All-New Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Riders in the Sky

All-New Guardians of the Galaxy (Collected Editions)

by Gerry Duggan, Frazer Irving, Chris Samnee (Illustrator)

Your favorite Guardians take turns in the spotlight!

Gamora--the most dangerous person in the galaxy--has been hiding something from her teammates. What is her secret quest? Star-Lord sails the galaxy's radio waves, keeping up with the one piece of home he could never leave behind! Discover the reason behind Drax the former Destroyer's vow of peace! Learn what happened to Groot that caused him to revert to a tiny shrub--and why Rocket thinks it's all his fault. Plus: meet the members of the resurgent Nova Corps as they come into desperate conflict with the shadowy Fraternity of Raptors! And as the Guardians return to Earth in the aftermath of Secret Empire, who will join them as their newest member?

COLLECTING: ALL-NEW GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2017) 3, 5, 7, 9, 11-12

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Fiction

136 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gang be a-hunting them pesky Infinity Stones (doesn’t it feel like that’s what they’re always doing when they’re not heisting?) but only in the last chapter of the book. The rest of Volume 2 fills in the blanks from the first. Revealed!: why Gamora is fixated on the Soul Stone; how Groot lost his groove; why Drax is suddenly a pacifist; and who da hell is that Shi’Ar Raptor hungry for Star-Lord’s pair of Nega-Bands??

I’m really dugging Gerry Diggan’s All-New Guardians of the Galaxy! Volume 2: Riders in the Sky continues to be enjoyable but don’t expect a strong narrative like the first book as this is basically an anthology. And though none of the backstories blew my hair back, I quite liked them all.

Gamora’s dreamy issue was the best for being imaginative, melodramatic and trippy. Star-Lord’s issue basically highlights the character’s lack of a storyline in this new series and is irrelevant, though his quest to re-record a missing song by finding an old radio wave from Earth was cute (very apt song too). It was funny to see actor Scott Adsit (of 30 Rock fame) return as a Nova Corpsman after appearing as a SHIELD agent in Duggan’s Deadpool run – I guess he and Duggan are bros?

Why Drax became a pacifist was just ok and felt somewhat questionable for a dude whose surname – The Destroyer – hints at what he’s been up to for a long time now. I guess it’s reflective of who he is as a person now so his actions would affect him more but still – meh. And though we kinda know what’s going on with Groot from the first volume, I still liked the lead-in issue if only for showing us Rocket and Groot’s strong bond as friends. I don’t want to spoil the Talon’s issue but was surprised by the heel turn and hope that Duggan later down the line won’t shy away from the potentially super-dark material.

The final issue was the only one I didn’t like as much, though it’s also the only one that picks up the story from the first book. The Guardians meander around Earth not doing much and felt pointless. But Man-Thing unexpectedly shines in a brief cameo so there’s that at least!

Regular series artist Aaron Kuder sits this one out and different artists draw each issue with varying results. Frazier Irving’s gothic art style was well-suited to Gamora’s nightmarish story and Greg Smallwood’s work on Drax was as high quality as anyone who’s been reading Jeff Lemire’s Moon Knight will have come to expect. My favourite was Mike Hawthorne and Terry Pallot’s richly detailed, colourful work on the Rocket/Groot issue. Chris Samnee, Roland Boschi and Rod Reis draw the other issues but I’m not much fussed with their stuff.

All-New Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2: Riders in the Sky is really only slightly above 3 stars, like a 3.5, but I’m feeling generous today so I’m rounding up to 4. This title’s where it’s at, chaps!

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of one shots that a.) allow Aaron Kuder to keep up on the art by giving him the month off and b.) fill in what we missed with each character in the main story and why they're acting all squirrelly to one another. The stories are all solid but I found a little missing in them.

[Artemy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gerry Duggan's Guardians run is a perfectly solid and readable superhero space adventure comics, but there's just something about this storyline that I'm not feeling. Maybe the second Guardians of the Galaxy movie spoiled me with all its heart, warmth and deep character work, but I feel like I should be getting more from these comics than I actually do. Duggan's story to me feels too thin and kinda boring, and the characters don't really resemble the guys I love from the movies. Don't get me wrong, this run is streets ahead of anything Bendis or Abnett ever did with the title, it's just still not enough for me to get fully invested. Nevertheless, a lot of people looking for a good Guardians book will not be disappointed with Duggan's run, and it's the first thing I would recommend aside from the delightful Groot mini-series.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating volume and like one of the best ever!

