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Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #1-2
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude
Prepare for Marvel Studios' newest big-screen blockbuster with these all-new stories taking place just before the film! Who is Nebula? What tragic events forged her unbreakable allegiance to her dark lord? And how does Korath the Pursuer fit in? Then, as Gamora begins her quest for the Orb, see firsthand why she is the considered the most dangerous woman in the universe! Plus, relive the Guardians' individual debuts as Gamora and Star-Lord burst onto the scene, Drax and Iron Man take on Thanos, Rocket Raccoon meets the Hulk...and Groot tries to enslave the earth! COLLECTING: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude 1-2, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic 1, Iron Man (1968) 55, Strange Tales (1951) 181, Incredible Hulk (1968) 271; material from Tales to Astonish (1959) 13, Marvel Preview 4; Handbook profiles
172 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2014
14 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
June 25, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
A certain group ofbullies “friends” here are constantly riding my butt in an attempt to get me to read superhero-y stuff. I keep fighting the good fight, but I have to admit I have embraced a certain group of intergalactic warriors as my type of peeps . . .
When a movie makes eleventy trillion dollars and People’s current “Sexiest Man Alive” takes a backseat toAndy Dwyer a potential replacement People’s Sexiest Man, the powers that be wanna make that cheddar anyway possible. Unfortunately like most “movie tie-ins” this one left me with some serious disappoint.
Prelude offered a mixed bag of tales in order to provide a little backstory on most of the characters from the film – all of which were pretty much turds. The volume begins with Nebula’s story . . .
And also features the many makeovers of Gamora . . .
The Deadliest Woman in the Whole Galaxy!!!
There’s a little taste of the awesome which will become this duo . . .
But then a trip on the Wayback Machine brings 1950’s artwork and stories that just DID. NOT. work for me. Iron Man and Drax? Pass. (Am I the only person in the world who doesn’t like Iron Man? Wait. Don’t answer that.) An Adam Warlock story featuring . . .
F*&^ to the nah, thank you very much.
A story including Jeff’s BFF . . .
is also thrown in for good measure. It seems the Hulk has somehow ended up in the wrong quadrant with Rocket Raccoon and his faithful sidekick . . . . Wal Russ???? WTF? Here’s what I think of that combo . . .
Anywho, Hulk only wants to return to Earth, but in order to do so he must battle an evil mole . . .
Sadly, yet another tale I could have easily lived without. Now, it wasn’t quite as bad as Groot as a bad guy or the fact that Star-Lord’s story was the SAME F’ING ONE PROVIDED IN Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers, but it still sucked.
Bottom line, if you’re a superfan that just HAS to have everything in your collection you probably need to buy this – otherwise you can definitely skip it. If you’re a Chris Pratt superfan, here’s a little something just for you . . .
Oh wait, one last thing . . .
BWAHAHAHA! I lovedAndy Dwyer Chris Pratt before ALL Y’ALL!
A certain group of
When a movie makes eleventy trillion dollars and People’s current “Sexiest Man Alive” takes a backseat to
Prelude offered a mixed bag of tales in order to provide a little backstory on most of the characters from the film – all of which were pretty much turds. The volume begins with Nebula’s story . . .
And also features the many makeovers of Gamora . . .
The Deadliest Woman in the Whole Galaxy!!!
There’s a little taste of the awesome which will become this duo . . .
But then a trip on the Wayback Machine brings 1950’s artwork and stories that just DID. NOT. work for me. Iron Man and Drax? Pass. (Am I the only person in the world who doesn’t like Iron Man? Wait. Don’t answer that.) An Adam Warlock story featuring . . .
F*&^ to the nah, thank you very much.
A story including Jeff’s BFF . . .
is also thrown in for good measure. It seems the Hulk has somehow ended up in the wrong quadrant with Rocket Raccoon and his faithful sidekick . . . . Wal Russ???? WTF? Here’s what I think of that combo . . .
Anywho, Hulk only wants to return to Earth, but in order to do so he must battle an evil mole . . .
Sadly, yet another tale I could have easily lived without. Now, it wasn’t quite as bad as Groot as a bad guy or the fact that Star-Lord’s story was the SAME F’ING ONE PROVIDED IN Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers, but it still sucked.
Bottom line, if you’re a superfan that just HAS to have everything in your collection you probably need to buy this – otherwise you can definitely skip it. If you’re a Chris Pratt superfan, here’s a little something just for you . . .
Oh wait, one last thing . . .
BWAHAHAHA! I loved
October 14, 2016
*Book source ~ Library
Ok, so I’ve never seen the movie and I’ve never read any of the comics. Now, I’ve watched other Marvel movies, so I have an idea who Thanos is and the gems. But everything else is new to me. I don’t know who all the players are like Nebula, Gamora, Tivan and someone named Ronan, but I’m sure it’ll come together eventually. I only enjoyed 3 of the 7 offerings in this volume. That includes story and artwork.
For Prelude 1 & 2 and the last one, Dangerous Prey, I give 5’s to story and artwork. I love the artwork so much! It’s gorgeous! I can’t stand the artwork for the middle stories (Beware the Blood Brothers, The Power of Warlock, Rocket Raccoon and the Groot one) and the plots are meh. I can’t even tell what the actual titles are because there’s stuff written everywhere. They’re confusing and the artwork is too garish, simplistic, busy and comic-booky. Blerg.
Ok, so I’ve never seen the movie and I’ve never read any of the comics. Now, I’ve watched other Marvel movies, so I have an idea who Thanos is and the gems. But everything else is new to me. I don’t know who all the players are like Nebula, Gamora, Tivan and someone named Ronan, but I’m sure it’ll come together eventually. I only enjoyed 3 of the 7 offerings in this volume. That includes story and artwork.
