Guardians of the Galaxy #3 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Steve McNiven, Sara Pichelli, John Dell (Artists), Justin Ponsor (Colorist)

The Story: As J-Son, king of Spartax and father to Peter Quill, is acting like a royal jerk, the team has to be rescued from captivity.

The Review: I had my doubts about this series. Being a huge fan of the previous volume, I just didn’t know if Bendis could pull the big cosmic ideas that Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning threw in each and every issues. Worse yet, he had changed a couple of elements that I loved from the previous iteration in favour of adding some elements that were most probably due to editorial demands more than anything. It’s easier to sell the book if Tony Stark is in it after all, with the character being one of the breakout stars from the movie universe they had created. I had tons of reasons to be wary of such a move on a property I loved.

Now, I’d like to tell you that this issue blew me away, that my fears were silly and that Bendis has a brilliant future ahead on this title, but that would be partly true. I am mitigated after reading the conclusion to the first arc, as there are several elements that work and some that just don’t. It’s a mixed bag of quality with some pretty nice things and some that just felt wrong to me.

Guardians of the Galaxy #2 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Steve McNiven & Sara Pichelli (Penciler), John Dell, Mark Morales, Steve McNiven & Sara Pichelli (Inkers), Justin Ponsor (Colorist), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer)

The Review: Something about Guardians of the Galaxy still seems a little…off. It’s definitely an enjoyable read but Bendis doesn’t quite seem as at home with space opera as he does with the more earthbound drama of books like All New X-Men, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man or (and I know this is a bone of contention) Age of Ultron. A big hint lies in that this, his first story arc, is centred entirely around Earth and its position of Universal importance. 2008’s GOTG crew never set foot on Earth once and was no poorer for it. The much maligned Green Lantern movie could barely slip the surly bonds of Earth and look how that turned out. When you’ve got an  entire universe at your disposal – a limitless expanse of planets and alien cultures for your cast to explore – ditching your characters on Terran soil at the first opportunity ends up feeling a little uninspired.

The Thanos Imperative #4 – Review

By Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (writers), Miguel Sepulveda (artist), Jay David Ramos and Wil Quintana (color artists)

I have cancer.

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, to be exact.

It’ll probably kill me at some point, assuming I don’t drink myself into oblivion before then, but I felt compelled to share with you because that is the frame of mind I’ve been in as I read Abnett and Lanning’s latest, and possibly most disturbing, space epic for Marvel. I’ve long been a fan of DnA’s work for this corner of the Marvel Universe, and applaud how they have carved out and defined a territory that has been vastly under-utilized by creators for decades now. These guys have succeeded in forging Marvel’s universe a chaotic, exciting, and utterly terrifying place to tell stories in. With every epic they’ve crafted, they’ve gradually raised the stakes in ways that seem logical yet infinitely more perilous. Now, with The Thanos Imperative these guys are building one of their finest stories to date, one that forces me to consider my own mortality in a way that is deeply disturbing.

At the heart of this tale is the simple, eternal conflict between Life and Death. Specifically, it is the tale of a universe where Death died and Life prevailed. A universe that is now trying to infiltrate our reality in a desperate attempt to find more space to continue growing and living. Where this story excels though is in the way it fucks with our expectations by portraying Life as a vile, cancerous entity and Death as, if not The Good Guy, then certainly a necessary deterrent to the threat of Life unbound. Thematically, it’s a strange concept and not something we’re accustomed to endorsing; our education as readers of fiction has trained us to view Life as being Good and Death as being Evil, but here Abnett and Lanning do what good writers do and play with our expectations, twisting them in ways that make us reconsider what we thought to be true. I don’t know about you, but I like that.

The action in this issue is unparalleled and furious, even if the plot was rather sparse. Sepulveda has a wonderful understanding of these characters and his gritty style is perfectly suited to the large canvas Abnett and Lanning like to work on. I loved the contrast of Nova and his strikeforce leading an incursion into the Cancerverse while Lord Mar-Vell and his Revengers stalked our universe in pursuit of the Avatar of Death. With every issue, this cat and mouse game is becoming more intense and bloodthirsty, the stakes are being continuously raised as each side fights relentlessly to gain the winning advantage, and after this issue I’m at a loss to see where the creative team could possibly go from here with the story.

The Thanos Imperative #3 – Review

By: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (writers), Miguel Sepulveda (artist), Jay David Ramos (colorist)

The Story: Thanos and the Guardians of the Galaxy sneak deeper into the Cancerverse with a little help from artificial friends. In the meantime, Nova, Quasar and the heads of various power groups in our universe talk war now that the Galactus Engine is chewing through the allies. Oh, and Drax picks an inopportune moment to remember why he was created.

