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Guardians of the Galaxy (2013) (Collected Editions)
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Angela
Collects Guardians of the Galaxy #4-10.
Spinning out of the dramatic conclusion of Age of Ultron, dimensions collide and Heaven's most fearsome Angel arrives - and comes straight for the Guardians! Gamora, one of the galaxy's greatest warriors, holds a deadly secret that could bring down the entire team. And when Gamora battles Angela, the entire universe hangs in the balance! Then, the galaxy's most mismatched heroes find themselves at a crossroads when the effects of Infinity begin to rise. Can even the mysterious Angela's power help combat the fallout from Thanos' master plan? And what will it take for Star-Lord to betray the entire Marvel Universe? The biggest blockbuster hit of the year continues as critically acclaimed artists Sara Pichelli and Francesco Francavilla climb aboard...and comics legend Neil Gaiman joins the team in this one-of-a-kind comic book event!
Spinning out of the dramatic conclusion of Age of Ultron, dimensions collide and Heaven's most fearsome Angel arrives - and comes straight for the Guardians! Gamora, one of the galaxy's greatest warriors, holds a deadly secret that could bring down the entire team. And when Gamora battles Angela, the entire universe hangs in the balance! Then, the galaxy's most mismatched heroes find themselves at a crossroads when the effects of Infinity begin to rise. Can even the mysterious Angela's power help combat the fallout from Thanos' master plan? And what will it take for Star-Lord to betray the entire Marvel Universe? The biggest blockbuster hit of the year continues as critically acclaimed artists Sara Pichelli and Francesco Francavilla climb aboard...and comics legend Neil Gaiman joins the team in this one-of-a-kind comic book event!
139 pages, ebook
First published January 7, 2014
120 people are currently reading
994 people want to read
About the author
Brian Michael Bendis
4,406 books2,574 followersA comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.
Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.
Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.
He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.
Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.
Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.
He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
October 16, 2014
I'm giving this 4 stars entirely based on the awesome Bendis-banter!
But there's also a lot of stuff wrong with this volume.
What I loved was the dialogue. It's just plain fun.
Peter, Rocket, and Tony's interactions with everyone kept this volume from sinking like a stone. I just don't think you can beat Bendis's writing when he's on his game. I'm a huge fan! Huge!
I also liked Angela's backstory. The idea that there's a planet called Heven out there, and that humans are creatures of myth on it?
Very cool.
The Gamora/Tony hook-up was funny, as well.
And Tony getting a bunch of useless that would have been nice to know that ten hours ago! advice from Rocket Raccoon was the icing on the cake!
Hmmmm.
Ok, I hate to do it, but I don't want you to go into this one with sky-high expectations. 'Cause this thing is suffering from quite a few issues, and (quite frankly) they almost ruined my unicorn and rainbows experience.
Lucky for me, I'm easy to please...
First, and quite possibly the biggest problem with this volume, was the mediocre crossover attempt with the Age of Ultron storyline.
Are you following Age of Ultron? Have you read how it ends?
I haven't.
So, to say this conclusion was slightly confusing to me, would be an understatement.
I'm still trying to muddle my way through the Infintiy event, which (I guess?) leads up to Age of Ultron.
Don't take my word for that. I have little to no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to recent Marvel NOW! Events...
Anyhoo, I sort of got the gist, but there are hunks of pertinent information missing if you aren't totally up to date on stuff.
Ok, while I loved Angela's character, her outfit was a hot mess.
Where are your panties, girl?!
I think I see a tiny piece of cloth peeking out from under her belt.
Could that be a part of her mythical underwear?
And what are those stupid flapping ribbons doing for you?!
Nothing, that's what. At first I thought maybe she used them to poke her enemies' eyes out, or maybe they fluttered in front of her to block bullets. But no. They're just free-floating strings.
Very useful in battle, if I do say so myself!
Hello, Winged Headgear!
You know, just the other day I was sitting around thinking to myself:
Gee, I sure wish the artists could come up with some way to add a headband with giant fucking wings onto the next superhero!
I mean, sure, Thor has wings on his helmet...but they're teeny-tiny.
I want big-ass wings! The kind you can see from space!
Cross-dimensional Wonderbra made of metal? Nice!
If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, I really need a a strapless bra made from some sort of hardened alloy.
Because comfort and practicality count in an undergarment!
And with this kind of ergonomic design?
Daymn! Don't try to stop me from snagging one of these babies!
Alrighty, these next three are just honorable mentions, but they collectively sucked out a piece of the enjoyable reading experience for me.
1) Where did Tony go? One issue he's a huge part of the story, and the next issue...Poof!...never to be seen again.
2) The art makes a sudden change midway through the volume, and turns into scritchy-scratchy, fugly artwork. Why?
Fans of this style won't feel this way, obviously, but it bothered me.
3) Gamora is the Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe, right?
As in, that's an actual alias for Gamora, not just a description of her talents.
Well, not any more!
For such a badass, she sure got the shit kicked out of her every other page. And I'm not talking, somebody managed to land a lucky punch, either.
Nope. I'm talking about several full-on beat downs.
Some no-name bounty hunter pwned her so hard that the other Guardians had to step in and save her.
Then Angela popped up few pages later, and spanked her ass like an unruly toddler.
Which really doesn't make sense later on when Thanos' goons take down Angela as easily as a kitten. 'Cause, um, isn't Gamora Thanos' daughter?
I think I've bitched too much, so I'll stop.
This was a blast to read, and even with all the flaws, I'd still recommend it!
What I loved was the dialogue. It's just plain fun.
Peter, Rocket, and Tony's interactions with everyone kept this volume from sinking like a stone. I just don't think you can beat Bendis's writing when he's on his game. I'm a huge fan! Huge!
I also liked Angela's backstory. The idea that there's a planet called Heven out there, and that humans are creatures of myth on it?
Very cool.
The Gamora/Tony hook-up was funny, as well.
And Tony getting a bunch of useless that would have been nice to know that ten hours ago! advice from Rocket Raccoon was the icing on the cake!
Hmmmm.
Ok, I hate to do it, but I don't want you to go into this one with sky-high expectations. 'Cause this thing is suffering from quite a few issues, and (quite frankly) they almost ruined my unicorn and rainbows experience.
Lucky for me, I'm easy to please...
First, and quite possibly the biggest problem with this volume, was the mediocre crossover attempt with the Age of Ultron storyline.
Are you following Age of Ultron? Have you read how it ends?
I haven't.
So, to say this conclusion was slightly confusing to me, would be an understatement.
I'm still trying to muddle my way through the Infintiy event, which (I guess?) leads up to Age of Ultron.
Don't take my word for that. I have little to no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to recent Marvel NOW! Events...
Anyhoo, I sort of got the gist, but there are hunks of pertinent information missing if you aren't totally up to date on stuff.
Ok, while I loved Angela's character, her outfit was a hot mess.
Where are your panties, girl?!
I think I see a tiny piece of cloth peeking out from under her belt.
Could that be a part of her mythical underwear?
