Guardians of the Galaxy #3 Review

(w) Brian Michael Bendis
(a) Steve McNiven and Sara Pichelli

Though it started slow, I've really been digging Guardians of the Galaxy. Brian Michael Bendis is at his best writing epic, team-based stories, and this series checks off both those boxes. Man fans of the previous iterations of the Guardians were upset with the way Bendis basically ignored a lot of what came before in exchange for his own vision of the franchise. I never read any Guardians stories before this, so all I have to go on are these three issues (and the #0.1).

Guardians of the Galaxy #3 finds the team in the clutches of mean old King J-Son, Peter Quill's father and the ruler of the Spartax Empire. It's been pretty obvious since issue one that J-Son has some sort of scheme a-brewin due to his general withholding nature, the very existence of the galactic council he seems to lead, and the overall vagueness of everything he says. I'd be more frustrated with how enigmatic J-Son and his agenda are if I wasn't as familiar with Bendis' work as I am.

Other than that, the narrative is exciting and fast-paced without feeling rushed. Bendis is at his best writing teams. His work on the Avengers franchise is more than enough evidence to this fact. Guardians of the Galaxy #3 really conveys just how legendary this team of heroes is, though many consider them menaces and pirates. Basically, this series allows for Bendis to use all his favorite tropes in one place: pomp and grandeur, deriving conflict and character development from emotional resonance, the proverbial "David vs. Goliath", divisive interpretations of consequential happenings. All of this stuff can be seen in Guardians of the Galaxy #3. Bendis graduated from the Earth's Mightiest Heroes to the defenders of the entire galaxy.

GRADE

8/10

The Week in Revue (June 12-18, 2013)

------- Spotlight

Superman Unchained #1
(w) Scott Snyder
(a) Jim Lee

------- DC Reviews

Batman #21
(w) Scott Snyder
(w) Greg Capullo

Green Lantern Corps #21
(w) Robert Vendetti and Van Jensen
(a) Bernard Chang

------- Marvel Reviews
Guardians of the Galaxy #3
(w) Brian Michael Bendis
(a) Steve McNiven and Sara Pichelli

Thor: God of Thunder #9
(w) Jason Aaron
(a) Esad Ribic

Spotlight: Guardians of the Galaxy #1

(w) Brian Michael Bendis     (a) Steve McNiven

Cosmic adventures are slowly, but surely, creeping into the mainstream of the comic book industry. Even over the past five years, it seemed nearly impossible for intergalactic series to get noticed beyond a devoted, yet small fan base. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning struck gold with their interpretation of Marvel's cosmic lineup a few years back, but it was unceremoniously ignored by most readers. 


**SPOILERS FOR THE AVENGERS [2012] (THOUGH, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT BY NOW...SERIOUSLY) AND THIS ISSUE**


Enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and -- more specifically -- The Avengers. Though it was classic Thor villain Loki who was pulling the strings throughout Joss Whedon's superhero epic, footage shown after a few credits roll infers that it was indeed the mad titan, Thanos, who supplied Loki with an army to invade Earth. Since Marvel took over most of the rights to their character franchises, the MCU has been teasing subsequent movies with brief epilogues at the end of each film that have succeeded in bringing a new level of connectedness to Marvel's big screen stories. Any moviegoer who stuck around long enough to see the malevolent villain setting his focus on Earth 1) wouldn't know it was Thanos because he's never named, and 2) Would merely see it as the connector to the next Avengers film. Marvel fans, on the other hand, understood this brief appearance as the first step towards a more cosmic Marvel comic universe.

