What a story! This is one of the best comics I've read in a long, long time. Star-Lord's origin is right up there with Superman and Green Lantern, in my opinion. It's grand and epic and would make an amazing movie, in my opinion. Bendis tells the story well, in some of the best writing of his career, in my opinion, and McNiven renders it all in glorious detail. If this prequel issue is any indication of how the actual series will be, we are in for a fun trip. Read Full Review

Guardians of the Galaxy is off to an amazing start and I absolutely can't wait for the next issue. The book is also serving as a perfect introduction for people who don't really know much about the team and looks to aim to help them prepare for the upcoming movie. One thing is for sure I'm looking forward to Star-Lord and his team on their adventures. Read Full Review

As a Point One issue this is more of a straight-up origin tale and character study of the book's lead than it is an introduction to the wider team. But it's still a wonderfully effective primer, and while it might be hard to tell from this exactly what to expect from the series, this much is clear: it'll likely be of a very high quality. Making the best case yet for comic fans to be excited about Marvel's latest plans for the stars, Guardians Of The Galaxy is definitely one to watch. Read Full Review

But I still wish the team was using a different name. Isn't "Defenders of the Galaxy" available? Read Full Review

Wow, this new Bendis?  I love him!!  I really can't find much to fault about this comic...  It flowed beautifully, we met Peter's folks, got a taste of what kind of a kid he was, and learned why he hated the Badoon, all while setting up this series.  I mean yeah, this was nearly perfect!  If I was to nitpick, I'd complain about how wordy Meredith was with J'Son, but that's Bendis's style of writing, and to be honest, he wasn't nearly as wordy as he usually is.  Yeah, good story, dialogue, set-up, art, I have nothing bad to say here! Read Full Review

Bendis and McNiven knock this one out of the galaxy. If you love the nerd adrenaline rush you get from superheroes and Star Wars -- and who doesn't? -- then climb aboard this book because it looks like it's going to rocket into the awesomesphere. Read Full Review

Basically, if you're a fan of Marvel's more space-y titles, there's no way you're not going to like this series. Read Full Review

While basically a super-sized origin story Guardians 0.1 is still and excellent tale chronicling the story of a boy who was forced to grow up too early, and accept an incredible journey and destiny thrust upon him. I am excited to see where this book goes. Read Full Review

This was one of the highlights of this week. Going in I knew very little about Guardians of the Galaxy, in fact I only knew what was explained in the episode they appeared in of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. I figured Nova was pretty good though, and Bendis is writing this so why the hell not give it a shot. It's one of those issues that's just a great origin story for a character that isn't all over the place. Read Full Review

Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 was a surprisingly great issue. I think the upcoming film should model at least part of it off of this absolutely awesome book. Read Full Review

Guardians of The Galaxy #0.1 is a great start to a series that is sure to turn a few heads in the world of comics. Bendis and McNiven deliver Hollywood-like entertainment and set the tone for where this series will be headed. The time is now to jump on board and take a galactic ride with the Guardians. Read Full Review

The book ends on a Star Wars note also with Peter's life forever changed and finding his father's weapon, in this case a special gun. While basically just an origin story, Guardians 0.1 is still very well done. A brilliant tale chronicling the story of a boy who was forced to grow up too fast, and accept an incredible journey and destiny thrust upon him. Sound familiar? Read Full Review

This was a very good opening issue to the series and I look forward to reading more of it. I would highly recommend this issue as it's good, but at the same time if you have a tight budget it's missable as you'd be able to pick up issue 1 without needing prior knowledge of this issue (I'd assume), although it wouldn't hurt to get the issue if you could afford it. Read Full Review

My only real complaint with the issue comes in the final few panels where the story skips forward to the present with Star-Lord telling the story to Tony Stark and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm a little concerned with the extreme Iron Man influence of the re-design of the look of several of the characters (hell, even Groot appears to have arc reactors drawn into him – seriously, WTF?). Best of the Week. Read Full Review

When you want an artist to make a comic feel "important," there is no one better to turn to than Steve McNiven. McNiven has surpassed Bryan Hitch as the cinematic go-to guy: an artist that will make the big moments feel bigger and the poignant moments pluck the heart strings. Whatever the film will look like, McNiven just provided the storyboards. If this issue was the opening salvo of a Guardians of the Galaxy media barrage, than we will finally have a new addition to that list of marketable and iconic Marvel heroes: a list that will finally changes after almost fifty years. Read Full Review

I'm glad to see "Guardians of the Galaxy" back on the racks. I know it is largely propelled by the upcoming movie and has what appears to be a forced appearance/role from Iron Man, but nonetheless, Marvel NOW! brings back space opera goodness. Readers get a little tease of the team to close out "Guardians of the Galaxy" #0.1, whetting appetites for the true first issue, but for now, this book is exciting, fresh and new, even if it does simply resuscitate an old tale from yesteryear. Read Full Review

John Dell's inks assist McNiven excellently. Dell touches on the cross-hatching, but doesn't get overbearing with it. His outline inks are strong, but he lightens up with hair and facial features. Bad inks could ruin the nuances of McNiven's faces but Dell nails it. Justin Ponsor's colors are wonderful. He uses soft tones to bring the coziness of the farm and the romance to life. Then he abruptly switches, using harsher blue tones beneath everything when the aliens attack. Colorists don't just fill in the pencils, they create mood, and Ponsor does a great job. Read Full Review

