A Tale of Two Teams in Guardians of the Galaxy #4

he party has been split, and pit against each other in Guardians of the Galaxy #4 by Al Ewing, Juann Cabal, Federico Blee, Guru-eFX, and Cory Petit!

Charlie Davis: So Allison. You know that scene in Tron Legacy where they open the Arcade back up and the original computer console is covered in dust? That’s kinda how I feel after all this time walking back into an issue of Guardians of the Galaxy. Except there is a lot less dust…and less CGI Jeff Bridges…okay so maybe it’s not a perfect metaphor BUT damn it feels good to have this book back. And we didn’t even have to get sucked back into a computer game to do it!

Allison Senecal: Sorry, what? No, I get the Tron reference, just recovering from getting punted right back into what is literally (literally) [Ed. Note: LITERALLY!] my favorite comic at the moment. Sorry X-books. This issue sealed it. Holy %&$# !!!! This is like Allison Stew, but not made of me, just made of things I find delicious. I’ll just be over here…

Charlie Davis: I’d say that this comic is like a delicious layer cake made with all of your favorite flavors, but I think discussion around cake has gotten a bit weird recently so…shall we just get into it?

Allison Senecal: This series is definitely not 80 percent fondant, so yes, let’s.

“We’re Not Friends”

CD: There is a lot of fallout to pick back up on from the last issue, but it seems like Ewing knows exactly the direction he’s heading in so even with the break between issues, it almost feels like this count be a number one. It tells you everything you need to know as we push forward. Mostly that Gamora’s team of Guardians is on a job going after what was Peter’s team, but I suppose has defaulted to Rocket’s team of Guardians. I really like the way this is set up and I like how these two teams feel distinctly different. Rocket’s team is following leads and is involved with our main plot that’s still running through everything and Gamor’s team feels much more like a band of mercs. Two things the Guardians have been over the lifespan of the whole of the series. It’s a clever way to put those concepts together and giving them a unifying plot thread in Quill is really excellently pulling them together.

AS: Using Quill without him being on-page is exactly the kind of Quill content I enjoy, even if Ewing is doing something I like with him. I, uh, adore both teams. If push truly comes to shove in this series, I’m gonna be real hard-pressed to “pick a side”. I love that it’s implied that one of the Prince of Power’s…powers…is his rock-hard glutes. Amen. And I like happy Gamora just fine, but Sad Girls™ are where it’s at for me, so I don’t mind her carrying the weight of Quill’s seeming death around for a little bit. Someone get that girl a bigger catharsis gun!

CD: Gamora is so angry and I even though I know she is hurting inside (because of a beautiful issue that highlighted it) it’s very her to take all of that pain and push it out toward the people she blames for it. It’s not exactly Rocket’s fault, but she can’t blame Quill for being reckless so she’s stacking the blame on the only people she can. Anger is a good look on her, even if it’s not the healthiest.

AS: I’m bracing for her and Rich’s inevitable reunion. Rich is feeling Peter’s death, too. Taking it hard, and it’s Rich, so blaming himself for dragging them all into the Olympians mission. Plus, of course, he and Gamora are also ex-lovers and that kinda ended abruptly circa the last Guardians run? (No I will NOT forget their lovely Earth date from like four years ago.) Just curious how it will go, especially when she knows it was him dragging them out of retirement. Juicy. Probably also sad. Also delicious. God I love the potential of the threads in this.

CD: I am guessing that’s going to be a contributing factor as to why Rich is in such a bad place in one of the upcoming issues. The teases have been…a lot. I am so impressed with Ewing giving everyone, every member of both teams something cool to do. It’s just…nice to see everything work in harmony for once considering how bland, dull and messy cosmic stuff can be.

AS: Cabal and Blee are also absolutely SELLING the visuals for just how bombastic cosmic series should be. They shouldn’t really look or feel dull, they should feel big and be eye-catching. The layouts here are just *sobs quietly* so creative. And you’re right, the balance is pitch perfect. I feel like we’ve had a good look at pretty much everyone except Phyla, and that I feel is coming down the pike. Even then, she’s had some cool-ass things to do on-page at the very least. And this look?????

CD: THE LOOK. You’re absolutely right about Cabal and his art has always had a Frank Quitely quality to it, but it’s much much more polished and modern looking which makes me like it SO MUCH MORE. That Quitelyness transfers onto the page so well which is as good a transition I can give to talk about the character that shone really bright this issue. NOH-VAR. He is a Morrison creation afterall.

“I’m the One with the Exploding Fingernails”

AS: Also a good segue because he gets the best layouts in this issue. The best. LOOK AT THEM. Ah, I know Ewing really likes Noh, but it’s good to actually see it translate into some excellent page time. We get to see a couple of his other signature powers in this, including one that I am entirely &$%#ing geeked about: the Nega Bands and their Quantum Swap.

CD: Cabal is the perfect person to realize Ewing’s vision for Noh. He’s so WEIRD and it comes across not only in his dialogue, but in the way his powers are shown here. He is a weird, hot, cockroach boy and he’s owning it here. Cabal’s take on his psychoactive spit in the psychedelic colors…BRILLIANT. Noh is great on his own, but he pairs great with Hercules who I am also so happy to see. He’s good and genuine, but that’s no match for Gamora’s anger.

AS: Clicking your Nega Bands together and getting Herc instead of Rick Jones (whomst I love, don’t take this the wrong way), is just BEAUTIFUL to me. I won’t get into the queer undertones I’ve always read in quantum links but…BUT! Now you get two genuinely superpowered dudes to swap out with it, kind of fantastic. And those panels are my favorite in this issue. Even better than that vent crawling page. I keep thinking back to Ewing called Noh-Varr a Kree James Bond, and phew, yeah this boy has quite the bag (body) of tricks. I love it. So excited to see what further developments he gets in this run.

As for Gamora pointing that gun at Herc…she is absolutely not here to play, and like she says – she ain’t pals with most of this new Guardians team. Why would she care about them?

CD: Goodbye and Goodnight to Herc. Like you said, I’m very excited to see what Noh does here. He’s earned some good old fashioned character development after spending the last 6? Years as the “Himbo from Young Avengers” and don’t get me wrong, he very much is one, but not in the way you would think. He’s like a special varietal Himbo. He’s much more sly than people give him credit for. As Gamora makes short work of Herc, we get cuts back to Moondragon slowly losing mental contact with the rest of the team which sets us up for maybe my favorite part of the issue.

2 Moon 2 Dragon

AS: Finally, what you and I have been waiting for – Moondragon versus Moondragon. The ultimate non-mutant telepath showdown. I feel like a hype-woman but REALLY. Who is powerful enough to block alternate-Heather’s telepathic communications? Why, pretty much only 616-Heather, of course. I’m flipping OUT, Charlie. FLIPPING! THE DRAGON OF THE MOON! (Or is it?)

CD: GOD. Just…GOD. I knew this is where we were heading and still, the constant tension of 616 Heather looming over this whole situation was just so expertly laid out in this issue. Even when she wasn’t on the page I had the sensation that she was watching because of just how PRESENT alternate Heather was. It felt like the shoe was going to drop any moment and as soon as she lost her connection with everything, save for maybe Rich, I knew exactly what was about to unfold. It really gave me a sense of dread like Ripley alone with the Xenomorph on the ship in Alien. At this point I am not sure who I should be rooting for and that is by design. JUST…GOD.

AS: Yes…GOD. Maybe actually a god. Is the Dragon of the Moon actually #$%&ing back? I have my doubts. I think it’s more our Heather losing herself (as a result of her Phyla dying) for the better part of a decade in our time and going back to another darker (in this case straight up villainous) era of her life. Maybe she’s just embraced the aesthetics of the Dragon again? If Ewing is bringing another ancient cosmic being back into the fold, hoo-boy. EPIC. And bad news bears for everyone. And you’re absolutely right. Who should we be siding with? Why not both dot gif.

CD: I am so excited to see exactly what 616 Heather has to say about alternate Phyla. I am OBSESSED with the idea of her taking out alternate Heather and acting like a sleeper agent in Rocket’s team. I think Phyla would know, but I cannot wait to see what the hell is going to happen. These three are so combustible on their own and that’s not even counting everything else that’s going on. How do you react to a perfect alternate version of the women you love now existing in this plane while yours has been gone for ages? I know we are going to get answers to these questions, but this is the kind of stuff I LOVE.

AS: This drama specifically is what sold me on this run going into it. Love that Ewing has been mentioning this as a central driving conflict since his first interviews. Did I need some really good queer lady shenanigans and emotional catharsis? Yeah, I heckin’ did. I think #5 is going to send us both right to hell. In a good way. Is our Heather even interested in alternate-Phyla? Would she be angry with her too? Obsessed? (I would be, with that all-black suit and aviators look.) How is this going to play out!!!

CD: I think the barometer on how 616 Heather is really doing is going to boil down to how she reacts to alternate-Phyla. Bring it on.

AS: *death rattle*

Marvelous Musings

Goth Heather rules. But also love to see her getting the bright green lettering, opposed to alternate-Heather getting the muted green.
UH! Love Rocket singing The Piña Colada song (from the movies, if you remember) and Rich telling him to stop. Same. Mood.
What exactly do you do when you turn up and see the alternate version of your dead wife wearing an outfit like Phyla’s? Riddle me that?