And what are those stupid flapping ribbons doing for you?!
Nothing, that's what. At first I thought maybe she used them to poke her enemies' eyes out, or maybe they fluttered in front of her to block bullets. But no. They're just free-floating strings.
Very useful in battle, if I do say so myself!
Hello, Winged Headgear!
You know, just the other day I was sitting around thinking to myself:
Gee, I sure wish the artists could come up with some way to add a headband with giant fucking wings onto the next superhero!
I mean, sure, Thor has wings on his helmet...but they're teeny-tiny.
I want big-ass wings! The kind you can see from space!
Cross-dimensional Wonderbra made of metal? Nice!
If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, I really need a a strapless bra made from some sort of hardened alloy.
Because comfort and practicality count in an undergarment!
And with this kind of ergonomic design?
Daymn! Don't try to stop me from snagging one of these babies!
Alrighty, these next three are just honorable mentions, but they collectively sucked out a piece of the enjoyable reading experience for me.
1) Where did Tony go? One issue he's a huge part of the story, and the next issue...Poof!...never to be seen again.
2) The art makes a sudden change midway through the volume, and turns into scritchy-scratchy, fugly artwork. Why?
Fans of this style won't feel this way, obviously, but it bothered me.
3) Gamora is the Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe, right?
As in, that's an actual alias for Gamora, not just a description of her talents.
Well, not any more!
For such a badass, she sure got the shit kicked out of her every other page. And I'm not talking, somebody managed to land a lucky punch, either.
Nope. I'm talking about several full-on beat downs.
Some no-name bounty hunter pwned her so hard that the other Guardians had to step in and save her.
Then Angela popped up few pages later, and spanked her ass like an unruly toddler.
Which really doesn't make sense later on when Thanos' goons take down Angela as easily as a kitten. 'Cause, um, isn't Gamora Thanos' daughter?
I think I've bitched too much, so I'll stop.
This was a blast to read, and even with all the flaws, I'd still recommend it!
July 18, 2014
I’m giving this two stars even though I loved parts of it because it’s a prime example of the kind of nonsense that often makes Marvel and DC comics such a frustrating mess.
I can live with making moves for marketing purposes. Hell, I can admire something slick done for marketing purposes like launching a new Guardians of the Galaxy comic with one of your most popular writers as part of the lead up to the movie version of it. That makes sense. Even though I'm a comic book geek I knew little about this team, but I’m excited about the film so I want to read something that clues me in. Putting that line-up in a book with a writer like Bendis who has a glib style similar to what the movie seems like it might be was a good idea.
Even sticking in a popular character like Iron Man for a while to spark interest is OK if it’s done well, and I was actually enjoying Tony Stark having a space adventure and interacting with characters like Rocket and Gamora.
What isn’t a good idea is taking this fledgling book where you should ideally be trying to establish the tone and bringing in another character that makes no sense solely as a marketing stunt. And unlike the inclusion of Iron Man which was at least an understandable marketing stunt, bringing in Angela does nothing but introduce a confusing element that no one cared about. Comic nerds know that Neal Gaiman finally won his legal battle to get the rights to Angela back and good for him. But what does she have to do with this comic? Was anyone really clamoring to see Angela? Does it have anything to do with the story of the Guardians or even have an angle that you could at least see as maybe a cynical but logical promotional play for the movie? Nope. So why is she here?
Adding insult to injury is that after just a half-dozen issues when little has been done other than reintroducing the team with their new buddy Tony Stark, any story momentum is sacrificed for several issues to do a tie-in to Marvel’s big Infinity crossover.
So while there were individual scenes and moments I liked quite a bit in this, it all adds up to far less than the sum of its parts because Marvel was far more concerned with flipping the bird to Todd MacFarlane and milking its latest massive storyline. Which is nothing new. But I still don’t understand why they couldn’t just give us some stories about the Guardians of the Galaxy when they’ve got a pretty big reason to do just that.
I can live with making moves for marketing purposes. Hell, I can admire something slick done for marketing purposes like launching a new Guardians of the Galaxy comic with one of your most popular writers as part of the lead up to the movie version of it. That makes sense. Even though I'm a comic book geek I knew little about this team, but I’m excited about the film so I want to read something that clues me in. Putting that line-up in a book with a writer like Bendis who has a glib style similar to what the movie seems like it might be was a good idea.
Even sticking in a popular character like Iron Man for a while to spark interest is OK if it’s done well, and I was actually enjoying Tony Stark having a space adventure and interacting with characters like Rocket and Gamora.
What isn’t a good idea is taking this fledgling book where you should ideally be trying to establish the tone and bringing in another character that makes no sense solely as a marketing stunt. And unlike the inclusion of Iron Man which was at least an understandable marketing stunt, bringing in Angela does nothing but introduce a confusing element that no one cared about. Comic nerds know that Neal Gaiman finally won his legal battle to get the rights to Angela back and good for him. But what does she have to do with this comic? Was anyone really clamoring to see Angela? Does it have anything to do with the story of the Guardians or even have an angle that you could at least see as maybe a cynical but logical promotional play for the movie? Nope. So why is she here?
Adding insult to injury is that after just a half-dozen issues when little has been done other than reintroducing the team with their new buddy Tony Stark, any story momentum is sacrificed for several issues to do a tie-in to Marvel’s big Infinity crossover.
So while there were individual scenes and moments I liked quite a bit in this, it all adds up to far less than the sum of its parts because Marvel was far more concerned with flipping the bird to Todd MacFarlane and milking its latest massive storyline. Which is nothing new. But I still don’t understand why they couldn’t just give us some stories about the Guardians of the Galaxy when they’ve got a pretty big reason to do just that.
November 5, 2018
I was afraid Angela's cross-companies jumping from Image Comics to Marvel ones was going to be a fuming pile of crap, but character seems just born here and far more interesting from my 90s Spawn reading days.
Again, storyline is far better than I used to remember but for the 2 not much good Infinity tie-in issues, and the artists involved are a real dream-team.
December 1, 2015
The Guardians of the Galaxy just happen to bear witness to something that freaked The Watcher out so much he spoke. Angela is the reason. She looks like a human, but her species is unknown and she is fierce.
This Guardians of the Galaxy volume is entitled Angela and for good reason because she arrives with a bang. Angela is something else entirely and it was impressive seeing what she can do. My favorite part of this volume has to Rocket talking down to Tony Stark one of the smartest men on Earth. Despite Stark's impressive equipment, he's nowhere near as technologically advanced as the Guardians or likely the majority of other species in the universe.
All in all it was fun and I personally enjoyed it more than the first volume.
This Guardians of the Galaxy volume is entitled Angela and for good reason because she arrives with a bang. Angela is something else entirely and it was impressive seeing what she can do. My favorite part of this volume has to Rocket talking down to Tony Stark one of the smartest men on Earth. Despite Stark's impressive equipment, he's nowhere near as technologically advanced as the Guardians or likely the majority of other species in the universe.
All in all it was fun and I personally enjoyed it more than the first volume.
