It’s eight months after the end of ‘Secret Wars.’ Peter Quill gives up on the Guardians of the Galaxy to take the Spartax throne, and Rocket Raccoon is now the GOTG front man. Welcome to the All-New All-Different “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Writer Brian Bendis and artist Valerio Schiti bring us GOTG team with a refreshed roster: Kitty Pryde (now known as Star-Lady), Drax, Groot, Venom and (now) Ben Grimm.
“This is a brand-new chapter for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,'” Bendis told Marvel.com. “Things are very different all over the cosmic map… The raccoon is in charge!! So says the solicitation!! So says the raccoon!! But, there may be other people on the team who are not taking this as seriously has he would like.”
While Star-Lord isn’t part of the team, the first issue will set Peter Quills place in the cosmic scheme of the post ‘Secret Wars’ universe, complete with a new character design.
“I tried to show Peter’s changes with a new design,” said Schiti. “He’s the same person, of course, but the new garments, the uniform, the haircut, everything is different and somehow a bit ‘wrong.’ Does he like it or not? I still can’t talk about it just yet but he’s definitely not the Star-Lord that we used to know.”
And the heir to the Spartax throne isn’t the only one to get a new look.
“They’re all pretty different, but in general,” Schiti told marvel.com about the GOTG character designs. “I tried to design some cool multifunctional clothes; something good for wearing in everyday life as well as for fighting in outer space. They’re pirates, pilots, mechanics, and warriors. They don’t need super hero costumes: they need useful stuff.
The artist also weighed in on his thoughts about GOTG uniforms, stating that “they’re not soliders,” and that their new clothes show how unique and independent each character is.
Bendis added, “With this new volume we have an opportunity to amplify everything about the book: The look, the drama, the comedy, the cast, and the romance. What I have discovered is that people who like GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY like to be surprised. They literally don’t know what we’re capable of with these characters and want to be surprised.”
Luckily readers won’t have to be surprised by the first issue’s on-the-rack date, October 14th. Guarantee your issue by pre-ordering with your local comic shop by the final order cut-off date, September 21st.
Trent Hunsaker is the owner/opperator of Death Ray Comics in Logan, Ut. He is the program director for the A Part of Him Podcast Network and cohost on NetHeads – a live, weekly geek/pop culture show, on Kevin Smith’s SModcast Internet Radio.