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thealucinaut 's review for:
Probably like 3.75 stars. Cates's writing is strong and slick as always, Smith's are is pretty good, but not unlike the first one I'd say it struggles juuuust a little to find its footing. The post-film era Guardians have been in a constant state of flux, cycling through new series and creative teams at an alarming rate, and so the in-story team seems to be similarly all over the place. I know this is the case with just about all modern day superhero comics from the Big Two, but Guardians seems to really struggle to go much longer than a year with any given iteration. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I feel like every year the team is restructuring and rebuilding as the new creatives set the table before they swing right out the door. I know that Cates, who managed to reach a 35 issue run on Venom, left this book to take over Thor from Jason Aaron after his acclaimed seven-year run on Thor. (Speaking of the rare run on a book that manages to last, even though Aaron himself wrote six or seven #1 issues!) I wonder how long Cates would've stayed had he not got that other job. I wonder how long he'll stay on Thor!
Anyway, this arc is pretty good. It kind of builds itself as a culmination of all of Cates's cosmic Marvel writing, which we know isn't true because that was King in Black, such as it was, and he's still on Thor besides, and as a big endpoint I'm not sure how satisfying this arc was. As a rousing Guardians tale with a focus on Rocket, it's fun. Maybe a little lore-dependent, but I like that now and again, when I'm fortunate to remember the lore in question. I'm excited to read Al Ewing's follow-up to this series, but as of this writing HE just ended HIS run at 20 issues! So I don't know, maybe Guardians doesn't sell well enough to sustain long runs? Maybe it's kind of stepping stone where writers go play until they get a big book? (I think Ewing is being absorbed into the Krakoa X-books team.) Maybe the Guardians movie so fundamentally altered what these characters are that they'll forever flounder in a flux state between the two versions? Maybe long runs are dead in the era of extremely corporate superhero comics? (Don't tell Jason Aaron, who is already 50 issues deep, though it's only been four years thanks to the weekly schedule.)
As long as there keeps being good zany fun rad space comics, I won't complain too much! (Or maybe I just did?)
Anyway, this arc is pretty good. It kind of builds itself as a culmination of all of Cates's cosmic Marvel writing, which we know isn't true because that was King in Black, such as it was, and he's still on Thor besides, and as a big endpoint I'm not sure how satisfying this arc was. As a rousing Guardians tale with a focus on Rocket, it's fun. Maybe a little lore-dependent, but I like that now and again, when I'm fortunate to remember the lore in question. I'm excited to read Al Ewing's follow-up to this series, but as of this writing HE just ended HIS run at 20 issues! So I don't know, maybe Guardians doesn't sell well enough to sustain long runs? Maybe it's kind of stepping stone where writers go play until they get a big book? (I think Ewing is being absorbed into the Krakoa X-books team.) Maybe the Guardians movie so fundamentally altered what these characters are that they'll forever flounder in a flux state between the two versions? Maybe long runs are dead in the era of extremely corporate superhero comics? (Don't tell Jason Aaron, who is already 50 issues deep, though it's only been four years thanks to the weekly schedule.)
As long as there keeps being good zany fun rad space comics, I won't complain too much! (Or maybe I just did?)