GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #5
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Sara Pichelli
In
Guardians of the Galaxy #5, Peter Quill is having a hard time. Due to the events in
Age of Ultron, there have been "tears" in the fabric of the Marvel universe, resulting in reality being altered. Quill is the only Guardian who is experiencing these "tears" (See
Age of Ultron panel below). In this issue, we see him running through Rigel 7, a planet that we've seen once before, while being chased by Spartax guards. The coolest part of this issue, for me (by far), was who he bumps into while he's there (I won't spoil it for you, but it's someone who fans of the Abnett and Lanning Guardians run will enjoy seeing).
While all of this is happening, Tony Stark and Rocket are on the ship, talking about technology and Stark's "rendezvous" with Gamora. When Gamora walks in, she senses something isn't right. She doesn't like the fact that Quill has disappeared and something is heading towards Earth on the radar... The rest is after the jump.
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Star-Lord must have had
some killer Shrooms |
As many of you know (since it's been super hyped up), this is the first issue that features Angela. At the end of Age of Ultron, Angela was transported through one of the "space tears", and has obviously come from another dimension (I'm assuming the Image Comics dimension). Angela is mad as fire that she has been "misplaced" and wants to take it out on the nearest living being that she can find, so naturally she heads towards Earth. Honestly, I was a little disappointed with Angela in this issue. She was very menacing and completely gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but we still didn't see much of what she is capable of. There's still that question of "why her?" Hopefully in the next issue, we find out more about her purpose for being there.
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Angela is more confused than
a lost child at Disney World |
This issue has such a cinematic feel to it that I can't help but feel like Bendis, McNiven, and Pichelli are probably working close with the Guardians of the Galaxy film crew. Either way, they should be. The art in this issue is outstanding. I'm not a big fan of the way that Pichelli draws Rocket but all of the other characters look great. Pichelli is great at showing emotion on their faces, which really pull you into the issue. If Gamora is annoyed, you can see it on her face. If Stark is embarrassed, you don't need dialogue to know it. Bendis' writing is really great in this issue, especially his dialogue between Rocket and Stark, which adds a lot of humor.
Overall, another superb issue. I'd like to give a round of applause for Bendis and Pichelli, but it would confuse everyone in my office, so I won't.
Rating: 4.5/5
Another great issue, I agree. But minor inconsistency, the thing about Rocket having no idea what TV is. Rocket has referenced things from Earth in the past, like mentioning Ebay and Beaches in issue 1 of Guardians v2 or using the "say hello to my little friend" quote in the issue where he knocked out Gladiator. Fairly certain there have been other times, but it is also possible that Rocket was just feigning ignorance about Earth entertainment to seem superior. Just a minor thing, really, again it was another amazing issue. Good job, BMB!
ReplyDeleteI believe this Guardians of the Galaxy is as much of a reboot as it is a sequel to the 2008 run. There have been many inconsistencies between the two volumes. They are like two different animals, and I love them both.
DeleteThis issue felt far more rushed to me than any of the previous ones, but I have to agree on the point that this seems as much of a reboot as it is a sequel. Bendis has said several times that this is a bridge between the core story and the movie version. I think they're trying to ease people into what the movie will be like, and giving people who come to the comics from the movie a jumping on point that feels familiar. They kinda did it with Avengers, but only after the movie did they change some of the comics.
DeleteI agree. They are trying to jump-start this fanbase. Most people have not even heard of these characters, so they had to make this run of comics more accessible.
DeleteWhich I find is irritating a lot of older readers. I'm on the UXN forum, and this book is mostly just getting hate. They're so negative over it. Same with the Rocket Raccoon facebook page. I don't like the idea of changing the characters either, I'd rather it be a clear-cut reboot instead of a half-reboot. I mean, how are newer readers NOT going to be lost over who Mantis is? But even still, I don't get the seething hatred for Bendis that is coming out of other areas. Personally, I love it and it's got me seriously hyped for the movie. I think this will bring Peter Quill amongst the ranks of characters like Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds. I'm seriously stoked and can't seem to get enough Guardians this month. lol
DeleteWell said!
DeleteWhy hate Bendis for this project? It's simple. These characters lack substance, but the art is so on point that it balances out the cliched dialogue found in almost every panel. I'm not really concerned like others though. Clearly, if Star Lord becomes recognized among the likes of Han Solo, it will be from Gunn's doing...not Bendis' dry interpretation of Quill. Just from the trailer transcribed from comicon alone, you can tell Gunn has the right idea as far as Gotg's character development goes. The movie will truly define these characters to the general audience and the next gotg run will hopefully be driven to match it in kind.
ReplyDelete