lanterns versus the Atrocitus (y'know, the founder) version.  I'll let you guess who wins.

Ha!  Na, it's pretty obvious.  I mean, Guy Gardner not winning?  Not gonna happen.  Guy becoming the headlining act of this series is the best thing to happen to it.  I've got to believe that, since the other best thing to happen to it won't be around for much longer.  That would be Charles Soule, the rising superstar who recently signed an exclusive contract with Marvel.  Best wishes to him.  I hope to find a project over at the House as equally stimulating as a fan of Soule as I have here at DC.

If "Atrocities" is technically his grand finale (this month is the Futures End issue, and then three months of the Green Lantern "Godhead" crossover follow and then I don't know how much longer he's around), then it's certainly a big way to bow, clearing house as it were.  And Soule pulls no punches.

Another member of Guy's Lanterns bites the bullet before victory is achieved (moosehead Skallox), leaving Guy himself (who technically leaves the team to spend time on Earth alone by the end of the issue), Bleez (blue chick with bone wings) and Rankorr (the other human enlistee).

The showdown between Guy and Atrocitus is the kind of event you'd expect between Hal Jordan and Sinestro.  In fact, after "Atrocities," I'd be okay with proclaiming Atrocitus to be Guy's Sinestro.  That would make the arc downright historic all the way around.  As far as I'm concerned, Red Lanterns has become a permanent and legitimate part of the Green Lantern legacy, regardless of where it heads from here or how much longer it lasts.  It's a better Guy Gardner series at this point than the long-running one he had in the '90s.

There's also Soule pulling the trigger on the Judge, one of those mysterious observer/teammate figures.  The standout of that type, for me, will always be Bloodwynd, who was introduced during the Dan Jurgens era of Justice League America and subsequently, mistakenly assumed by fans to have been Martian Manhunter all along.  (It didn't help that after Jurgens left Bloodwynd's significance dropped like a rock, and then he virtually vanished for good.  Although hey! there he is in The Multiversity!  Which is ironic, because Grant Morrison viciously dismissed the character in Supergods.)  I wasn't around enough to see how interesting the Judge actually was as a character, but it's nice to see that arc have speedy resolution.

And can I just reiterate that Guy has never looked better design-wise?  When he debuted, he was basically a red-headed version of Hal Jordan.  And then he grew more visually...obnoxious.  We'll leave it at that.  For the first time ever he actually looks cool.  Another plus for the series, surely.