What’s Good: Things are definitely getting worse for our heroes, which is always a great place to be as a reader. At least one Marvel cosmic entity buys it, and the Galactus Engine seems unstoppable. There’s danger and drama in the story. The reveal of the Cancerverse artificial lifeforms was a great tip of the hat to a lot of the Marvel Universe and fun for continuity fans. There were other nods to deep Marvel history for those who have been reading about Thanos since Jim Starlin turned him from a Blastaar-type of villain into the bad-ass who tried to commit cosmic genocide. I also liked the moments of growth (Nova) and the fast and furious revelations. By the end of the issue, we get a lot more of a grip on what caused all this and what everybody has to do.

Wolverine Fights We’d Like To See

With Wolverine taking Hollywood by storm the past weekend, a few of our editors got together and chose who we would like to see him battle in a future comic. Here are some fight scenes that’ll make you wish Marvel would’ve pulled some power move and just rip the X-license from Fox.

Rob G.’s Pick: Drax the Destroyer

When recently rereading Anhilation, I was once again drawn into Drax the Destroyer and his methodical and brutal fighting style. As I journeyed with Drax as he mowed down negative zone bugs with his two knives in his pursuit of Thanos, it dawned on me that he was like a cosmic Wolverine. So, I thought: wouldn’t it be cool to see these two, Woverine and Drax, duke it out. I have no idea who would win as they both are near indestructible and although Drax might have more strength, Wolverine could easily compensate for the deficit with some good ol’ fashion berserker fury.

Kyle Posluszny’s Pick: Kratos (From God of War)

Adamantium Claws Vs. Chain Blades.  Weapon X. vs. The Ghost of Sparta. Berserker Rage Vs. The Rage of a God. I really can’t think of a better opponent for Wolverine than Kratos from the videogame series God of War. They match up incredibly well as far as skill/power set is concerned. In addition, they both possess an incomparable knack for brutality and bloodshed that would take the battle to unprecedented heights.

Ray Hilario’s Pick: Midnighter (From The Authority)

It’s the X-men most dangerous weapon vs. the Authority’s most sadistic member. Honestly, what more can you ask for from a fight between two guys that are vastly skilled and that have the healing factor. Wolverine’s got the feral nature, and the various martial arts skills that allows him to keep fighting until he has won the battle. Midnighter on the other hand, also has the enhanced speed and fighting skills like Wolverine, but also the ability to predict the unfolding of a battle before it starts. It would be a classic battle between two indestructible forces duking it out till the end.

DS Arsenault’s Pick: The Brood

Wolverine is about four things: (A) “He’s the best there is at what I do,” (B) He follows a code of honor, (C) He’s a loner, and (D) He’s got a deep, savage side.  So the perfect Wolverine fight would have to be physical, visceral and savage.  It would have to be him alone, with no one able to help him against the overwhelming odds.  And the stakes would have to be for all the marbles.  Who can push Wolverine to the limit?  The Brood.  Giant flying insects with poisoned stingers, armored plate skin, razor sharp teeth and a taste for flesh.

So, who would you guys like to see Weapon X tear into? Post your picks in our comment section!

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 – Review

By Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (writers), Paul Pelletier (penciler), Rick Magyar (inks), Nathan Fairbairn (colors)

This is how you write the first issue of a team book. Granted, if you’ve been following the Annihilation and Annihilation: Conquest series Marvel’s been running over the past two years, you’ll feel right at home, but for new readers the team chemistry is instantly realized. It helps that Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have been writing these characters for a while too. It’s really amazing how quickly they’re able to introduce the roster, give us background of what’s transpired with the Annihilation storylines, thrust us right into the middle of a chaotic battle, and set the tone of what’s to come.

Guardians of the Galaxy is a smart space saga packed with some of the most likeable characters you’ll ever meet. Rocket Racoon may feel like an outlandish choice for the team, but he fits right in and will most likely be one of the most popular characters amongst readers. His sarcasm coupled with his tactical genius is one of the cornerstones of this book. The humor, not just by him, but by the rest of the team off-sets the serious implications they get themselves into. The way these guys fight together is completely chaotic, yet when they’re put into a pinch they always manage to get the job done. Abnett and Lanning have cleverly planned this series. We get a run down on how the chemistry of the team is kept in check, how they move around the universe, what what may become of them in the future. A lot of ground work has been laid in this first issue, and it’s very, very impressive to say the least.

Paul Pelletier is the unsung hero of this book. He’s the glue that makes it all come together. From page one he throws down the gauntlet giving us spectacular splash pages, engaging fights, and harrowing views of space. There’s absolutely nothing negative I can say about the art he’s done in this issue – it’s strong on every single front, and believe me, this book moves around a bit.

In a perfect world, this comic would be one of those big budget, science fiction epics we’d see on television a weekly basis. But since it’s not, the comic will have to do. If the creative team can keep this momentum going (and I have no doubt that they can given their track record on Annihilation and Nova), Guardians of the Galaxy will quietly become one of the best new series of 2008. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes