"Grounded" Guardians titles

[Jimmy T]

Well, 3 new titles at number 1 debuted to follow more movie tire in worth. What do I think?

Starting with Star Lord, I'm less than impressed. Why? Because it's Chris Pratt, not Star Lord. Nothing really came across in this first issue that said keep reading me! Now I've always loved cosmic marvel, and it's not like Quill is any kind of personal fave, but I liked who was shown and developed over DnA's run with the Annihilation works. This guy is now the movie guy, or whatever guy Bendis and Humphries made him, and I just don't see anything I'm interested in following here.

Next up, Rocket and Gamora.

[Perry]

I see what you are saying  and I agree it was lacking, but I see the reason differently  . I don't think it was "Pratt" enough.

First of all you have a comedy writer on the title. Zdarsky is known for being a "funny guy". He has done nothing but humor for as long as I have heard of him and especially since he transitioned over from just being known as the artist on Sex Criminals. So I had no illusions of this being an overly serious Star Lord, no matter what the theme or how dramatic it was, but I was expecting the first couple issues to be a little more ... funny? I guess?

But comedy man aside, even if a new reader didn't know Chip Zdarsky, they certainly wouldn't remember when Star-Lord wasn't Chris Pratt like. Even in DnA's classic (and the bestest of all besties) Guardians run he was Chris Pratt. I still remember laughing at all the little panels in which the characters spoke to the camera like they were on MTV's Real World and Peter was one of the funniest.

And now scanning over my copies because now I miss that book again          I see a lot of Pratt in Star-Lord. A butt load as he would say. From saying stuff like -
"... we are going to hit the ground running and we do not invite Mr. and Mrs. Screw Up to join us today" (issue #2)
to
" ... I didn't get to be this handsome and laconic looking through clean living" (issue #8)
or
" ...including his royal pain-in-the-butt-ness Black Bolt (issue 15)
and so many more better ones that I can't find whipping through these right now 
to the supportive words that if you just add the word "man" to the ending you get Pratt to the Nth degree ...
"Adam, you've just done an amazing thing, you saved everything. Don't just throw it away" ... man
 

I am just perusing and I see a lot of Pratt in Star-Lord, but really, I guess we should say we saw a lot of Star-Lord in Chris Pratt.

Funny, but serious when he has to be
Strong, but caring
Dedicated to his team above all

I think the Marvel Movie'verse got it right.

So while I read the complete 6 or 7 issues and the annual of Zdarsky's Star-Lord, and agree it isn't the best piece of work, I think it was just not Pratt enough
 

On another note and to further establish the importance of artists on titles ... this titles art really went down hill after Pelletier left at #8. Not badly at first as Brad Walker stepped in and was still pretty clean but with his own style, but after #15 he left ... man, whew. Sure there is something good in the art after that issue, but it comes so rarely over the last 5 issues when Wes Craig took over (who looks like a poor man's Oeming) that by the time Walker returned for three more issues, it was too late. Craig finished it up, to his credit, knocking out the last 3, and I know I can't blame the art alone for this series' end, but ... no ... wait ... I can.
 

[Jimmy T]

I was finally trying to get ahead of myself and start some topics I wanted to talk about, but the laptop was acting goofy, wasn't going to turn my pc on at 9:30 at night, so I went with my tablet. And it took forever to type out that paragraph!! I gave up. So, there are many things I want to address.

Perry, after reading your post, there's a part of me that thought, or at least wished, that what you wrote was what I wrote. Seriously! I agree with you 100%. But I also see things differently (more on that to follow )

-DnA S-L : totally agree about his snark and flippancy, and also solid devotion to his core. Movie version got that as well. But what I also read into S-L the whole time was a bit of accepted fatalism. Almost as if he was a member of Suicide Squad. 'Someone has to do this, and well, that someone is me. Yee haw, lets go.' So, I also see his humor coming from the gallows humor place. Now, I won't say that's ALWAYS where his humor should come from. No, people can change, certainly. But the movie version differs in that Pratt/Quill appears to be a very hopeful guy. That's the only difference to me in the character. Very small difference, but it's something that makes me come at a different angle to appreciate him.

-#1 S-L : So yeah, not funny. Not that this issue is meant to be in a funny place. Also, it was more about watching a Chris Pratt, I guess I want to say. Quill is not a sexualized man hunk of beef; Pratt got that into the character, because, money and having a super hero bod in the movies.   So, visually, it was just like watching Pratt, and not looking at Quill. Does that difference....er...make a difference or color my initial wording better? Again, nothing really hit me solid about the first issue, and I just feel bored in the attempt of reading it. With so much I want to read, scanning through this issue in 8 minutes doesn't interest, let alone adding #2 to the pile.

