Guardians of the Galaxy #1

While we're still a long ways from comparing Guardians of the Galaxy to the cosmic likes of Annihilation or War of Kings, it's safe to say the company has a hit on its hands with this one. Read Full Review

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 was a strong kick off for a series thats lost its way over the years. With the new team and mission, Cates and Shaw have an easy winner on their hands and Im looking forward to seeing how they establish this new era. Read Full Review

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is perfection for both longtime fans and new readers alike. In Cates & Shaw we trust. Read Full Review

Geoff Shaw delivers some breathtaking and beautiful art in this first issue. From the reading of Thanos Will to the battle against the Black Order, Shaw delivers amazingly detailed scenes that are action packed. Read Full Review

Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw, the team behind THANOS, reunite to give us a huge cosmic story in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1! Cates pulls no punches, and Shaw's artwork is great. One of the best Marvel #1's in recent memory! Read Full Review

Packed with epic action, a well-curated cast of characters, and a unique self-awareness,Guardians of the Galaxy (2019-) #1is a near-perfect debut issue that showcases all the makings of an epic series. Read Full Review

Cates and Shaw have created a story that excites much like the Guardians movie by reminding us why a ragtag group of misfits banding together is such an exciting way to tell a story. If this is any indication, the Marvel cosmic universe is only going to get better. Read Full Review

The first exciting new chapter for the Guardians in I dont know how long, Guardians of the Galaxy #1 sees two of Marvels best young creators operating with giant ambitions, and they absolutely deliver. This is a big story, one worthy of involving the entire galaxy. Read Full Review

The colors by Marte Gracia are very dynamic, especially when *redacted for spoiler throws his *redacted for spoiler to get *redacted for spoiler out of *redacted for spoiler, saving the team. Read Full Review

The creative team melts nicely, one into the other, as Guardians of the Galaxy begin to take shape. Clearly, these four comic book creators are having a lot of fun with this project, and I had a lot of fun reading it. Of the half dozen-plus Guardians of the Galaxy #1 comics Ive read, this one has me most looking forward to what we get next. Read Full Review

This book going to be huge and Cates is really doing some awesome things blazing a new trail in Marvel Cosmic and now he has been able to effectively shed some of the burden of catching people up we are really going to see this book get crazy. BUY IT! Read Full Review

It ends with a declarative statement of what the Guardians of the Galaxy 2019 look like, a solid face of villainy, and the promise of a wild ride ahead. Read Full Review

The formation of the new team is a cool and delightful moment that leaves the reader excited for the future. Read Full Review

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 started off the new series with a bang. It's not the series I expected"but I think it could be even better than that. It's amazing how many characters and locations they were able to fit into just a single issue, and how they succeeded in keeping them all distinct. The plot looks like it's going to be an interesting one. Even though it's only going to be six issues long, it's clear that they have big goals to reach within that time frame. I also have a feeling that the events that occur within this series will end up affecting other series" Read Full Review

Let's hope they can keep this going. Read Full Review

For what’s essentially a table-setting issue, Cates and Shaw do a great job at instilling a sense of stakes and dread in Guardians of the Galaxy #1, a story that not only resurrects the threat of Thanos, but brings a new life and sense of purpose to a team that has been fractured and manhandled frequently since their big screen homecoming. There’s a lot going on in this giant-sized debut, but if you’re a fan of the Marvel Cosmic Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy #1 is absolutely a must-read. Read Full Review

An all-around solid number 1 issue with plenty of story to keep the kiddies entertained for a solid amount of time. And it's so dense with background characters that it will keep readers glued to the page for hours! Read Full Review

Final Verdict: 8.0 " "Guardians of the Galaxy" #1 hits the perfect tone for cosmic Marvel and leaves the reader excited for more. Read Full Review

Guardians of the Galaxy is a title that has tons of potential. If Cates can get this roster to mesh and work successfully together and then give the reader something a bit fresher to deal with than Thanos then I think Guardians of the Galaxy will turn out to be a blast to read. Read Full Review

This issue didn’t quite suck me in like other Cates number ones have, but it scratches the itch for cosmic Marvel that’s been absent or rather mediocre since Duggan’s Guardians ended. There are nitpicks to be had but the plot has clear potential. It’s not all it could be presumably due to some deadlines and uninteresting shading, but the art serves the story well enough and might improve in turn. Read Full Review

First issue of the new relaunch goes off without a hitch, with solid characters, interesting plot and stellar art. Read Full Review

Presumably the people who have been reading the latest Infinity War mini-series may find this engaging but the rest of us will be horribly confused and the artwork isn't good enough to make it worth muddling through the story. Read Full Review

It's an "Everything you know is WRONG" plot, but it has some strong moments and assembles a weird cast of characters for what could a whole new Guardians era. Here's hoping Cosmic Ghost Rider as a character can carry the load. Read Full Review

Final Verdict: 5.9 " the individual chapters aren't bad, but this issue never feels like its telling a real story Read Full Review

NickGarof

Jan 23, 2019

Cates is great at taking what may look like a bad idea and turning it into a creative one.