Guardians of the Galaxy is another win for the cosmic side of Marvel. Cosmic fans rejoice. Read Full Review

Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 was a good read and a great new start for this franchise. Bendis is like the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. He started off stinking up the joint before suddenly pulling off an unexpected turnaround and delivering an awesome read after a slow start. Bendis won my confidence with this issue. I have faith that Bendis has a good plan in store for this franchise and will be leading them in the right direction under the MarvelNOW initiative. Read Full Review

This is one of those books that you can just pick up, read, enjoy and be satisfied with. Yes, it leads into a new Guardians series, but even if you don't read any further, this single issue is completely satisfying. The plot isn't 100% original, but the way it is delivered is refreshing at least. Good dialogue, excellent artwork, okay plot… it's worth picking up! Read Full Review

Overall this was a very good introduction to the series for both new readers and fans of the Guardians. There is much potential for storytelling and hopefully Bendis will capitalize on it in the series proper. Read Full Review

However, despite the excellent quality of the book, I did have one tiny issue with it. There's a sequence right before the flashback in this issue ends, but it's a sequence we've seen before. Part of this issue was published inMarvel Now! Point One#1 way back in October. While that scene is expanded on a little, it might seem a bit like a cop-out to charge twice for the same material even if there is more to it this time around. Regardless,Guardians of the Galaxy#0.1 is an extremely polished book and well worth your time and money. Read Full Review

As an introduction to Guardians of the Galaxy it's clear that this origin story for Peter Quill, who will become Star-Lord, sets the tone and direction for the Guardians. Bendis establishes the groundwork that the series will build upon. Though the Guardians might have been neglected in recent memory, they make an impactful reintroduction with relatable storytelling and an ending that really sets the stage for much more fun. There's even an addition to the team that we weren't expecting, but will tie the Marvel universes of The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy movies together to the general public. Read Full Review

Steve McNiven provides the art for the book and, boy, is he bringing it. If this is what he can do with a book that almost entirely takes place on Earth, can you imagine what he'll be able to do with an outer space action series? With each panel, McNiven pulls the reader in and simply knocks it out of the park. The best way to describe the art is this – it makes love to your eyeballs and even calls you back the next day after delivering them a couple dozen roses. Read Full Review

It's not an essential read for Guardians of the Galaxy, but it's a fun origin story that doesn't press too much into our minds. Carried along by a pair of excellent storytellers (Bendis and McNiven), you reallycan't go too wrong with this book. Read Full Review

Really, judging Guardians of the Galaxy by this preview issue is like judging a film by its trailer. But the purpose of a trailer is to provide a hook, or a compelling reason to see a film. And to that purpose, Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 doesn't accomplish much. The strength of the art, and the potential of one of Marvel's dream teams is still the real selling point, but once the series actually launches, Bendis and McNiven will have to move quickly to make a case for Guardians of the Galaxy as a necessary component of Marvel's future. Read Full Review

McNiven should go down as one of the best at highly detailed facial expressions. Essentially his style was made for writer Brian Michael Bendis, who loves to have his characters expound to the point where word bubbles take precedence over art. That's not the case in this issue though, so all you Bendis haters can breathe a sigh of relief. No, this is more of a storyboard than anything, and thankfully McNiven delivers. There are quite a few full pages without any dialogue whatsoever that capture mood and tone so beautifully you'll need to check this book out to beleive it. Read Full Review

Guardians of The Galaxy #.1 does what it set out to do, showing us enough to get us interested, filling in a few blanks, and resolving itself to showing us why we should want to read these characters and their adventures. Read Full Review

All and all, issue #0.1 is a solid origin story that will help new fans become grounded with Star-Lord (and to a slightly lesser degree the Guardians of the Galaxy) and allow older fan (such as myself) a change to fond over these space faring heroes once again. I say all of that to say that Brian Michael Bendis, through this #0.1, displays the same love and care for this book as much as the fans love and cherish either incarnation of the team. Read Full Review

Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 did its job in letting new readers learn about Star-Lord's origin story but it lacked in overall execution. From a slow beginning to the rest of the issue being rushed once Star-Lord appears as a kid, things are just uneven with how Brian Bendis was trying to frame the story. It does not help that this is priced at $3.99 when A) Guardians of the Galaxy is not a big, well-known franchise and B) Supposed to be the entry-point for new readers. Read Full Review

If the job of this book was to whet appetites for next month's #1, it succeeded. However, if part of the mission statement is producing a comic worth your four bucks, then the book is far less successful. Read Full Review

While Bendis doesn't exactly get to that in this Point One issue, by the end, we are given a glimpse at what partnership could connect this team to the rest of the Marvel films. Unfortunately, that's one of the few exciting moments in the issue, as Bendis devotes the rest of his page length to an origin story that honestly only merits a page or two. Padded out and elongated as it is, the effect is one of overwhelming frustration and boredom, particularly since it mostly wastes Steve McNiven's talent for action choreography in favor of a focus on his weakness, actual human emotion and expression (seriously, who keeps their mouth agape that often?). There's still hope that the proper #1 will pack the excitement this lacks, but that doesn't excuse a twentysomething-page cold open. Or Bendis' questionable understanding of human gestation. Read Full Review