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Guardians of the Galaxy (2013) (Collected Editions)
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers
There’s a new rule in the galaxy: No one touches Earth!
But why has Earth suddenly become the most important planet in the galaxy? That’s what the Guardians of the Galaxy are going to find out!
Join Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot and--wait for it--the Invincible Iron Man as they embark upon one of the most explosive and eye-opening chapters of Marvel NOW! The secrets these galactic Avengers discover will rattle Marvel readers for years to come! But while London deals with a brutal invasion by the Badoon, the fate of the Guardians may have already been decided millions of miles away! Why wait for the movie? It all starts here!
Collecting: Guardians of the Galaxy 0.1, 1-3; & Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic
But why has Earth suddenly become the most important planet in the galaxy? That’s what the Guardians of the Galaxy are going to find out!
Join Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot and--wait for it--the Invincible Iron Man as they embark upon one of the most explosive and eye-opening chapters of Marvel NOW! The secrets these galactic Avengers discover will rattle Marvel readers for years to come! But while London deals with a brutal invasion by the Badoon, the fate of the Guardians may have already been decided millions of miles away! Why wait for the movie? It all starts here!
Collecting: Guardians of the Galaxy 0.1, 1-3; & Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic
136 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2013
1146 people are currently reading
8550 people want to read
About the author
Brian Michael Bendis
4,411 books2,575 followersA comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.
Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.
Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.
He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.
Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.
Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.
He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 856 reviews
May 9, 2017
I felt the need to edit this and add in a picture of Peter's floppy hair because a friend of mine pointed out that it was the only reason I was into this comic.
He may be right.
I absolutely loved this!
I've read a little about these characters, but this was the first time I've ever really gotten excited about them as a group.
It's a big fun story that gave me exactly what I wanted from it. It's not an origin story per se, but it does give you an overview of who these characters are, and where they came from. So if you're a Guardian newbie (like me), then this is a great jumping off place if you're interested in reading about the team.
It starts with a great story about the origins of Star-Lord, and then transitions into an End-Of-The-World-As-You-Know-It battle between the Guardians and some hostile aliens.
I thought it would add bonus point by putting Iron Man into the mix, but it ended up feeling a bit odd. I'm guessing they thought they needed to add a mainstream character to this, considering these guys aren't exactly a group that everyone instantly recognizes. And it turned out fine...really. I think they could have pulled it off without Tony's help, but it all worked out in the end.
If you're more familiar with the characters, you may not be as in love with this as I am, because I'm not sure how well this holds up against their older comics.
And if you know me, then you know that I get totally sucked into the commercialized cheesy titles.
I LOVE CHEESE.
So.
Take that into consideration when you look at my glowing 5 star review of this. Or of anything book, really.
Oh, who am I kidding?
I have wonderful taste.
Now go read this!
He may be right.
I absolutely loved this!
I've read a little about these characters, but this was the first time I've ever really gotten excited about them as a group.
It's a big fun story that gave me exactly what I wanted from it. It's not an origin story per se, but it does give you an overview of who these characters are, and where they came from. So if you're a Guardian newbie (like me), then this is a great jumping off place if you're interested in reading about the team.
It starts with a great story about the origins of Star-Lord, and then transitions into an End-Of-The-World-As-You-Know-It battle between the Guardians and some hostile aliens.
I thought it would add bonus point by putting Iron Man into the mix, but it ended up feeling a bit odd. I'm guessing they thought they needed to add a mainstream character to this, considering these guys aren't exactly a group that everyone instantly recognizes. And it turned out fine...really. I think they could have pulled it off without Tony's help, but it all worked out in the end.
If you're more familiar with the characters, you may not be as in love with this as I am, because I'm not sure how well this holds up against their older comics.
And if you know me, then you know that I get totally sucked into the commercialized cheesy titles.
I LOVE CHEESE.
So.
Take that into consideration when you look at my glowing 5 star review of this. Or of anything book, really.
Oh, who am I kidding?
I have wonderful taste.
Now go read this!
April 16, 2019
Guardians of the Galaxy, hmm, what’s not to like.
Review tomorrow, it’s only a day away 😊
Despite reading a few Marvel and DC comics in the early 1970s, mostly Superman and Batman if my memory serves me correctly, I have never really been a big follower of any of the "Universes". That is until Guardians of the Galaxy came along in Film format. That coupled with my sudden liking for all things Avengers ( that's Marvel, not John Steed (you have to be English to understand the reference) ) meant that I had this new found interesting all things Marvel. So after frantically buying a number of Marvel Avenger and GotG Blu Rays to catch up with the stories to date, I have now decided it is time to catch up on the comics as well.
This was well drawn, a collection of fun early stories in the lives of the Guardians and a great introduction to their universe. I would recommend to anyone who has the slightest interest in Starlord, Gamora, Rocket, Drax and of course Groot.
Review tomorrow, it’s only a day away 😊
Despite reading a few Marvel and DC comics in the early 1970s, mostly Superman and Batman if my memory serves me correctly, I have never really been a big follower of any of the "Universes". That is until Guardians of the Galaxy came along in Film format. That coupled with my sudden liking for all things Avengers ( that's Marvel, not John Steed (you have to be English to understand the reference) ) meant that I had this new found interesting all things Marvel. So after frantically buying a number of Marvel Avenger and GotG Blu Rays to catch up with the stories to date, I have now decided it is time to catch up on the comics as well.
This was well drawn, a collection of fun early stories in the lives of the Guardians and a great introduction to their universe. I would recommend to anyone who has the slightest interest in Starlord, Gamora, Rocket, Drax and of course Groot.
April 16, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
This review brought to you courtesy ofSupernerd’s my son’s and my ginormous Pop Vinyl collections. (It may also serve as Exhibit A when he asks why we don’t have any money for him to attend college.) If you don’t like reviews that contain a massive amount of images, well . . . .