Read
August 6, 2014I'm just so damn frustrated with this volume. Guardians can be a lot of fun. The characters are wonderfully weird, and Bendis is, as usual, great with writing their banter. There's some good action, and people who are totally not impressed with Tony Stark. So far, so good.
But.
A good part of this volume basically got hijacked by Infinity. Ok, can't begrudge the local writer that one, and the role the Guardians play does make sense in context. Nothing I can be mad about, but it does drag the book down a bit. I know that Thanos had to do something big, since it's a foregone conclusion at this point that the Marvel movies are building towards an The Infinity Gauntlet movie. But I'm starting to worry that the character is going to get overexposed, and will lose some of his impact as a result. I mean, he has a friendly chat with Quill at one point, or what passes for one with him. Come on.
And then there's Angela. It's great that Neil Gaiman won his rights to her. I'm happy for him. But that doesn't mean we ever had to see the character again. I didn't miss her. Did anyone really miss her at this point? And did anyone really want to see her in Guardians? And for the love of God, redesign her damn costume. It was on trend in the 90s, but now it looks hopelessly outdated and even more creepily sexist than it did back then. She's wearing a gold bikini, the bottom of which is so skimpy that her belt completely covers it. She looks like she was designed by somebody who's never met an actual woman and is ok with that.
What frustrates me most about the Angela thing is that she could be an interesting character. Her backstory is more than interesting enough, and the description of Heven is one of the most fascinating things I've read in comics in years. But Guardians is just the wrong book for her. And who can take her seriously with that character design? It's a huge missed opportunity. Get her out of the cosmic book and into a magic-based book, and put some damn clothes on her, and she might be an exciting addition to the Marvel universe.
This book has potential, but it spends the entire volume getting hijacked. Too bad.
But.
A good part of this volume basically got hijacked by Infinity. Ok, can't begrudge the local writer that one, and the role the Guardians play does make sense in context. Nothing I can be mad about, but it does drag the book down a bit. I know that Thanos had to do something big, since it's a foregone conclusion at this point that the Marvel movies are building towards an The Infinity Gauntlet movie. But I'm starting to worry that the character is going to get overexposed, and will lose some of his impact as a result. I mean, he has a friendly chat with Quill at one point, or what passes for one with him. Come on.
And then there's Angela. It's great that Neil Gaiman won his rights to her. I'm happy for him. But that doesn't mean we ever had to see the character again. I didn't miss her. Did anyone really miss her at this point? And did anyone really want to see her in Guardians? And for the love of God, redesign her damn costume. It was on trend in the 90s, but now it looks hopelessly outdated and even more creepily sexist than it did back then. She's wearing a gold bikini, the bottom of which is so skimpy that her belt completely covers it. She looks like she was designed by somebody who's never met an actual woman and is ok with that.
What frustrates me most about the Angela thing is that she could be an interesting character. Her backstory is more than interesting enough, and the description of Heven is one of the most fascinating things I've read in comics in years. But Guardians is just the wrong book for her. And who can take her seriously with that character design? It's a huge missed opportunity. Get her out of the cosmic book and into a magic-based book, and put some damn clothes on her, and she might be an exciting addition to the Marvel universe.
This book has potential, but it spends the entire volume getting hijacked. Too bad.
September 24, 2021
This one was so good!
It starts with the guardians on the run from Spartan hunters but then they meet Angela and the usual fight happens while Gamora asks Pete the Question how he survived cancerverse and suspects it might be the reason why Thanos is back. The book then ties into the infinity event and I love how it does so naturally. Plus we get to see cool team ups and them rescuing Abigail Brand of Sword and some interesting stuff between Gamora and Iron man.
This was a cool volume and like shows them in their usual state on the run and continues that story of the Galactic council but the jarring thing is like why does it keep coming to earth, explore the whole krutackin' galaxy. But then again knowing whats coming ahead maybe its a build up to bigger things. Another turn off is the constant art changes throughout the book which can feel disjointed.
It starts with the guardians on the run from Spartan hunters but then they meet Angela and the usual fight happens while Gamora asks Pete the Question how he survived cancerverse and suspects it might be the reason why Thanos is back. The book then ties into the infinity event and I love how it does so naturally. Plus we get to see cool team ups and them rescuing Abigail Brand of Sword and some interesting stuff between Gamora and Iron man.
This was a cool volume and like shows them in their usual state on the run and continues that story of the Galactic council but the jarring thing is like why does it keep coming to earth, explore the whole krutackin' galaxy. But then again knowing whats coming ahead maybe its a build up to bigger things. Another turn off is the constant art changes throughout the book which can feel disjointed.
December 21, 2015
Just Another Super-Hero Comic
21 December 2015
Well, here I am in Adelaide, the place where I grew up, and I have to say that the minute I stepped off the Overland (the train that runs between Melbourne and Adelaide) I looked around and started counting down the days until I would be back in Melbourne, Okay, it is not as if Adelaide is a bad place, but after living in Melbourne for three years I have to admit that I so much prefer the city lifestyle than the laidback, country town lifestyle that is Adelaide. Anyway, enough of that because I am supposed to be writing a review of this book (or graphic novel, or comic, to be precise).
I noticed that this graphic novel (for want of a better descriptor) was a New York Times best seller. Since I don't actually read the New York Times I actually have no idea what constitutes a best seller, but then again if it is based upon the number of books sold over a certain period then I guess it really means little. People will by any old rubbish, and if it was released at the same time that the movie was released (which I suspect was the case) then I'm not at all surprised that it actually hit the best seller list. I have to admit that I purchased this comic purely on the fact that I saw, and quite enjoyed, the movie. However, as you have probably worked out (especially if you have been following my reviews) that I'm not a big fan of graphic novels.
So, why do I go out of my way to buy them? Well, the first thing is that when I watch one of the movies I end up wanting to grab one of the comics that the movie is based upon to see the difference (and I am usually sorely disappointed). Another reason is so I can comment on the movie on Goodreads (though since this movie was released in 2014, and it has taken me this long to get around to reading the second Guardians of the Galaxy comic, I won't be doing it here - and yes, I do have a Star Wars comic ready for when I see the movie, however I have come to realise that there is a massive no spoilers movement on the internet, which means that even if I do read the comic after I have seen the movie I can't actually say anything about the movie – though a friend of mine may have spoilt it a bit with a single comment that he made). Finally, I also go around reviewing business and since everybody does pubs and restaurants, I decided I would add comic book and gaming stores, and if I'm going to review some place I have to buy something (and it just add's to my geeky avatar on the internet).
I can't say all that much about this comic because all I have to say that it didn't impress me all that much (there is just something comics cannot replicate from a movie, even though the movies tend to be based on the comics, and I am sure die hard comic fans think that the movie has butchered the comic). However it does continue on from the first comic (not that I can remember all that much about it), and we have Peter Quinn and Ironman saving Earth from an Alien Invasion. Actually, this invasion comes about because the people of Earth are really, really dangerous, and have caused a rift in time. This rift has brought somebody, Angela, through who looks like will become one of the Guardians. Apparently she is from heaven, however the alien invasion is lead by Thanos, who no doubt is a personification of death, so what we have is a fight between heaven and hell, with the Guardians caught in the middle.
