GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 2: ANGELA

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 2: ANGELA

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis (with Neil Gaiman)

Artist: Sara Pichelli, Francesco Francavilla, Kevin Maguire

$24.99, Marvel Comics, 168 pgs.

ISBN 978-0785168294

The fabric of space and time has been torn by the cataclysmic finale of Marvel's "Age of Ultron" event, and the universe is transformed. The mad titan Thanos returns from the grave, and his daughter, the Guardian called Gamora, is not happy about it. Complicating matters is the emergence of a powerful new player on the galactic stage, Angela, a being of allegedly divine origins and questionable goals. And of course, the Earth hangs in the balance as S.W.O.R.D., Earth's first line of defense against alien invasion, falls before the forces of the returned Thanos...though not before S.W.O.R.D.'s desperate cry for help reaches the Guardians.

Spaceship battles and gunfights ensue. Many things explode. It's all very exciting.

When I reviewed the first volume in this series, I gave it high marks. Unfortunately, this book verges on incoherence, its continuity muddied by events taking place outside the confines of the series. Marvel's "Age of Ultron" event takes place between volumes one and two of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, and the "Infinity" event takes place smack-dab in the middle of this book (though of course, that story's not actually in this book).

When the Guardians' story is allowed to move forward organically, the characters quipping and flying spaceships and—in the case of Tony Stark and Gamora—engaging in some awkward romantic shenanigans, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is a ripping good time. When the larger Marvel Universe intrudes, the book stumbles. There's a lot to enjoy here, but hopefully future story arcs are freed of the outside interference of Marvel's event schedule.

TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: In my review of the series' first volume, I opined that it might be a little "light" for the price tag. Not so in this instance: volume two features a full seven issues, plus bonus materials. With the Guardians' film debut due in August, patron interest in this series is high. It's worth the money.

READERS' ADVISORY NOTES: More science fiction than superhero epic, this one will appeal to fans of military SF, space opera, and the like. As mentioned in the review, certain plotlines in this book spin off from two large-scale Marvel "event" storylines, so it's a terrible jumping-on point for new readers. It's not completely inaccessible (assuming you've read the first volume in the series), but it's by no means a standalone book.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Sci-fi action/violence, mild adult language, adult situations (sexual themes). Hmm...that list makes the book sound a lot racier than it is. Think of this one as a movie with a PG-13 rating.

 Review©2014, C. Michael Hall.