In case you don’t already know, I’m a comic book newbie. In fact, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers was my first foray into any superhero storyline. To sum it up briefly, I believe I have found my people. When the movie version of Guardians finally made it to the Starz Channel I found myself watching the hell out of it, so I figured there was a pretty decent chance I’d like the comic version as well. Talk about understatement of the year.
The story begins with the origins of the “Star-Lord” – and while movie version has Peter’s mother banging a rando alien and then dying from cancer, this version has just a bit more shoot ‘em ups involved with her demise. WTF is up with killing the mothers all the time? Everyone drinking the Walt Disney Kool-Aid or what? Anywho, after his mom croaks, Peter dedicates his life to getting back to outer space, and with the help of a career at NASA, finally makes it there in order to take his birthright as the Star-Lord we all know and love . . .
(Yes, Supernerd does indeed have both masked and unmasked versions of all the superheroes. He might need an intervention.)
Things then flash forward to a plotline of the ragtag bunch of misfits we all know and love . . . along with – Iron Man???
Yep. Iron Man. Alrighty then. The Guardians have already duked it out with Thanos and his ilk, and now they (along with Iron Man) are faced with some new über baddies . . .
(Cut me some slack, I had to make due with what was available. All Supernerd had in his collection was Ronin and he ain’t in this one.)
The story is action-packed almost from the jumpstart where we witness Gamora being super kickass . . .
(The 947,381 picture asshole cat has photobombed this year.)
and Groot getting blown to smithereens. Y’all know what happens when Groot gets ka-boomed, right?
Okay, this part isn’t really covered except showing Rocket sticking a twig in some dirt, but Mitchell lurvs the Baby Groot and insisted I add this ; )
Anyway, back to all the über baddies. They are plotting to destroy Earth . . . or are they???? DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN! Can the Guardians save all of us Earthers before it’s too late? What do you think?
God bless ‘Murica.
Alright, so obviously I loved this and if a non-comic book junkie like me dug it, then you all should too. Although the spandex chafed a little more than I would like, I’m definitely interested in reading anything I can about the Guardians – especially after the little teaser about Rocket . . .
Or is there????
Now if only they’d introduce my old fave . . .
Since I know diddly shit about artwork I’m not really going to go there except to say that for the most part I thought it was pretty damn good . . .
“BLAM! MURDERED YOU!”
And even the panels that weren’t the best made up for it with pure awesome . . .
“I’m throwing up in my snarg.”
LOLOLOL – Advance apologies, husband. I have a feeling I’ll be using that line way too often.
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the Funko corporation, but am willing to sell my soul to them in order to obtain more of their Pop Vinyls. Thanks in advance for your consideration.
This review brought to you courtesy of
In case you don’t already know, I’m a comic book newbie. In fact, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers was my first foray into any superhero storyline. To sum it up briefly, I believe I have found my people. When the movie version of Guardians finally made it to the Starz Channel I found myself watching the hell out of it, so I figured there was a pretty decent chance I’d like the comic version as well. Talk about understatement of the year.
The story begins with the origins of the “Star-Lord” – and while movie version has Peter’s mother banging a rando alien and then dying from cancer, this version has just a bit more shoot ‘em ups involved with her demise. WTF is up with killing the mothers all the time? Everyone drinking the Walt Disney Kool-Aid or what? Anywho, after his mom croaks, Peter dedicates his life to getting back to outer space, and with the help of a career at NASA, finally makes it there in order to take his birthright as the Star-Lord we all know and love . . .
(Yes, Supernerd does indeed have both masked and unmasked versions of all the superheroes. He might need an intervention.)
Things then flash forward to a plotline of the ragtag bunch of misfits we all know and love . . . along with – Iron Man???
Yep. Iron Man. Alrighty then. The Guardians have already duked it out with Thanos and his ilk, and now they (along with Iron Man) are faced with some new über baddies . . .
(Cut me some slack, I had to make due with what was available. All Supernerd had in his collection was Ronin and he ain’t in this one.)
The story is action-packed almost from the jumpstart where we witness Gamora being super kickass . . .
(The 947,381 picture asshole cat has photobombed this year.)
and Groot getting blown to smithereens. Y’all know what happens when Groot gets ka-boomed, right?
Okay, this part isn’t really covered except showing Rocket sticking a twig in some dirt, but Mitchell lurvs the Baby Groot and insisted I add this ; )
Anyway, back to all the über baddies. They are plotting to destroy Earth . . . or are they???? DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN! Can the Guardians save all of us Earthers before it’s too late? What do you think?
God bless ‘Murica.
Alright, so obviously I loved this and if a non-comic book junkie like me dug it, then you all should too. Although the spandex chafed a little more than I would like, I’m definitely interested in reading anything I can about the Guardians – especially after the little teaser about Rocket . . .
Or is there????
Now if only they’d introduce my old fave . . .
Since I know diddly shit about artwork I’m not really going to go there except to say that for the most part I thought it was pretty damn good . . .
“BLAM! MURDERED YOU!”
And even the panels that weren’t the best made up for it with pure awesome . . .
“I’m throwing up in my snarg.”
LOLOLOL – Advance apologies, husband. I have a feeling I’ll be using that line way too often.
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the Funko corporation, but am willing to sell my soul to them in order to obtain more of their Pop Vinyls. Thanks in advance for your consideration.
November 5, 2018
Storyline: ☆☆☆½
Artworks: ☆☆☆☆½
Not bad at all, Tony is a great add to the Guardians' rooster and All-Mother Freya's answer about her position to the galaxy empires assh@le$ rulers was just priceless!
Far better than I used to remember.
