Guardians of the Galaxy #25--The End?

Just a quick note of thanks to Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and all of the great artists who made GotG possible. Issue #25 is indeed the last in this series, and there was some attempt to wrap things up as the characters flow into the upcoming Thanos 6-issue limited series.



With Nova finishing out as well at issue #36 this month, that leaves me collecting exactly zero Marvel ongoing titles. As I said, I will buy the Thanos limited, but I have no interest in any other Marvel "Bendisverse" titles. I know I am in the minority here, and sales of his stuff are great, but it's not what I am looking for in my comics.

--Scott

Guardians of the Galaxy Canceled?

Say it ain't so! But alas, GotG and Nova will be going on "hiatus" beginning in April. You can read quotes from Marvel editor Bill Rosemann here. They're to be replaced with a 6-issue Thanos limited series, and after that, who knows? Will they return? It's doubtful. All indications are that the hiatus is a "soft" cancellation. We can maybe hope for some re-birth, a new title starting with issue #1, but I am not holding my breath.

It was sure great while it lasted! This reminds me of the other second-tier team books I have collected and loved over the years, and that have eventually been canceled. Here's the rundown:

Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2): 24 issues?
Shadowpact: 25 issues
Power Company: 18 issues
L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S.: 87 issues
Primal Force: 14 issues
Suicide Squad: 66 (or is that 67?) issues
Omega Men: 38 issues

At least I still have vol. 2 of R.E.B.E.L.S. to look forward to each month--for now!

--Scott

Guardians of the Galaxy #21

My favorite comic book, Guardians of the Galaxy gave me an early Christmas present this year with issue #21. Fabulous issue! A Realm of Kings tie-in, this issue further explores the dark creatures coming out of the rift created by the gigantic explosion at the end of War of Kings.

Confused? Go here for details. Anyway, GotG #21 features some amazing fight sequences between the heroes and some nasties from another dimension. And we get more details on the Luminals, the OTHER group of cosmic heroes inhabiting Knowhere, the Guardians' interdimensional base of operations. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning turn in a dynamite story, and penciler Brad Walker turns in his second straight awesome issue. Keep it up, Mr. Walker, we're counting you!

Check this issue out if you like cosmic level superhero action!

--Scott

Guardians of the Galaxy Again

Have I mentioned that this Marvel comic is really good? Well, here I am mentioning it again. Issue #17 features Brad Walker pencils and a nice slugfest with some really nasty aliens from beyond time and space. Oh, and a pretty huge surprise ending.

Guardians is getting some critical acclaim, but it needs to sell more in order for me to feel comfortable about it continuing. So if you're on the fence and looking for a new title to collect, give Guardians a try!

Scott

Nobody Asked Me, But...

I decided the above will be a title of a post whenever I just want to lump some random stuff together in one go. So here goes:

• The Lion Men (aka the Pride) are done! Bob Naismith sent me final images of the figures, I approved them, and they are winging their way to Old Glory for casting. When I have some masters cast up in two weeks or so, I will post some images. I am leaning toward a late summer 2009 release for the 10-15 codes of SuperFigs I have amassed over the last two years. More previews to come...
• The last two issues of my favorite comic book, Guardians of the Galaxy, have been awesome. Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have taken the cosmic supers deep into the War of Kings storyline, and break-neck action abounds. As a big Imperial Guard fan, it's great to see them in action against the Guardians! After a period of musical fill-in artists, Brad Walker is settling in nicely as the book's new regular penciler. His lines are a bit softer than fan favorite Paul Pelletier's, but the stuff looks great! If Paul and Rick Magyar do not return after the 6-issue War of Kings series, the book is in good hands with Mr. Walker.
• Since I'm mentioning my favorite Marvel space-based supers title, I should also pimp my favorite DC cosmic title, R.E.B.E.L.S. Great stories from Tony Bedard and gorgeous art highlight this "proto-Legion of Super Heroes" in the contemporary DC universe. Anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis might have detected my love for rock-based characters, so seeing Strata back in a regular monthly title is awesome!
• The parts fit on GW's Krootox kit is abysmal. I had forgotten just how bad it was. Great model, but really lousy assembly.
• Not a sports blog, but I have to bid a fond farewell from my beloved Pittsburgh Pirates to Nate McClouth. Traded to the Atlanta Braves for three prospects, Nate was my favorite Bucco. On bad Bucs teams Nate was always a tremendous asset, and when he got to play full-time last year he became a sensation. I know he'll perform well for Atlanta, especially with Chipper Jones protecting him in the lineup, but Nate's quote to the media on the trade sums up why this city loved him so dearly: "This was my 10th year in the organization. There were a lot of people I got to know well. And the toughest part, really, is that I wanted to win here. This organization is such a big part of me." Best of luck, Nate! I've never been a Braves fan, but part of me is now.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading!

Scott

Guardians of the Galaxy #12 (some spoilers)

Things are shaping up nicely for our space-faring heroes. The team looks to be coming back together as Drax, Phyla-Vell, and a certain bald psionicist (not Prof. X!) look to be re-joining the ranks for the beginning of their part in the War of Kings storyline. Big doings over in Nova's book as well. Keep up the great work, DnA!

Also, I'm waiting on another new sculpt from Bob Naismith for SuperFigs. This would should satisfy some pulp fans out there. Am I being intentionally cryptic? Perhaps a little...

Scott