I won't say all that much more about it because, well, there isn't all that much to say. Sure, I liked the movie, and do look forward to the new movie that is coming out (in 2016 I believe, though I could be very, very wrong – nope, I just checked out IMDB and it is 2017, plot unknown). No doubt I will end up going to see this film, and no doubt I will grab another Guardians of the Galaxy comic, but then again I have a third one sitting on my too read list (though this one is called Starlord, so it is no strickly Guardians of the Galaxy) which I will get around to reading sooner or later (no doubt before 2017).
21 December 2015
Well, here I am in Adelaide, the place where I grew up, and I have to say that the minute I stepped off the Overland (the train that runs between Melbourne and Adelaide) I looked around and started counting down the days until I would be back in Melbourne, Okay, it is not as if Adelaide is a bad place, but after living in Melbourne for three years I have to admit that I so much prefer the city lifestyle than the laidback, country town lifestyle that is Adelaide. Anyway, enough of that because I am supposed to be writing a review of this book (or graphic novel, or comic, to be precise).
I noticed that this graphic novel (for want of a better descriptor) was a New York Times best seller. Since I don't actually read the New York Times I actually have no idea what constitutes a best seller, but then again if it is based upon the number of books sold over a certain period then I guess it really means little. People will by any old rubbish, and if it was released at the same time that the movie was released (which I suspect was the case) then I'm not at all surprised that it actually hit the best seller list. I have to admit that I purchased this comic purely on the fact that I saw, and quite enjoyed, the movie. However, as you have probably worked out (especially if you have been following my reviews) that I'm not a big fan of graphic novels.
So, why do I go out of my way to buy them? Well, the first thing is that when I watch one of the movies I end up wanting to grab one of the comics that the movie is based upon to see the difference (and I am usually sorely disappointed). Another reason is so I can comment on the movie on Goodreads (though since this movie was released in 2014, and it has taken me this long to get around to reading the second Guardians of the Galaxy comic, I won't be doing it here - and yes, I do have a Star Wars comic ready for when I see the movie, however I have come to realise that there is a massive no spoilers movement on the internet, which means that even if I do read the comic after I have seen the movie I can't actually say anything about the movie – though a friend of mine may have spoilt it a bit with a single comment that he made). Finally, I also go around reviewing business and since everybody does pubs and restaurants, I decided I would add comic book and gaming stores, and if I'm going to review some place I have to buy something (and it just add's to my geeky avatar on the internet).
I can't say all that much about this comic because all I have to say that it didn't impress me all that much (there is just something comics cannot replicate from a movie, even though the movies tend to be based on the comics, and I am sure die hard comic fans think that the movie has butchered the comic). However it does continue on from the first comic (not that I can remember all that much about it), and we have Peter Quinn and Ironman saving Earth from an Alien Invasion. Actually, this invasion comes about because the people of Earth are really, really dangerous, and have caused a rift in time. This rift has brought somebody, Angela, through who looks like will become one of the Guardians. Apparently she is from heaven, however the alien invasion is lead by Thanos, who no doubt is a personification of death, so what we have is a fight between heaven and hell, with the Guardians caught in the middle.
I won't say all that much more about it because, well, there isn't all that much to say. Sure, I liked the movie, and do look forward to the new movie that is coming out (in 2016 I believe, though I could be very, very wrong – nope, I just checked out IMDB and it is 2017, plot unknown). No doubt I will end up going to see this film, and no doubt I will grab another Guardians of the Galaxy comic, but then again I have a third one sitting on my too read list (though this one is called Starlord, so it is no strickly Guardians of the Galaxy) which I will get around to reading sooner or later (no doubt before 2017).
December 26, 2016
I've been on a comic spree lately, trying to catch up on my long comic to read list.
The first half of this was amazing. The second half was meh. Didn't care for the art style of a couple issues.
The first half of this was amazing. The second half was meh. Didn't care for the art style of a couple issues.
November 1, 2013
The ending of Age of Ultron saw time tear and multiple things change as a result, one of them being the introduction of Angela into the Marvel Universe. Who’s Angela, you say? She was a celestial bounty hunter created by Neil Gaiman during his short run on Todd Macfarlane’s Spawn series in the early 90s. She disappeared for several years while Gaiman and Macfarlane fought for who owned the rights to the character with the courts eventually favouring Gaiman. So now she’s back after Gaiman handed her over to Marvel for an appearance in the rebooted Guardians of the Galaxy, and was subsequently touted as co-writer on the Angela issues, eventually getting bumped down to consultant on Angela’s dialogue(!) for some reason. Marvel are trying to make Angela a big deal even though, if we’re all honest, few people heard of her until recently, and even fewer cared. And even though I’m not sure why her introduction had to be such a big event, she has been an ok addition to this increasingly unexciting series.
The Guardians are momentarily split with Rocket, Gamora, Tony and Groot bumming around on their spaceship while Star-Lord and Drax investigate the time incursions alien planet-side. This book commits one of the most annoying things I hate about superhero comics – arbitrary superhero fights. Angela shows up, is understandably angry at being suddenly displaced and heads to Earth for answers – Gamora then decides to attack Angela for no reason and the two swordfight on the moon. What happened to communication? How about talking to Angela first before trying to slice her head off? The fight is undeniably visually cool but in the aftermath everyone sheepishly realises if they’d just talked to start with, all of the fighting could’ve been averted – DUH! But this is a superhero comic so they’ve got to shoehorn arbitrary superhero fighting, even if it makes the book stupider than it is.
And let’s talk about Angela’s redesign which is basically a belt, a helmet and a ribbon - they should just call her the Angel of Strippers and be done with it! But when we finally get around to hearing her speak (Gaiman earning his paycheck), it’s fairly unremarkable stuff and there isn’t much more we learn about why she’s here – Age of Ultron happened and boom! suddenly she was in the Marvel U! The depiction of Heven, Angela’s home, is awesome though, suitably abstract and weird for an alien, alternate universe that Earth humans have made into a destination for the afterlife.
While the art is pretty good throughout – Sara Pichelli is amazing, she gives Steve McNiven a run for his money in this book - Star-Lord’s meeting with Thanos is simply bizarre. Thanos is MASSIVE. Look at the character in Thanos Rising or Infinity – he’s a tall, bulky dude that’s about 7 feet tall max but the way he’s depicted in this book makes him look double that! I don’t understand why he suddenly grew just for this book, and it just looks ridiculous. Then to conclude their meeting, Star-Lord and Thanos fight and the scene immediately cuts - later on Star-Lord shows up, unharmed. What happened in their fight? No clue, we’re not told, it’s just a big ol’ plot hole right there, because in a fight between the two, Thanos is clearly the winner – all Star-Lord has is a gun while Thanos has god-like powers and could kill Star-Lord with his bare hands!
