There were a ton of new number ones from Marvel last week, including Atlantis Attacks, Web of Venom: The Good Son, and Ruins of Ravencroft: Dracula, the latter which was by far my favourite of the three. However, there was another number one that I thought was extremely well done, enough so to keep me reading next month.
Guardians of the Galaxy #1
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Juann Cabal
I’ve lost track of how many Guardian of The Galaxy number ones there has been over the last few years. I was a consistent reader of the first part of Brian Michael Bendis’ run, but I haven’t been constant. That means I don’t know why Rocket Racoon is wearing a suit or how Moonstar started hanging out with the gang of Star-Lord, Groot, Gamora and Drax.
However, in the hands of Al Ewing, one of the best writers going right now, these questions were reasonably answered while the new story was still moved along. In this case, it’s an interplanetary assault by the old Gods of Earth – Zeus and company. While I feel like I’ve had my fill of the Greek Gods as a reader over the last decade (I blame Jonathan Hickman’s God Is Dead), seeing them in space taking on our intrepid Guardians is new, and I liked it a lot.
There’s a big crew of characters that Ewing and artist Juann Cabal have to manage in these pages, and the duo does a solid job of giving them all their moments, whether it be with the action or simple dialogue. One thing that James Gunn’s films have made clear is that the Guardians of the Galaxy are not just a band of misfits, but they’re also family, and the creative on this book make sure to weave this first issue around the same concept.
There are some surprise appearances in Guardians of the Galaxy #1 that I won’t spoil for you other than to say they add nicely to the tone of the book that is equal parts action/adventure and comedy (not too heavy on the comedy, thankfully). If you haven’t been reading the previous Guardians books, this first issue is an excellent place to begin.