For Prelude 1 & 2 and the last one, Dangerous Prey, I give 5’s to story and artwork. I love the artwork so much! It’s gorgeous! I can’t stand the artwork for the middle stories (Beware the Blood Brothers, The Power of Warlock, Rocket Raccoon and the Groot one) and the plots are meh. I can’t even tell what the actual titles are because there’s stuff written everywhere. They’re confusing and the artwork is too garish, simplistic, busy and comic-booky. Blerg.
December 29, 2018
Liked it
January 7, 2015
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #1-2 give a little background on the MCU versions of Gamora, Rocket and Groot. I would have liked to see more story, and that is the point. The Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic #1 deals with the Collector and is pretty cool.
Iron Man #55, Strange Tales #181, The Incredible Hulk #271, and material from Tales to Astonish #13 are reprints of material from the 50's and 60's that was just okay. It is the Peter Quill story in Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 that really shines here. I look forward to reading the series as much as I look forward to seeing the movie...
Iron Man #55, Strange Tales #181, The Incredible Hulk #271, and material from Tales to Astonish #13 are reprints of material from the 50's and 60's that was just okay. It is the Peter Quill story in Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 that really shines here. I look forward to reading the series as much as I look forward to seeing the movie...
November 18, 2017
This is a comic ties to the cinematic universe as a nice intro to the film, I also own the one for Age of Ultron as I won it at the premier I went to being hosted by a comic shop, and really enjoyed that one so happily picked this one up when I saw it at the Library.
This gives a little backstory to the primary characters that was really nice and I hadn't seen before, but is also more true to a version in comics than the films so some small details (like the death of Peter Quill's mother and how he gets to space) are quite different. There are also some random classic comics in the middle, so its just a nice little smattering of stuff to get people excited about where the films came from.
This gives a little backstory to the primary characters that was really nice and I hadn't seen before, but is also more true to a version in comics than the films so some small details (like the death of Peter Quill's mother and how he gets to space) are quite different. There are also some random classic comics in the middle, so its just a nice little smattering of stuff to get people excited about where the films came from.
March 8, 2021
If you liked the movie, you won't like this one and if you liked this one, you should stop reading comics.
September 9, 2025
non all'altezza dei precedenti che ho letto. immagino non mi piacciano le illustrazioni vecchio stile
September 6, 2014
First off, let's be clear what this book isn't. It's not a movie tie-in. The first two stories and the rest are the characters from some of their earliest appearances. It's pretty obvious a lot of the reviewers didn't get that but to be honest if you're only here because of the movie, there's not much for you in this volume. The first story is about how Nebula became stronger and to garner sympathy for her and the second is about the collector and I could care less about either. Those did nothing for me. However, the rest (barring the #0.1 beginning for the 2013 reboot which I saw elsewhere) are some of the earliest appearances of the characters which is what seems to have been missed by many. Even I was wondering what was with the old-time garish color palette when I first got this from the library (I'm SO glad we've moved past that). So if you love comics and love their history, this might be of interest to you.
The first of the old stories is Iron Man #55> from 1968 where Iron Man helps Drax the Destroyer (who doesn't look much like the Drax of today) against Thanos. I loved the ridiculous, overwrought, vaguely homoerotic poses they had Tony in, not to mention all the words they made up like telepathing and being telepathed.
Then there's Adam Warlock in Strange Tales #181 and according to this it was from 1951 but I know I had this and I'm not that old. WIKI has it as 1973 and that seems more feasible to me. It has Adam Warlock in it (I always liked him) needing rescued from SPACE CLOWNS!!! by Gamora and Pip the Troll (yeah, I don't remember him and yet he does seem familiar). It was fun seeing Gamora kick ass even if she is in a green fishnet outfit plunged to her pubic region (thank you for the save, belt buckle) but my god, they couldn't draw her head right. Half the time she looks microcephalic.
I DO however want to know what's up with Pip's one line 'Wahoo! This is more fun than brown eyeing!" Um say what? Just what did this mean in 1973 (I was too young then to remember) I have only one thing in mind and that's Pip enjoys anal play.
Next came The Incredible Hulk #271 from 1968 and he's in Rocket Raccoon's universe which is definitely different than the reboot. Tons of animal creatures all after the Gideon's Bible (it's a long in-joke). I'll be honest I like Hulk in the TV show and the movies because he's mostly Bruce Banner. As the Hulk, he's interesting for short bursts. I've never really liked the comic because he's mostly in Hulk form and Hulk has nothing much interesting to say. But this ALSO gives us Space Clowns. Really Marvel? Space Clowns? It's the late 60s early 70s, I know what you were smoking.
The last one is very short Tales to Astonish#13 from 1959 and I believe this is an accurate date. It reads like a 50s horror drive in movie, class D or below. It's pretty bad. It's Groot but not the enigmatic tri-syllabic character we know today. This Groot talks, turns all of Earth's trees into Ents so they can web their roots together and hijack a city to take back to his planet for study. You can tell it's from the 50s with the main character's wasp-waisted girl, Alice who exists to hang on his arm and either hector him or praise him. 'He's so manly, so rugged, if only you could be like him, Leslie" (Sweetie, your man's name is Leslie..." and 'Must you be weak and spineless to the bitter end?' (ain't she a peach?) Only to tell him how sorry she is later.
Honestly, it was a lot of fun to get in the way-back machine and looks at comics as they were 40+ years ago but on the same hand, I'm glad I didn't pay money for this. Yay for libraries.
The first of the old stories is Iron Man #55> from 1968 where Iron Man helps Drax the Destroyer (who doesn't look much like the Drax of today) against Thanos. I loved the ridiculous, overwrought, vaguely homoerotic poses they had Tony in, not to mention all the words they made up like telepathing and being telepathed.