Bendis has a bad habit of throwing stuff in simply because he thinks it’s cool – Thanos’ appearance, the Angela fight, hell, Angela’s appearance in the first place! – not because it makes for a better story. But one thing he does really well is banter among characters and this book is no different. The interactions among the team like discussions on Rocket’s disturbing new catchphrase “BLAM! Murdered you! You’re dead! BLAM!”, Tony Stark’s outdated (by Guardians’ standards) tech, and the gossip that follows an office romance – Tony and Gamora hook up! – being the highlights.
However, none of these things hides the fact that there’s no real story to this book. Angela is the story and given that she’s kind of a dull character with no real personality who barely speaks, the book is a pretty stultifying read. This volume features some of Bendis’ laziest plotting this year (and I’ve read Age of Ultron!) which manages to drain the initial excitement of the new series. Great art aside, Guardians of the Galaxy needs a much stronger story if it’s going to make its audience connect and care about this still fairly unknown cast of characters.
The Guardians are momentarily split with Rocket, Gamora, Tony and Groot bumming around on their spaceship while Star-Lord and Drax investigate the time incursions alien planet-side. This book commits one of the most annoying things I hate about superhero comics – arbitrary superhero fights. Angela shows up, is understandably angry at being suddenly displaced and heads to Earth for answers – Gamora then decides to attack Angela for no reason and the two swordfight on the moon. What happened to communication? How about talking to Angela first before trying to slice her head off? The fight is undeniably visually cool but in the aftermath everyone sheepishly realises if they’d just talked to start with, all of the fighting could’ve been averted – DUH! But this is a superhero comic so they’ve got to shoehorn arbitrary superhero fighting, even if it makes the book stupider than it is.
And let’s talk about Angela’s redesign which is basically a belt, a helmet and a ribbon - they should just call her the Angel of Strippers and be done with it! But when we finally get around to hearing her speak (Gaiman earning his paycheck), it’s fairly unremarkable stuff and there isn’t much more we learn about why she’s here – Age of Ultron happened and boom! suddenly she was in the Marvel U! The depiction of Heven, Angela’s home, is awesome though, suitably abstract and weird for an alien, alternate universe that Earth humans have made into a destination for the afterlife.
While the art is pretty good throughout – Sara Pichelli is amazing, she gives Steve McNiven a run for his money in this book - Star-Lord’s meeting with Thanos is simply bizarre. Thanos is MASSIVE. Look at the character in Thanos Rising or Infinity – he’s a tall, bulky dude that’s about 7 feet tall max but the way he’s depicted in this book makes him look double that! I don’t understand why he suddenly grew just for this book, and it just looks ridiculous. Then to conclude their meeting, Star-Lord and Thanos fight and the scene immediately cuts - later on Star-Lord shows up, unharmed. What happened in their fight? No clue, we’re not told, it’s just a big ol’ plot hole right there, because in a fight between the two, Thanos is clearly the winner – all Star-Lord has is a gun while Thanos has god-like powers and could kill Star-Lord with his bare hands!
Bendis has a bad habit of throwing stuff in simply because he thinks it’s cool – Thanos’ appearance, the Angela fight, hell, Angela’s appearance in the first place! – not because it makes for a better story. But one thing he does really well is banter among characters and this book is no different. The interactions among the team like discussions on Rocket’s disturbing new catchphrase “BLAM! Murdered you! You’re dead! BLAM!”, Tony Stark’s outdated (by Guardians’ standards) tech, and the gossip that follows an office romance – Tony and Gamora hook up! – being the highlights.
However, none of these things hides the fact that there’s no real story to this book. Angela is the story and given that she’s kind of a dull character with no real personality who barely speaks, the book is a pretty stultifying read. This volume features some of Bendis’ laziest plotting this year (and I’ve read Age of Ultron!) which manages to drain the initial excitement of the new series. Great art aside, Guardians of the Galaxy needs a much stronger story if it’s going to make its audience connect and care about this still fairly unknown cast of characters.
August 19, 2014
This volume is definitely better than the first one; the seven issues it collects trump the four issues and some odd pages the first one has. It also has Neil Gaiman consulting on the introduction of his character Angela into the Marvel Universe.
Marvel did a good job of integrating Angela into it superhero mythos by assigning the art duties to Sara Pichelli. I think she did a phenomenal job here. She pretty much proves that she's got what it takes to do mainstream Marvel book.
However, the overall Guardians of the Galaxy story being plotted by Bendis didn't move that much. The character work is solid but it's all hints and teases. The Infinity tie-in didn't help as it hijacked two issues. I can see where Bendis is bringing this book.
Still, if Pichelli is staying on the art for the long haul, I see myself reading the monthly issues as it they come out.
Marvel did a good job of integrating Angela into it superhero mythos by assigning the art duties to Sara Pichelli. I think she did a phenomenal job here. She pretty much proves that she's got what it takes to do mainstream Marvel book.
However, the overall Guardians of the Galaxy story being plotted by Bendis didn't move that much. The character work is solid but it's all hints and teases. The Infinity tie-in didn't help as it hijacked two issues. I can see where Bendis is bringing this book.
Still, if Pichelli is staying on the art for the long haul, I see myself reading the monthly issues as it they come out.
August 30, 2016
Not bad at all, Brian Michael Bendis. Maybe even more than "popcorn entertainment" as IGN says. Sort of a demeaning blurb, isn't it? Although popcorn is delicious. And the original "once you pop you just can't stop" snack food. Take that Pringles.
I like this better than volume 1, which sets the groundwork and jumps around too much for my taste, as any overview attempting to squeeze 10 gallons of sci-fi into a 1 gallon jar will do. Volume 2 settles nicely in to the characters and a larger plot. There's plenty of witty banter, puns, made up alien vernacular, action, and...frankly...boobs. I guess it would be negligence if any sci-fi story lacked a minimum level of boobs, and they don't disappoint here. Between Gamora, Angela (she is wearing a thong beneath her massive belt apparently, if you look really hard), and that psychic alien girl that Star-Lord comes home smelling of, there is no lack of boobs. And there's also no lack of sexual tension, while we're on the subject. So I'm not sure this would be entirely kid appropriate, if you were wondering.
The plot is great. Without giving away too much, the gang is going through space pursued by both Thanos (Gamora's father) and Jason of Spartax (Star-Lord's father). A "temporal event" happens (unexplained in volume 2) and Angela (an angel, get it?) pops into the universe from "Heven" (get it?). Star-Lord gets a little scrambled from the "event" as well, which really intrigues Iron Man, ever the science nerd. Then all hell breaks loose when Thanos' army arrives to destroy Earth. Explosions, etc. etc., they get away, and the volume ends rather abruptly. Great volume which can only get better.
