Guardians Of Galaxy #3

With all eyes focused on the Marvel universe's current pesky Skrull infestation, Guardians of the Galaxy has happily floated under the radar, far from the pressure of overwrought continuity and unnecessary story interjection (which, from the look of it, even Nova is unable to escape). I'm quite happy to say, that Guardians of the Galaxy benefits heavily from this; without the need to be tied into the hundreds of other frayed plot threads currently being traded throughout the Marvel U, Guardians is able to go off and do its own thing, with only one purpose in mind; fun.

We pick up on our intrepid rag-tag group of heroes as they confront the iron fist of the Universal Church of Truth - the Cardinals. Armed with the ability to do anything that they believe in, the Cardinals seek to punish the team for their previous actions which resulted in a rather obliterated UCT Templeship. Meanwhile, back at Knowhere (the teams HQ / floating head of a dead Celestial), Major Victory struggles with his amnesia, as well as the re-appearance of one of his old foes; Starhawk.

It's quite easy to overlook this book due to its relative low profile, but in doing so, know that you're overlooking one of the most enjoyable reads that Marvel is currently pumping out. The writing is spot-on with each character perfectly realized and with a voice of their own. From the wise-cracking Rocket Raccoon to the no-time-for-crap attitude of Draxx the Destroyer, everyone has their own personality. What's really remarkable is how well the personalities clash and work with one-another. This is definitely one of the few team books where everybody brings their own to the overall product. Also, the utilization of the "interview" panels where the characters speak directly into the camera back at the base post-battle is one of the most brilliant plot devices I've seen in a modern comic. It offers all of the exposition of a thought bubble or caption, but allows the characters to explain their situation through their opinions and observations, which adds some unique insight into their inner-workings.

It's also worth noting that the book does not require a hefty knowledge of the more cosmic side of Marvel. My knowledge of the characters in the book basically began and ended with Adam Warlock (thanks to reading the TPB of the Infinity Guantlet series), but I don't find myself getting lost. Everything is effectively explained either through dialogue or action; you certainly don't find yourself throwing your arms up in the air in confusion. That's kinda nice in this day and age, isn't it?

 There aren't many negatives beyond the fact that the issues seem to end too soon. That being said, if there was one thing I would change on the book, it would probably be the art. It's not that Paul Pelletier is a bad artist, just somewhat too generic for this title. I'd like to see something a little more edgy or stylized, something a little more evocative of the personality of the book itself.

So, in short, check it out. You could certainly do worse than a drunken Raccoon shooting a gun three times his size at religious zealots on a Dyson Sphere.