July 30, 2014
Marvel decided to re-launch a book that ties into their latest movie offering and it just so happens to guest-star their most popular film character?
Shocking.
Several decades of the highs and lows of being a comic fan have given me a thick enough skin to try and look past the stunt murders and #1 issues and shoehorning popular characters into stories they got no business in to see if anyone bothered doing something worth reading. It is, and it’s a book I’d be interested in seeing more of even if I wasn’t ridiculously excited to see a movie featuring a talking raccoon shoot aliens. You can’t put a dollar value on entertainment like that!
This is a little odd because it deliberately doesn’t show how the Guardians reformed following The Thanos Imperative, but I've heard that explanation is still forthcoming. Anyhow, they’re back and the line-up is exactly the same one as the upcoming film. (Again, I'm shocked.)
Earth has been declared off-limits to further alien interaction by a galactic council because they’ve decided that all of the previous extraterrestrial meddling has created an unstable mix of primitive power that could be a danger to the universe. Peter Quill (a/k/a Star-Lord) doesn’t like this since he’s half-human, and his alien father, the king of his race, delivers a stern warning that even he is no longer allowed on Earth. Peter thinks this has put a giant target on his old home planet since it prevents its cosmic allies from protecting it so he leads the Guardians to find out what’s going on. On the way they bump into Iron Man because Tony Stark's idea of a vacation is building a new suit of armor he can use to jet off into deep space to get away from it all, but he runs into trouble with the evil race of the Badoons.
Overall this was an enjoyable story, and even the inclusion of Iron Man is handled pretty well. I particularly enjoyed Rocket mocking Stark as being from a backwoods planet because there’s something inherently funny about a space raccoon talking shit to a genius billionaire superhero.
While it’s still a sci-fi space opera it doesn’t have the cosmic epic feel of the timey-wimey adventures of the previous version of the title, and I hope that future issues will give us more of those kinds of things.
Shocking.
Several decades of the highs and lows of being a comic fan have given me a thick enough skin to try and look past the stunt murders and #1 issues and shoehorning popular characters into stories they got no business in to see if anyone bothered doing something worth reading. It is, and it’s a book I’d be interested in seeing more of even if I wasn’t ridiculously excited to see a movie featuring a talking raccoon shoot aliens. You can’t put a dollar value on entertainment like that!
This is a little odd because it deliberately doesn’t show how the Guardians reformed following The Thanos Imperative, but I've heard that explanation is still forthcoming. Anyhow, they’re back and the line-up is exactly the same one as the upcoming film. (Again, I'm shocked.)
Earth has been declared off-limits to further alien interaction by a galactic council because they’ve decided that all of the previous extraterrestrial meddling has created an unstable mix of primitive power that could be a danger to the universe. Peter Quill (a/k/a Star-Lord) doesn’t like this since he’s half-human, and his alien father, the king of his race, delivers a stern warning that even he is no longer allowed on Earth. Peter thinks this has put a giant target on his old home planet since it prevents its cosmic allies from protecting it so he leads the Guardians to find out what’s going on. On the way they bump into Iron Man because Tony Stark's idea of a vacation is building a new suit of armor he can use to jet off into deep space to get away from it all, but he runs into trouble with the evil race of the Badoons.
Overall this was an enjoyable story, and even the inclusion of Iron Man is handled pretty well. I particularly enjoyed Rocket mocking Stark as being from a backwoods planet because there’s something inherently funny about a space raccoon talking shit to a genius billionaire superhero.
While it’s still a sci-fi space opera it doesn’t have the cosmic epic feel of the timey-wimey adventures of the previous version of the title, and I hope that future issues will give us more of those kinds of things.
February 6, 2017
Just ok for me. Hope to enjoy the next one more.
October 20, 2014
I would think that when a guy like Tony Stark would take a vacation, it would be with a bunch of strippers and a closet full of booze (and maybe Viagra, Tony’s old, the pulse bolts just don’t work like they used to*). Instead he drifts off into space and encounters the Guardians of the Galaxy. Violent interstellar hijinks ensue.
Star Lord’s backstory here is somewhat different than the movie. Also, Rocket Raccoon has more of an edge (He really likes to shoot people. Bonus!); this is fine. For fans of the movie, you get an explanation about Star Lord’s daddy and . How the films creators reimagine it is anyone’s guess.
The short stories that feature each of the Guardians at the end of this volume vary in quality.
*Hint: borrow some Pym Particles from Giant Man.
Star Lord’s backstory here is somewhat different than the movie. Also, Rocket Raccoon has more of an edge (He really likes to shoot people. Bonus!); this is fine. For fans of the movie, you get an explanation about Star Lord’s daddy and . How the films creators reimagine it is anyone’s guess.
The short stories that feature each of the Guardians at the end of this volume vary in quality.
*Hint: borrow some Pym Particles from Giant Man.
November 4, 2015
After Star Lord's father J'son of Spartax and a Intergalactic Alliance made a rule for everyone to stay away from Earth, the Earth is attacked. The Guardians come to protect Earth and get some help from Iron Man.
So I like to laugh as much as anyone, but I feel like there is a limit to how much laughter there should be during serious events. In my first experience with Guardians of the Galaxy, in their film, they crossed the threshold because of this:
This volume crosses the line for me too. Rather than ranting and raving I'm just going to say:
Unlike Austin Powers I'm actually telling the truth about that.
So I like to laugh as much as anyone, but I feel like there is a limit to how much laughter there should be during serious events. In my first experience with Guardians of the Galaxy, in their film, they crossed the threshold because of this:
This volume crosses the line for me too. Rather than ranting and raving I'm just going to say:
Unlike Austin Powers I'm actually telling the truth about that.
August 25, 2015
''I am Groot.''
It's Guardians of the Galaxy. Of course it was awesome as hell.