I like this better than volume 1, which sets the groundwork and jumps around too much for my taste, as any overview attempting to squeeze 10 gallons of sci-fi into a 1 gallon jar will do. Volume 2 settles nicely in to the characters and a larger plot. There's plenty of witty banter, puns, made up alien vernacular, action, and...frankly...boobs. I guess it would be negligence if any sci-fi story lacked a minimum level of boobs, and they don't disappoint here. Between Gamora, Angela (she is wearing a thong beneath her massive belt apparently, if you look really hard), and that psychic alien girl that Star-Lord comes home smelling of, there is no lack of boobs. And there's also no lack of sexual tension, while we're on the subject. So I'm not sure this would be entirely kid appropriate, if you were wondering.
The plot is great. Without giving away too much, the gang is going through space pursued by both Thanos (Gamora's father) and Jason of Spartax (Star-Lord's father). A "temporal event" happens (unexplained in volume 2) and Angela (an angel, get it?) pops into the universe from "Heven" (get it?). Star-Lord gets a little scrambled from the "event" as well, which really intrigues Iron Man, ever the science nerd. Then all hell breaks loose when Thanos' army arrives to destroy Earth. Explosions, etc. etc., they get away, and the volume ends rather abruptly. Great volume which can only get better.
January 17, 2015
Upping the stakes, threatening the lives of our intrepid losers, putting them in a position where they have to stomp heads back? OK, I'll play along.
Pichelli art? Yes please! Ponsor colouring? Give me more.
Angela? What the fuck guys? Why is the first entrance moment of a new badass female the classic where you see she is an obvious experienced hand-to-hand combatant with 5 times more armor on her extremities than protecting her vital organs?
And why is there supposed to be such a big deal about her of all characters to herald some world-breaking threat to Earth? You could've pulled in nearly anyone - Beyonder, Eternals, Mephisto, Galactus - why this cast-off from Neil Gaiman's fight with Todd MacFarlane? Why did it have to be this Spawn character? Hell, funniest thing about this whole deal is that Gaiman gets a "consultant" credit - and as a writer, his character got all of two words (well, a bunch of babble but hardly noteworthy). Ridiculous.
Otherwise this is a good run-up to Infinity and all that crazy shit. It's a wee bit random, the events that led up to this - and next to Hickman's three-level superego chessboard, Bendis' free-flowing events of the id are both fun and not something to reflect on too hard.
And then...Infinity. Pretty unremarkable story and outcome - they're badasses, they rescue folks - that's probably not helped by Francavilla's art style. I don't know why - I've appreciated his art in the past (though I don't adore it), but here for this story, the only thing I could think while reading is "this does nothing to enhance the mood". Made me feel distant from everything, like the abstraction just destroys any relatability.
Pichelli art? Yes please! Ponsor colouring? Give me more.
Angela? What the fuck guys? Why is the first entrance moment of a new badass female the classic where you see she is an obvious experienced hand-to-hand combatant with 5 times more armor on her extremities than protecting her vital organs?
And why is there supposed to be such a big deal about her of all characters to herald some world-breaking threat to Earth? You could've pulled in nearly anyone - Beyonder, Eternals, Mephisto, Galactus - why this cast-off from Neil Gaiman's fight with Todd MacFarlane? Why did it have to be this Spawn character? Hell, funniest thing about this whole deal is that Gaiman gets a "consultant" credit - and as a writer, his character got all of two words (well, a bunch of babble but hardly noteworthy). Ridiculous.
Otherwise this is a good run-up to Infinity and all that crazy shit. It's a wee bit random, the events that led up to this - and next to Hickman's three-level superego chessboard, Bendis' free-flowing events of the id are both fun and not something to reflect on too hard.
And then...Infinity. Pretty unremarkable story and outcome - they're badasses, they rescue folks - that's probably not helped by Francavilla's art style. I don't know why - I've appreciated his art in the past (though I don't adore it), but here for this story, the only thing I could think while reading is "this does nothing to enhance the mood". Made me feel distant from everything, like the abstraction just destroys any relatability.
June 4, 2014
I still see a lot of potential in this series, and I love the artwork, but I was not overwhelmed with this second volume. It focused way more on the character of Angela -- this volume's namesake -- than it did on the Guardians of the Galaxy. This is a rather odd decision by the creative team, considering the team is new and not particularly well developed at this early juncture in the series (this volume collects issues #4-#10). I think the writers got so excited about being able to use the Angela character -- a bit of an infamous property that was created by Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane for Image comics, and was later awarded to Gaiman after a lengthy legal battle -- that they let it get in the way of the natural development of the Guardian's story. A good example of this is the early fight scene between Angela and Gamora, which seemed forced and served as nothing more than a fan service skirmish between two scantily clad super ladies.
February 20, 2018
I KIND OF fell into a slump so my rating of this might be due to that fact.
Pros:
-Angela is a fantastic character
-Rocket's catch phrase about murder
-the dynamics between the characters
Cons:
-it was confusing if you didn't also read the Infinity issues that correlate
-the art styles changed multiple times
-Tony being there still felt weird, especially once him and Gamora hooked up
It was a decent volume, but only because Angela saved it.
Pros:
-Angela is a fantastic character
-Rocket's catch phrase about murder
-the dynamics between the characters
Cons:
-it was confusing if you didn't also read the Infinity issues that correlate
-the art styles changed multiple times
-Tony being there still felt weird, especially once him and Gamora hooked up
It was a decent volume, but only because Angela saved it.
December 31, 2014
Source: Library
Well...that was slightly disappointing. I was really looking forward to reading Angela but I found this one lacked having a real plot. It was great to see all the characters again, especially Groot<3, and I liked the introduction to Angela's character. I will of course be continuing with this series, I just hope the next couple of books have better plots o.O.
Well...that was slightly disappointing. I was really looking forward to reading Angela but I found this one lacked having a real plot. It was great to see all the characters again, especially Groot<3, and I liked the introduction to Angela's character. I will of course be continuing with this series, I just hope the next couple of books have better plots o.O.
February 6, 2019
3.5 stars.
November 2, 2014
Possible overstatement warning: Marvel Unlimited is the best thing to ever happen to me. I've recently gotten back into comics. Mostly through borrowing graphics novels from the library, because 3 to 4 dollars for single issues = stupid. And graphic novels are pricey too. But a year subscription of Marvel Unlimited at 69 bucks a year, $5.75 a month, is too good to pass up. Plus, my first month was a 99¢ promo. Needless to say, I am now once again a comic book junkie, but this time without all the clutter and hoarding-like behaviors associated with collecting comics. Boxes, bags, cardboard protector thingies. All rendered useless with the MU app, which, while glitchy, is still pretty awesome and steadily improving. Man, younger me wishes this was available a long time ago in a Midwest suburb now far, far away. Al Gore should've invented the Internet faster.
Speaking of things a long time ago in places far away...I grew up watching the Original Trilogy, which is both a point of pride...and an indicator I'm getting old...er.
For geeks like me with that clearly superior incarnation of Star Wars embedded in our collective unconscious-es, the new Guardians book just works. I guess I can only speak for this geek, but I like to generalize my own experiences to the rest of the global population, yes all 7 billion of us.
I have no prior Guardian experience. But it's the best space opera comic I've come across. By far. And of course now I will have to dig through all the back issues. ALL OF THEM! Yet another Marvel Unlimited win.