Then there's Adam Warlock in Strange Tales #181 and according to this it was from 1951 but I know I had this and I'm not that old. WIKI has it as 1973 and that seems more feasible to me. It has Adam Warlock in it (I always liked him) needing rescued from SPACE CLOWNS!!! by Gamora and Pip the Troll (yeah, I don't remember him and yet he does seem familiar). It was fun seeing Gamora kick ass even if she is in a green fishnet outfit plunged to her pubic region (thank you for the save, belt buckle) but my god, they couldn't draw her head right. Half the time she looks microcephalic.
I DO however want to know what's up with Pip's one line 'Wahoo! This is more fun than brown eyeing!" Um say what? Just what did this mean in 1973 (I was too young then to remember) I have only one thing in mind and that's Pip enjoys anal play.
Next came The Incredible Hulk #271 from 1968 and he's in Rocket Raccoon's universe which is definitely different than the reboot. Tons of animal creatures all after the Gideon's Bible (it's a long in-joke). I'll be honest I like Hulk in the TV show and the movies because he's mostly Bruce Banner. As the Hulk, he's interesting for short bursts. I've never really liked the comic because he's mostly in Hulk form and Hulk has nothing much interesting to say. But this ALSO gives us Space Clowns. Really Marvel? Space Clowns? It's the late 60s early 70s, I know what you were smoking.
The last one is very short Tales to Astonish#13 from 1959 and I believe this is an accurate date. It reads like a 50s horror drive in movie, class D or below. It's pretty bad. It's Groot but not the enigmatic tri-syllabic character we know today. This Groot talks, turns all of Earth's trees into Ents so they can web their roots together and hijack a city to take back to his planet for study. You can tell it's from the 50s with the main character's wasp-waisted girl, Alice who exists to hang on his arm and either hector him or praise him. 'He's so manly, so rugged, if only you could be like him, Leslie" (Sweetie, your man's name is Leslie..." and 'Must you be weak and spineless to the bitter end?' (ain't she a peach?) Only to tell him how sorry she is later.
Honestly, it was a lot of fun to get in the way-back machine and looks at comics as they were 40+ years ago but on the same hand, I'm glad I didn't pay money for this. Yay for libraries.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2015
Trade paperback of several Guardians origin stories:
Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #1-2
What were Gamora, Nebula, Rocket, and Groot doing just prior to the scenes when the movie started? A pretty good intro to the characters.
Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude: Dangerous Prey
Gamora meets with The Collector. I think I like Dan Abnett's writing when he's not trying to write 283 main characters in a single story.
The Invincible Iron Man #55 (1973)
Introduction to Drax the Destroyer. Drax calls Iron Man telepathically from across the universe to help him fight Thanos. Man, comics were weird in the 70's.
Strange Tales #181 Featuring Warlock (1975)
Introduction to Gamora, The Deadliest Woman in the Whole Galaxy!!!! . Warlock is locked in his own mind...with clowns. More weirdness.
The Incredible Hulk #271 (1982)
The Hulk finds himself on a planet of talking animals and meets Rocket Raccoon. In this comic, Rocket has some pretty cool rocket skates. And there's an interesting reference to Alice in Wonderland (a robotic mower makes the sound "snicker-snack"). And there's a mostly naked alien artist (who is dressed almost like Leia in her metal bikini) who just arrived on Earth so that she could make a documentary of the Hulk. Plus, more clowns. The 80s were a weird time for comics.
Tales to Astonish #13 (1959)
The first appearance of Groot. The comic had a cover by Jack Kirby. He was later re-imagined, because in this comic, Groot is the monarch of Planet X and he's trying to take an earth village home to experiment on people. However, in the current comics, he's still monarch of Planet X. He just doesn't try to experiment on people. Is there any decade comics weren't weird?
Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1
Cool origin story of Star-Lord.
Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #1-2
What were Gamora, Nebula, Rocket, and Groot doing just prior to the scenes when the movie started? A pretty good intro to the characters.
Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude: Dangerous Prey
Gamora meets with The Collector. I think I like Dan Abnett's writing when he's not trying to write 283 main characters in a single story.
The Invincible Iron Man #55 (1973)
Introduction to Drax the Destroyer. Drax calls Iron Man telepathically from across the universe to help him fight Thanos. Man, comics were weird in the 70's.
Strange Tales #181 Featuring Warlock (1975)
Introduction to Gamora, The Deadliest Woman in the Whole Galaxy!!!! . Warlock is locked in his own mind...with clowns. More weirdness.
The Incredible Hulk #271 (1982)
The Hulk finds himself on a planet of talking animals and meets Rocket Raccoon. In this comic, Rocket has some pretty cool rocket skates. And there's an interesting reference to Alice in Wonderland (a robotic mower makes the sound "snicker-snack"). And there's a mostly naked alien artist (who is dressed almost like Leia in her metal bikini) who just arrived on Earth so that she could make a documentary of the Hulk. Plus, more clowns. The 80s were a weird time for comics.
Tales to Astonish #13 (1959)
The first appearance of Groot. The comic had a cover by Jack Kirby. He was later re-imagined, because in this comic, Groot is the monarch of Planet X and he's trying to take an earth village home to experiment on people. However, in the current comics, he's still monarch of Planet X. He just doesn't try to experiment on people. Is there any decade comics weren't weird?
Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1
Cool origin story of Star-Lord.
March 16, 2015
Entertaining stories that serve as an intro to the film, along with some reprints of some early appearances of several characters (Drax, Warlock, Rocket, and Groot). Rocket Raccoon teaming up with Hulk...in space...pretty amusing. Drax the Destroyer telepathically sending a plea for help to Ironman - equally amusing. Groot invades the Earth as a very verbose monarch from Planet X in Tales to Astonish - beyond belief.
October 22, 2017
Haven't seen the movie yet so thought it keeps fit be fun to listen to audiobook first. Looking forward to the movie.
July 17, 2014
Book Review by: Sharon Powers.
