Hal Pictures Green Lantern Butt's FOREVER!: Guy Gardner: Warrior

Green Lantern Butt's FOREVER!

Now with Guy Gardner's Seal of Approval!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Guy Gardner: Warrior

It's been an awfully long tinme since I had a little bit of Beau Smith Appreciation, and I feel that he is due. As you ALL know, Beau Smith was the definitive writer of Guy Gardner, when he took over his solo title way back when. This was after Hal had gone bonkers and Parallaxed his way through the Green Lantern Corps, and beat the crap out of Guy (again) and took his ring (again) and even his eye and left him in a coma (again!)

Hmmmm...I'm seeing something of a pattern here.

Anyhoo, Not being someone who just lays around, Guy decides to go off and get some powers. He's a bit on the desperate side at the moment, so apparently ANY kind of powers will do...he's not particularly picky.

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Cool, eh?

I understand that originally, Mr. Smith wanted Guy to not have any special powers, just run around being heroic all on his own. But the Powers That Be weren't down with that idea, and powers were what he got. But all things considered, they were interesting powers.

Mr. Smith also introduced a whole new cast of supporting characters, such as Buck Wargo and the Monster Hunters.


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I rather miss Buck, Joey, Rita and Desmond. Not to mention Veronna, and Lady Blackhawk, and Arisia and Fire, and Wildcat, and just about everyone else who was hanging around at the Warriors bar. They were a fun bunch. They were an INTERESTING bunch. I rather miss them. On the other hand, perhaps their obscurity has been a blessing in disguise. If nobody remembers them, then they can't be DIS-membered.

If you haven't read Guy Gardner:Warrior, then do, by all means, go out and get the books. They aren't too hard to find, and they aren't too expensive. It's rather a shame that they haven't been collected, but I don't imagine that they will be in any forseeable future. And the artwork is VERY 90's and over the top. Still...they are a hell of a lotta fun.

And fun is good.

7 Comments:

At 1:46 PM, Blogger Saranga said...

oh i love the warriors books i have the art may be 90s and over the top but somehow it just fits the stories and guy really well, don't you think?

 
At 4:10 PM, Blogger SallyP said...

Over the top, just about describes it. And really, some of it was actually pretty cool. I always liked the Mitch Byrd issues in particular. And whomever did the ones where his mother shows up, and they fight Gorilla Grodd at the Empire State building was good too.

Beau Smith just never took it TOO seriously, yet he always managed to respect the characters.

I miss Desmond. I LIKED Desmond!

 
At 9:14 AM, Blogger Your Obedient Serpent said...

I really liked that run, as well. Beau handled the Vuldarian gimmick well, and I really did like the idea of Guy being the sort to say, "screw this, I'm gonna go get my OWN powers" -- but I really enjoyed the pulp adventure direction that Smith ORIGINALLY aimed to take, and rather wish it had continued on that path.

 
At 11:50 AM, Blogger SallyP said...

Yeah, I'm a little wistful for the pulp/Indiana Joneslike direction that it COULD have taken. But still...we did end up with some awfully good stories. And Beau was always careful not to let Guy's powers get TOO outrageous in his own book. It was mainly when other writers used him that his ability to change his arms into weapons and such became ridiculous.

 
At 4:43 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I almost shed a tear any time you write up anything on my run of Guy Gardner Warrior. A manly tear, but a tear never the less. You really "Got" what I was aiming to do with Guy and the book. That seriously means so much to me.

My run #20 through #44 with two annuals, was some of the most fun I've had in my career so far. Working with Mitch Byrd, Brad Gorby, Aaron Lopresti, Phil Jimenez, Marc Campos, Joyce Chin and Eddie Bergamza was always a truck load of fun.

My goal was always to give Guy a personality, a true voice and a likeable one. Powers and costumes have been done and redone, that wasn't my main problem or goal. I just wanted folks to have an emotional investment in Guy and his friends. If a writer can do that , then people will come back to read his adventures every month.

Again, thank you so very much for enjoying it.

Beau Smith
The Flying Fist Ranch

 
At 10:28 AM, Blogger SallyP said...

It's always so nice to hear from you, Mr. Smith. Your Bwanna Beast issue in the Holiday Special was lovely.

Frankly, I'd KILL for a Guy Gardner mini-series written by you. If only I was running DC.

*sigh*

 
At 1:54 PM, Blogger Saranga said...

@Beau Smith:
For my two cents, I think you managed what you intended. I would love to see another Guy series, at the same standard as the run you did.

 

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