Once again, the galaxy is reeling and in dire need of heroes, and the Guardians will have to somehow rise to the occasion. Will there be saving the universe, fighting with the Olympian gods and… overthrowing the rule of the beaver oil baron? What can I say, probably the craziest team of weirdos is back in action!
It’s good, right?
Well, it’s probably even better than good, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Basically, from the very first pages of the comic, we are greeted with a typically idyllic atmosphere, because the team is finally complete. After the end of the war with the Universal Church of Truth, the heroes rest on a certain planet and take a break after Rocket’s supposed recovery. After all, they don’t have to look death in the face… but maybe they want to? Because Nova shows up and informs our heroes about the reappearance of the Olympian gods ( Avengers: No Way Home bows) and the whole threat to the universe, but the Guardians don’t want to get involved in it, it’s none of their business anymore. At least for a while, because Star-Lord is constantly haunted by dreams/visions from his past that once seemed to be untrue, but today are no longer so certain.
Yes, this is a prelude to a tragedy that will once again tear the team apart due to their inability not to engage in conflict. This event will reverberate throughout the entire team, showing that the story presented in the comic book matters. Maybe it won’t affect the entire universe, but it will affect these specific characters, and certainly the readers, because there is no shortage of drama and emotions in So We Stayed . Fortunately, there are also plenty of funny scenes. Scenes with the Prince of Power, Black Jack, Marvel Boy and other supporting characters relax the story so much that the reader forgets what is actually at stake. And the fact that it works so well is thanks to the entire creative team.
I’m still gloating!
Juann Cabal, the artist responsible for All-New Wolverine , seems to be spreading his wings here. His clean style is surprisingly a fantastic fit for Guardians of the Galaxy. It enhances humorous effects with character facial expressions and adds epicness to fight scenes. While reading, there were several pages where I had to stop for a longer time. However, the drawings would not have such an effect if it were not for the colors for which Federico Blee is responsible.
He’s a pretty good colorist, although sometimes I feel like he could do a better job with facial colors. On the other hand, there are also scenes that shine with neon light, which probably explains why he was chosen to work on Watchmen. Nina Vakueva also deserves special attention. He does an excellent job of elevating the tone of a particular scene in the third issue, which I find much more impressive than Cabal’s occasional displays. I don’t praise the rest of the band as much, but not because they aren’t good artists – they’re all great – but because Cabal did such a good job that any issue he didn’t draw seemed almost disappointing.
I fight like a man… who has a plan
The first volume of the new Guardians of the Galaxy series is a breath of fresh air. Al Ewing has some cool ideas, like this one to split the space mercenaries into two teams. It is even better to supplement them with new faces, such as Hercules. The light and fun banter works well with what Guardians are known for. And space adventures are damn fun. The death is shocking, but… is it really? Anyone who has read Marvel comics knows that death does not necessarily mean the end.
What about the downsides? Well, actually, it’s really hard for me to fault anything. Some people will probably not be comforted by the fact that there are plenty of references to other comics, but they are more of an incentive to read them than an actual problem in understanding what is happening on the subsequent pages of the new volume. Much of what we see now took place in the previous series by Donny Cates (also available as part of the Marvel Fresh initiative ), so I think it’s worth reading, but I’d like to point out that it’s not required.
The current writer shows a great understanding of each character, and even though there aren’t many of them, everyone seems to get their five minutes. I love these interactions and the internal monologues of the team, as well as the interwoven storylines. Ewing does a great job of maintaining a rhythm and communicating to readers what exactly happens as doom approaches. All this is enhanced by bright, colorful graphics and excellent panel layout, created by Juann Cabal and company! This is probably one of the better drawn and currently available Marvel comics on the shelves.