DS4252

Jan 25, 2019

Loved it! The writing by Donny Cates was as on point as always and Geoff Shaw's pencils were fantastic.

Jon Comics

Feb 09, 2019

Great set up issue. It seems that Cates will be taking the epic route of the Abnett and Lanning days, rather than trying to make the Guardians an irrelevant copy/paste of the movie characters, which prett much sums up Bendis’run. The issue takes the rug from under you pretty fast, assembles a great cast and sets up a big cosmic epic. First rate.

thorstone

Jan 23, 2019

It seems like things just keep getting better for Guardians fans. Maybe not for fans of the lineup from the movies that have been the norm in comics for the past 10 years (as that's now a thing of the past after Infinity Wars), but each time we get a new writer, it seems that we get closer and closer to the popular "as good as DnA" level that Guardians comics get judged upon. When Duggan took over, it was definitely a breath of fresh air for the team, but now with Donny Cates in charge, one issue in and we're introduced to one heck of a story and one hell of a new Guardians team that appears to be closer to that level than... well... since DnA. The forced humor we saw in the Bendis era is mostly gone, and this continues Duggan's trend of fi xing things from that series as well as raising the stakes and adding a much-needed seriousness, in what is one of the best #1's I've read in a while, as I had high hopes for this series and they were met or exceeded on almost every level. Of course, the final, official, new lineup isn't what many probably expected from the big roster showcased on the cover, but it's still promising enough to guarantee this will be a must-read series. more

Bill Blaze

Jan 24, 2019

Yes! This is so good. Cates and Shaw kill it! So creative and so entertaining. Let's hope these guys keep the momentum going 'cause this will be epic.

SloboSOY

Jan 25, 2019

I wasn't supposed to take it. I didn't like the gardians since they reappear after Annihilation. I was more a fan of the old 90's team. But I have to say this issue is very strong. I turn each page with a eager I didn't have for some time. The joke about Richard Ryder is funny. And for now all thing make sense. I'm sure the cast we lost there will reappear shortly but this was very surprising. Love how the Black Order was use. They are Brightest than on No surrender or even their own title. Cover - I take the variant poster. Very beautiful & related in some way. 2/2 Writing - The fact is I didn't like Starlord or Cosmic Ghost Ryder, but damn for now I can tollerate them. Maybe Cates will finally succeed to make me like them both. 2.5/3 Arts - What a level of art. It was perfect. Even if their is panel without a real background, but ut only on the space part, so it's safe to say it's normal. 3/3 Feeling - They perfectly turn my mind and now I ready for next issue. 2/2 more

Psycamorean

Jan 25, 2019

What should I say? This is a Donny Cates comic, so obviously it's written well. And Goeff Shaw is drawing it, so it looks great. It's a great comic. Shocking no one.

Orcam03

Feb 11, 2019

Donny Cates is really on roll nowadays. Guardians really does not disappoint, the premise is ingenious, having Thanos transfer his consciousness into somebody and then have the characters go on a goose chase to find and kill that person. The new team is really cool, im looking forward to seeing their dynamic. I really hope Cates just goes insane with this and gives the most awesome shit possible.

Spacey Medicine

Jun 03, 2019

Cosmic Ghost Rider is perfect sorry not sorry.

thecomiccookebook

Jan 23, 2019

It comes at no surprise to me that this is yet another Donny Cates book that tickles my fancy. The great "God Country"/"Thanos Wins" pairing of Cates and Shaw return for the first Guardians book that I thoroughly enjoyed since Abnett and Lanning. I love that he builds upon current continuity while still making it accessible and unique. I cant wait for the next issue.