Its pretty much exploring different characters and giving them a single issue to like explore whats in their head and their status quo like what happened with Gamora that led her to finding the soul stone or Peter and the 80s music nostalgia and a weird trip through time and I love it, like one of my fav issues in the whole thing and we also have some stuff with Drax and why he is acting like a pacifist and it really makes you feel and one of the best moments in the comics, well done Duggan over there like acknowledging continuity from so back!

And also we get to find out what happened with Groot and Rocket and bringing the Gardener here was so much fun and I feel bad for Rocket but again a perfection of how well Duggan writes these characters and their long standing friendship plus the secret origins of Talonar and his connection with Nova and I love how he brings them all into this and finally a relaxation moment on earth which does bring a new member in and hints at a massive story to come soon!

So all in all an epic volume which does well to catch you up on what each member is going throug and gives you whats on their mind and also builds up to some great stuff to come down the line with amazing art and 100% perfect characterization! Next up Infinity quest!

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a mix match of backstories, to give why our Guardians are all where they are, and then pushing the main story just a bit further towards the infinity stones.

SO we get the background of each member. We find out why Groot is so tiny and why Rocket blames himself. We find out why Gamora is acting strange lately. We find out why Drax does not kill anymore. Then we find out why Starlord is...well actually his backstory made no sense. We also get a little time with Rider, getting my Nova love, and what happened to him and his brother.

Good: I really enjoyed almost all these stories. Especially Drax and Groot storyline. Both are sad yet well done. Also, I love the Nova story. I won't lie, I'm a huge fan of them so it's easy for me to enjoy it. Also the ending builds up to some exciting moments.

Bad: Gamora story is okay. Starlord's story is pretty awful. It's the only story I wanted to skip by. Also some of the art is bad, mostly in Starlord's story.

Overall it's about as good as the first volume. This is fun and exciting and even with a dud inbetween it's still working on most levels. A 3.5 or 4 out of 5. I'll spike it up to a 4.

[Malum · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of one shots that fills in some gaps in the main story. Not quite as good as volume 1, but still better than most of the Guardians content we have been getting for a while now.

[Wing Kee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some character issues, one set up issue and one really bad dialog issue (the one with all the cameos).

World: The art is good, I like the different artists for every character issue. The world building is solid this time around cause it is mostly focused on characters and I love these, I need to get to know these characters before I care. The world building for the single Rider issue was also good cause it brings back a classic character and also sets up the world for more. The visit from the MU issue though was pretty fun but also pretty bad in terms of writing but I'll talk about that below.

Story: The single issues for each character was pretty great, it allowed readers to care about these characters outside of the MCU and it allows them to be something more. The issue with Rider was also good with set up for future drama and also showing us a classic character back. Then there is the pointless stupid issue that was the 'who will join the Guardians?' issue. The dialog in that was so forced, the humor so flat...it was pretty bad and trying way too hard.

Characters: The character issues really allowed readers to know these Guardians, I've said it above so I won't get into it again. I did like the visit of characters from the MU and the reaction the characters had of Earth but overall I felt outside of those single issues the character work was pretty weak.

It was aight.

Onward to the next book!

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a step up from the last volume. Along with the usual fabulous artwork--including one issue with retro stylings--the profanity count was toned down, and a few other Marvel heroes appeared as well. While still not squeaky clean, it still tops part one.

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably not as good as the first but still fun. Its reslly just single issues of individual character backstorys. There are a couple of lead ins with the Nova corps which explain where uts going next. Still fun just nit as cohesive as Vol 1

[Oneirosophos · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first issues are inbetween character fillers.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]
Collecting all of the one-off 'character piece' issues from All-New Guardians, this volume remains surprisingly strong if a little disjointed.

While the first volume detailed most of the story going on, this one is a lot more introspective and provides a lot of much needed background on what's going on inside the characters' heads. For instance - why is Gamora so quiet? Why has Drax turned to pacifism? What happened to Groot? All good questions, and all answers you'll find here, plus some fun one-offs like Star-Lord's search for a good jam, and the final issue sets up the next storyline as well as adding a new character into the mix for fun too.