It's Guardians of the Galaxy. Of course it was awesome as hell.
August 16, 2014
Strong start for a fresh new take on a largely unknown series. Bendis makes the characters accessible to a new audience in preparation for the forthcoming movie and McNiven's art is as awesome as ever. Read the full review here!
January 6, 2018
I am a Bendis fan and have always enjoyed the Guardians of the Galaxy. So i was pleased to see Bendis penning this GOG tale.
Peter Quill's dad, King J'Son of Spartaax, along with the heads of the Kree, Shi'ar and a few other galactic empires have come togteher with a "hands off policy" towards Earth. Earth is now a "no-go" planet. Obviously the GOG isn't too pleased with this. Joined by Iron Man they go on a fun filled rampage against the allied forces.
With good artwork, a fun and action packed story, coupled with Bendis' trademark tongue in cheek dry wit-this was a really enjoyable read and reminds me why a well written GoG tale never fails to entertain. I never knew about Peter Quill's origins till this issue. A fun and enjoyable read. Look forwards to more of the cosmic avengers!
Peter Quill's dad, King J'Son of Spartaax, along with the heads of the Kree, Shi'ar and a few other galactic empires have come togteher with a "hands off policy" towards Earth. Earth is now a "no-go" planet. Obviously the GOG isn't too pleased with this. Joined by Iron Man they go on a fun filled rampage against the allied forces.
With good artwork, a fun and action packed story, coupled with Bendis' trademark tongue in cheek dry wit-this was a really enjoyable read and reminds me why a well written GoG tale never fails to entertain. I never knew about Peter Quill's origins till this issue. A fun and enjoyable read. Look forwards to more of the cosmic avengers!
February 12, 2014
On the heels of a new movie in 2014, Marvel relaunched Guardians of the Galaxy with its best writer at the helm and ably supported by some of its best artistic talent. I would have been more excited for this but I really miss the Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning version of this team of space-faring heroes.
Bendis is doing a great job on Guardians of the Galaxy, making the series Star-Lord centric for this arc. Bendis gives Peter Quill a definitive origin and daddy issues. This trade also have spotlight stories on almost all of the Guardians, except for Rocket Raccoon who I think is being positioned as the team's "Wolverine" or tough guy with a mysterious background.
The stories are good so far but the spacing is kind of frustrating, although that is expected since Bendis is a master of decompressed storytelling. I missed the excellent pacing of Abnett and Lanning who mixed things up every now and then. Currently, the series is in its eleventh issue but I'd beat the Guardians would have had saved reality and the universe twice in that same span. I like it better when the Guarduans were billed as Cosmic Avengers which implies cosmic power. Tomorrow's Avengers seems rather tame.
The arr team on the book is a killer though. It starts with Steve McNiven, who did the first few issue who passed the baton to Sara Pichelli, a budding superstar herself. I wish the old Guardians had this line-up of artists but Paul Pelletier and Brad Walker aren't exactly chopped liver.
This is still a good book to get on, especially for the art. I enjoy reading this as a digital comic because it includes the four Infinite comics that work so well in a digital platform. I can't imagine how those will look in print.
Bendis is doing a great job on Guardians of the Galaxy, making the series Star-Lord centric for this arc. Bendis gives Peter Quill a definitive origin and daddy issues. This trade also have spotlight stories on almost all of the Guardians, except for Rocket Raccoon who I think is being positioned as the team's "Wolverine" or tough guy with a mysterious background.
The stories are good so far but the spacing is kind of frustrating, although that is expected since Bendis is a master of decompressed storytelling. I missed the excellent pacing of Abnett and Lanning who mixed things up every now and then. Currently, the series is in its eleventh issue but I'd beat the Guardians would have had saved reality and the universe twice in that same span. I like it better when the Guarduans were billed as Cosmic Avengers which implies cosmic power. Tomorrow's Avengers seems rather tame.
The arr team on the book is a killer though. It starts with Steve McNiven, who did the first few issue who passed the baton to Sara Pichelli, a budding superstar herself. I wish the old Guardians had this line-up of artists but Paul Pelletier and Brad Walker aren't exactly chopped liver.
This is still a good book to get on, especially for the art. I enjoy reading this as a digital comic because it includes the four Infinite comics that work so well in a digital platform. I can't imagine how those will look in print.
December 29, 2014
Kickass fight scenes, clever repartee and fun loose art. These are the comics of my people - Shallow Comics Readers unite!
God help me, when I heard Bendis was taking on Guardians of the Galaxy I was sad for him. Couldn't imagine what he saw in the obscure, tedious space opera crap from Marvel - maybe he'd pissed of Axel and this was his punishment? How wrong I was - I can admit it, man enough that I am (especially in the Internet, where I don't have to look anyone in the eyes while I say it).
So much easier to read than the Annhilation-era Marvel Cosmic stuff. Doesn't hurt that it's grounded in a good ol' Earth-bound take of one boy who gets called to grand adventures in the galaxy. Also doesn't hurt to have a friggin sense of humour about it.
And an actual sense of the absurdity of the Marvel history. When the Evil Conquering Type starts rattling off how many ways Earth must be a threat because of how improbably central it's been to untold number of major events, I almost cheered. Because of *course* that's how it should be regarded after all these tales. Good god, just the number of planets that have died from *one* planet-killing threat, and yet Earth stands against one a *month*? Yeah, tell me someone wouldn't start to notice a trend.
But mostly this is a lot of fun, because if you've got a pair of rocket boots and the extra-legal (extra-planetary?) authority (or just indifference) to kill tons of ugly space beasts, wouldn't you be having the time of your life? No matter how GRAVE the situation, writing tales from that point of view (*cough* messrs. Abnett and Lanning) just does *not* give a guy like me a reason to keep turning those pages.
