MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel
WRITER: Sam Humphries
PENCILS: Paco Medina
INKS: Juan Vlasco
COLORS: David Curiel
LETTERS: VC’s Joe Caramagna
COVER: Paco Medina
VARIANT COVERS: Mahmud Asrar, Nick Bradshaw, David Marquez, Sara Pichelli, Valerio Schiti, Ryan Stegman
28pp, Color, $3.99 (September 2014)
Rated “T”
Star-Lord a/k/a Peter Quill is a Marvel Comics superhero and science fiction character. Star-Lord was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Steve Gan and first appeared in Marvel Preview #4 (cover dated: January 1976). Quill is the son of a human mother and an alien father, and he assumes the mantle of Star-Lord, an interplanetary policeman.
After sporadic appearances, Star-Lord was revamped (or reinvigorated) for his appearance in Annihilation (2006) and Annihilation: Conquest (2007). He became the leader of the space-based superhero team, Guardians of the Galaxy, for the 2008 re-launch/revamp of the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book series.
Marvel Studios’ new film, Guardians of the Galaxy, is about to open in movie theatres, so it makes sense, from a sales perspective, for Marvel Comics to take characters from the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book and give them their own series. Thus, both Rocket Raccoon and Star-Lord have new titles. Legendary Star-Lord is written by Sam Humphries, drawn by Paco Medina and Juan Vlasco, colored by David Curiel, and lettered by Joe Caramagna.
Legendary Star-Lord #1 opens in Colorado, 20 years in the past. We observe Peter Quill on the day of his mother, Meredith Quill’s funeral. Cut to the present where we find Peter Quill as Star-Lord, outmanned and outgunned by the Badoon. Star-Lord is a wanted man with a price on his head, and the Badoons get a second prize, the Mandalay Gem, which Quill has in his possession. Escaping the Badoon might be easy, but facing his past will be a mess for Star-Lord.
I didn’t expect much from Legendary Star-Lord, but I liked it. It has a lone gun, private eye, cowboy, freelance dude vibe that works, mainly because Peter Quill is an attractive character. I figure that another issue or two will tell me if this series is really worth following for the (relatively) long haul.
I must say that I like Paco Medina’s art with Juan Vlasco’s Steve McNiven-like inks. To the readers who liked the space opera/space fantasy style of the recently launched Cyclops comic book, I say give Legendary Star-Lord a try.
B+
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.