This volume has a parade of great artists, too. Frazer Irving, Chris Samnee, Greg Smallwood, and new Marvel darling Rod Reis lead the pack, with Gerry Duggan's Deadpool partner Mike Hawthorne popping up for an issue as well. Roland Boschi is probably the least polished of the artists involved, but that doesn't mar the overall experience.

I'm not sure how well reading this entire volume after the entire first volume will work, but these are some solid stories that give new meaning to what's going on in volume 1. Think Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman, with less Wonder Woman and more talking raccoons.

[Tanja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hier versteht man jetzt auch, warum im ersten Teil Kapitel übersprungen werden, denn sie befinden sich jetzt hier und zeigen all die verschiedenen Gründe und Geheimnisse, die die Guardians mit sich tragen und nicht damit rausrücken.
Teilweise sind es sogar sehr traurige und emotionale Momente, die mich wirklich sentimental gemacht haben. Der Humor ist natürlich unübertroffen und ich liebe die Guardians nach wie vor!

[Jesse A · Rating 2 out of 5]

So disjointed.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second volume collects the first set of interlude issues- between the issues which feature the main story there are standalone issues focusing on various individual characters.

First up it's Gamora meeting with a part of herself which is trapped in the Soul Stone. There's some stunning art from Frazer Irving here but for me it was mostly waffle without really having much of a story to tell.

Next up is a Starlord issue which sees Peter try to find the right place in space to receive the radio signals he wants. It's a neat idea which I liked although I am less sure about comics Quill having cassettes like his movie counterpart- it works well having songs on screen but not so well in comic books.

The third issue do focuses on Drax and tells the story of what caused him to give up violence. The art, here by Greg Smallwood, is superb but I wasn't totally convinced on the story- it doesn't seem much for Drax to completely change character.

Next we find out what happened to Groot to make him tiny. It's deeply rooted in the ongoing plot with The Gardener but the highlight of the story is Rocket's attachment to Groot. There's a really emotional moment here which when you think about it seems so wrong when you consider it's between a talking, space traveling racoon and a walking and talking tree. Gerry Duggan can make us emotional with any character though, no matter how unlikely.

The next issue is a curveball as it doesn't feature any Guardians characters and instead sees the original Nova Richard Rider looking for his brother. It feels very different to anything in the series so far but it's a great cosmic story nonetheless. It really shows the ambition of this comic to ditch all it's characters for an issue and give us something else entirely.


Finally, there's an issue more tied into the main plot. The Guardians go to Earth to ask around about infinity stones. It's clear that one of the characters they meet will join the team. Gerry Duggan has a great chance here to play around with the Marvel sandbox, nailing a load of characters I've not seen him write for before. The new Guardian makes perfect sense after Secret Empire and they're an intriguing addition to the team- I hope they get some solo issues in a future volume.

Though I liked the individual stories here I think packaging them separately from the first volume was a mistake. It's clear the issues were meant to be read in numerical order as these standalone stories support and explain things going on in the main, ongoing one. This should have been one longer volume, not two.

All in all though an enjoyable read with Duggan taking the Guardians in all sorts of new directions. This volume really got me into his run and I look forward to seeing where it will go next.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collects All-New Guardians of the Galaxy issues #3, #5, #7, #9, and #11-12