The new volume of Guardians of the Galaxy is the next step in this narrative expansion. Not only did the Marvel assemble the powerhouse creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven for the project, they've also included Iron Man as a member of the Guardians. Both of these elements give Guardians of the Galaxy a lot more star power behind it, instantly making it one of Marvel's flagship titles.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 is all about Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord. We got a fairly comprehensive glimpse at Peter's personal history last month in the #0.1 issue, but it's really here, in the proper debut, that we get to see Star-Lord's new characterization under Brian Michael Bendis. Peter is a man with deep-seeded paternal issues that literally stretch across the universe. Pete's dad wants his wayward son to come home to planet Spartax and claim his rightful place as a royal figure. Obviously, Peter doesn't have much desire for this life, and thus, basically tells his old man to gent bent. It's a strikingly grounded relationship made epic by that fact that it's contextualized amongst alien planets and space-faring adventurers.

Though Star-Lord gets most of the panel time, the other Guardians get their moments in the spotlight as well. Bendis' main strength is in team books because he's so able to play the varying personalities against one another. It's what made the man's time on Avengers titles so memorable. From Guardians of the Galaxy #1, it's obvious Bendis' signature style has translated well in a cosmic setting.

Though I enjoyed it, Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 was less than satisfactory because it was all backstory and it somewhat diluted the effect of a premier issue that hadn't even come out yet. That being said, after reading Guardians of the Galaxy #1, most of my skepticism has been washed away. It's now clear that Bendis wanted to put out a prelude issue to set up Peter Quill's character enough to carry the first issue -- readers are familiar enough with Quill to not be lost going into the issue, but also get vital information on the actual rest of the team. Guardians of the Galaxy #1 is a triumph for Bendis and Steve McNiven, pointing to a bright future in the stars for Marvel.

GRADE
9/10

The Week in Revue (Mar 27-Apr 2, 2013)

------- Spotlight

Guardians of the Galaxy #1
(w) Brian Michael Bendis     (a) Steve McNiven
THE GUARDIANS RETURN TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE!

------- DC Reviews

Batman Incorporated #9

(w) Grant Morrison     (a) Chris Burnham

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MOMENTS AFTER THE DEATH OF DAMIAN WAYNE?

The Flash #18

(w) Brian Buccellato     (a) Marcio Takara

THE TRICKSTER ACCUSED OF MURDER? AND A SPECIAL CROSSOVER WITH...DIAL H!

Justice League Dark #18

(w) Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes     (a) Mikel Janin

THE CONCLUSION TO "THE DEATH OF MAGIC!"


---------- mini reviews
Aquaman #18

(w) Geoff Johns     (a) Paul Pelletier

"DEATH OF A KING" BEGINS HERE! A NEW ARC IN THIS ACCLAIMED SERIES!

Superman #18

(w) Scott Lobdell     (a) Kenneth Rocafort

H.I.V.E. MAKES IT'S NEW 52 DEBUT AS THEY TRY TO TAKE OVER METROPOLIS!

Teen Titans #18

(w) Scott Lobdell     (a) Eddy Barrows

FALLOUT FROM "DEATH OF THE FAMILY" AND THE DEATH OF DAMIAN WAYNE! GUEST STARRING THE SUICIDE SQUAD!

------- Marvel Reviews

Age of Ultron #3 of 10

(w) Brian Michael Bendis     (a) Bryan Hitch

MARVEL'S POST-APOCALYPTIC EVENT CONTINUES!

Uncanny Avengers #5

(w) Rick Remender     (a) Olivier Coipel
WONDER MAN, WASP, AND SUNFIRE JOIN THE UNCANNY AVENGERS!

Young Avengers #3

(w) Kieron Gillen     (a) Jaime McKelvie

MORE AMAZINGNESS FROM GILLEN AND MCKELVIE ON THE LANDMARK SERIES!

---------- mini reviews

Fantastic Four #5AU

(w) Matt Fraction     (a) Andre Araujo

AN "AGE OF ULTRON" TIE-IN ISSUE!

The Superior Spider-Man #6AU

(w) Christos Gage     (a) Dexter Soy

AN "AGE OF ULTRON" TIE-IN ISSUE!