What else keeps me turning the pages? Bendis knows when to let the artists take over the storytelling - tell us with one glance or facial expression something that he *could* add to the dialog, but why?
I also gotta credit Bendis for doing interesting politics. I dunno if that's how it works at the highest levels of power, but he sure has an eye for intrigue. Queens are not to be underestimated. Oh no.
Be haunted by this review and further diatribes when you
God help me, when I heard Bendis was taking on Guardians of the Galaxy I was sad for him. Couldn't imagine what he saw in the obscure, tedious space opera crap from Marvel - maybe he'd pissed of Axel and this was his punishment? How wrong I was - I can admit it, man enough that I am (especially in the Internet, where I don't have to look anyone in the eyes while I say it).
So much easier to read than the Annhilation-era Marvel Cosmic stuff. Doesn't hurt that it's grounded in a good ol' Earth-bound take of one boy who gets called to grand adventures in the galaxy. Also doesn't hurt to have a friggin sense of humour about it.
And an actual sense of the absurdity of the Marvel history. When the Evil Conquering Type starts rattling off how many ways Earth must be a threat because of how improbably central it's been to untold number of major events, I almost cheered. Because of *course* that's how it should be regarded after all these tales. Good god, just the number of planets that have died from *one* planet-killing threat, and yet Earth stands against one a *month*? Yeah, tell me someone wouldn't start to notice a trend.
But mostly this is a lot of fun, because if you've got a pair of rocket boots and the extra-legal (extra-planetary?) authority (or just indifference) to kill tons of ugly space beasts, wouldn't you be having the time of your life? No matter how GRAVE the situation, writing tales from that point of view (*cough* messrs. Abnett and Lanning) just does *not* give a guy like me a reason to keep turning those pages.
What else keeps me turning the pages? Bendis knows when to let the artists take over the storytelling - tell us with one glance or facial expression something that he *could* add to the dialog, but why?
I also gotta credit Bendis for doing interesting politics. I dunno if that's how it works at the highest levels of power, but he sure has an eye for intrigue. Queens are not to be underestimated. Oh no.
Be haunted by this review and further diatribes when you
October 9, 2013
On one hand, I like the cosmic setting, and the cast is a good one. Granted, I know next to nothing about all of them, but from what I've seen here, they work as a group. And this collection did get me even more interested in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie. On the other hand, it doesn't feel like much happens here. That may be because this collection only has three regular issues of the series. The other two included are #0.1, Star-Lord's origin, and an online-first anthology that shows Star-Lord assembling his current team. It may also be because the major events that are shown are done rather hurriedly. It takes less than an issue for the Guardians (plus Iron Man, in an underwhelming guest shot) to repel a sizable alien invasion, for example. It's over before I can get really excited about it, which is a shame. Giant alien battles should be fun. I am hopeful that this series will pick up steam, though. But I do have to say, I wonder why the anthology was put at the end of the book when it's obviously set between #0.1, which starts the collection, and #1. Shouldn't the issues be put in the order in which they happened?
August 5, 2014
[UPDATE: Saw the movie. LOVED it. It does everything this comic doesn't, with all sorts of added feels.]
Prior to the announcement of the movie, I did not even know the Guardians of the Galaxy existed, but the previews have been amusing enough to pique my interest. Too bad the source material isn't nearly as impressive.
Volume one serves as an introduction to Marvel's "cosmic Avengers," opening with the crash landing of an alien vessel in the backyard of a lovely young lady, who nurses the occupant back to health. They fall in love and make Peter Quill, but before he's actually born, daddy heads back to space and goes on to become the King of Spartax, making Peter the Star-Lord.
This ought to be an interesting plot twist, save for the fact that the King turns out to be a pretty shady character--which in itself is fine, but we don't get to find out how or why that is. We just have to accept that, after completely different aliens show up to kill Peter and his mom while he's still a boy, presumably because they know of his Spartax blood, that this leads Peter to find his way into space, perhaps looking for his dad? But I guess when Peter finds his dad stuff happens and Peter gets mad and runs off to form his own team of avengers to keep earth safe from um... his dad and anyone his dad hangs out with?
Forgive the vagueness and confusion, but that's more or less how I felt when we skipped from happy couple to "My dad's an evil dictator." There's a big section where dad gathers the various alien leaders, such as the Brood Queen and informs them that Earth shouldn't be attacked, but apparently, that is all just a ruse and what he's actually doing is manipulating them into doing what he says they shouldn't. But then while that meeting is going on, bad guys are already attacking earth. But the Guardians, along with a really dull Iron Man, are able to fight them off, only to be captured by the Spartax army to be punished for defending the planet dad said no one should attack.
Anyway. At least the art was kind of cool, if somewhat Jim Lee clone-ish.
The rest of the book is comprised of character stories introducing the other Guardians. The format for each is pretty standard: character does something unique to their character, battles their way through respective bad guys to show us what kind of person and fighter they are, wins battle, Star-Lord shows up to ask them to help him defend earth. There is little learned about the characters through this process, and there's an even bigger gap in understanding why they are willing to fight alongside Quill to defend a planet that is not their own.
So as far as introductions and origins go, this one is very disappointing, which can often be the case with origin stories. I'd much rather see the movie in hopes of finding a plot and character reasoning that actually makes sense. That's not to say I'll never read another Guardians of the Galaxy comic, though. I'd like to think that, with these pesky origin stories out of the way, the actual comic will get going in volume 2.
www.Bibliosanctum.com
Prior to the announcement of the movie, I did not even know the Guardians of the Galaxy existed, but the previews have been amusing enough to pique my interest. Too bad the source material isn't nearly as impressive.
Volume one serves as an introduction to Marvel's "cosmic Avengers," opening with the crash landing of an alien vessel in the backyard of a lovely young lady, who nurses the occupant back to health. They fall in love and make Peter Quill, but before he's actually born, daddy heads back to space and goes on to become the King of Spartax, making Peter the Star-Lord.