The issues collected in the first volume skipped around a little bit, instead of a straight run of Issues #1-6, and this volume helps fill in the blanks. Most of the issues in this collection spotlighted a particular character, and helped fill in the blanks in the story that we read about in Volume #1. With more context now, we have a deeper understanding of what was happening behind-the-scenes during the heist from the previous collection. In the final issue of this collection, the Guardians visit Earth, and their are multiple cameos from heroes in the Marvel Universe. One of the best scenes from the whole book involved Man-Thing, and I really hope the writer, Gerry Duggan, follows up on what we see in that scene. I really don't want it to be a throw-away scene, and I would love it if this is a major plot point in future collections.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como é bom quando os personagens que você curte passam a ser escritos por um roteirista que realmente entende suas características e constrói tramas intrigantes e envolventes com eles. Desde o primeiro filme dos Guardiões da Galáxia, os heróis espaciais da Marvel estiram sob o jugo de Brian Michael Bendis e suas histórias de grupos insossas. Gerry Duggan já chega dando um ritmo diferente para os Guardiões, envolvendo-os com as Jóias do Infinito e com os Anciões do Universo, ampliando e venerando a mitologia do Universo Marvel, diferentemente do que Bendis fazia. Além disso ele d´s novos propósitos para Drax - agora pacifista -, Gamora - buscando se fazer completa -, e Groot - na versão baby outra vez. Além isso temos outros heróis que expandem a mitologia galáctica da Marvel, como o Nova Robbie Rider e Scott Lang, o Homem-Formiga acabam se juntando e reforçando a equipe. Não por acaso, logo mais, aqui no Brasil, os Guardiões da Galáxia protagonizarão uma enorme saga cósmica intitulada Guerras Infinitas. Escolher Gerry Duggan, então, para tomar as rédeas dos Guardiões foi uma boa decisão da Marvel Comics.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly solo stories of the Same Ol' Guardians. The issues happen in between the previous volume. Gamora has ties to the soul stone. We find out why Groot is stuck being small. Then a one off with Richard Rider and the Nova Corps and the Shi'ar Raptors (Darkhawks). Then we catch up to the previous volume and set up the search for Infinity Stones.

Duggan is tying to the movies more than Bendis did, like with Peter Quill liking old music on cassettes. Every issue has a different artist, which can be a mixed bag.

[Sam Whale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable continuation f this current run. explained a lot of characters current backstories (which should have really been in the first volume) and give us some insight into each Guardian. All in all a lot of fun!

[Judah Radd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh

[kaja grabowiecka · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ✨

faktycznie lepszy niż pierwszy tom. Nie mogę się doczekać, co będzie dalej!

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but this volume is all filler for volume 1 and a lead up to Infinity War. Skippable unless you’re trying to get everything in before Infinity War.

[Gerry Sacco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t like this second trade as much as the first. Art isn’t nearly as good, and the story seems a bit off, and needs a bit more polish. Disappointing.

[Melia Glubka · Rating 4 out of 5]

CHRIS SAMNEE STARLORD <3

[Adan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bunch of one-shot stories detailing why the Guardians are so squirrely in this iterations, plus one issue focused on the resurgence of both the Fraternity of Raptors and the Nova Corps, and one issue properly kickstarting the quest for the Infinity Stones. I especially loved the artists in this collection, especially Frazer Irving and Rod Reis.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riders in the Sky continues the latest round in the Guardians of the Galaxy reboot. If you look at the issue numbers included, they’re a little bit all over the place (as was the first volume, if you recall). Likely they sorted the issues into a different order for the volumes, in order to tell a specific story. Most of the stories here are more along the ‘one-shot’ sense, where they only last a single issue.



