Blueblazes, I'm Awesome!!! Nova Corps Appreciation

[Trevel8182]

[Trevel8182]

http://marvel.com/news/comics/2014/8...a_gerry_duggan

[THANOSRULES]

Hate to say but I don't care for the new artists...they draw the boy too tawny scrawny and make me never forget he is a 15 year old child.

[Trevel8182]

Captain Falcon! The Greatest Nova Corpsman!

[50yearoldNovafan]

Hate to say but I don't care for the new artists...they draw the boy too tawny scrawny and make me never forget he is a 15 year old child.

You're right. He looks a bit young.

[Mikekerr3]

You're right. He looks a bit young.

He should look young he is a child

[Trevel8182]

Guardians 19

Cancerverse Freaks!

[Trevel8182]

[Trevel8182]

https://www.teepublic.com/show/57927...galaxy-needs#.

[Trevel8182]

Early Review of Guardians 18 Newsarma

Given all the hype following the Guardians of the Galaxy film, the actual comic book series has been flighty and unfocused - and before you get too amped up, this week's issue from Brian Michael Bendis doesn't really buck that trend. But what it does do is start to wrap up some long-standing threads that have dangled since this series' debut: Namely, how is Star-Lord still alive following the events of The Thanos Imperative? And what does that mean for some other major Marvel cosmic characters? The answers here are still frustratingly incomplete, but thanks to Ed McGuinness giving this issue a big shot in the arm visually, it's still an engaging bit of sci-fi action.

For the past year, Brian Michael Bendis hasn't gotten too concerned about the return of space-faring ne'er-do-well Peter Quill, a.k.a. the legendary Star-Lord. So admittedly, it feels a little abrupt to find Quill suddenly tied to a chair and interrogated by Gamora, the most dangerous woman in the galaxy, asking about the fates of the other characters who were thought to have died with him. Make no mistake, even though this is a new volume of Guardians of the Galaxy, this issue really focuses as a flashback to Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's acclaimed run, as Quill describes he and Nova's final fight in the Cancerverse against Thanos. As a premise, it feels like we're finally answering questions that are long past their expiration date - Thanos has already long come back in Infinity, and we've had a new Nova since Avengers vs. X-Men, and injecting Drax into the mix feels like it's adding in complications that weren't even needed.

In other words, if you're reading this comic for the story, you're probably out of luck. Bendis doesn't fully answer all his questions, and in true Bendis style, this issue ends when we're really only halfway through the story.

This is where Ed McGuinness comes in. This is a showcase for McGuinness, 100 percent. His characters are bulky, strong, larger than life, and watching Nova blaze with energy as he runs towards Thanos is great to see. (Not to mention seeing Quill in his old Annihilation-era costume!) Admittedly, the energy of this issue is sapped a bit by some too-dark coloring by Justin Ponsor, but make no mistake, McGuinness draws some of the best superhero slugfests in the business. There's a real cartoony cleanliness to his lines, particularly the ways that his characters are so expressive as they beat the tar out of each other, and being paired up with inker Mark Farmer is a great matchup.

That said, it's hard to spoil a comic like this, because there's really not much to it. Bendis is only starting to tease the answers to Star-Lord's seeming resurrection, and even that feels like window dressing to the battle royale between Star-Lord, Nova, Drax and Thanos. It's a comic that looks great, but is also almost completely calorie-free in terms of its narrative. Thankfully, Ed McGuinness is a beast of an artist, and that's what saves Guardians of the Galaxy #18 - if it was a lesser artist working on this issue, this would have been a massive fizzle. As it stands, it's a fun diversion, even if it doesn't measure up to the hefty bar that their Hollywood counterparts have set.

Comicosity Review
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #18
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Ed McGuinness
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: August 27, 2014

A burning question is finally asked as Peter Quill is put in the hot seat about what really went down in the Cancerverse in Guardians of the Galaxy #18.

Folks who have been reading the Marvel Cosmic books for the past few years, or have caught up with all the Guardians movie buzz have been wondering something for well over a year now: what the hell happened to Richard Ryder? Prior to this iteration of Guardians of the Galaxy being launched, readers assumed Nova, Star-Lord and Thanos were engaged in a battle royale for the ages in the Cancerverse, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, Star-Lord and Thanos are back on the scene. What went down? Where is Richard Ryder?

Brian Michael Bendis is finally going to give readers some closure, starting with this issue of Guardians. Bendis sets up the situation well, highlighting the relevant information to be able to understand the story if you haven’t read the older issues, and bring you back up to speed if it has been awhile. He handles these characters well, Star-Lord is very consistently Star-Lord, and Thanos is as conniving and cunning as ever. I was impressed by how well Bendis writes Richard Ryder, and just how badly I found I want that character back to at least serve as a mentor to young Sam Alexander. The dynamic between Star-Lord and Nova is great, a Rocket/Groot-level bromance that is a ton of fun to read, and their banter brings a great dynamic to this issue.