FEATURED REVIEW: MARVEL NOW! POINT ONE

(w) Nick Spencer, Brian Bendis, Jeph Loeb, Kieron Gillen, Matt Fraction, and Dennis Hopeless
(p) Luke Ross, Steve McNiven, Ed McGuinness, Jamie McElvie with Mike Norton, Mike Allred, Gabriel Hernandez Walta

Last year's Marvel Point One was a fun introduction to coming year's storylines, though it retroactively suffered from unfulfilled promises. Why did Scarlet Spider get a solo series but not Nova? Where is the X-Terminated team? Of course, that was the first issue in a series, it seems, so it makes sense that MPO was more of a work in progress than anything else. And at the end of the day, it's still a really fun one shot full of interesting stories. Marve NOW! Point One is the more polished version of the concept - each story included in this issue is evolving into an ongoing series. This anthology format is fun because it's not necessary to know decades of continuity to still enjoy what's going on. In fact, that's the whole idea behind 'Marvel NOW!'

Marvel NOW! Point One is framed by the story following S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, and Director Maria Hill. They've come across a gentleman who monetarily wiped out the New York Stock Exchange within a matter of hours and claims to be from the future. Being from the future obviously has it's advantages when cavorting in the past, and the man basically just wants to give S.H.I.E.L.D. a heads-up about what's coming. It's a strained plot, one that feels forced and underdeveloped. Nick Spencer is obviously trying for some mystery in the man's identity, but it just comes across as unfinished or poorly edited. It made sense for the Watcher in Marvel Point One to have visions of the future surrounding it's supernatural existence, so this scenario feels a bit silly. Then again, these are the kind of things Fury and Coulson will be dealing with in the pages of Secret Avengers, set to debut in February.

Brian (Michael) Bendis and Steve McNiven kick things off with the origin of Star-Lord, leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel is making a big push for their cosmic characters, and putting Bendis front and center for a team getting a cinematic movie next year is a stellar choice. And while Bendis' long-form writing style means "Guardians of the Galaxy" feels incomplete, Steve McNiven's amazing artwork pretty much makes up for it.

Next up is Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness bringing us "Diamondhead" featuring the new Nova - Sam Alexander - the team introduced in Marvel Point One. While Sam's last adventure was all about the return of the Phoenix, this tale gives readers a bit more insight as to Sam's situation without giving much away in terms of concrete details. The eponymous villain is one of Richard Rider Nova's old enemies, so he confronts the new Nova. A few choice sentences of dialogue reveal that the Nova Corps is gone, and that Sam is apparently the last one...maybe. Dropping hints that answer questions by bringing up more questions is one of Jeph Loeb's strong suits, so it works well here. Ed McGuinness is one of those artists who draws comics like they're perceived by the non-comic book reading population - big, expressive, and colorful. I'm already a fan of Sam Alexander - especially his re-designed Nova uniform - so Nova is one of the series I'm most excited about.

Oh, Young Avengers. If you read this blog on any sort of regular basis, you're probably aware that I absolutely LOVE the Young Avengers. I collected the entire 12-issue original run (dubbed "Season One" in recent years), I've read every YA tie-in issue for Marvel's major events, and I even stuck it out and bought every issue of Avengers: The Children's Crusade. So when Marvel announced they were bringing back the Young Avengers under the watch of Kieron Gillen and Jamie McElvie, I was ecstatic. "The New World" features "Miss" America Chavez, first introduced in 2011's Vengeance mini-series as part of the new Teen Brigade. Kid Loki has decided to put a new Young Avengers team together, and first goes after America (that's her real name, hence the pun) who's taking refuge on Earth-212. Because this is a comic book and heroes tend to fight each other before getting along, a brawl ensues. Even though Miss America basically just beats Loki down then flies away, the whole sequence is meant to develop America and give readers a preview of her social skills, something that will obviously come into play once she joins the team. Breaking the fourth wall is always fun in my book, so Loki's 'wanted' ad was a pleasant surprise and an awesome way to close this chapter.