This ought to be an interesting plot twist, save for the fact that the King turns out to be a pretty shady character--which in itself is fine, but we don't get to find out how or why that is. We just have to accept that, after completely different aliens show up to kill Peter and his mom while he's still a boy, presumably because they know of his Spartax blood, that this leads Peter to find his way into space, perhaps looking for his dad? But I guess when Peter finds his dad stuff happens and Peter gets mad and runs off to form his own team of avengers to keep earth safe from um... his dad and anyone his dad hangs out with?
Forgive the vagueness and confusion, but that's more or less how I felt when we skipped from happy couple to "My dad's an evil dictator." There's a big section where dad gathers the various alien leaders, such as the Brood Queen and informs them that Earth shouldn't be attacked, but apparently, that is all just a ruse and what he's actually doing is manipulating them into doing what he says they shouldn't. But then while that meeting is going on, bad guys are already attacking earth. But the Guardians, along with a really dull Iron Man, are able to fight them off, only to be captured by the Spartax army to be punished for defending the planet dad said no one should attack.
Anyway. At least the art was kind of cool, if somewhat Jim Lee clone-ish.
The rest of the book is comprised of character stories introducing the other Guardians. The format for each is pretty standard: character does something unique to their character, battles their way through respective bad guys to show us what kind of person and fighter they are, wins battle, Star-Lord shows up to ask them to help him defend earth. There is little learned about the characters through this process, and there's an even bigger gap in understanding why they are willing to fight alongside Quill to defend a planet that is not their own.
So as far as introductions and origins go, this one is very disappointing, which can often be the case with origin stories. I'd much rather see the movie in hopes of finding a plot and character reasoning that actually makes sense. That's not to say I'll never read another Guardians of the Galaxy comic, though. I'd like to think that, with these pesky origin stories out of the way, the actual comic will get going in volume 2.
www.Bibliosanctum.com
January 16, 2014
Tony Stark: "They destroyed my Armour suit"
Rocket Raccoon: "Did they destroy your man-parts as well?"
TS: "No."
RR: "Well then take this (a gigantic gun) point it at anyone who's not one of us and kill them."
This exchange alone earned this book a positive review, even if the rest of it sucked. However, it didn't suck.
I really enjoyed this; knowing almost nothing about this title/team. I know I like Bendis, and so I gave this a shot. Adding Iron Man seems like the ploy to get more mainstream readers invested, which I thought would be a bad idea; but then it turns out that Tony Stark isn't all that big a player here, which I like. Especially after a 3 foot tall homicidal raccoon puts him in his place.
This is an interesting set up, and just as much interest in the "bad guys" who include leaders such as the Queen Brood, Freiya (Asgard), Kree Supreme Intelligence, etc.
Star-Lord has the makings of a solid character (I know he's already one) and I love that Gamora is the daughter of Thanos.
There's also good stuff set up with the terrible father/son relationship.
Well worth a read.
Rocket Raccoon: "Did they destroy your man-parts as well?"
TS: "No."
RR: "Well then take this (a gigantic gun) point it at anyone who's not one of us and kill them."
This exchange alone earned this book a positive review, even if the rest of it sucked. However, it didn't suck.
I really enjoyed this; knowing almost nothing about this title/team. I know I like Bendis, and so I gave this a shot. Adding Iron Man seems like the ploy to get more mainstream readers invested, which I thought would be a bad idea; but then it turns out that Tony Stark isn't all that big a player here, which I like. Especially after a 3 foot tall homicidal raccoon puts him in his place.
This is an interesting set up, and just as much interest in the "bad guys" who include leaders such as the Queen Brood, Freiya (Asgard), Kree Supreme Intelligence, etc.
Star-Lord has the makings of a solid character (I know he's already one) and I love that Gamora is the daughter of Thanos.
There's also good stuff set up with the terrible father/son relationship.
Well worth a read.
October 9, 2020
چه طراحی زیبایی!
داستانشم خوب بود.
کلاً من استارلرد دوست دارم و بهنظرم خاستگاهی که تو این کمیک براش آوردن و داستانی که ساختن، جذابتر از فیلمهاشه.
و خب البته بندیس هم نویسندهی خوبیه درکل :)))
داستانشم خوب بود.
کلاً من استارلرد دوست دارم و بهنظرم خاستگاهی که تو این کمیک براش آوردن و داستانی که ساختن، جذابتر از فیلمهاشه.
و خب البته بندیس هم نویسندهی خوبیه درکل :)))
January 31, 2016
My first Marvel ever. So there's that.
What we have here is classic space adventure: spaceships, aliens, baddies, explosions. The world is ending, and only this ragtag team can save it from destruction. Enter Star-Lord, who always dreamt of going to space as a kid. One day his dreams come true and he goes to space. But be careful what you wish for. When he discovers who's behind the evil plot, he realizes being a space hero is no easy feat.
It started off well, hooked me with Peter's interesting if modified tale of a deadbeat dad. But still cool. Then it kind of went off from there. Fast forward a couple years and Peter and his dad don't get along. Surprise. His dad is evil. Peter and his friends kick ass and there are spaceships and explosions. Then I don't know what happened. Groot grows back from a twig, the girl fights some giant dudes on some planet I know nothing about, then it ends. Great art. Fair to great writing at parts. Rocket Raccoon literally says "heroic acts of heroism." Is that sarcasm or just ornate redundancy? Who knows, who cares. Now I can watch the movie.
What we have here is classic space adventure: spaceships, aliens, baddies, explosions. The world is ending, and only this ragtag team can save it from destruction. Enter Star-Lord, who always dreamt of going to space as a kid. One day his dreams come true and he goes to space. But be careful what you wish for. When he discovers who's behind the evil plot, he realizes being a space hero is no easy feat.