Nickweiser

Jan 23, 2019

I am in love with this new line up. This comic is gonna be a wild ride!

mrDovydas

Mar 09, 2019

What a wonderful introduction. Cates does a fantastic job at setting up the main setting of the story, and the Guardians read like proper Guardians once again. Shaw's artwork is incredible as always, and suits the book very well. Hopefully, this will pave the way for the other Marvel Cosmic stories.

M1sf1r3

Jan 10, 2020

Prelude: It's time for Donny Cates' Guardians of the Galaxy. After Thanos Wins and Cosmic Ghost Rider, Cates has made quite a name for himself in Marvel Cosmic. Let's see how that fares here. The Good: This is an interesting follow up to Infinity Wars and the Final Gauntlet is interesting. Geoff Shaw's art is really well done. Cosmic Ghost Rider was great. Hela is an interesting villain for this. The Bad: It's lacking on the Guardians side of things. Conclusion: A great start from Cates, though it does lack in the Guardians department but that should pick up soon.

SpiderKnight

Jan 23, 2019

OVERVIEW Guardians of the Galaxy #1 a) Writing/Script= 8.8/10 (Donny Cates) b) Art= 8.3/10 (Geoff Shaw) c) Colours= 8.0/10 (Marte Gracia) Average= 8.37/10 Donny Cates does a great job in setting up the new Guardians of the Galaxy team with a good reveal at the end. Meanwhile, the art and colours have let me down. Geoff Shaw's art was inconsistent at times for me. At some panels the art was good but in the other panels the art felt rushed and i know this isnt Geoff Shaw's best work. The fans of the "Thanos Wins" story know how great Geoff Shaw's art can get but sadly this isnt his best work. That being said the art still wasnt bad, it was still good but not "Thanos Wins" good. The colours at the first 10 to 15 pages were just ok but in the rest of the book it got better. Overall, great writing and script from Donny Cates. The art could have been better and the colours by Marte Gracia were just ok. more

Cyclone

Jan 24, 2019

It’s mostly just set up and bringing the team together. But there are some interesting ideas at play and I’m looking forward to seeing how the team deals with them.

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

May 31, 2019

No one's ever really gone. Rocket can't be Thanos' new host... can he?

CrazyforRAMU

Aug 06, 2019

I enjoyed this plenty, even though I've got a pretty bad case of Thanos fatigue. In hindsight, after reading the whole arc, the identity of Thanos's Horcrux is clear but not blatantly obvious here. That's pretty dang good strategic writing.

Andrew

Jul 02, 2024

1)Writing 8/10 2)Art 8/10 3)Colours 8/10 Overall it was a fun read. Interested to see the stories this Guardians line up will have.

egonnn244

Jan 27, 2019

"We don't talk about Rocket" I'm not well versed in Marvels' space mythology so names like Moondragon or Eros ring zero bells for me, but this was an enjoyable issue. It starts a bit wordy but quickly jumps into details with Thanos' testament and then head first into some pretty good looking action. The story itself seems to be heading in a direction of some fun, universe spanning adventure. Also, Groot can talk in full sentences. That's good. I don't really know what led the universe to the state it is or how Thanos lost a very important part of his body, but I'm going to be on the lookout for the next issue.

Full Spread

Jan 25, 2019

Feels like an event. The characters have personality and the art is robust, but GOTG #1 doesn't have the thematic or emotional resonance that made the movies so iconic. "You're just angry because this isn't like the movies," I can hear you saying. Well, like I said, this is an entertaining read. However, it has no depth. It's just going through the motions you'd expect in an event or crossover. Not much more.

+ Like • Comments (1)

egonnn244 - Jan 27, 2019

Are GOTG movies really considered iconic? I don't know, I wouldn't go that far.

Kreniigh

Jan 31, 2019

Cates seems to be another excellent indie writer who's a bad fit for shared universe work. He may have a good idea for a story here, but like Death of the Inhumans it's awkwardly jammed into existing continuity. In an indie series, you can write a story in which it's reasonable to kill a bunch of the most powerful beings in the universe to prevent a cosmic tyrant from reincarnating in their bodies, and create a character who'd be likely to suggest it, but the MU is not a place where that makes sense, and Starfox is not a character who'd make that suggestion. (He's so far out of character here that I wonder if he's supposed to be Thanos... But all the other attendees are pretty dumb not to pick up on it.) Minor quibbles: I guess "Groo t is a sullen teenager" has leaked in from the movies; I suppose next issue Hela will be referred to as Thor's sister. And WTAF is Howard the Duck doing at the meeting? more