Matt Fraction and Mike Allred's "It's Art!" is next, featuring Scott Lang as Ant-Man in a prologue to the creative team's upcoming FF. Mike Allred is such a fantastic and wonky artist that it fits Matt Fraction's whimsically poignant writing almost perfectly. Scott Lang is also a great character for Fraction, who specializes in taking somewhat formless characters and giving them direction and focus (Clint Barton, anyone?). "It's Art!" features what I hope will be the norm for FF, which is a stylized narrative structure, consisting of a fantastic balance of inner monologue and dialogue, as well as inventive and innovative panel flow. Seeing Scott's whereabouts through special enlarged panels with arrows is genius, and Fraction's breaking of the fourth wall is so subtle, it smacks you in the face before you even realize.

The final story - before the conclusion of Spencer's S.H.I.E.L.D. bookend - is about Forge. Specifically, a mentally disturbed, manic Forge who stumbles upon a lab he built with a huge machine he didn't build. For a mutant whose ability consists of creating and fixing nearly any machine he can work on, it's a perfect set up. Unlike his counterparts who might give too little, Dennis Hopeless tries for a bit too much with "Crazy Enough". The psychological implications surrounding a techno-manipulator are many, apparently, and Hopeless just digs the hole a bit too big, then doesn't have time to have anything make sense before it ends with a cameo from Cable, foreshadowing Cable and X-Force coming in December.

It's difficult to review a prologue anthology simply by it's definition. These stories and their format are unique. Unlike back-up stories of similar length, these aren't multi-part or even one-shot tales. Each of these small stories is like a "Zero Issue" of sorts. While DC made a whole month of it in September, Marvel NOW! Point One could be considered 'ground zero' for all six featured series. It's a fun issue - simple as that. Knowing that all six series are starting soon gives more weight to these six prologues, and that's part of the charm. If this were just another short story anthology, it would be a bit lacking. But it's not. And we know it. Get ready, because if the level of quality seen in NOW! Point One continues through the next five months of new launches and into the future, Marvel might just have the upper hand on DC.

GRADE

8.5/10

MARVEL NOW: A RUNDOWN

'Marvel NOW!' is here! Last week, Uncanny Avengers and Red She-Hulk kicked things off for a five-month period of all-new series from Marvel that tie into the post-AvX world. I've already reviewed UA, and this coming week, Marvel NOW! Point One is the only new release, but November through February promise a ton of new stuff for you (and me) to read!

OCTOBER

Marvel NOW! Point One
(Various Creative Teams)
Last year's Marvel Point One was a cool first attempt at bringing readers an anthology format with which to preview the upcoming years storylines and series. With prelude stories to FF, Young Avengers, and Nova to name a few, Marvel NOW! Point One promises to be a roller coaster ride as we rocket into 'Marvel NOW!' 

A+X

(Various Creative Teams)

With the success of AvX: VS, Marvel saw great potential in that series' format of ten-page stories featuring one Avenger and one X-Man. This time around, they'll be teaming up instead of kicking the pants off each other.

NOVEMBER

All-New X-Men
(w) Brian Michael Bendis
(p) Stuart Immonen
After eight years at the helm of the Avengers, BMB is moving over to the X-Men world with All-New X-Men featuring the time-displaced original five X-Men transported to the present day. I can't imagine how Marvel and Bendis plan on making this an ongoing, but I have faith, and the concept is cool enough to read whatever the outcome.

Deadpool

(w) Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan

(p) Tony Moore

It's about time Marvel put an honest-to-god comedian on one of their most comedic characters, Deadpool. Brian Posehn is one of the funniest comics in the stand-up industry, and he's likely bringing his distinct sense of humor to the Merc with a Mouth. The first arc is about Deadpool assassinating the reanimated corpses of America's past Presidents.

Iron Man
(w) Kieron Gillen
(p) Greg Land
I've never been a fan of Iron Man - I'll read tie-ins and the such, but on a regular basis, Tony Stark's solo adventures don't interest me that much. That being said, this is 'Marvel NOW!', the perfect time to dive into a character never explored much, and the fact that Kieron Gillen is writing is enough to make me interested.

