It’s safe to say, that this point, that Donny Cates has moved past being a rising star at Marvel and into being a one of their most celebrated writers. He has a way of creating high concepts and exciting new stories, which has been a breath of fresh air to the Marvel universe. Because of this, any new #1 has been something to look out for. He and Geoff Shaw, the team that created “God Country” and ‘Thanos Wins,’ are reunited again for the latest relaunch of “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Can this series recapture the magic of their blockbuster “Thanos” run? Read our review to find out!
Written by Donny Cates
Illustrated by Geoff Shaw
Colored by Marte Gracia
Lettered by VC’s Cory Petit
WHO WILL STAND? The universe is on fire. Hundreds of worlds are at war. Never has there been such hatred and division across the cosmos. And in spite of all this, Thanos of Titan is still dead…or is he? Now, more than ever, the cosmos need the Guardians of the Galaxy…but in the aftermath of the Infinity Wars, who is left to answer the call? Featuring every cosmic super hero in the known universe by the THANOS WINS creative team of Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw!
I’ve said it before, and I will probably say it again, but Donny Cates writes one hell of a first issue. “Guardians of the Galaxy” #1 is the first comic, aside from this team’s own arc on “Thanos,” set in the cosmic corner of the Marvel universe that has grabbed me in a very long time. Since Brian Bendis relaunched “Guardians of the Galaxy” in 2015, I’ve never been able to stick with a series for more than a couple of issues at a time. There was always something that just felt off about the characters, about the vibe of the comics as a whole. Part of that, I’m sure, is due to my own preconceived notions of what cosmic Marvel should be. After a while, I gave up even trying new series, accepting I would never reconnect with these characters. But, with “Guardians of the Galaxy” #1 cosmic Marvel feels right for the first time since the end of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s run.
The feeling and tone of this issue, which can hard thing to properly articulate in a review, but even harder thing for the comic to actually get right, is spot on. Cates nails the epic scope of those previous series, bringing together a truly epic set of characters. Part of the fun of the older works that this is calling back to are that while the characters could be bizarre, the threats they faced were never a joke. Cates is able to recapture that tone, with Cosmic Ghost Rider and Peter Quill still cracking wise, but never pushing things over the edge into jokey territory.
Geoff Shaw also does great work in this first issue. There is a lot of table setting that goes on in the beginning, lots of crowd shots and lots of standing around. Along with colorist Marte Garcia, the art team is able to create an issue that feels epic in scope, even during the stretches where it is mostly just characters talking. The way that Shaw frames scenes and characters is great at showing how these characters exist in relation to each other. The scenes with Peter Quill feel frantic and cluttered, constantly over his head. The scenes with the gather of the galaxy’s strongest protectors makes all those characters feel powerful. On top of the framing, Garcia’s colors make everything feel gritty in a way that works extremely well. He’s colors ground each of the scenes, keeping the bright, popping colors that have come to be associated with Marvel’s cosmic characters, but adding a layer of grime to it.
There are some problems with this issue. As someone that has admittedly been off the Marvel cosmic train for quite a while, this issue doesn’t do much of a job of reintroducing the characters. There’s no previously on page, no real introductions of who all of these characters are. Some of them I’m able to recognize from previous reading, but it still would have been nice to make this issue a more seamless jumping on point. In almost every other aspect, this is a issue that feels like a relaunch of the marvel cosmic universe as a whole, except that it assumes you’ve been reading along. Though I didn’t mind that personally, I know many readers can be frustrated when thrown into the deep end with all of these characters.
Continued belowThis issue can also feel a bit disjointed. While the two main plots do come together by the end of the issue, for much of it’s 40 pages, the two plots feel like they’re following two pretty different streams. Part of this is that the main plot of the issue is very exposition heavy. It’s good exposition, and it’s a set up that I think works very well. But the sections of the story that then follow Peter Quill and Groot feel a bit out of place.
Once everything comes together, though, this issue is a blast. The final action sequence is a ton of fun, thanks to Shaw’s kinetic art. And the final reveal of the issue, bringing together the team for this book going forward, is a ton of fun. For the problems that I have with this issue, I can’t help but be extremely excited about this book going forward. “Guardians of the Galaxy” #1 taps into something that has been missing from Marvel’s cosmic books for a long time, and it feels fantastic to be back. Now that the table is set, I’m hoping the following issue can really bring this series together to create something that is just as good at the older cosmic Marvel stories I hold close to my heart.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – “Guardians of the Galaxy” #1 hits the perfect tone for cosmic Marvel and leaves the reader excited for more.
