Marvel has been in the process of renewing its creative teams for a few years. While Donny Cates upsets the Venom series, Al Ewing shakes up the Hulk and now the Guardians of the Galaxy. The funniest thing is that he arrives on this series right after Donny Cates.
A new map of the mind
The Guardians of the Galaxy team has known different faces over time, from the most serious by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning to the funniest in the film. In volume one, we could see that the new screenwriter Al Ewing plays on these two sides. On the one hand, it shows the Kree Empire in civil war with the resurrection of the Olympian gods, and on the other by Rocket Racoon and then the ridiculous Prince of Power. This desire to rebuild a unity is exciting but the neophyte sometimes had difficulty grasping everything at the first reading of the first volume. This second volume clarifies the series. The first part makes us discover the consequences of the crossover of last spring, Empyre, while the sequel integrates the new crossover King in Black of Donny Cates but, in the middle of this shared universe, Ewing deeply renovates the space offering a new sidereal map. In the Marvel universe, there is no longer one empire but several. As is often the case in science fiction, space reflects the current geopolitics of the world. In order to prevent this cohabitation from turning into total war, a major diplomatic conference is organized but nothing will go as planned.
The investigation is opened by the Guardians
This series published by Panini comics shows a writer in great freedom. A whole episode is devoted to the psychoanalysis of a Guardian of the Galaxy and then a meeting becomes a police investigation. But the chosen Sherlock seems unsuitable to say the least because the angry Rocket Racoon leads the investigation. Ewing even has fun inserting many references on rock: a spaceship is named Bowie and the outfit of a Guardian is constantly mocked for its resemblance to Adam Ant. Marcio Takara drew the first three episodes of Guardians of the Galaxy and Juann Cabal the next four. This regular cartoonist since the relaunch of the series remains the most impressive. Not only are its pages splendid, but it also adds a very European take on science fiction reminiscent of Moebius. Al Ewing takes advantage of the large number of characters to build a puzzle where each hero and heroine is an essential piece. The Guardians of the Galaxy team has changed. They are no longer the Suicide Squad of space but a family. However, this home is broken because, in the previous volume, their Star-Lord leader sacrificed himself. His companion Gamora who claims to have never had any emotion is totally shocked. She is not the only one because most of the guardians are recovering: Dragon-Moon whose spirit was divided in two gathers to redeem himself. On the other hand, like a family conflict, the Guardians have torn each other apart in the previous volume and the romantic relationships are not simpler: Nova, Gamora's ex who is now with Starlord, killed in the previous volume because of Nova. This second volume of Guardians of the Galaxy is a great success by the talent of screenwriter Al Ewing. Not only does it bring together a team with multiple identities but it offers a journey into the subgenres of science fiction between geopolitics and philosophy. He also invites you in an investigative comic. A brilliant series and this is just the beginning. If you liked this column, you can find our reviews on the latest releases of Shang-Chi and on Strange Academy, also at Marvel.
