One of the most crucial elements to Marvel Comics’ success is their cosmic front. All the best eras in Marvel had a healthy dose of space drama present. There has been a boom recently in cosmic titles and stories, with All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy at the forefront.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Our favorite team of space scoundrels are attempting to pull a fast one on a cosmic elder, The Grandmaster. It quickly falls apart and the egg artifact they were delivering was a Trojan horse carrying this elder’s brother, The Collector. The two elders reveal to our heroes the plot unfolding concerning infinity stones, Groot’s species, Thanos, and the murder of another elder.
This run of All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy has been stupendous. Not only does it play a huge role in resurrecting the cosmic side of Marvel, but it’s also the best GOTG series since Abnett/Lanning. Writer Gerry Duggan is the first to find the voice for these characters that satisfies both new readers coming from the movie success and longtime fans of the comics.
It’s great to see some corner of the 616 universe addressing the fallout of Secret Wars having reshaped everything in existence. This is the perfect to handle it, as the gravity of the situation is fully understood and met with a truck load of sarcastic commentary.
One of the major strengths of this series has been it’s willingness to dive deep into the weird. A lot of that is due to the art, Aaron Kuder has been delivering top-notch art every issue. There’s a whole world of charm achieved through layouts and texture alone, not to mention the brilliant design of every alien creature and structure.
All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy quite frequently has the acid trip appeal of a Grant Morrison book. The beautiful balance of odd and awe makes this a supremely unique reading experience. It never takes itself too seriously but doesn’t shy away from high concept science-fiction. The blueprint for modern Marvel cosmic can be found right here.
Infinity stones, cosmic elders, universe reconfiguration, space pollen, and a ton of story threads continuing in the background, what more could you want? All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy is a must-read series and one of the most exciting as we head into Marvel Legacy.
