The Guardians of the Galaxy and the X-Men team up for what might just be the biggest threat either one of them has had to deal with. “Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men Black Vortex: Alpha” #1 is a fine event kickoff that cosmic Marvel fans will find enjoyable.
Written by Sam Humphries
Illustrated Ed McGuinness & Kris Anka
THE BLACK VORTEX STARTS HERE!
• The Black Vortex, an ancient artifact imbued with immeasurable power, is now in the hands of Mr. Knife!
• With billions of lives potentially at stake, Peter Quill, the Legendary Star-Lord, is going to have to dust off his thieving gloves.
“Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men Black Vortex: Alpha” #1 (referred to from now on as Black Vortex: Alpha #1) kicks off a major ‘cosmic Marvel’ event that reunites the Guardians of the Galaxy and the X-Men. They previously crossed over for the average but not game changing “The Trial of Jean Grey”. “Black Vortex” isn’t exactly something that feels like a game changer (thank you “Secret Wars”) but it does feel like something that will fit nicely in the already established ‘cosmic Marvel’ world.
Mr. Knife, successful in recruiting Thane to his side has gained the Black Vortex, an ancient artifact with massive cosmic powers. Kitty Pryde is still in space getting closer to her new boyfriend Peter Quill, so, Magik has recruited Storm and Beast to go get her. Meanwhile, the Guardians of the Galaxy (joined by Agent Venom & Captain Marvel) are having a table top game night that gets interrupted by a call for help by Peter Quill. This is how these teams get together and sadly is all that is worth noting about the actual plot.
This isn’t a bad way to start off an event but it does read as more of a guide than actual plot. This is a $4.99 book, which I have reservations about to begin with, but for the issue to be little more than an explanation as to how we got to this point makes the price point feel unjustified. Anyone picking this up who’s a regular reader of “Guardians of the Galaxy” or “All New X-Men” is going to feel like they could have skipped this altogether because what we see could be summed up on one intro page.
That’s not to say that all of “Black Vortex: Alpha” #1 was bad. Sam Humphries is a fine writer and does enough to make this an entertaining read. His dialogue is sharp and witty making for a humorous book that fits well with the Brian Michael Bendis penned books that are actually crossing over. Often times we see other writers get their hands on well established personalities and falter a bit – Humphries doesn’t do that. The gaming scene with the Guardians of the Galaxy is one the most charming bits of comic I’ve read in a while. There’s also a true feeling of epicness here because the Black Vortex itself is fairly dangerous. This isn’t “Annihilation” big, but it’s a fitting story for cosmic Marvel and despite the fact that this didn’t start off as strongly as I would have liked, the hook is there and I see myself reading at least the next part of this.
The true selling point is the art. Ed McGuinness does an very good job with “Black Vortex: Alpha” #1. Kris Anka is listed as doing some additional penciling and while you can see the shift in art, it’s still a really pretty book to look at. McGuinness creates a gorgeous looking space that almost looks tangible. He adds something grand to the issue through awesome character designs and facial expressions that really add a little extra to what Humphries writes. The early pages on Planet Viscardi do steal the show because McGuiness is really able to do something totally new here. The people are this world have sleek designs that actually feel otherworldly.
“Black Vortex: Alpha” #1 could have used less explaining and more action. It does have a nice ending and the concept is worthy of cosmic Marvel but more is going to have to happen in “Guardians of the Galaxy” #24 to hook readers. Trust readership more when it comes to following what’s happening because spending a $4.99 book to explain a lot of things that could have been done in a couple of paragraphs is not the best way to kick off a big crossover event. However, this is the first issue and this is a solid concept, I believe there’s enough of a reason to come back for part two of this event.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – The art really saves this but the concept is enough to make me come back for more.
