Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Art by: Ed McGuinness
Publisher: Marvel
The newest issue of Guardians of the Galaxy wishes to capitalize on the Original Sin event through attempting a tie in. This seems odd as the characters have nothing to do with the story. But I guess they feel that if secrets ate getting revealed they can sneak its way into a tie in.
The story starts abruptly with Peter Quill being tied up and interrogated by Gamora, with no explanation as to how the preceding events transpired. She wants him to answer the pressing question of how he, Richard Rider (of the Nova Corps), and Thanos had escaped from the Cancerverse (an alternate barren universe riddled with death and disease). The comic flashes between the questioning and the two heroes battling the Mad Titan.
Brian Micheal Bendis continues to write the script, but he also continues his streak of a disjointed narrative. The story flashes between the battle and the discussion in order to build tension on what is to come, but the outcome seems obvious so it just feels like filler. Nothing is resolved and nothing new is presented, it feels like a waste of time. The promise of the reveal of the events of the Cancerverse aren’t even offered to the reader, that’s saved for the next issue. Jokes littered within the book are very weak, they’re more groan-worthy than anything else. It seems as if Bendis isn’t even trying.
Ed McGuinness’ art is much needed for GotG. The art for the past few issues has been very poor, and this is a great improvement. The characters are expressive and well detailed giving life to the story. The shading and the reflection on metal gives a lot of dimension to the action.
There are some slight issues with the art. It feels rushed as it leaps from great to good. Characters aren’t as defined as they in every panel on the page. The action is pretty awkward as the characters are positioned in ways that make the battle a little confusing.
Many readers will start on this issue because of the recent success of the movie, and this is a terrible place to begin. Not just for where the story is, but for the quality of the book itself. I hope that the book returns to the quality at which Bendis’ run began.
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