Warm oranges, reds, browns and earth tones - reminiscent of the series' spaghetti Western influence -are blended and contrasted with classic cosmic and sci-fi colors, such as neon shades, purples, blues, golds, and cool metallics. Nitro shows a deep understanding of the world of the Guardians and Marvel Comics as a whole, balancing old-school sci-fi with the sweeping, slightly grimy adventuring aesthetic that Marvel has cultivated over the last decade. This art style is the perfect pairing for Yen Nitro's colors. The lines are slightly blurred, giving a soft yet slick digital quality to the small and realistic rendering details throughout the pages. However, the wit and individuality normally found in the Guardians' speech is downplayed here, especially Star Lord and Drax, which unfortunately detracts from this issue somewhat, coming across as flatter than is normal for these characters.Īrtist Davide Tinto's unique style is resplendent with whispery-thin, delicate and intricate line art, adding an element of ethereal lightness to this campy adventure story. However, his approach to dialogue is inconsistent, with only a few characters given their distinct speech patterns - most notably Rocket, Nova, newcomer Graybar, and Groot. This isn't a deal-breaker, given how Macchio keeps the storyline uncomplicated. Guardians of the Galaxy: Bane of Blastaar #1 is great fun and delightfully campy in places, and boasts plenty of fight scenes with respectable pacing, choreography and movement, but doesn't flinch away from violence, loss or the characters' human and vulnerable traits.Īlthough Guardians of the Galaxy: Bane of Blastaar #1 is an excellent and straightforward example of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise at its best, this issue suffers from clunky dialogue.

Writer Macchio clearly understands who these characters are, and how the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise balances comedy, action and mild drama with every step.

The simplicity of the storytelling works in favor for these fun-loving characters, giving them room to do what they do bests.

The guardians of childhood books