As mentioned above, there are several plots/stories for this volume, five in total. The first four focus on each of our heroes (with Rocket and Groot grouped together), and the last is more along the lines of the main plot already started, a feeling that is confirmed by its multi-issue nature.
Gamora gets the spotlight first; honestly before this I had been thinking I missed something from Guardians of the Galaxy (perhaps everything happened in another series?) but now I realize it was just some creative storytelling. The whole run of the All-New Guardians of the Galaxy, Gamora has been obsessing about getting to the soul stone. What I didn’t really understand was why. Or more accurately, I didn’t know the details leading up to that point. Through context I understood that Gamora believed that part of her soul was trapped in said stone, but I still didn’t understand what events led her to that conclusion. Now that I’ve read this, I understand how the pieces fall together a bit more. It was nice seeing a Doctor Strange appearance as well as several other cameos (most of which occur inside the soul stone, and thus could be considered to be something other than canon? At least they’re not the characters we’ve gotten used to over the years).
Star-Lords (aka Peter Quill) story came next. I’ll confess I was immediately put off by the art style chosen – it felt cartoonish and silly. Admittedly Quill’s story isn’t the deepest of tales, but it was interesting. I loved the concept of being able to find pockets in space that are still transmitting (or more accurately, receiving Earth’s transmissions) specific data he’d want. Specifically, 80’s music. It’s actually pretty cool. Everything around that was a bit on the silly side, so be ready for a more casual read.
Drax’s story is next; and is odd in that it has two points. The first is to blend his experiences with Gamora (as his soul is also trapped in the soul stone), but the other is of his own. Finally we’re given the answer as to why Drax the Destroyer has become a pacifist. I won’t ruin it for you, as it’s truly worth reading (it’s probably the highlight of the volume, or at least one of them).
The last of the one-shot stories also explains previous events – specifically why Baby Groot is well…a baby. It’s easy to forget that the movie and comic Groots are different, and therefore what happened in the first movie wouldn’t affect little Groot. So that raises the question; what exactly happened to him? And why isn’t he growing? (Frankly that’s the bigger concern here). Adding Rocket’s regret, self-hatred, and guilt to the mix really made for an emotional read.
And finally we’re on to the ‘main’ plot. I put that in quotes as I obviously don’t know if it’s the main plot, but I sure hope it all ties in. There are a few noteworthy events that occur (such as both Deadpool and Antman trying to stow away with the Guardians) that are funny, but not really important to the plot. And then there’s the Raptor plot. I was seriously hoping that this was going to become more of a thing in Guardians (and not just because the more we see of them, the more likely we are to get a Darkhawk reboot), and it looks like my wish is being granted! Though I’ll admit I didn’t see that twist coming, not one bit. I’m still digesting it a bit to be honest.
On the whole this was a decent read; four short stories, with varying levels of seriousness, and then diving back into the main story. I can’t wait to see where they’re leading us with the Nova and Raptors plots. I hope they reveal more next issue.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Placed alternately at the same time as Volume 1, this Volume covers some of the back stories that Volume 1 didn't cover.
1) Story that details the separation of Gamora inside the Soul Stone. Look forward to seeing how this story unfolds when the Soul Stone is found.
2) Best Story in the Volume. One of Star-Lord's cassettes has been damaged. He's missing a song and decides to go out into space to collect it. Following the theory that Earth's radio signals are blasting across the cosmos, he flies a ship to a point where he can catch up with the 80's. The missing song? "Across the Universe" by the Beatles.
3) Gamora hears the story of why Drax is a pacifist. (See my review of Volume 1.)
4) The story of Groot's destruction and why he can't grow any longer. (See my review of Volume 1.)
5) Richard Rider, the remaining Nova, is tracking down the last whereabouts of his brother, Robbie Ryder, who is also part of the Nova Corps. Robbie has been captured by the Talons of the Shiar and forced to convert to their cause. Turns out that Robbie was the Talon that was fighting Star-Lord in the last Volume for the Nega Bands. Perhaps we will see a Nova/Talon team up against Ultron-bots?
6) Dr. Strange, Cable, Deadpool, Ant-Man, and Man-Thing all guest star in this issue. Strange, Cable and Man-Thing are all trying to help the Guardians understand the location of and their role in obtaining the Stones. Deadpool was trying to join the Guardians, wanting to get off planet for his role in Secret Empire. Ant-Man too is wanting to get off Earth for many of the same reasons.

The Volume ends with two revelations: 1) The Infinity Stones have vanished from all realities, so heroes from all realities are searching for them. and 2) The Nova Corps have just arrested the Guardians. What's wrong now?

This title is really excellent. I hope it continues when the rest of the MU jumps on the Infinity Stone train. High recommend.