-Artists : Right, RIGHT?! Talk about dumping that Guardians book!! Pelletier was great on it...and Walker was a great fill in at the time...but fill ins are not main artists (Walker has greatly gotten better, in my feeling). But then that last dude, whoever he was, just tanked the book, even for me. oh bABies here I gotta go

[Perry]

So much here in your last post that I want to address but as I am also time sensitive   I will sum it up by basically saying I understand your POV, yes I do.
 


Ah screw it ... I will go a little deeper, real fast. The hardware store will still be there.
 

.... so I went with my tablet. And it took forever to type out that paragraph!! I gave up.

Preach it!! I hate using anything other than an actual keyboard to type on. My damn daughter   pisses me off when I watch her type on her phone or tablet. She types like 459 words a minute on those damn things.

Those damn people that can do that ... hell ... and young people in general, suck!!!
 

 

But what I also read into S-L the whole time was a bit of accepted fatalism.

And THIS I believe is where I can honestly say I understand how you feel, but ...  
I also know the character has been through hell the last few months (our comic time) and so while I totally see what you are saying and how that was an area of ... disappointment(?) or dissatisfaction(?) for you. I can also understand making the character seem that way, at the point in time he is in currently. Now, is that a good thing? Giving a character his own title while he is off his usual mental state? Probably not, but giving characters a monthly title at the wrong time is essentially Marvel's business practice as of the last ... 15 years. If they have a name and a costume, they get a title. It is the Oprah Winfrey Publishing System,
"You get a monthly title and you get a monthly title and you get a ..."
 

 

With so much I want to read, scanning through this issue in 8 minutes doesn't interest, let alone adding #2 to the pile.

Totally get that. 100%
 

EDITED for major spelling errors, and not like my usual kind, but major Perry screw ups
 

[Jimmy T]

Rocket

Now, with Rocket, I have no special affinity for. He's a real fun background character, he's a real cool team member, and he was a blast to read through all the Annihilation series. However, just to read an issue or I should say a series about him, I don't have an initial interest in that. I will say that reading this first issue I felt bad for the guy that's for sure.

 I still don't feel a want to read or keep up with him. I don't think I view that as a slight against the book, it just ends up not being something that's really for me.

Also, just like the Star-Lord book, the art is rather pedestrian, uninteresting, and without a lot of visual flash or substance to engage a reader.

[Jimmy T]

Gamora #1

Now we have something I'm interested in! Gamora is certainly one of my favorites, and I'm very happy to see that, to me, she's represented in a way that I find right in line with everything I've ever read about her. The art I find  really good here as well, I'm happy about that.

Not to mention, you also have Thanosl show up which is always a blast. Now, I really don't have much of a understanding of who Nebula is in a comics anymore since an appearance by her in infinity Gauntlet. The fact that she's just her movie representation here is a little blah to me, but whatever else, I'll just assume this is character I don't know much about and I'm just going to follow along and learn more to the story itself.

I am rather pleased with this one. I'll definitely be reading the second issue.

[Perry]

 

Of course, it had to happen. Star-Lord was the only one I could finish. 

So do you want to play South Pole on the magnet this week while I play North, Jimmy?

 

[Jimmy T]

Ha! It's not like Rocket was real great treat, but I like reading Gamora. To each all our very own.

[Jimmy T]

Gamora #2

Hey hey HEY!! Second issue and I still like it!! Chechetto is a rather good artist, and here his work looks very good still. This Gamora doesn't seem the sleaze or whatever the way she was under Bendis I read for 6 issues (sleep with Tony Stark? WTF?!), and there's a hint of mystery that I'm excited to taste!! Hope it continues well!!!

[Jeff]

Gamora #2

Hey hey HEY!! Second issue and I still like it!! Chechetto is a rather good artist, and here his work looks very good still. This Gamora doesn't seem the sleaze or whatever the way she was under Bendis I read for 6 issues (sleep with Tony Stark? WTF?!), and there's a hint of mystery that I'm excited to taste!! Hope it continues well!!!

Issue 3 is good too.  I like the visit into her past.

[Jimmy T]

Very very cool. Glad to see this.

[Jimmy T]

Gamora #2

Hey hey HEY!! Second issue and I still like it!! Chechetto is a rather good artist, and here his work looks very good still. This Gamora doesn't seem the sleaze or whatever the way she was under Bendis I read for 6 issues (sleep with Tony Stark? WTF?!), and there's a hint of mystery that I'm excited to taste!! Hope it continues well!!!

Issue 3 is good too.  I like the visit into her past.

A very good issue. Very glad that Gamora is able to be 'her' instead of being morphed into a movie property tie-in.