Avengers Assemble #9

(w) Kelly Sue DeConnick

(p) Stefano Caselli

Though it's not renumbering, Avengers Assemble is getting an all-new creative team and narrative focus. Going forward, Kelly Sue DeConnick will be penning "shot glass Avengers" stories only two to three issues in length focusing on character growth. It's a fantastic move on Marvel's part, seeing as DeConnick has been cleaning up with Captain Marvel.

Fantastic Four

(w) Matt Fraction
(p) Mark Bagley
Again, I never got into the Fantastic Four, and my experience with Ultimate Fantastic Four was less than impressive. Though, Matt Fraction's recent take on Hawkeye has been impeccable, so I'm willing to see what he's got planned for Marvel's First Family. The first arc apparently takes them away from Earth for a full year of their lives, but which only amounts to four minutes in Earth time. Interesting? Wait until you see how it ties into FF.

Journey Into Mystery #646

(w) Kathryn Immonen

(p) Valerio Schiti

Just like Avengers Assemble, Journey Into Mystery isn't getting renumbered, but instead brings in Kathryn Immonen and Valerio Schiti to change the narrative direction and focus on the Lady Sif instead of Kid Loki. This promises to be an epic arc, as Sif is set to return to Asgard and raise all sorts of hell.

Thor: God of Thunder
(w) Jason Aaron
(p) Esad Ribic
Jason Aaron is going in an interesting direction with Thor: God of Thunder, taking readers through three distinct eras of Thor's life - his younger years, the current day, and his elder years as King of Asgard. Knowing Aaron, this structural decision will make for some amazing building grounds for future stories.

X-Men Legacy

(w) Si Spurrier

(p) Tan Eng Huat

It's a series about Legion. Oh, Legion - son of Xavier with no real personality because you've been used as a plot pawn for so, so many years. It's about time David Haller was treated right and given a series to help him work out his inner demons. In the aftermath of Avengers vs. X-Men, Legion seems like he's going to be meeting a lot of new mutants who need help understanding what's happened to them.

Captain America
(w) Rick Remender
(p) John Romita Jr.
Uncanny Avengers is amazing, and I'm now certain that Rick Remender is going to turn Captain America from the country's boy scout into something darker and more relatable. Being transported to and stuck in Dimension Z with Arnim Zola's son is a good start to making Cap a more well-rounded character.

Indestructible Hulk

(w) Mark Waid

(p) Lenil Yu

Mark Waid did Daredevil a huge favor by yanking Matt Murdock out of the proverbial alley and into the sunlight. Bruce Banner has been tossed around for years, and it's time that someone like Waid gives the green giant a fresh coat of paint for a new age. In recent interviews, Waid said that his interpretation of Hulk/Banner resembles Mark Ruffalo's movie Hulk, though the similarities were completely unintentional.

FF
(w) Matt Fraction
(p) Mike Allred
While the Fantastic Four are off in another dimension, Reed Richards recruits a new FF team to protect the world in their absence...of four minutes. It's a wonky concept, but one I'm positive Matt Fraction can pull off. The new FF team includes Ant-Man, Medusa, She-Hulk, and Ms. Thing (a new character). Mike Allred is an amazing artist and I cannot wait to see how his pulpy style will affect the stories.


DECEMBER

Avengers
(w) Jonathan Hickman
(p) Jeremy Opena
Jonathan Hickman is stepping off his long-term runs on Fantastic Four and FF to turn his sights on Earth's Mightiest Heroes. In interviews, Hickman has stated that Avengers will be big-ticket stories about a large cast of characters, leaving more character-driven stuff for the sister series he's also writing, New Avengers.

Thunderbolts

(w) Daniel Way

(p) Steve Dillon

This one just looks plain cool. It's General "Thunderbolt" Ross, a.k.a. Red Hulk, leading a team of killers including Elektra, Venom, Deadpool, and the Punisher. Some fans are already upset that Frank Castle is going to be on a team, but I have high hopes for this series that's bringing together some of the best anti-heroes Marvel has to offer.

