(Marvel Comics, 2013)
Review by Shawn Warner
WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: Steve McNiven
INKS: John Dell
COLORS: Justin Ponsor
Peter Jason Quill aka Star-Lord is Han Solo channeling James T. Kirk in the guise of a young Brad Pitt. His smouldering blue eyes gaze out from beneath a mop of disheveled blonde hair but under his boyish good looks and devil-may-care demeanor beats the heart of a true hero. He is both larger than life and down to Earth. Men want to be him and women (of all species) want to be with him. Guardians of the Galaxy #1 wastes no time in establishing Peter Jason Quill as an interstellar ladies man.
The story begins with Peter in a nondescript space lounge assuring a lovely Kree female that as a half human male he would have no problem keeping up with her in the bedroom. His amorous endeavors are interrupted when his father shows up to warn Peter to stay away Earth. At this point it would be exceedingly beneficial to have read the preceding .1 issue in which we find out that Peter is a child of two worlds. His mother is from Earth while his father is king of Spartax, where Peter by virtue of his birth, is royalty as well ,hence the title Star-Lord.
His father’s words of warning are not received well. Peter insists he never wants to speak to him again. The king then explains that a council of galactic empires has convened and decided that Earth is off limits to all extra-terrestrial interaction. This he says is to give Earth a fighting chance to develop and become part of the galactic civilization. Peter believes that by passing this law he would be endangering the Earth and that his enemies would view this as an affront, a dare to make a play for it. The king implores Peter to take his rightful place as Star-Lord of Spartax and give up his gallivanting. Their conversation is disrupted when a sword wielding Gamora slashes her way into the establishment leaving a trail of lifeless guards in her wake. Thus the tone is set for the first issue.
Tony Stark shows up more or less from out of nowhere as does a Badoon warship which wastes no time to engage him in battle. Tony returns fire and is very shortly joined by Gamora, Star-Lord, Drax, Groot and Rocket Raccoon.
The battle intensifies and from this point on the Badoon bodies and space ship debris fly fast and furious. Tony is rendered unconscious and taken out of the battle. Now the Badoon’s sinister plan becomes apparent. An invasion force is headed into Earth’s atmosphere and Peter is faced with his own father’s betrayal as the Badoon onslaught begins.
I don’t know where to begin with this book, Bendis’ story or McNiven’s art. This is the kind of dilemma that I as a reviewer and a comic book fan love to be faced with. Let’s start with the visuals. This book is gorgeous! And It’s not just McNiven’s pencils. It’s John Dell’s inks over them and Justin Ponsor’s colors on top. Visually it’s stunning. The characters are alive before you even read one word. McNiven captures the expressions so well. His attention to detail is amazing. From the way he renders the strands of Star-Lord’s hair to the twisting, inter-weaving roots that make up Groot to the insectoid bodies of the Badoon and the smallest lines and shapes in the design of Iron Man’s armor it’s all there and it all works to perfection. As a long-time fan of McNiven’s work I have to say this is some of his best. The images move from panel to panel, page to page. His lines are clean and kinetic. There is an inescapable energy to his work here that pulls you in from the cover to the very last page and then you are left wanting more.
Bendis’ story at it’s heart is human. It’s the story of a boy and his father in much the same way that Star Wars is. Peter Jason Quill is a boy who never really got to know his father, lost his mother and lives in a world that is alien to him by his very nature. Bendis does such a good job of filling Peter with a world weary angst without overdoing it and turning him into a caricature of a teenaged rebel.
The story is fast paced and multifaceted. There is a lot to take in. However the majority of the back story was told in the .1 issue leaving #1 to be more action heavy.
Iron Man is used here to tie this book into the Marvel Now universe but his actual role in this first issue is relatively small. The personalities of the individual team members and their interactions are what’s showcased here. The dialogue rings true. These characters speak with their own voices. Rocket Raccoon provides the closest thing to comedic relief. The tone is heavy but not oppressive and fun without being silly. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. And although it takes place in space it’s not jargon laden science fiction. And it’s not strictly speaking a super hero book though it is certainly full of heroes with super powers. Guardians of the Galaxy is a unique blend of everything we love about comic books, larger than life characters flawed and imperfect faced with soul searching personal dilemmas while finding themselves in deadly peril against insurmountable odds with a dash of romance thrown in if there’s room.
This book has it all. If Guardians of the Galaxy is inexplicably missing from your pull list I highly recommend adding it.
Until next week, see you at the comic book store.
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Follow Shawn Warner on Twitter: @shawnwarner629
BAG & BORED 