CREDIT: Marvel Comics
Rating: 3/5 – Does Not Stand Out From the Wide Field of GotG Books.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Adam Alamo.
With a successfully relaunched volume last year and a new movie premiering soon, it seems Guardians of the Galaxy (GotG) is all the rage these days. I would argue rightly so, as it features a ragtag cast of interesting and unique characters that offers something to please everyone’s palette. Taking advantage of this momentum, Marvel has released movie tie-ins, one-shots, reprints, and solo adventures to expand the GotG brand. The latest release, Legendary Star-Lord #1, follows the solo exploits of the GotG leader, Peter Quill. With the movie weeks away, I thought it was a good opportunity to get to know what makes him “legendary.”
The issue starts off promising, giving the reader a glimpse into Peter Quill’s childhood. I was a big fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 release that heavily featured his childhood. I was hoping for more of the same. Unfortunately, the glimpse in this issue is simply that, a small and mostly insignificant bit of his childhood. The majority of the issue featured standard fare for a GotG story: Peter fighting bad guys, Peter getting caught, Peter making smart-aleck remarks, and Peter escaping. Writer Sam Humphries tried to tie it all together with that bit of childhood memory to give the reader meaningful insight into Peter, but I thought it fell flat. The issue also makes mention of spoiler-filled events that have yet to take place in the GotG main title, which I find inexcusable. Then again, last month GotG featured a cover introducing a new member that was nowhere to be seen. On a positive note, Peter makes contact with Kitty Pryde after the events of the GotG/All-New X-Men crossover. This is the kind of stuff I want to see! Art by Paco Medina was also pretty good. The style is in line with most of the art featured in the GotG main title, which I think helps tie the books together in a subliminal way.
Overall Legendary Star-Lord #1 did little to promote Peter Quill’s “legendary” status. It had the opportunity to reintroduce this character in a way that was meaningful and added depth. Instead, the story was an average day in the life of the Star-Lord and average will not make it stand out from the crowded field of Guardians of the Galaxy related releases. It ends with a surprise reveal/cliffhanger, but that alone was not enough to bring me back next issue.
Reviewed by: Adam Alamo
(adam@comicspectrum.com)
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