If you would like to see the review with all the graphics, sources and references, please visit my blog at: http://sharonsloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
Everyone knows who Superman is. Likewise, we all know Batman, The Avengers, and, of course, the X-Men. But I've been asked, "Who the heck are the Guardians of the Galaxy?" It seems only fans of these comic book heroes have any idea who this bunch of miscreants are.
The Guardians of the Galaxy have come to the center of the entertainment arena for the very good reason that their story is being brought to the big screen. Even after seeing the trailer(s) for the upcoming movie, people seem to know very little about the group.
IMDb tells us that Guardians of the Galaxy "...expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe." [2] In the trailer we see Peter Quill (AKA "Starlord") stealing the "mysterious orb." But the orb is not the only thing that is mysterious. All the characters seem to be unknown quantities. All we know about them is what the trailer shows us. They seem to be a bunch of criminal misfits that somehow were elevated to the status of "Guardians of the Galaxy." But, why? and how did get that lofty title?
NOTICE: IF, AS INDICATED ABOVE, YOU ARE ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THE Guardians of the Galaxy, THEN...THIS POST CONTAINS POTENTIAL SPOILERS ABOUT THE BOOK.
As IMDb indicated, Peter Quill stole the orb, which for some mysterious reason, other people want. After the theft, Quill is caught, arrested and thrown into prison. Joining Quill in a jail break, Drax, Gamora, Rocket and Groot, escape and join together to form a group, calling themselves Guardians of the Galaxy. The group works to keep the orb out of the hands of its primary pursuer, "Ronan the Accuser," in an attempt to save the universe.
The synopsis, as I've indicated, is the movie synopsis--I've given you that synopsis first because that's what everyone has been seeing in on-line movie trailers, on television sets and at theaters. It is important to put the movie info. into perspective because the book (we're about to discuss) is actually what comes before the movie. It is a, "PRELUDE" to the movie. Basically, it is what Marvel wants us to know about the characters, their backgrounds, connections, and universe before we get to the big-screen story.
THE MOVIE:
The movie is categorized as action/adventure/sci-fi, is rated PG-13, and will be released to the big screen on August 1, 2014. Writing credits go to James Gunn and Nicole Perlman and (comic book credits) to Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Directorial credits go to James Gunn. Starring in the feature film will be Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Starlord, Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Racoon (his voice), Vin Diesel as Groot (his voice), Karen Gillan as Nebula, Josh Brolin as Thanos (his voice), Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Dijmon Hounsou as Korath the Persuer, Laura Haddock as Meredith Quill, Benicio Del Toro as Taneleer Tivan (The Collector), Glen Close as Nova Prime Rael, Ophilia Lovibond as Carina, and Michael Rooker as Yondu.
I have mentioned in other posts that I am always interested in the adaptation of a novel or graphic novel to another media; here, we're talking about the big screen. Any adaptation of book to movie is a very interesting process and can have widely unpredictable results. Sometimes the story bears little semblance to the book, other times a real effort has been made to be true to the book. Since all we have to judge by is the trailer, we will just have to wait to see just how successful the adaptation has been. I will, most definitely, be at the theater on opening day to find out.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY PRELUDE:
First, (from the book) what's actually in the book:
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #1-2;
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic #1;
Iron Man (1968) #55;
Strange Tales (1951) #181;
Incredible Hulk (1968) #271;
Tales to Astonish (1959) #13
Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 (2013)
The collected issues include the characters and stories from Marvel's comic issues going back all the way to 1951 through to the present and comprise the beginnings of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The back cover explains that the book contains the stories of the members of the team and their earliest adventures.
"Who is Nebula? What tragic events forged her transformation? Then, when Rocket and Groot's latest bounty-hunting gig takes a deadly turn, they'll show everyone why those who underestimate them end up on the wrong side of a blaster. Finally, as Gamora begins her quest for the orb, learn firsthand why she's considered the most dangerous woman in the universe! Plus: relive the Guardians' solo debuts as Gamora and Star-Lord burst onto the scene. Drax and Iron Man take on Thanos, Rocket meets the Hulk--and Groot attempts to enslave the Earth!"
What connects all the seemingly disparate stories? First, the stories show the team members' origins and their journey to the place where they all come together for a common cause. Second, the search for the orb by different factions is the primary link connecting the stories to create a chain of events that in total form an overarching story. That the authors have been able to pull together issues from different times with a common theme is important. What was once episodic in nature, chained together becomes a linked whole.
To be a complete story, a beginning, a middle, and an end is needed. For example, Nebula's story of her beginnings, training, and shaping at the hands of Thanos to be used as a tool for Thanos to obtain the orb demonstrates not only the motivation of this villainous character, but how the story began. It continues on with the intermediary steps in the middle of the journey, with missions and armed conflicts, through to an end game by Thanos. Beginning. Middle. End...all together equals a chain of events resulting in a complete story arc. That is just the first thing we are looking for in a graphic novel. Let's see what else we need for our graphic novel.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY PRELUDE AS A GRAPHIC NOVEL:
The very first thing we need in a graphic novel is a story arc, or sometimes called a beginning, middle and end. I also look at the physical attributes of the book, asking myself the following:
1. What kind of cover does the book have (hardcover, cardstock, or is it an e-book)?
2. How is the book bound together (is it sewn, glued, stapled, or spiraled)?
3. After reading, do the pages stay bound, or have the pages come loose or are falling out of the publication (are they secure)?
4. What kind of paper is used for the book (pulp paper-like comic books, heavier paper, is it glossy, what kind)?
5. How many pages does the book contain (Although it may vary, in the United States, the standard comic book is generally 22 pages plus another 10 for ads, while the graphic novel is approximately three times the size of a comic book, at around 100 pages. Many graphic novels tally 150 pages.)?
