GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #5
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Sara Pichelli
In Guardians of the Galaxy #5, Peter Quill is having a hard time. Due to the events in Age of Ultron, there have been "tears" in the fabric of the Marvel universe, resulting in reality being altered. Quill is the only Guardian who is experiencing these "tears." In this issue, we see him running through Rigel 7, a planet that we've seen once before, while being chased by Spartax guards. The coolest part of this issue, for me (by far), was who he bumps into while he's there (I won't spoil it for you, but it's someone who fans of the Abnett and Lanning Guardians run will enjoy seeing).
While all of this is happening, Tony Stark and Rocket are on the ship, talking about technology and Stark's "rendezvous" with Gamora. When Gamora walks in, she senses something isn't right. She doesn't like the fact that Quill has disappeared and something is heading towards Earth on the radar...
As many of you know (since it's been super hyped up), this is the first issue that features Angela. At the end of Age of Ultron, Angela was transported through one of the "space tears", and has obviously come from another dimension (I'm assuming the Image Comics dimension). Angela is mad as fire that she has been "misplaced" and wants to take it out on the nearest living being that she can find, so naturally she heads towards Earth. Honestly, I was a little disappointed with Angela in this issue. She was very menacing and completely gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but we still didn't see much of what she is capable of. There's still that question of "why her?" Hopefully in the next issue, we find out more about her purpose for being there.
Angela is more confused than a lost child at Disney World
This issue has such a cinematic feel to it that I can't help but feel like Bendis, McNiven, and Pichelli are probably working close with the Guardians of the Galaxy film crew. Either way, they should be. The art in this issue is outstanding. I'm not a big fan of the way that Pichelli draws Rocket but all of the other characters look great. Pichelli is great at showing emotion on their faces, which really pull you into the issue. If Gamora is annoyed, you can see it on her face. If Stark is embarrassed, you don't need dialogue to know it. Bendis' writing is really great in this issue, especially his dialogue between Rocket and Stark, which adds a lot of humor.
Overall, another superb issue. I'd like to give a round of applause for Bendis and Pichelli, but it would confuse everyone in my office, so I won't.
Rating: 4.5/5