Guy Gardner, Warrior
“Merriment, Mistletoe, and Mayhem!”
Volume 1, Issue 39, February 1996
Released December 5, 1995
Cover Price: $1.75
Guide Price: $2.50 (as of 2003)
Writer: Beau Smith
Penciller: Marc Campos
Inkers: Dan Davis, Nick J. Napolitano
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Albert DeGuzman
Assistant Editor: Ruben Diaz
Editor: Brian Augustyn
Heroes: Amazing Man II, Arisia, Atom II, Atom Smasher, Ballistic, Black Canary II, Blue Beetle II, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Crimson Fox, Elongated Man, Fire, Firestorm V, Flamebird, Geo-Force, Hawkman IV, Ice Maiden I, Iron, John Constantine, Katana, Lady Blackhawk, Loose Cannon, Maxima, Mercury, Nightwing II, Obsidian, Phantom Lady II, Plastic Man, Platinum, Power Girl, Rampage, Ray II, Red Tornado, Rocket Red 4, Steel III, Supergirl III, Wonder Woman
Supporting: Buck Wargo, Phantom Stranger, Rita Muldoon, Sue Dibny
Setting: New York, NY, USA, 20th-century
Cover Description: Posing as Santa Claus, Guy Gardner attempts to climb down a chimney with a sack full of presents for various heroes of the DC Universe. Former Green Lantern Arisia poses as an elf nearby. (No Booster Gold.)
Brief Synopsis: Guy Gardner throws a Christmas party attended by almost every hero in the DC Universe.
Booster Gold's role in this story:
Cameo (Booster Gold makes a minor appearance)
Costume Worn: MARK IV armored power-suit
Issue Notes: Among the many heroes at Gardner's party are various artists and employees of DC Comics. The guest list is extensive, and includes far more heroes (and villains) than appear on panel with Booster Gold.
Page 2, panel 1
Booster Gold is among the many, many guests at Warriors, Guy Gardner's bar in New York City. Identifiable heroes crowded inside the bar with Booster are Alan Scott (as Sentinel, previously known as Green Lantern I), Amazing Man II, Arisia, Atom II, Ballistic, Black Canary II, Blue Beetle II, Captain Atom, Crimson Fox, Elongated Man, Fire, Firestorm V, Flamebird, Geo-Force, Hawkman IV, Ice Maiden I, Iron, Katana, Lady Blackhawk, Maxima, Mercury, Nuklon, Obsidian, Phantom Lady II, Plastic Man, Platinum, Power Girl, Ray II, Red Tornado, Rocket Red #4, Sue Dibny, and Supergirl III.
Page 5, panel 5
Booster appears to be sitting at a table with Rocket Red #4. This story represents their first "adventure" since Booster began wearing armor derived from Rocket Red technology. Behind Booster, Alan Scott is having a conversation with John Constantine. Nearby, Guy's friends Rita Muldoon and Buck Wargo attempt to negotiate with the Phantom Stranger for a suitable Christmas present for Guy. (The man in the extreme foreground looking at the viewer appears to be Denny O'Neil, longtime comic book writer and, at the time of this issue's publication, DC Comics Batman Group Editor.)
Page 22, panel 1
A number of heroes watch as Guy and Fire kiss underneath the mistletoe. Identifiable heroes shown are Atom II, Ballistic, Blue Beetle II, Booster Gold, Crimson Fox, Elongated Man, Geo-Force, Iron, Katana, Loose Cannon, Maxima, Nightwing, Plastic Man, Rampage, Ray II, Steel III, and Wonder Woman. Other heroes shown to be attending the party include Roy Harper (as Arsenal), Black Lightning, Clark Kent, Deadman, Donna Troy (as a Darkstar), Firehawk, Jade, Jimmy Olson, John Constantine, Johnny Thunder II, Knockout, Kyle Rayner, Lead, Lobo, Lois Lane, Martika, Metamorpho, Nightblade, Nightwing, Olivia Reynolds, Phantom Stranger, Ice's mother Queen Olaf (here spelled with two "f"s), Rampage, Rex Leeds, Rocky Davis, Sandman I, Steel III, Superboy III, Swamp Thing, Terra II, Tin, Veridium (aka Will Magnus), Veronna, Wildcat I, and Zatanna.
Boosterrific Review: Call it a Christmas present, but this issue is rated an undeserved 3 because there are so many character cameos and the heart of the issue is in the right place for a holiday issue. There are some basic grammar errors in the cornball dialogue, the art is awful, and some characters exhibit some downright uncharacteristic behavior with little explanation other than the excuse that everyone is in the Christmas spirit. Even at its best, this just isn't a very good series.
Boosterrific Rating: Gold Standard.
Average Fan Rating: (1 vote)
There are some touching scenes here as Guy talks to his dead father and ponders his lost love Ice but yeah there are some flaws. Nice to see a Christmas issue without the obvious Scrooge motif but this did not really work. As great as Guy is, he really works better as a strong supporting character than as an actual lead.
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