CREDIT: Marvel
Rating: 4/5 – A Romantic Adventure Before The Black Vortex Arrives.
by ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas
Legendary Star-Lord is a fun book! Over the course of its six issues, it has never taken itself too seriously, infusing comedy and a little bit of romance right alongside the dangerous space adventure. Writer Sam Humphries and artist Paco Medina are doing a nice job of trying to match that same balance of seriousness and fun that the Guardians of the Galaxy movie did so well, and so far I think they’re succeeding. This sixth issue is probably the least serious issue of the run so far as it deals heavily with the ongoing relationship between Star Lord and Kitty Pride.
Earlier this year, Marvel teamed up the X-Men with the Guardians of the Galaxy in the crossover event Trial of Jean Grey. In February, these two teams along with Nova, Captain Marvel, and more will do so again in The Black Vortex. The seeds of that story have been planted in the last couple issues of Star Lord, and we see a big reveal towards the end of this issue that will have major ramifications for the event, but the majority of this issue deals with Peter Quill trying to have a nice quiet date with Kitty. At every turn things seem to go wrong as the Slaughter Squad keeps interrupting his well intended plans. It’s a cute issue that has some funny and light-hearted moments before the next big event.
Artist Paco Medina is really making this book his own. Paco is tasked with drawing a wide range of emotions and body language in this issue and he does so wonderfully. The facial expressions go a long way in a story like this and Medina nails them. The romantic moments stand out in particular as Medina chooses to use larger panels and close ups to set the mood, then quickly takes the camera back in order to get back into the action. The inks by Juan Vlasco do just enough to keep the pencils clean but defined, adding some great depth to overall look.
After the success of the movie, Marvel continues to put a greater emphasis on the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise announcing a couple of new series and giving them a big event (Black Vortex) early next year. Legendary Star-Lord continues to ride the line between fun and action. Although this issue is heavy on the fun, it’s still an important piece in Black Vortex, this series is laying the foundation for that event, but doing so in a way that doesn’t feel heavy or dire. I’m excited for the upcoming event, and I’m having fun on the journey there.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
https://comicspectrum.com/ Covering the full spectrum of comics culture
Follow ComicSpectrum: 
ComicSpectrum Comic Reviews 