'Green Lantern 80th Anniversary Spectacular' makes a surprising case for Guy Gardner's reliability in a fight
Spoilers for 'Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular'
Guy Gardner is one of the most hotly debated Green Lanterns that Sector 2814 has ever had watching over it. You either love him or hate him, but he remains one of the core Earth-based Green Lanterns, and a devoted member of the Green Lantern Corps — even if he's not best known for how well he follows orders. The 'Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular', however, makes a surprising case for why Guy deserves a lot more respect than he gets — and why he might be an even better choice than Batman to have by your side in battle.
'Four' is a story written by Robert Venditti, pencilled by Rafa Sandoval, inked by Jordi Tarragona, colored by Ivan Plascencia and lettered by David Sharpe. It's set at some point in the future, where Kyle Rayner, John Stewart and Hal Jordan are visibly older, at a yearly Green Lantern reunion. The trio share stories of their time in the Corps, and some of their most memorable battles. Guy Gardner's name is brought up more than once, as the Lanterns joke that no one took a punch quite as well — or as frequently — as Guy Gardner did.
It's later in the reunion that this joke turns to genuine appreciation. Guy Gardner was always front and center of every battle, being as annoying to the enemy as was possible. The Lanterns talk about how this isn't just brashness on Guy's part — Guy always made the choice to take the hit for the team, allowing himself to be pummeled just to keep his fellow Green Lanterns that much safer. They drink to his memory, as it's revealed that Gardner has passed in some unspecified manner at some point in the past.
"...the more every villain and intergalactic despot hated him — the more they wanted to kill him, the less they thought about killing any of his friends," says John Stewart. "People talk about having someone in their corner? I'll take Guy Gardner over a Batman any day."
The three Lanterns wrap up their reunion with a visit to Gardner's grave, honoring their bond as the Four Corpsmen. It's not revealed how Gardner met his end, but it was no doubt in defense of another life, taking the hit so that someone else wouldn't have to. Thankfully, in the present, Guy Gardner is still alive and well — and he's annoying both fans and intergalactic despots alike.
'Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular' is available wherever comics are sold.