It started off well, hooked me with Peter's interesting if modified tale of a deadbeat dad. But still cool. Then it kind of went off from there. Fast forward a couple years and Peter and his dad don't get along. Surprise. His dad is evil. Peter and his friends kick ass and there are spaceships and explosions. Then I don't know what happened. Groot grows back from a twig, the girl fights some giant dudes on some planet I know nothing about, then it ends. Great art. Fair to great writing at parts. Rocket Raccoon literally says "heroic acts of heroism." Is that sarcasm or just ornate redundancy? Who knows, who cares. Now I can watch the movie.
April 8, 2014
I was in Vault of Midnight, a really cool comic book store in Ann Arbor, and wanted to pick up something to read on my flight home. I couldn't find anything that struck my fancy and the guy behind the counter suggested this. I had just read Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol. 1: Legacy, but said to hell with it, if I can't continue that last iteration of the series, I may as well check out the newest Marvel NOW iteration.
Now don't get the wrong idea by my middle-of-the-road rating -- the series starts off with a bang. It is a really strong story, with quality art to match. The issue I have is that it only collects Guardians of the Galaxy #1-#3, and then has some supplemental filler material, Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 and Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite #1, specifically, which has different artists, different timelines, and generally just isn't as good.
I would continue this series, but only because I already checked and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Angela collects Guardians of the Galaxy #4-#10. That is a much better collection for a trade paperback.
Now don't get the wrong idea by my middle-of-the-road rating -- the series starts off with a bang. It is a really strong story, with quality art to match. The issue I have is that it only collects Guardians of the Galaxy #1-#3, and then has some supplemental filler material, Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 and Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite #1, specifically, which has different artists, different timelines, and generally just isn't as good.
I would continue this series, but only because I already checked and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Angela collects Guardians of the Galaxy #4-#10. That is a much better collection for a trade paperback.
September 24, 2021
THIS ONE WAS SO GOOD!
It starts with Iron man leaving earth to come hang out in space and he meets the Guardians and from there we see the origin of Star lord and like how his father J'son of Spartax is after earth and well thats a no for Peter and we learn of the Galactic council and we follow the guardians as they fight their way through after being captured and engage other badoon enemies and like free themselves and we get the origin of various Guardians and like how Peter recruited them for this mission!
I loved this story and its like such a perfect jumping on point and like is in perfect continuity with the movie and all and is simple and short and also establishes future threats and gives Peter such an amazing origin, Bendis really digs into the heart of these characters and shows them for what they are: heroes! Loved it, its an amazing jumping on point and the art is some of the best there is! A must read for GOTG fans!
It starts with Iron man leaving earth to come hang out in space and he meets the Guardians and from there we see the origin of Star lord and like how his father J'son of Spartax is after earth and well thats a no for Peter and we learn of the Galactic council and we follow the guardians as they fight their way through after being captured and engage other badoon enemies and like free themselves and we get the origin of various Guardians and like how Peter recruited them for this mission!
I loved this story and its like such a perfect jumping on point and like is in perfect continuity with the movie and all and is simple and short and also establishes future threats and gives Peter such an amazing origin, Bendis really digs into the heart of these characters and shows them for what they are: heroes! Loved it, its an amazing jumping on point and the art is some of the best there is! A must read for GOTG fans!
July 14, 2015
Not a big fan of this one.
Reread: Let's give this another go.
After a reread of this one I have to say I think I was wrong. I expected something different because I read this so soon after seeing the movie. But this title has a solid beginning. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Reread: Let's give this another go.
After a reread of this one I have to say I think I was wrong. I expected something different because I read this so soon after seeing the movie. But this title has a solid beginning. 3.5 stars rounded up.
July 18, 2017
This was fun! I'd like to continue the series too one day.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
April 8, 2015
This week's theme for the Shallow Comic Readers is, well, pot luck!
Well, this was a let down. Nowhere near as good as the Abnett/Lanning first volume. Rather bland characterizations, Rocket Raccoon running around proudly "murdering" alien bad guys, a humorless Gamora, a handsome but still born Peter Quill...bleh. Then the individual tales of each of the Guardians at the end literally put me to sleep. LITERALLY. I fell asleep reading them, at least twice, maybe three times.
The art is pretty, though, and the entire Galactic Council is kinda neat. I'm thinking they were involved in one of the Marvel NOW! Avengers books? But the art makes it worth two stars, otherwise, this would get a single, solitary, tearful, one star.
Additionally, reading this digitally meant that the last book was in "guided view," which made wading through this slop even more time-consuming. (I didn't realize I could turn it off until I was finished.)
Either way, this was one boring ass clusterf**k.
Well, this was a let down. Nowhere near as good as the Abnett/Lanning first volume. Rather bland characterizations, Rocket Raccoon running around proudly "murdering" alien bad guys, a humorless Gamora, a handsome but still born Peter Quill...bleh. Then the individual tales of each of the Guardians at the end literally put me to sleep. LITERALLY. I fell asleep reading them, at least twice, maybe three times.
The art is pretty, though, and the entire Galactic Council is kinda neat. I'm thinking they were involved in one of the Marvel NOW! Avengers books? But the art makes it worth two stars, otherwise, this would get a single, solitary, tearful, one star.
Additionally, reading this digitally meant that the last book was in "guided view," which made wading through this slop even more time-consuming. (I didn't realize I could turn it off until I was finished.)
Either way, this was one boring ass clusterf**k.
July 26, 2014
Hmm. I wanted more from this. I'm excited about the upcoming film, because it's Marvel and they reliably entertain me (unpopular opinion: I kinda enjoyed Fantastic Four, even after everyone I know dissed it? Might have helped I watched it on my computer at 2x speed). But I'd never heard of Guardians of the Galaxy before the marketing for the film started, and I don't know much about it.