6. Does the publication have advertising? If so, how much and where is it located within the bounds of the book?
7. Is the book advertised or labeled as a "graphic novel?"
8. Is the publisher a U.S. publisher? (European publish- ers have different standards, practices and traditions.)
9. Overall quality and appearance: Is the cover appealing? Is the art well done?
10. Is the book episodic in nature (like comic books)? or, is the story one that has a beginning, middle, and end (a complete story from beginning to end)? This is actually the very first thing we covered, just above--since we've already covered this, I've placed it here at the end of the list.
ANALYSIS: Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude has a beautiful glossy and full color card stock cover. I am pleased to say that this book is bound, first with stitching and appears glued to the heavy card stock cover with excellent adhesive. Please see the picture here (to the left) for a close up of the binding; these pages are securely attached and have not come loose--no loose pages at all. The paper used for the publication is beautiful paper, not the inexpensive pulp. Additionally, the publication has 168 pages, surpassing the minimal amount for a graphic novel.
Advertising: The book does contain advertising, but only on the inside back cover for other Marvel publications relating to Guardians of the Galaxy. Although not promoted as a "graphic novel," it is being sold as a graphic novel at cheapgraphicnovels.com. [11] And finally, the publication is a U.S. publication; furthermore, the overall quality and appearance of the publication is both sturdy and appealing, leaving a wonderful impression of a quality product.
CONCLUSION: This publication is a good quality graphic novel!
Over the years I have been both exceedingly pleased with some graphic novels I've purchased and terribly disappointed with others. I've only reviewed a few graphic novels in the year I have been posting on this blog, but here are a few examples of what I've found:
Examples of those I've been disappointed in are: Hercules: The Thracian Wars (by Steve Moore); All You Need Is Kill (by Hiroshi Sakurazaka); and Thor: The Dark World Prelude. Examples of very good graphic novels are Vampire Academy, A Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier by Brubaker and Epting.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: One thing I haven't addressed is why the Hulk and Iron Man appear in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. To the casual eye, those super heroes may seem out of place in the series. Iron Man is not listed as one of the characters in the upcoming movie, so it is likely we will not be seeing Robert Downey, Jr. in outer space this summer. The same can be said for The Incredible Hulk and Mark Ruffalo.
So why are Iron Man and the Hulk in the Prelude edition of the graphic novel? Well, the focus is not so much on the two Avenger members, but rather the character with which they appear in the graphic novel. Iron Man appears with a key member of the Guardians, Drax the Destroyer. The Hulk appears with a different key member, Rocket Racoon.
So, the easy answer is that Prelude is giving the reader insight into the Guardians. As always, though, the powers and money people behind the franchises often look several steps ahead in planning movies and other money-making activities. I believe it is so with the Guardians franchise. Iron Man and Hulk have both appeared in the Guardians comics, and, as such, may be paving the way for Guardians/Avengers crossovers.
In fact, James Gunn, Director of the Guardians movie, as much as said so. In an interview with staff of Entertainment Weekly, Gunn said, "We're definitely connected to Avengers 3." [14] So, quite possibly, some very exciting times ahead for Guardians and Avengers fans, alike.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATING:
The movie's MPAA rating is PG-13 for "intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action and for some language." [2] I would rate the book similarly; even graphically, scenes of violence might disturb persons of a sensitive nature or those of immature age. Otherwise, adults in the target audience will find the book exciting and entertaining.
For all the above-listed reasons, I rate this book 4.0 stars.
If you would like to see the review with all the graphics, sources and references, please visit my blog at: http://sharonsloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
Everyone knows who Superman is. Likewise, we all know Batman, The Avengers, and, of course, the X-Men. But I've been asked, "Who the heck are the Guardians of the Galaxy?" It seems only fans of these comic book heroes have any idea who this bunch of miscreants are.
The Guardians of the Galaxy have come to the center of the entertainment arena for the very good reason that their story is being brought to the big screen. Even after seeing the trailer(s) for the upcoming movie, people seem to know very little about the group.
IMDb tells us that Guardians of the Galaxy "...expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe." [2] In the trailer we see Peter Quill (AKA "Starlord") stealing the "mysterious orb." But the orb is not the only thing that is mysterious. All the characters seem to be unknown quantities. All we know about them is what the trailer shows us. They seem to be a bunch of criminal misfits that somehow were elevated to the status of "Guardians of the Galaxy." But, why? and how did get that lofty title?
NOTICE: IF, AS INDICATED ABOVE, YOU ARE ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THE Guardians of the Galaxy, THEN...THIS POST CONTAINS POTENTIAL SPOILERS ABOUT THE BOOK.
As IMDb indicated, Peter Quill stole the orb, which for some mysterious reason, other people want. After the theft, Quill is caught, arrested and thrown into prison. Joining Quill in a jail break, Drax, Gamora, Rocket and Groot, escape and join together to form a group, calling themselves Guardians of the Galaxy. The group works to keep the orb out of the hands of its primary pursuer, "Ronan the Accuser," in an attempt to save the universe.
The synopsis, as I've indicated, is the movie synopsis--I've given you that synopsis first because that's what everyone has been seeing in on-line movie trailers, on television sets and at theaters. It is important to put the movie info. into perspective because the book (we're about to discuss) is actually what comes before the movie. It is a, "PRELUDE" to the movie. Basically, it is what Marvel wants us to know about the characters, their backgrounds, connections, and universe before we get to the big-screen story.
THE MOVIE:
The movie is categorized as action/adventure/sci-fi, is rated PG-13, and will be released to the big screen on August 1, 2014. Writing credits go to James Gunn and Nicole Perlman and (comic book credits) to Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Directorial credits go to James Gunn. Starring in the feature film will be Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Starlord, Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Racoon (his voice), Vin Diesel as Groot (his voice), Karen Gillan as Nebula, Josh Brolin as Thanos (his voice), Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Dijmon Hounsou as Korath the Persuer, Laura Haddock as Meredith Quill, Benicio Del Toro as Taneleer Tivan (The Collector), Glen Close as Nova Prime Rael, Ophilia Lovibond as Carina, and Michael Rooker as Yondu.