So two take-aways here: subscribe to Marvel Unlimited and read Guardians of the Galaxy. And unashamedly profess your undying love for comics...especially as you continue to get old...er. OK, three take-aways.
Speaking of things a long time ago in places far away...I grew up watching the Original Trilogy, which is both a point of pride...and an indicator I'm getting old...er.
For geeks like me with that clearly superior incarnation of Star Wars embedded in our collective unconscious-es, the new Guardians book just works. I guess I can only speak for this geek, but I like to generalize my own experiences to the rest of the global population, yes all 7 billion of us.
I have no prior Guardian experience. But it's the best space opera comic I've come across. By far. And of course now I will have to dig through all the back issues. ALL OF THEM! Yet another Marvel Unlimited win.
So two take-aways here: subscribe to Marvel Unlimited and read Guardians of the Galaxy. And unashamedly profess your undying love for comics...especially as you continue to get old...er. OK, three take-aways.
February 11, 2017
2.5 stars.
Yeah, this wasn't great.
I enjoyed Tony continuing to work with the team. The chemistry between Tony and Peter is great. They're both sarcastic and prone to making 80's references at the worst times. I can't wait to see them on screen together.
Angela showed up!! I love Angela! I really enjoyed her solo series and it was great seeing her interact with Gamora. They actually let Gamora lighten up a little bit here.
That was about all the compliments I have for this book. It wasn't very interesting outside of those tiny character interactions. It seemed a little like Bendis was biding time for the Infinity storyline.
Eh, not a recommend for me. You can see this adorable interactions all over Tumblr. That's sufficient.
Yeah, this wasn't great.
I enjoyed Tony continuing to work with the team. The chemistry between Tony and Peter is great. They're both sarcastic and prone to making 80's references at the worst times. I can't wait to see them on screen together.
Angela showed up!! I love Angela! I really enjoyed her solo series and it was great seeing her interact with Gamora. They actually let Gamora lighten up a little bit here.
That was about all the compliments I have for this book. It wasn't very interesting outside of those tiny character interactions. It seemed a little like Bendis was biding time for the Infinity storyline.
Eh, not a recommend for me. You can see this adorable interactions all over Tumblr. That's sufficient.
January 6, 2014
I really enjoyed volume 1 of Bendis Guardians of the Galaxy, but by volume 2 it's already losing steam. There's the fallout of Age of Ultron addressed a little with the introduction of Angela and a couple of tie-ins to Infinity. The thing with Angela is that I find it hard to care about her. Her most interesting quality is the legal battle for her copyright that happened in the real world. In this volume, it's mostly: Angela turns up, fight, sit around and talk about what it could mean, fight rinse and repeat. She needs... something, or she's in danger of becoming the next Sentry.
April 9, 2018
Actual Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars!
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!
This series is REALLY good so far and I'm happy to have witnessed the introduction of Angela to the Guardians!
I love how this really focused on the characters that I really wanted more of!
I'm loving Brian Michael Bendis' take on the Guardians so far, and I have high hopes for the rest of this run.
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!
This series is REALLY good so far and I'm happy to have witnessed the introduction of Angela to the Guardians!
I love how this really focused on the characters that I really wanted more of!
I'm loving Brian Michael Bendis' take on the Guardians so far, and I have high hopes for the rest of this run.
July 22, 2016
Gotta love Gamora
December 2, 2021
Like any other red-blooded American male who grew up watching Star Trek, Tony Stark always dreamed of making it with a green-skinned alien lady, and now that he’s in outer space taking a self-imposed sabbatical from the Avengers, opportunities abound. Unfortunately, Tony is way out of his depths here on oh-so many levels, and his amatory skills do little to improve Gamora’s poor impression of earthmen.
To make things even worse, angry angel Angela is on her way to Earth to kick some ass, newly sprung from her parallel reality by the tear in the space-time continuum unleashed at the end of The Age of Ultron, and the under-powered Iron Man can hardly help there, either.
So what does it all mean when a genetically enhanced raccoon, a talking tree, and two outer-space ladies can eclipse the might of the invincible Iron Man at every turn? Writer Brian Bendis provides some powerful blows to the bruised American male ego in these pages, and certainly, that neo-fascist twink from Missouri Josh Hawley would be no fan of this comic.
What’s next for poor Tony Stark, Josh? Pornography and video games?
++++++++++++++++++++
Bonus read: Josh Hawley’s masculine fixation
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics...
To make things even worse, angry angel Angela is on her way to Earth to kick some ass, newly sprung from her parallel reality by the tear in the space-time continuum unleashed at the end of The Age of Ultron, and the under-powered Iron Man can hardly help there, either.
So what does it all mean when a genetically enhanced raccoon, a talking tree, and two outer-space ladies can eclipse the might of the invincible Iron Man at every turn? Writer Brian Bendis provides some powerful blows to the bruised American male ego in these pages, and certainly, that neo-fascist twink from Missouri Josh Hawley would be no fan of this comic.
What’s next for poor Tony Stark, Josh? Pornography and video games?
++++++++++++++++++++
Bonus read: Josh Hawley’s masculine fixation
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics...
August 9, 2018
oops again
December 3, 2015
I only read this to get up to date for the Trial of Jean Grey.
Bendis's dialog is snappy and that's cool, but the story jumps around a good bit because of tie-ins that I've already read and forgotten about. Some stuff doesn't make sense, like when Groot is blown up and Raccoon guy says something about fixing that, but it's not explained how Groot comes back. Maybe I glazed over that part.
Then there is Angela, an outer space barbarian (read: half naked) female from Heven who Marvel apparently is propping up as she has her own book (I think) in the All New All Different All New 52 reboot or whatever. I don't think she adds a lot to the story except skin.
I don't know why I'm not enjoying this run of GotG, but I'm not.
Bendis's dialog is snappy and that's cool, but the story jumps around a good bit because of tie-ins that I've already read and forgotten about. Some stuff doesn't make sense, like when Groot is blown up and Raccoon guy says something about fixing that, but it's not explained how Groot comes back. Maybe I glazed over that part.
Then there is Angela, an outer space barbarian (read: half naked) female from Heven who Marvel apparently is propping up as she has her own book (I think) in the All New All Different All New 52 reboot or whatever. I don't think she adds a lot to the story except skin.
I don't know why I'm not enjoying this run of GotG, but I'm not.
July 23, 2015
Im starting to get into this series but GDit!!! This is the 3rd series of Marvel's that Im reading that is highjacked by Infinity! Plus now the series is also way laid by a cross over with The All-new X-men! Come on Marvel! Just let me enjoy a damn series!
Edit: Looking forward there is another event (Black Vortex) that screws up this series and ANXM! Like Son-of-a-bitch!
Edit: Looking forward there is another event (Black Vortex) that screws up this series and ANXM! Like Son-of-a-bitch!
March 13, 2015
Another enjoyable story about the Guardians of the Galaxy. It was cool to see Thanos. Wonder what is going to happen with Angela.
