WARNING: Contains Potential spoilers for DC vs. Vampires: World War V – Darkness and Light #1!

Trigger Warning: Contains content involving injury to the lower half of the body.

When it comes to Green Lantern, I’ve always been ride-or-die for the one and only John Stewart. On the flip side, I’ve loathed Guy Gardner so much that I’d actively avoid comics where he took center stage. So, I’m beyond shocked to report that somehow, Guy Gardner has wormed his way into my heart—becoming my new favorite Green Lantern.

Like the Dark Knight himself, I’ve never liked Guy Gardner and always considered him the worst Green Lantern. My distaste for him comes down to his attitude—loud, brash, and straight-up obnoxious. Unlike my beloved John Stewart, Guy is overconfident to the point of being unbearable. And let’s be real—no one with a bowl cut should have that much swagger.

Older depictions only made my opinion of Guy worse, painting him as blatantly sexist, especially in the ‘80s and ‘90s, to a cringeworthy degree. So, I’m absolutely stunned that DC not only made me like Guy Gardner but love him—all thanks to Matthew Rosenberg, Nikola Čižmešija, and sco Segala’s DC vs. Vampires: World War V – Darkness and Light #1.

Who Is the Guy Gardner of Earth-63?

Comic s Come From Matthew Rosenberg’s DC vs. Vampires: World War V – Darkness and Light #1 (2025) – Art by Nikola Čižmešija

To be fair, DC still hasn’t won me over when it comes to mainstream continuity Guy Gardner. However, Earth-63’s Guy Gardner has officially absconded with my heart, thanks to Rosenberg’s absolutely wild take on the character. In DC vs. Vampires: World War V – Darkness and Light #1, Wonder Woman turns Harper Row—who, in this universe, is und with the Bat-Family—into a vampire and takes her under her wing, becoming something of a mother to her. However, one day, Harper ventures out on her own and attacks Guy, who warns her multiple times to stop before being forced to kill her.

Wonder Woman arrives shortly after Guy delivers the fatal blow to Harper, and in a fit of vengeance, Diana slices him in half, severing his lower body from his upper half. The scene ends with readers left assuming Guy is most definitely dead. The story then shifts focus to Alfred Pennyworth, the newly minted Green Lantern, who is found by a child after narrowly escaping a brutal vampire attack. Upon learning that Alfred is struggling to control his ring, the child tells him that he knows someone who might be able to help. Leading Alfred through the woods and into a cave, the child reveals that this "someone" is none other than Guy Gardner.

From the moment Guy Gardner appears, something feels decidedly off. He speaks in a near-manic, disassociated way, and it’s clear he’s fully embraced the hermit lifestyle. Living in a cave, his hair and beard are wild, and he talks to himself, surrounded by a strange array of bizarre junk. The most striking feature of this version of Guy, however, is that his lower body is entirely a construct created by his Green Lantern ring, explaining how he’s still alive despite being severed in half by Wonder Woman. He’s using his powers to keep his vital organs functioning. Yet, as impressive as this feat of power is, it’s far from the best thing about this version of the character.

I Know How DC Can Fix Guy Gardner in Mainstream Continuity

Comic Page Comes From Matthew Rosenberg’s DC vs. Vampires: World War V – Darkness and Light #1 (2025) – Art by Nikola Čižmešija

As mentioned, Guy uses his Green Lantern ring to create constructs of his lower body in order to stay alive. However, instead of just replicating his usual lower half, Guy creates increasingly bizarre and whimsical constructs, including those of a snake, centipede, zebra, octopus, spider, hornet, chicken, and more. These playful constructs reflect his newfound, equally whimsical personality. Gone is the womanizing jerk with a god complex a mile wide; in his place is an unhinged version of the character—one who embodies a hilarious amount of recklessness and pessimism. The explanation for this drastic personality change is just as brilliant as the portrayal itself.

As Guy explains to Alfred, he can’t sleep because if he does, his constructs will dissipate, and he’ll immediately begin dying, as they’re the only thing keeping him alive. This sleep deprivation justifies his personality shift in this Elseworlds setting and ultimately makes the character even more enjoyable. Furthermore, his transformation isn’t simply a result of being in an alternate universe—it’s a direct consequence of what has happened to him in this world. This realization has led me to conclude that, for DC to make Green Lantern Guy Gardner truly likable in the main continuity, all they need to do is sever his lower half and leave him sleep-deprived.

DC vs. Vampires: World War V – Darkness and Light #1 is available now from DC Comics!