Bendis keeps the surprises coming as the story unfolds, and leaves things hanging at a skillfully timed cliffhanger. You’ll be wanting issue #19 badly when you finish this one, I can guarantee you that. While this issue does not contain the big reveal of exactly what happened in the Cancerverse, it is well written and sets up a foundation for a great next issue. Rather than rush this story and slam it into a single comic, Bendis paces it nicely, giving readers a good glimpse at what happened in this other universe without rushing it and cheating readers of a fleshed out story.

Ed McGuinness pencils this issue well, highlighting the power of all the characters involved very well. These are heavy hitters in this issue, and McGuinness makes sure you don’t forget it. He builds a dynamic and dangerous Cancerverse and an imposing Thanos, showcasing the threat that Nova and Star-Lord are facing in this place. He handles the big action sequences well, but some of his strongest work is during the less-intense portions of the issue. He uses shadow very well throughout the issue, not something I typically associate with Ed McGuinness, and it tempers the colourful and dynamic images in the Cancerverse well. Guardians of the Galaxy has featured an all-star cast of artists, and McGuinness holds his own with this issue.

Guardians of the Galaxy #18 is a rock solid comic that brings readers closer to the answers of what happened to the original Nova and how Thanos came back on the scene to wreak the havoc that was Infinity. It doesn’t get more A-list than Bendis and McGuinness and the two bring their best to this issue. It is a must-read for Guardians fans and anyone who has read the Cosmic titles in the past decade. That last page will grab you, and I know I’m itching for #19.

The Verdict: 8.5/10

Comicvine

The Good

Oh Richard Rider, where have you been? There's nothing like the long-standing death of a character to bring out the tears and frustrations in fans. Back during THE THANOS IMPERATIVE, we saw several characters, such as Star-Lord, Nova, Drax, and Thanos, meet their end. Not to long after, we saw all had returned, except Nova. We didn't even get an explanation as to how they returned. They simply showed up AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #4 and we were left wondering what was going on.

There was an issue (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #8, I believe) where Gamora tried finding out the truth from Star-Lord. Now Gamora has decided to find out, once and for all, what exactly happened. She is forcing Peter Quill to finally reveal the truth.

What this involves is a flashback to what happened in between the pages in THE THANOS IMPERATIVE. We were left seeing Star-Lord and Nova rushing towards Thanos with the cosmic cube they had acquired. It then cut to three days later, at their memorial. Going back and getting to see what happened during that time is fascinating. With each page, you'll find yourself carefully reading every single word in anticipation of finding out the truth and not wanting to miss anything. Do we get all the answers? Keep reading.

Ed McGuinness' art is fantastic here. As you can maybe imagine, this final moment between the heroes and Thanos is pretty explosive. McGuinness tackles it all and you can almost feel every punch and impact. This issue looks as good as you'd want it to be.
The Bad

We are starting to get some answers but that's the thing, "starting." Readers (and likely editorial) wouldn't want this story/revelation to zip out. We've waited for some time so we'd want it done right. The problem is the way the solicitation reads, it felt as if we'd find out everything here. "Now, thanks to the events of Original Sin, the truth is about to come out!" Maybe that is accurate, "about to come out." It's mainly because I first became a Richard Rider fan in the 80s, I want to know what happened. Is it greedy? Selfish? Am I impatient? Maybe. This is a really good issue. It's cool going back to the Cancerverse to see the final moments with these characters. It just felt a little dragged out and kind of like a tease. Hopefully we will find out next issue.
The Verdict

The moment many of us have been waiting for, the secret behind what happened to Nova is coming. The good and bad thing is we don't get all the answers in this issue. As important as this story is to Richard Rider fans, it's not one that we would rushed or cranked out. Brian Michael Bendis takes us back to the in-between-the-pages moment from when we last saw Star-Lord and Nova together and their memorial. Ed McGuinness' art is great to see here and there's plenty of action to enjoy. If you're a fan of Richard Rider or have been wondering what happened to him, you'll want to see how it all plays out.

[KurtW95]

So, it seems we don't find Rich's status out yet.

[Drakeon]

Given that it is a three issue arc, did anyone really think this issue would explain anything?

[Trevel8182]

Just a heads up. If you where wondering if Byndis would continue messing up Riders name, he does! EVERY.......SINGLE.........TIME!

[Drakeon]

Either he's doing it on purpose or the book has a horrible editor.

Or both.

[50yearoldNovafan]

Either he's doing it on purpose or the book has a horrible editor.

Or both.

Maybe there is a mandate to change the spelling of his name, because everything is becoming way to politically correct. If it is on purpose, Marvel is trying to ween juvenile people from the "D" Rider jokes. If it is not on purpose, this editor is just not doing his job and is getting paid even though he is overlooking something so simple - over and over.