I have mentioned in other posts that I am always interested in the adaptation of a novel or graphic novel to another media; here, we're talking about the big screen. Any adaptation of book to movie is a very interesting process and can have widely unpredictable results. Sometimes the story bears little semblance to the book, other times a real effort has been made to be true to the book. Since all we have to judge by is the trailer, we will just have to wait to see just how successful the adaptation has been. I will, most definitely, be at the theater on opening day to find out.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY PRELUDE:
First, (from the book) what's actually in the book:
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #1-2;
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic #1;
Iron Man (1968) #55;
Strange Tales (1951) #181;
Incredible Hulk (1968) #271;
Tales to Astonish (1959) #13
Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 (2013)
The collected issues include the characters and stories from Marvel's comic issues going back all the way to 1951 through to the present and comprise the beginnings of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The back cover explains that the book contains the stories of the members of the team and their earliest adventures.
"Who is Nebula? What tragic events forged her transformation? Then, when Rocket and Groot's latest bounty-hunting gig takes a deadly turn, they'll show everyone why those who underestimate them end up on the wrong side of a blaster. Finally, as Gamora begins her quest for the orb, learn firsthand why she's considered the most dangerous woman in the universe! Plus: relive the Guardians' solo debuts as Gamora and Star-Lord burst onto the scene. Drax and Iron Man take on Thanos, Rocket meets the Hulk--and Groot attempts to enslave the Earth!"
What connects all the seemingly disparate stories? First, the stories show the team members' origins and their journey to the place where they all come together for a common cause. Second, the search for the orb by different factions is the primary link connecting the stories to create a chain of events that in total form an overarching story. That the authors have been able to pull together issues from different times with a common theme is important. What was once episodic in nature, chained together becomes a linked whole.
To be a complete story, a beginning, a middle, and an end is needed. For example, Nebula's story of her beginnings, training, and shaping at the hands of Thanos to be used as a tool for Thanos to obtain the orb demonstrates not only the motivation of this villainous character, but how the story began. It continues on with the intermediary steps in the middle of the journey, with missions and armed conflicts, through to an end game by Thanos. Beginning. Middle. End...all together equals a chain of events resulting in a complete story arc. That is just the first thing we are looking for in a graphic novel. Let's see what else we need for our graphic novel.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY PRELUDE AS A GRAPHIC NOVEL:
The very first thing we need in a graphic novel is a story arc, or sometimes called a beginning, middle and end. I also look at the physical attributes of the book, asking myself the following:
1. What kind of cover does the book have (hardcover, cardstock, or is it an e-book)?
2. How is the book bound together (is it sewn, glued, stapled, or spiraled)?
3. After reading, do the pages stay bound, or have the pages come loose or are falling out of the publication (are they secure)?
4. What kind of paper is used for the book (pulp paper-like comic books, heavier paper, is it glossy, what kind)?
5. How many pages does the book contain (Although it may vary, in the United States, the standard comic book is generally 22 pages plus another 10 for ads, while the graphic novel is approximately three times the size of a comic book, at around 100 pages. Many graphic novels tally 150 pages.)?
6. Does the publication have advertising? If so, how much and where is it located within the bounds of the book?
7. Is the book advertised or labeled as a "graphic novel?"
8. Is the publisher a U.S. publisher? (European publish- ers have different standards, practices and traditions.)
9. Overall quality and appearance: Is the cover appealing? Is the art well done?
10. Is the book episodic in nature (like comic books)? or, is the story one that has a beginning, middle, and end (a complete story from beginning to end)? This is actually the very first thing we covered, just above--since we've already covered this, I've placed it here at the end of the list.
ANALYSIS: Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude has a beautiful glossy and full color card stock cover. I am pleased to say that this book is bound, first with stitching and appears glued to the heavy card stock cover with excellent adhesive. Please see the picture here (to the left) for a close up of the binding; these pages are securely attached and have not come loose--no loose pages at all. The paper used for the publication is beautiful paper, not the inexpensive pulp. Additionally, the publication has 168 pages, surpassing the minimal amount for a graphic novel.
Advertising: The book does contain advertising, but only on the inside back cover for other Marvel publications relating to Guardians of the Galaxy. Although not promoted as a "graphic novel," it is being sold as a graphic novel at cheapgraphicnovels.com. [11] And finally, the publication is a U.S. publication; furthermore, the overall quality and appearance of the publication is both sturdy and appealing, leaving a wonderful impression of a quality product.
CONCLUSION: This publication is a good quality graphic novel!
Over the years I have been both exceedingly pleased with some graphic novels I've purchased and terribly disappointed with others. I've only reviewed a few graphic novels in the year I have been posting on this blog, but here are a few examples of what I've found:
Examples of those I've been disappointed in are: Hercules: The Thracian Wars (by Steve Moore); All You Need Is Kill (by Hiroshi Sakurazaka); and Thor: The Dark World Prelude. Examples of very good graphic novels are Vampire Academy, A Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier by Brubaker and Epting.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: One thing I haven't addressed is why the Hulk and Iron Man appear in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. To the casual eye, those super heroes may seem out of place in the series. Iron Man is not listed as one of the characters in the upcoming movie, so it is likely we will not be seeing Robert Downey, Jr. in outer space this summer. The same can be said for The Incredible Hulk and Mark Ruffalo.
So why are Iron Man and the Hulk in the Prelude edition of the graphic novel? Well, the focus is not so much on the two Avenger members, but rather the character with which they appear in the graphic novel. Iron Man appears with a key member of the Guardians, Drax the Destroyer. The Hulk appears with a different key member, Rocket Racoon.
