guardiansofthegalaxy01cvrBy Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven

With a blockbuster movie on the way, Marvel has big plans for Guardians of The Galaxy. Obviously, there will be a lot of buzz around this series. Luckily, Brian Michael Bendis is on one of his famous hot streaks, so this Point One issue lives up to the hype and leaves fans craving more. It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the Marvel Universe’s galactic side.

Bendis starts the series off by telling the origin story of Peter Quill/Star-Lord. It’s a pretty cliché story, with a missing father, a dead parent and tons of emotional baggage, but Bendis manages to tell it in a way that feels fresh. Bendis shows Peter as a kid -one who has tons of pent-up anger and often unleashes it on schoolyard bullies, most of whom deserve it. Once again, this has been done before, but Bendis writes it superbly. Peter Quill will have some pouting and brooding to do over the course of the series, which is fine as long as it’s written well.

It was probably a wise choice to keep this issue grounded on planet Earth and ease people in, as opposed to going full-scale cosmic crazy right out of the gate. Most people who will pick this up are more than likely picking up a Guardians book for the first time, so it only makes sense. By the end of the issue, you have a sense of who the main character is and what his motivations are.

Steve McNiven really shines here. There’s tons of emotion in every panel, conveying more to the reader than dialogue ever could. The farm that Star-Lord grows up on has a real sense of wonder, like there’s something more out there. McNiven and Justin Ponsor (colors) deserve tons of credit for being able to establish the tone of the series brilliantly.

Guardians of The Galaxy #0.1 is a great start to a series that is sure to turn a few heads in the world of comics. Bendis and McNiven deliver Hollywood-like entertainment and set the tone for where this series will be headed. The time is now to jump on board and take a galactic ride with the Guardians.

Writing: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

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Derek Baker

Derek Baker

Managing Reviewer/Reviewer at ReadComicBooks
Derek Baker lives in a small town right outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has been collecting comics since he was about 8 years old. When he first walked into a comic book shop, he knew that he was home. Derek has never really stopped reading comic books since. It all started with him watching the Batman and Robin and Superfriends cartoons in the ’80s. In the ’90s, his need for comics grew even more with the comics boom of that time, as well as animated television shows like Batman: The Animated Series and Spider-Man. For Derek, being an adult just means having a job and getting more money for comic books. Although he enjoys indie comics, Derek is a DC and Marvel fanboy at heart. Especially DC. His favorite characters include Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, Swamp Thing, The Flash, Aquaman, Spawn and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Derek is also a toy and video game collector, old and new. Derek lives with his lovely girlfriend, Nicole. He works in the health care industry and is also going to school to be a registered nurse.
Derek Baker

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Derek Baker

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