September 12, 2023
Age of Ultron hikayesinin sonunda boyutlarda açılan bir yırtılma sonucu ilk kez görücüye çıkan bu karakter tam olarak bu ciltle Marvel'a gelmiş oldu. Neil Gaiman ve Todd McFarlane'in ortak yaratımı Angela aslında Image Comics tarafından yayınlanan Spawn serisinden bir karakter iken Neil Gaiman'ın Marvel'a dönüşüyle Image'dan kopup gelmiş durumda.
Bu cildin en önemli özelliği Angela'yı okuyucuya tanıtmak olmalıymış fakat sadece göstermekle yetiniyor. Karakteri hiç tanımayanlar için pek detaylı bilgi barındırmıyor. Kabaca bir tanıtım içeriyor. Aksiyonda bol bol gördüğümüz için Bendis kendini bir nebze de olsa affettirmeyi başarıyor. Gamora vs Angela görülmeye değerdi.
İlk cildin kaldığı yerden devam eden bir hikaye var ama devamında çok dağılan bir konu var. Hem Age of Ultron hikayesinin etkilerini görüyoruz hem de hemen sonrasında Infinity hikayesinin uzantılı sayılarını okuyoruz. Sonra da birden hiç bu uzantılı sayıları okumamış gibi devam ediyoruz. Iron Man bir anda ekipten ayrıldı ve nasıl olduğunu bile anlayamadık. Biraz daha açıklanabilirmiş durumlar. Ben neler olduğunu bilsem de herkes crossover hikayeleri okumak zorunda değil ve olmamalı.
Infinity uzantılı sayıların çizim tarzı hiç hoşuma gitmedi ne yazık ki. Hemen sonrasındaki son bölüme ise bayıldım diyebilirim. Yine de keşke ilk ciltten çizer McNiven devam etseymiş.
Bu cildin en önemli özelliği Angela'yı okuyucuya tanıtmak olmalıymış fakat sadece göstermekle yetiniyor. Karakteri hiç tanımayanlar için pek detaylı bilgi barındırmıyor. Kabaca bir tanıtım içeriyor. Aksiyonda bol bol gördüğümüz için Bendis kendini bir nebze de olsa affettirmeyi başarıyor. Gamora vs Angela görülmeye değerdi.
İlk cildin kaldığı yerden devam eden bir hikaye var ama devamında çok dağılan bir konu var. Hem Age of Ultron hikayesinin etkilerini görüyoruz hem de hemen sonrasında Infinity hikayesinin uzantılı sayılarını okuyoruz. Sonra da birden hiç bu uzantılı sayıları okumamış gibi devam ediyoruz. Iron Man bir anda ekipten ayrıldı ve nasıl olduğunu bile anlayamadık. Biraz daha açıklanabilirmiş durumlar. Ben neler olduğunu bilsem de herkes crossover hikayeleri okumak zorunda değil ve olmamalı.
Infinity uzantılı sayıların çizim tarzı hiç hoşuma gitmedi ne yazık ki. Hemen sonrasındaki son bölüme ise bayıldım diyebilirim. Yine de keşke ilk ciltten çizer McNiven devam etseymiş.
April 24, 2022
3.5 rounded up to 4. bendis writes so much fun guardians banter. this switches art styles for a few issues but i actually didn’t mind it.
July 5, 2015
All of my commentary for Volume 1 of Brian Michael Bendis's run on Guardians of the Galaxy still applies for Volume 2. It's great, fun, epic space opera. Volume 2 manages to kick things up another notch by introducing us to the character Angela. A mysterious warrior from a dimension known as "Heven," Angela was cast from her home into the Marvel Universe by a cataclysmic rip in the space-time continuum. Peter Quill (a.k.a Star-Lord) the leader of the Guardians has sensed this space-time distortion and learns from inter-galactic villain Thanos that this event emanated from Quill's home planet Earth. Angela joins our heroes to stop Thanos' invasion of Earth.
Like the first volume, this story is packed with action, great humor, and memorable characters. My favorite scene had to be the meeting between Star-Lord and Thanos, during which the "Mad Titan" gives a truly epic villainous monologue. Villain monologues are hard to pull off without sounding cheesy and lame, but Bendis manages to keep a sense of menace dripping off of Thanos' every word. He's truly an intimidating villain. Bendis also manages to successfully imitate the quirky humor and zany dialogue of the Guardians movie.
As in Volume 1 the art is fantastic, although on some splash pages it was hard to follow the sequence of panels, and I got lost on several occasions. This was small issue in Vol. 1, but actually got worse in this installment.
Like the majority of contemporary comics, Guardians of the Galaxy is not a stand-alone book. Volume 2 is heavily connected to the "Infinity" crossover event, and the liberation of Earth from Thanos is not directly touched upon here, which annoyed me a bit. It's getting harder and harder to find a truly self-contained story in comics any more.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this second volume of Guardians and am actually looking forward to reading their subsequent crossover with the X-Men.
Like the first volume, this story is packed with action, great humor, and memorable characters. My favorite scene had to be the meeting between Star-Lord and Thanos, during which the "Mad Titan" gives a truly epic villainous monologue. Villain monologues are hard to pull off without sounding cheesy and lame, but Bendis manages to keep a sense of menace dripping off of Thanos' every word. He's truly an intimidating villain. Bendis also manages to successfully imitate the quirky humor and zany dialogue of the Guardians movie.
As in Volume 1 the art is fantastic, although on some splash pages it was hard to follow the sequence of panels, and I got lost on several occasions. This was small issue in Vol. 1, but actually got worse in this installment.
Like the majority of contemporary comics, Guardians of the Galaxy is not a stand-alone book. Volume 2 is heavily connected to the "Infinity" crossover event, and the liberation of Earth from Thanos is not directly touched upon here, which annoyed me a bit. It's getting harder and harder to find a truly self-contained story in comics any more.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this second volume of Guardians and am actually looking forward to reading their subsequent crossover with the X-Men.
December 18, 2014
This book really starts to develop their personalities - and I enjoyed the way Rocket especially was written.
But isn't this Angela from Image? After some research, I found out that Neil Gaiman (!) created Angela in the Spawn comics and after some legal wrangling got the full rights to her, and then sold them to Marvel. So Spawn's Angela is now sister to Thor and Loki! Weird.
About halfway through I loved the change in art style - but I couldn't figure out who the artist was. The inking in that section was pretty cool, too.
One unfortunate thing was that this crossed over with the Age of Ultron storyline, so I think that some of the story ended up over there and didn't make it into this book.
But isn't this Angela from Image? After some research, I found out that Neil Gaiman (!) created Angela in the Spawn comics and after some legal wrangling got the full rights to her, and then sold them to Marvel. So Spawn's Angela is now sister to Thor and Loki! Weird.
About halfway through I loved the change in art style - but I couldn't figure out who the artist was. The inking in that section was pretty cool, too.
One unfortunate thing was that this crossed over with the Age of Ultron storyline, so I think that some of the story ended up over there and didn't make it into this book.
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