Cable and X-Force
(w) Dennis Hopeless
(p) Salvador Larroca
Now that Avengers vs. X-Men has made criminals out of a number of X-Men, they have to go on the run. Cable leads new X-Force team (that includes Colossus, btw) on the run from the Uncanny Avengers!

New Avengers

(w) Jonathan Hickman

(p) Steve Epting

While Avengers tackles the big picture stuff, New Avengers will see Jonathan Hickman bringing readers the exploits of the Illuminati, the group of intellects that have shaped the Marvel U over the past seven years or so. This title will be more character-driven, with a lot of Avengers crossovers.

Avengers Arena
(w) Dennis Hopeless
(p) Kev Walker
While this series is a total ripoff of Battle Royale (and by extension, The Hunger Games), Avengers Arena is probably going to be very cool. It's throwing a bunch of teenaged characters together, from Avengers Academy to the perennially ignored Runaways. 

JANUARY

Uncanny X-Force
(w) Sam Humphries
(p) Ron Garney
Even though there's already going to be Cable and X-Force, Marvel liked Rick Remender's run on Uncanny X-Force to give the series a relaunch of it's own. This time around, Storm is leading the team (sporting a blatantly retro mohawk) that includes Psylocke amongst other, low-tier mutants.

Savage Wolverine

(w/p) Frank Cho

They finally gave Frank Cho a Wolverine series. Cho has promised that this iteration of Logan's tale will be, obviously, a lot more savage and violent. The first arc takes Wolvy to the jungle, so there's going to be a lot of survivalism, I'm sure.

Young Avengers
(w) Kieron Gillen
(p) Jamie McElvie
This is the series I've been waiting six years to happen. I absolutely loved the original run of Young Avengers and continued to keep up with the characters even as they got tossed around creative teams like an unwanted sandwich. Now, Marvel is giving the title to Kieron Gillen and Jamie McElvie, the creative team behind the magnificent Phonogram series. This new team features old favorites Wiccan, Hulkling, and Hawkeye II, while introducing to the team Kid Loki, Miss America Chavez, and Marvel Boy (from Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways).

The Superior Spider-Man

(w) Dan Slott

(p) Ryan Stegman

This is the series I'm least excited about. There's no creative team change here, just a renumbering and an apparent new man under the Spider-Man mask. Oh, and the Spidey suit now has black where there was blue. I thought the whole point of 'Marvel NOW!' was to shake up creative teams, and in this case, Marvel just dropped the ball.

FEBRUARY

Secret Avengers
(w) Nick Spencer
(p) Luke Ross
I always thought the premise of Secret Avengers was too loose. Sure, it's an Avengers team that's secret, but how cliche is that? This new premise from Nick Spencer tells that S.H.I.E.L.D. wants an Avengers team of their own, but the current big names are too unpredictable and uncontrollable, so they activate embedded codes within select operatives around the world, task them to go on missions, then wipe their memory when the mission is complete. This smorgasbord of operatives include Black Widow, Mockingbird, Hawkeye, Hulk, and a new Iron Patriot. The team works with (the new) Nick Fury and Agent Phil Coulson.

Guardians of the Galaxy

(w) Brian Michael Bendis

(p) Steve McNiven

As part of Marvel's ongoing effort to expand it's cosmic branch of characters, Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven will be reviving Guardians of the Galaxy with a new directive in mind: keep Earth alien-free. Apparently, Earth has been meddled with too much, and it's time to let the humans evolve on their own. Expect big things from this title which is set to include Iron Man.

Nova
(w) Jeph Loeb
(p) Ed McGuinness
Last year, Marvel Point One teased a the new Nova, Sam Alexander, as he fought off Terrax and escaped to warn Earth's heroes about the coming of the Phoenix. It felt like a bit of a letdown when no new Nova series came about, but now, we've got one starting in February! Loeb has promised that this series will explain how Sam became the newest member of the Nova Corps, and what his purpose is going forward.