In a way, this does feel like it tries to be an introductory volume, with little bits talking about some of the characters' pasts and relationships, but mostly it feels fragmentary and weird. I think this is probably because I know so little about it. I felt like it was supposed to be a gateway drug, using Tony Stark as it does, but I didn't really get that involved with it. I wasn't sure how to contextualise it in terms of the other Marvel comics I read. Gotta admit, I would like to know what Peter Quill and Teddy Altman would have to say to each other, with some similar background behind them.
I do like the cast, and it may well be that I'd appreciate it more if I wasn't totally new to it. I might look at it again after I've seen the film. Oh, and I appreciate the heck out of Freyja being the ruler of Asgard. She deserved more than the fridging she got in Thor 2.
In a way, this does feel like it tries to be an introductory volume, with little bits talking about some of the characters' pasts and relationships, but mostly it feels fragmentary and weird. I think this is probably because I know so little about it. I felt like it was supposed to be a gateway drug, using Tony Stark as it does, but I didn't really get that involved with it. I wasn't sure how to contextualise it in terms of the other Marvel comics I read. Gotta admit, I would like to know what Peter Quill and Teddy Altman would have to say to each other, with some similar background behind them.
I do like the cast, and it may well be that I'd appreciate it more if I wasn't totally new to it. I might look at it again after I've seen the film. Oh, and I appreciate the heck out of Freyja being the ruler of Asgard. She deserved more than the fridging she got in Thor 2.
August 25, 2014
We celebrated the last day of summer by lying around on the sofa and reading; mostly graphic novels. We saw the Guardians of the Galaxy movie last weekend, and the girls especially loved it. So, this is not that story. Same characters, different backstories, different costumes, totally different focus for the plot. I actually much preferred this backstory for Quill, because he had to work to get himself off earth, including joining NASA. Less loveable rogue cliche, more competent pilot. Gamora's costumes are laughable in either case: what credible assassin would hobble herself with high-heeled boots for a fighting style that relies heavily on martial arts?
But the real star for Natasha and I was Rocket. His enormous head is so cute! We spent the rest of the day saying to each other "Blam! You're murdered. Who's next?" For some reason there's a reluctance to acknowledge that the heroes are killing real people. The cynical sincerity of Rocket's line admits the cost and raises the stakes.
Fun stuff. I'll be checking out more of these in the future.
Library copy.
But the real star for Natasha and I was Rocket. His enormous head is so cute! We spent the rest of the day saying to each other "Blam! You're murdered. Who's next?" For some reason there's a reluctance to acknowledge that the heroes are killing real people. The cynical sincerity of Rocket's line admits the cost and raises the stakes.
Fun stuff. I'll be checking out more of these in the future.
Library copy.
June 22, 2014
My legit nerdfriends all recommend the previous incarnation of Guardians Of The Galaxy as the version that's legit, and I will argue that in that incarnation, Star-Lord has a cooler mask. But otherwise that version felt kind of dated, and trying-to-be-funny rather than funny-funny, and the art was kind of butt and oldschool.
So even though I'm pretty sure this new version is the version for sellout n00bs, I think it's aces. Star-Lord's mask is lamesauce, for sure -- but the book is actually funny-funny, crazy violent, and the art is totally rad. I'm a big fan of how many guns are in this book. SO MANY GUNS. I would recommend buying the old version and just cutting out Star-Lord's mask and taping it on the pages of this book. Then it's perfect.
So even though I'm pretty sure this new version is the version for sellout n00bs, I think it's aces. Star-Lord's mask is lamesauce, for sure -- but the book is actually funny-funny, crazy violent, and the art is totally rad. I'm a big fan of how many guns are in this book. SO MANY GUNS. I would recommend buying the old version and just cutting out Star-Lord's mask and taping it on the pages of this book. Then it's perfect.
May 9, 2017
This should get 5 stars just for Rocket Raccoon showing major badassery to Tony Stark, and in general as well.
There are some issues with the story not quite being smooth, but I loved the panels featuring Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Gamora. (That's probably the bulk of the book anyway)
Gotta read the rest of the volumes before re-watching the first movie, and watching the second.
There are some issues with the story not quite being smooth, but I loved the panels featuring Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Gamora. (That's probably the bulk of the book anyway)
Gotta read the rest of the volumes before re-watching the first movie, and watching the second.
June 24, 2017
46th book read in 2017.
Number 142 out of 611 on my all time book list.
Number 142 out of 611 on my all time book list.
January 5, 2018
I'm so confused, but I'm Guardians of the Galaxy trash... so whatever.. \_(•_•)_/
March 24, 2023
There's some decent artwork herein and some pretty awful art, too. The decent pages and the gallery of variant covers in the back are the only reasons this gets 2 🌟s from me. Brian "Comma-Splice" Bendis provides the reader with paltry little plot, much of the action occurring off-screen in one of the money-grabbing meaningless miniseries crossover events the business bros running Marvel seem so fond of. Profits over pride or product quality, right guys? This trash is meaningless, pointless, and inconsequential. The end comes after 10 issues of nonsense action and embarrassingly bad dialogue, and there's NO CONCLUSION, no closure at all.
I think this is the last Bendis book I own but had yet to read. Soon, I'll be rid of them all, and I'll most likely never again spend money or waste time on a book bearing his name. I honestly feel that the high volume and low, low quality of his work indicates a real contempt for his readers.
I think this is the last Bendis book I own but had yet to read. Soon, I'll be rid of them all, and I'll most likely never again spend money or waste time on a book bearing his name. I honestly feel that the high volume and low, low quality of his work indicates a real contempt for his readers.
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