So, the easy answer is that Prelude is giving the reader insight into the Guardians. As always, though, the powers and money people behind the franchises often look several steps ahead in planning movies and other money-making activities. I believe it is so with the Guardians franchise. Iron Man and Hulk have both appeared in the Guardians comics, and, as such, may be paving the way for Guardians/Avengers crossovers.
In fact, James Gunn, Director of the Guardians movie, as much as said so. In an interview with staff of Entertainment Weekly, Gunn said, "We're definitely connected to Avengers 3." [14] So, quite possibly, some very exciting times ahead for Guardians and Avengers fans, alike.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATING:
The movie's MPAA rating is PG-13 for "intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action and for some language." [2] I would rate the book similarly; even graphically, scenes of violence might disturb persons of a sensitive nature or those of immature age. Otherwise, adults in the target audience will find the book exciting and entertaining.
For all the above-listed reasons, I rate this book 4.0 stars.
March 14, 2019
Full disclosure I am a Marvel fan who has fallen behind on the Cinematic Universe and still have yet to watch the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. I found this collection, like the other Marvel Prelude editions, to be a good introduction to the characters who make up the Guardians.
Breaking down the stories individually, here is this comic reader's take:
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #1-2 -- 5 stars for the backstory with Gamora/Nebula and the Rocket Raccoon/Groot adventure.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Dangerous Prey -- another 5 star story as Gamora is definitely a fascinating character akin to Black Widow.
The Iron Man #58 story was a 4 star tale -- the team-up with Drax the Destroyer was a fun 1970s romp.
Strange Tales #181 was a 1 star tale -- I didn't care for the Adam Warlock character very much in this one and the story was my most boring in the bunch.
The Incredible Hulk was a 3 star tale -- and mostly Rocket kept me from rating it lower.
The Tales to Astonish #13 featuring Groot from the early 1960s was probably a 2 as it was just okay but clever for the scientist to figure out how to defeat the alien invader.
The Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 was a 4.5 stars as it gave the origin of Peter Quill aka the Star-Lord.
Breaking down the stories individually, here is this comic reader's take:
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude #1-2 -- 5 stars for the backstory with Gamora/Nebula and the Rocket Raccoon/Groot adventure.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Dangerous Prey -- another 5 star story as Gamora is definitely a fascinating character akin to Black Widow.
The Iron Man #58 story was a 4 star tale -- the team-up with Drax the Destroyer was a fun 1970s romp.
Strange Tales #181 was a 1 star tale -- I didn't care for the Adam Warlock character very much in this one and the story was my most boring in the bunch.
The Incredible Hulk was a 3 star tale -- and mostly Rocket kept me from rating it lower.
The Tales to Astonish #13 featuring Groot from the early 1960s was probably a 2 as it was just okay but clever for the scientist to figure out how to defeat the alien invader.
The Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 was a 4.5 stars as it gave the origin of Peter Quill aka the Star-Lord.
August 31, 2018
Collects Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude issues #1-2, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic issue #1, Iron Man (1968) #55, Strange Tales (1951) #181, Increidble Hulk (1968) #271, material from Tales to Astonish (1959) #13, and Guardians of the Galaxy (2013) #0.1
As a collection, this wasn't a very enjoyable experience. There is no single story being told here, just a bunch of random stories. Three of the stories are set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and feature Gamora, Nebula, and Groot/Rocket respectively. The other comics in this collection include the first appearances of Drax, Thanos, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot. There is also a Star-Lord story that came out at the beginning of "Marvel NOW."
As a collection, this wasn't a very enjoyable experience. There is no single story being told here, just a bunch of random stories. Three of the stories are set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and feature Gamora, Nebula, and Groot/Rocket respectively. The other comics in this collection include the first appearances of Drax, Thanos, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot. There is also a Star-Lord story that came out at the beginning of "Marvel NOW."
January 10, 2018
Sort of a mixed bag! The Guardians Prelude issues are effective teasers for the movie, giving some insight into Nebula and Gamora’s relationship and Groot and Rocket’s attitudes. This volume also compiles the introductory issues that present each Guardian, dating from the 1950s and 60s. While these issues are interesting from a historical standpoint (especially getting to see Tony pull up his mesh stockings), the writing is incredibly heavy on exposition. Comics have come SO far in terms of storytelling technique. The final issue of the volume is (a recently written edition of) Peter Quill’s origin story.
July 9, 2018
I've been loving the Guardians comics I've been reading, but this is rather a weak entry. I really like the idea of going back into the Marvel vault to find early appearances by Rocket and Gamora and Groot (as some sort of Vault of Horror monster?), but the execution isn't very satisfying.
A few entries in here are really good: The first one with Nebula was great, as was the early adventure with Rocket and Groot. The first old-timey entry with Drax the Destroyer in an old Iron Man comic was good, but diminishing returns really set in after that. The 1970s Adam Warlock with Gamora and Hulk with Rocket were soooo tedious.
A few entries in here are really good: The first one with Nebula was great, as was the early adventure with Rocket and Groot. The first old-timey entry with Drax the Destroyer in an old Iron Man comic was good, but diminishing returns really set in after that. The 1970s Adam Warlock with Gamora and Hulk with Rocket were soooo tedious.
August 8, 2017
I expected little more than a movie cash-in here, but it actually a very entertaining collection combining the old and the new. The new stories, set in the Film Universe, are entertaining prequels to the movie starring Nebula, Gamora, Rocket and Groot. We then get three classic reprints featuring the comic book first appearances of Drax, Gamora, and Groot. As these also feature Iron Man, Hulk, and Adam Warlock, these are great fun. A little dated sure. We end with a nice Peter Quill story.
A great mix of old and new, and a variety of writing and art styles, all for a very decent price. Fab.
