Sunday 3 November 2013

Guardians of the Galaxy #8 Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Francesco Francavilla

Since it started Guardians of the Galaxy has been a very fun and enjoyable series, as although it has been slightly inconsistent at times it is usually very entertaining, and has turned me into a fan of it's characters. I have however of late been really looking forward to it's part in Infinity, especially considering Thanos has appeared in this series for different reasons as of late.

Plot


As Thanos' army is invading the Earth the Guardians of the Galaxy get a distress call from Abigail Brand.

Review


This was a brilliant issue, as although the star wasn't very new reader friendly, it would soon become a very exciting issue that was very entertaining. Brian Michael Bendis has been doing a fantastic job with this series, and he continues that here, as he managed to give some very interesting developments, whilst making it fit into the Infinity event in a very unique, but fitting way. The issue would also flow very smoothly, being brilliantly paced, also being very dramatic and suspenseful at times. The dialogue would also once again be outstanding, adding the perfect tone to the issue, and I especially enjoyed that Bendis addressed the "Blam! I just murdered you!" catchphrase of Rocker Raccoon.

I wasn't too sure what to make of the artwork in this issue, as although I usually really enjoy Francesco Francavilla's artwork, it didn't really fit this series. The detail throughout his artwork would also be a bit inconsistent, as although there would be some highly detailed sequences, there were some rough panels that were a bit jarring. I did however love the layout from Francavilla, and I loved the space sequences, feeling that they were very dynamic, having a lot of tone. I also loved the action sequences in this issue, as Francavilla would make them very exciting and explosive, with the layouts helping with the flow of the sequences.

This issue would start with Gamora and Star-Lord (Peter Quill) discussing Thanos' invasion of the Earth, and some deal that Peter and Drax the Destroyer made with Thanos. Now I have only been following the Guardians of the Galaxy since the start of this series so don't have a clue what they are discussing here. I did however enjoy the overall tone of the sequence as well as the intensity within it. It was also interesting to see the two once again disagreeing over what the team should do, and the way that this would continue throughout the first half of this issue was also very interesting, and I look forward to any development from this.

Near the start of this issue the Guardians of the Galaxy would get a message from Abigail Brand, asking the Guardians to save her. It was very interesting to see Abigail added to this issue, as due to the Peak being featured in the main Infinity event, it is nice to see the head of S.W.O.R.D. make an appearance in this issue, tying the series in even more with the event. This development would also add to the disagreement between Peter and Gamora and would overall turn out to be a brilliant catalyst for the issue.

There would also be plenty of action in this issue as the Guardians of the Galaxy went to save Abigail. As usual with Bendis the dialogue during this action sequence would also help to make it that bit more entertaining, as although it was exciting enough, the brilliant interaction between Peter and Rocket Raccoon would add a lot of humour to the sequence. The only small annoyance I had with the action was that it could have really been any alien threat that the Guardians were against, as the artwork wouldn't make much distinction, with the Guardians taking the whole of the spotlight, though that wasn't really a bad thing.

Final Verdict


This was an amazing issue, and although the start wasn't very new reader friendly the issue would soon become extremely entertaining and exciting. The art from Francavilla didn't however suit the series, as although there was some amazing moments, it was mostly rather jarring and awkward, having the wrong tone for the series. The issue would however also have some brilliant interactions and explosive action and overall I'd highly recommend this, though it's not necessary for anyone looking for Infinity tie-ins that are closer linked to the main event.

Rating: 8/10

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