Back in April we received word that there would soon be a revitalisation of the original Guardians of the Galaxy team in October of this year. Not only that, but the series is to be written by none other than cosmic Marvel guru, Dan Abnett. Abnett sat down with ComicBookResources for an interview regarding the series. You can find the full interview at the source link as well as a look at some cover artwork from Alex Ross and interior artwork from Gerardo Sandoval! Here are just some of the things discussed in the interview:
CBR: What do you find most interesting about the original Guardians of the Galaxy? If I remember correctly, they're all super-powered humans with the exception of Yondu.
"That's correct. Charlie-27 and Martinex have been transformed to allow existence on other worlds in the solar system. There's something really lovely, and, I mean this in a good way, old fashioned 1940s-1950s sci-fi about the original concept. Vance is obviously a man out of time because he's been in hibernation for 1000 years. Starhawk is this mystical being, and Yondu, as you said, is from Centauri. Technically speaking, he is an alien."
CBR: We know the Badoon are still around in "Guardians 3000," but do any of the other familiar Marvel galactic empires still exist and will they play a role in this series? Is this primarily humans and Badoon at first? Or will we see cultures like the Kree, Skrull, and Shi'ar as well?
"Yeah, I think I would be making a terrible, terrible mistake if I didn't acknowledge the fact that there are these great civilizations out there in the Marvel Cosmos and they will have endured. They have endured for tens of thousands of years, some of them for longer than that, so they'll be around in a thousand years time."
CBR: What hints and teases can you offer up about some of the antagonists the Guardians will run up against? I know in terms of larger bodies we have the Badoon, but are there any individual villains you can talk about?
"I can't really offer up too many hints or teases at the moment because we're still in the process of refining them. We've got a great artist on the book and I want to work with him to create some things he's going to enjoy drawing and readers will enjoy looking at."
CBR: Let's talk a bit about artist Gerardo Sandoval's work on "Guardians 3000". What do you feel he brings to this book and the world you're creating?
"I love his work. He did a fantastic job on the 10-pager. There's enormous dynamism and energy in what he does, which I think is terrific. The characters all seem very likable. They all seem very appealing. Even though it's a bleak future, I don't want it to be a depressing book. I want it to be energized and full of vitality and vigor, and the idea of that despite everything they are friends and are doing everything they can."
CBR: We've talked about your overall plans for "Guardians 3000," but what can you tell us about the book's inaugural arc?
"It is about the Guardians, having become aware of this greater menace, still having to deal with the threat of the Badoon, but also rallying people and trying to make them understand what's going on to see if they can get assistance and support. Inevitably, that's not easy, and starting with issue #1, there will be dreadful obstacles in their way. I like the idea of throwing in characters that, you think are going to be very useful, but for some reason, they're not, or they're reluctant, or they're dead. [Laughs] Then there are other characters who appear to be in an antagonistic role, but you you realize they could be remarkably helpful if you could only persuade them you're on the same side."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I mentioned before, be sure to check out the source link for the whole interview as there is just far too much to put it all on here without being in serious trouble. Plus, there's the artwork, which was exclusive, so I'm being safe and not touching it. So, will you be picking up the Guardians 3000 book when it rolls around this October, or will you be sitting this one out? Be sure to let me know in the comments section!