[Rolando Marono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realmente Duggan le aporta mucha frescura, modernidad, ligereza y buenos sentimientos a la serie de Guardianes de la Galaxia.
Después de un maravilloso primer volumen, este tomo baja un poco de calidad pero complementa perfectamente el tomo anterior. Como recordamos, los números están intercalados y si no me equivoco los impares están en este volumen.
Las historias que se encuentran aquí son autocontenidas, pero ayudan a complementar los cambios en los personajes que vimos en el tomo anterior.
Abren con una historia de Gamora no tan interesante. El arte es llamativo pero la historia no revela detalles adicionales a lo que nos dice la misma Gamora en el tomo uno.
La segunda historia de Star-Lord y aunque no aporta a la historia, es emotiva y funciona como un bello homenaje a The Beatles. La última página de este número es emocionalmente buena.
El tercero y cuarto, no recuerdo bien cuál es cuál, pero hablan sobre Drax y sobre Groot y Rocket. Estos dos números son los mejores definitivamente. La historia de Drax, por qué escogió el pacifismo, es desgarradora, simple pero desgarradora. Y la historia de Groot y Rocket no es emotiva ni desgarradora pero nos muestra el ataque que sufrieron a manos de un encapuchado, que descubrimos en el tomo uno a un Ancient, el jardinero.
Finalmente los últimos dos números complementan la historia que vimos de los Talon Shi-ar, descubrimos la identidad de Talon-R y también tenemos un buen número donde los guardianes buscan las gemas en la tierra y tienen cameos de los héroes de moda.
Un gran tomo que continúa en Infinity Countdown, esperemos que aunque es un evento, o la introducción a un evento, Duggan pueda mantener la calidad.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

O ile pierwszy tom był smacznym i świeżym doświadczeniem dla całej serii, tak drugi tom stanowi "tylko" wypełnienie wcześniejszego. Całość składa się na kilka odrębnych historii, ale nie wszystkie są warte uwagi. Na zadane podczas lektury pierwszego zbiorku pytania, autor wreszcie dał nam kilka odpowiedzi.

Czemu Drax stał się pacyfistą? Co się dzieje z Gamorrą? Co się zadziało Grootowi, że nie rośnie i jaki udział miał w tym Rocket? Kto kryje się pod maską Raptora Shi'ar? I co wspólnego z całą tą kabałą ma jeden ze starszych, Ogrodnik, którego szukają dwaj bracia: Grandmaster i Kolekcjoner?

Duggan daje nam w końcu odpowiedzi, ale nie ma to takiego dynamizmu jak poprzednio. Każdy z zeszytów to jeden przypadek, ale bohaterowie nie działają w nich jako grupa, tylko pojedynczo, więc świetne poprzednio interakcje pomiędzy herosami odpadają. Najgorzej wypada przypadek Quilla, który wyraźnie zbliża postać do kinowego odbiornika. Najwięcej z punktu wiedzenia fabuły daje nam przypadek Gamorry i duetu Groot-Rocket, bo jasno nakreślają one, to nastąpi w kontynuacji.

Dodatkowo każdy zeszyt to inny artysta i nieco czuć to w kwestii spójności wizualnej. Poprzednia kreska Kudera może i nie należała do najpiękniejszych, ale idealnie oddawał charakter postaci. Tutaj mamy małe eksperymenty wizualne, które nie zawsze działają.

Dobry zbiór, wyjaśniający pewne pytania. Ale już bez takiej dawki dobrego humorku.

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the main story is outlined in vol 1 of this new series, vol 2 kind of gives us the in-between moments.

Each issue is comprised of one story with one member of the group per story. YOu get to see what they were up to right before vol 1. So while vol 1 kind of throws you into the fray, forcing you to fill int he backstory, vol 2 takes some of the guesswork out of it by giving you a few of the details. And this worked well in my opinion. It's interesting to see what state of mind each member was in before regrouping.

This also allows time for Aaron Kuder to catch up, as the volume is drawn by different artists per issue. Which was also fun because as I mentioned, each issue has a different team member, so you get kind of an original story per member - complete with a different artist and all. All the artists did a great job with their respective stories.

Overall, a fun fill in type volume - I am eager to see them continue on their quest for the infinity stones however.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way these trades are collected is a bit weird, since these are mostly one-off stories that were breaks between each issue of the main series. Little backstories that came before the main storyline started and give more context, and then a final issue that sets up a new arc but is mostly for jokes and isn't really a main plot thread yet. That said, these issues have fantastic guest artists (like Frazer Irving, Rod Reis, and Greg Smallwood) and really fun concepts. I think my favourite is #5, a Chris Samnee-illustrated issue about Star-Lord travelling space to find radio signals from Earth so he can bootleg record some new music. I actually liked these issues more than the main storyline, they really delve into the "infinity stone" concepts and instead of group bickering you have Gerry Duggan focusing in on a few key characters to give them an actual arc.