Advanced Review: Guardians of the Galaxy #2

*SPOILER-FREE REVIEW*

Writer:  Brian Michael Bendis
Pencilers:  Steve McNiven & Sara Pichelli
Inkers:  John Dell, Mark Morales, Steve McNiven & Sara Pichelli
Colors:  Justin Ponsor
Letterer:  VC’s Cory Petit

The Badoon are attacking Earth and only one team can save us!  No, not the Avengers…..the Guardians of the Galaxy!  That is what we are presented with in Guardians of the Galaxy #2.  Can the Guardians save London before it falls to the Badoon armada?

What I Liked

The artistic team of Steve McNiven and Sara Pichelli did a nice job of teaming up in this issue (this team will also come up later on in What I Didn’t Like).  There were instances where I couldn’t tell who penned which pages.  They were really that similar.  I give props to Justin Ponsor for keeping the colors consistent throughout.  It really made the art changes appear seamless.

Brian Michael Bendis, as usual, tells a nice story with words.  In the face of an invading alien species, the Guardians don’t back down.  They work well as a team and Bendis shows this with witty banter.  The second story revolved around the intergalactic council discussing Earth’s place in the cosmos.  To me, this was the most appealing portion of the book.  Hearing how the Earth’s been involved in intergalactic incidents over the years raises a good question of why does these things happen, and shows why Earth has become such a hotbed for conquests.  I especially like the ending and where Bendis appears to be taking this initial opening story arc.

What I Didn’t Like

As much as I enjoyed McNiven and Pichelli’s art, I have to wonder why is there already a fill-in penciler on the book’s second issue?  When my brother and I saw the announcement that Steve McNiven was going to be the artist, we immediately made jokes about McNiven not being able to keep up with a monthly schedule and being replaced.  We never thought the problems would surface two months in!

Since the Badoon attack London, Captain Britain is brought up by our main heroes.  However, it wasn’t in the most flattering light.  I have to wonder why Bendis felt the need to knock Captain Britain, especially when Captain Britain was a member of an Avengers team (Secret Avengers).

Summary

It is still early in the Guardians of the Galaxy’s re-introduction to the Marvel universe.  We know that defending the Earth is priority number one for the team.  By the end of issue two, that mission becomes a little more difficult.

This review is written in partnership with Pop Culture Network.  They can be found at their website http://www.popculturenetwork.com/

#ComicBookChronicles @CBChron founder. Editor-in-Chief of @thekliqnation. Comic book reviewer, podcaster #RABBLERABBLE