A great mix of old and new, and a variety of writing and art styles, all for a very decent price. Fab.
August 3, 2018
This is a grab bag of unrelated comic stories about the characters who make up The Guardians of the Galaxy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but some of the characters and stories are vastly different from the movies (especially Star Lord's origin). A few of the stories were good, most were just okay, and some were laughably bad (Rocket & Hulk team up to fight villainous animals and Groot is a giant monster who wants to capture and experiment on a town of humans). For hardcore Marvel fans only.
April 7, 2020
I’m stuck in quarantine like everyone else so I thought it’d be a good opportunity to go through my comics and see if I can whittle down any. This was first on my pile of “maybe I’ll keep them, maybe I’ll get rid of them.”
The main story, the actual prelude to the movie, isn’t great and if this was the only thing in this collection, I’d probably get rid of it.
BUT, it also has reprints of the comics that introduced Drax, Rocket and Groot and they are so bizarre and wonderful that I’ll likely keep this trade for their sakes alone.
The main story, the actual prelude to the movie, isn’t great and if this was the only thing in this collection, I’d probably get rid of it.
BUT, it also has reprints of the comics that introduced Drax, Rocket and Groot and they are so bizarre and wonderful that I’ll likely keep this trade for their sakes alone.
October 10, 2019
Waste of time. Seriously, all the preludes I've read are just a few pages of recaps and then four or five comics that have nothing to do with anything. I wouldn't have wasted money on this except I'm a collector and it was on clearance, never would I pay full price for it.
Really, if you want a "prelude" just watch whatever movie comes before the next one in the series you want to watch. It'll be better then wasting your money on this.
Really, if you want a "prelude" just watch whatever movie comes before the next one in the series you want to watch. It'll be better then wasting your money on this.
May 1, 2023
It was really fun reading all the Guardians’ original origin stories but it doesn’t quite work as a prelude to the movie. This would just confuse people who were trying to understand who the characters were before watching the movie. That being said, I really enjoyed the individual issues but wish it were the origin stories of their modern iterations.
December 22, 2024
Meh! it's an attempt to use some original shorty and many previously published stories revolving around the GotG, ending up in an incoherent mishmash. The best stories are undoubtedly Nebula's and Rocket (yay!). Drax is soooo cringe, and Star-Lord, god help us, for once I am HAPPY they rewrote the character for the movie!
May 12, 2017
A collection of stories with different characters from the Guardians of the Galaxy series. Most of the stories are the original versions of the characters from the comics, and only two stories are the versions from the movie.
September 30, 2018
MCU marathon
October 12, 2018
A good reference for those who want to know the history of the comics; but otherwise just OKAY.
September 12, 2022
kinda boring tbh
October 4, 2023
The back issues are unreadable…. Especially the clown story! The last issue is part of a great series run - the only thing worth reading in the collection.
April 17, 2024
I love the old first character appearances. Older comics have so much writing and storyline. Current comics really focus on the visual aspects. It's interesting to compare the two.
October 23, 2016
read 10/4/16
November 21, 2016
Actual Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
This is the prequel to the Marvel Cinematic Universes take on The Guardians of The Galaxy. There were elements a really loved, but others that fell flat. I'll go into that more through my PROs and CONs.
PROs:
- Nebula's back story. That is something that is not present within the Marvel Cinematic universe and I personally think that in at least one of the Guardians movies, they will touch on that. It reveals how cruel Thanos actually is as a villain and as a father.
- Gamora's and the collector's relationship before the movie was touched upon and I found that to be a good addition to the story.
- Rocket and Groot are the BEST!
CONs:
- I'm sorry, but what is in an adventure within Iron Man that that is a Drax The Destroyer MCU origin story?! No. You can't just let me hate Drax forever. I NEED his back story before the movie. He is the one Guardian I personally do not feel connected to. I mean, I know they explain what happened to his family in the movie, but they never some it. You never see anything else from Drax other than him grieving, destroying or metaphors going over his head. I need more character depth from Drax, because he is pretty hollow besides these things.
- I'd also really appreciate how Star Lord found where the orb was originally. I don't need another back story of him on earth. I've read AND watched that before, but it would make sense to include how he found the place were the orb was held which kicks off the movie.
- So the initial CON is that this is pretty much half a prequel with mega filler.
To conclude, it's not really worth the movie, but there is good in this.
I love The Guardians of The Galaxy. I guess that's why I'm pretty critical about this.
This is the prequel to the Marvel Cinematic Universes take on The Guardians of The Galaxy. There were elements a really loved, but others that fell flat. I'll go into that more through my PROs and CONs.
PROs:
- Nebula's back story. That is something that is not present within the Marvel Cinematic universe and I personally think that in at least one of the Guardians movies, they will touch on that. It reveals how cruel Thanos actually is as a villain and as a father.
- Gamora's and the collector's relationship before the movie was touched upon and I found that to be a good addition to the story.
- Rocket and Groot are the BEST!
CONs:
- I'm sorry, but what is in an adventure within Iron Man that that is a Drax The Destroyer MCU origin story?! No. You can't just let me hate Drax forever. I NEED his back story before the movie. He is the one Guardian I personally do not feel connected to. I mean, I know they explain what happened to his family in the movie, but they never some it. You never see anything else from Drax other than him grieving, destroying or metaphors going over his head. I need more character depth from Drax, because he is pretty hollow besides these things.
- I'd also really appreciate how Star Lord found where the orb was originally. I don't need another back story of him on earth. I've read AND watched that before, but it would make sense to include how he found the place were the orb was held which kicks off the movie.
- So the initial CON is that this is pretty much half a prequel with mega filler.
To conclude, it's not really worth the movie, but there is good in this.
I love The Guardians of The Galaxy. I guess that's why I'm pretty critical about this.
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