Welcome back to the jungle. Or the ultimate bungle. Really, it could go either way. And probably will.

Unless you’ve been in a coma in a cave, you know that Guns N’ Roses — or at least most of their estranged classic lineup — are finally reuniting. You know that loose-cannon singer Axl Rose and down-to-earth guitarist Slash have apparently buried the hatchet after two decades of civil war. And you know that this could be the epic comeback of the decade — if it doesn’t turn into the epic fail of the decade.

That question will likely be answered on April 8, when the band hit the stage at a Las Vegas arena for the first of two warm-up gigs in advance of their much-publicized Coachella sets. There are also two Mexico City show on the books, with rumours of a summer stadium tour. But before all that, let’s consider the pros and cons:

WHY IT WILL ROCK

1 | THE SIGNIFICANCE

With apologies to The Rolling Stones, the original Guns N’ Roses are the greatest rock ’n’ roll band of the last 30 years. And since they split, no one has claimed their throne — not even the most recent edition of Guns N’ Roses. And while they’ve had respectable careers, neither Slash nor bassist Duff McKagan have done anything that can top it.

2 | THE ANTICIPATION

An entire generation of rock fans has been clamouring and speculating and asking for this reunion. McKagan put it in perspective for me a few years back: “I did this signing at a guitar show in England … There were 1,000 people each day. And the first day, I got asked those questions 1,000 times. Every single f---ing person asked.” Can’t argue with that.

3 | THE MUSIC

Their 1987 debut Appetite for Destruction has sold 30 million copies, making it one of the bestselling albums of all time. And no wonder: It has Welcome to the Jungle, It’s So Easy, Nightrain, Mr. Brownstone, Paradise City, Sweet Child o’ Mine and Rocket Queen. Toss in the best moments of GN’R Lies and the Use Your Illusion albums and their back catalogue is basically bulletproof.

4 | THE DANGER

It took two decades to come together. But you know it could fall apart in two seconds if Slash looks at Axl funny one day. Bottom line: Not only is this reunion unlikely to last; it’s almost guaranteed to implode spectacularly. It’s the rock version of Evel Knievel jumping the Snake River Canyon — with his ex-wives. Who doesn’t want to see that?

5 | THE POTENTIAL

The possibilities are admittedly tantalizing. If Axl and Slash can keep it together long enough to tour, maybe they’ll feel comfortable enough to collaborate on a song. Maybe that will lead to another. And maybe — just maybe — we’ll get a new Guns N’ Roses album out of the deal. And maybe it won’t take 17 years like Chinese Democracy did.

WHY IT WILL SUCK

1 | THE LINEUP

Axl, Slash and Duff are confirmed. But the rest of the lineup remains a mystery, suggesting reclusive guitarist Izzy Stradlin and drummer Steven Adler are MIA. Slash’s boyhood pal Adler has pushed hard for a reunion — “If I have to kidnap them to do it, I will,” he once told me — and while his drug abuse is an issue, not including him would kind of suck.

2 | THE MONEY

Lest we forget a major reason for this reunion, it’s been said that the band hopes to rake in $3 million per show. So if you’re lucky enough to see them in your local EnormoDome, expect to shell out at least $250 for a ticket. Or you could go all in and score a $2,500 VIP package, which includes dinner, drinks and party favours, but no meet-and-greet.

3 | THE DRAMA

Unless Rose has suddenly and drastically matured, this could be a strained reunion. Especially once the honeymoon ends. If Axl starts making everyone wait for hours, or insists on filling the set with Chinese Democracy songs — or does any one-in-a-million other Axlesque things — all bets could be off. And you could have a $250 ticket to a riot.

4 | THE ODDS

Reunion tours and comeback albums — especially for bands like Guns N’ Roses — are often a no-win situation. If they do more than one tour without a new album, they’ll be accused of selling out. And if a new album doesn’t live up to the old ones (and seriously, what could?), they’ve tarnished the legacy. The moral: Sometimes it’s better to stay gone.

5 | THE DECADES

Bottom line: No matter how good they are, no matter how many oldies they play, no matter how much you love them, it’s not the same. It’s 20 years later. They’re 20 years older. They’re sober. The real GN’R? The wild boys who roamed the Sunset Strip, lived for sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll, and created some of the most incendiary and indelible music in history? They’re gone. This is just some old guys reliving their glory days and cashing in on nostalgia. Sorry to break it to ya.

THE SONGS

Even though their original lineup made only a handful of albums, Guns N’ Roses should have no problem filling a set list. Here are some of their best options (in alphabetical order).

Originals:

Back Off Bitch

Civil War

Don't Cry

Dust N’ Bones

Estranged

It's So Easy

Mr. Brownstone

My Michelle

Nightrain

November Rain

One in a Million

Out Ta Get Me

Paradise City

Patience

Perfect Crime

Pretty Tied Up

Right Next Door to Hell

Rocket Queen

Sweet Child o' Mine

There Was a Time

Think About You

Used to Love Her

Welcome to the Jungle

Yesterdays

You Could Be Mine

You’re Crazy

Covers:

Ain’t it Fun (Dead Boys)

Knockin' on Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan)

Live and Let Die (Wings)

Mama Kin (Aerosmith)

Nice Boys (Rose Tattoo)

Sympathy for the Devil (Rolling Stones)

GN’R TIMELINE

1985

Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler form Guns N’ Roses in Los Angeles.

1987

Debut album Appetite for Destruction is released.

1988

GN'R Lies is released.

1990

Adler is fired for drug addiction and replaced by Matt Sorum. Keyboardist Dizzy Reed joins.

1991

The two Use Your Illusion albums are released simultaneously. Stradlin leaves, replaced by Gilby Clarke.

1993

The Spaghetti Incident? is released.

1994

Clarke leaves.

1996

Slash leaves.

1997

McKagan leaves. Rose becomes the sole original member.

2008

Chinese Democracy is released with Rose’s latest of several lineups.

2012

Guns N' Roses are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rose does not attend.

2016

The band announces reunion shows for Las Vegas, Coachella and Mexico City.

Twitter: @darryl_sterdan

darryl.sterdan@sunmedia.ca