SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK, I’M ABOUT TO RUIN IT FOR YOU.

Here we are. Issue #5 of Guardians of the Galaxy. I LOVE THIS FREAKING COMIC! That being said, I’m reading so much hate on this book lately, it’s unreal. So let’s clear some things up.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: With Bendis books, Marvel readies the ramp-up to next year’s film

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/guardians-of-the-galaxy-with-bendis-books-marvel-readies-the-ramp-up-to-next-years-film/2013/06/21/796c4f7e-d894-11e2-9df4-895344c13c30_blog.html

An interview with Bendis, talking about being on the committee for the movie, and bringing the comic back BECAUSE of the movie…

http://marvel.com/news/story/19545/marvel_now_qa_guardians_of_the_galaxy

Bendis and Marvel are using this title to tie the core story into the movie. This is a bridge series. They’re changing the characters to more of the way they were (specifically Peter) in their origins. These aren’t the characters we saw in Conquest. They’re mixing what the movie is going to be, with the core, much like they did to the Avengers comics post-Avengers. Suddenly Hawkeye and Black Widow are inseparable, etc, etc.

That being said, this is exactly what Marvel has set out to do. And they’re doing this job well. I don’t agree with dumbing down the content for new readers, but once you come to terms that this is what has happened, then you realize what a good job they’re doing with it. Now on to the specifics on this issue….

I’m a little underwhelmed. I normally love this book, and this one has me a bit disappointed.

Comic goes like this.

ANGELA! AND SHE’S PISSED!!!

Tony and Rocket banter on the ship. Rocket makes Tony like a boob. The readers wonder what the crap Tony’s still doing in space and why he isn’t back on Earth already. Is this one big long set up for a RDJ cameo in the movie? Oh, Gamora stops by to let everyone know that even though they share a spaceship, somehow both Drax AND Peter are missing.

Peter on a planet in the middle of being chased by the authorities. Who saves him? Mantis! Cool cameo! Apparently, Peter’s been looking for her. Since when? Who knows! A page, at least. It was nice to see Mantis again, even if briefly. Peter wants to know if there’s an issue with the time-space continuum. (I know that’s a thing because of Star Trek. And everyone thought that was a waste of time!) Mantis reads his mind, and says “Silly, Peter. You know who you have to talk to.”

We know who he has to talk to. But I’m really hoping it’s someone cooler and not an over-mentioned villain.

Drax tortures a badoon for a page.

Rocket’s rigged the radar to let him know if anything heads towards Earth. Apparently, that includes Angela. They go to investigate. Gamora decides to ask Angela if she needs a ride. And by “asking if she needs a ride” I mean hits her with her fists a lot. Which barely phases Angela, who proceeds to hand Gamora her shapely green botox. Rocket yells to Groot, who’s never actually seen, and tells him to “wake his bark up”. There’s your Groot reference for the entire book.

Peter talks to an off-panel voice with scraggley looking word bubbles. I know who it is. I’m just really hoping it’s Warlock. Or some grizzled and gnarled war-beaten more obscure character that would be a huge surprise.

But it’s Thanos. It’d be a cooler scene if they held it off for an issue. Make this a SEARCH for Peter.

That’s my problem with this issue. It’s so rushed. It’s like they took four issues of story and tried to cut it into one issue. It’s not a BAD issue, it’s just missing so much. I’m very underwhelmed with how this one played out, and I haven’t felt that way about the previous 4 issues. I will say, I LOVED the banter between Tony and Rocket. I LOVED getting to see Angela for the first time in Marvel, even though her entrance was weak and rushed. I read her in Spawn growing up and she’s always been a favorite character of mine. Her being created by Neil Gaiman is a huge post. I didn’t realize that as a kid. I LOVED Peter’s gun in this. They’ve changed the style a bit for this series, and are adding this awesome holo-screen that explains what power he’s using his gun for. I really like the focus on that gun. It could easily be an iconic Sci-Fi gun like Han’s blaster and Mal’s pistol.

Here’s hoping that issue #6 is a little more meaty.