Infinity Countdown #3 Review
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Pencilers: Aaron Kuder & Mike Hawthorne
Inkers: Aaron Kuder & Terry Pallot
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Without having looked at the numbers, I have such a hard time believing that Guardians of the Galaxy was doing so bad that Marvel wanted to cancel it, but I guess that’s why the book has a different name now. I was hesitant to look into another countdown to a Marvel event, but with Gerry Duggan behind the wheel, I figured it was worth a shot. This is one hundred percent still a Guardians of the Galaxy book, carrying with it everything that made his technically short run with them so great. No spoilers here.
Duggan’s Guardians is truly the best of many aspects of super hero stories. The brotherhood between Talonar and Nova brings down to Earth the very cosmic scope of the rest of the story. He writes the Guardians in a way that is welcoming to those who found interest in the characters from the movies while still paying heavy respects to the DNA era. On the surface, they’re very much the clumsy, handsome good guy space pirates we know and love, but they get plenty of time to shine and actually prove that they’re competent heroes. Namely Star-Lord and Drax, whose saxophone playing is a perfect example of the balance that Duggan creates. Dialogue feels very appropriate for each character, especially in the different situations that we see throughout the issue, all tied together by being just on the edge of defeat. And after the cliffhanger of this issue, I don’t know what else you could ever need to believe that the Guardians’ haven’t had a proper cosmic adventure like this in far too long.
This issue has a great deal of variety in its visuals as well. As I said, much of this book has our heroes on the verge of defeat, so it’s entirely appropriate that Aaron Kuder and Mike Hawthorne have much grit to their style. That’s not to say that this issue is a downer. It’s not. This is just where things are heating up, and the art shows that these characters are being tested and pushed to their limits. I will say that Jordie Bellaire goes a bit overboard with grays and browns in the Warlock scenes, and it can make it feel a bit boring, but after that, the palette opens up to show a wide range of emotion as we slide from despair and confusion to pride and relief.
Infinity Countdown is a lot of fun and just what you’d hope for in a space book written by Gerry Duggan. He shows great diversity in his sense for voices, and clearly knows how to move a story along in a satisfying way. The colors can be a little lifeless, but that’s kind of the point in some cases, and they do expand to compliment the pencils to effectively demonstrate such an intense climax. Check it out if you loved the last Guardian’s run.
Pencilers: Aaron Kuder & Mike Hawthorne
Inkers: Aaron Kuder & Terry Pallot
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Without having looked at the numbers, I have such a hard time believing that Guardians of the Galaxy was doing so bad that Marvel wanted to cancel it, but I guess that’s why the book has a different name now. I was hesitant to look into another countdown to a Marvel event, but with Gerry Duggan behind the wheel, I figured it was worth a shot. This is one hundred percent still a Guardians of the Galaxy book, carrying with it everything that made his technically short run with them so great. No spoilers here.
Duggan’s Guardians is truly the best of many aspects of super hero stories. The brotherhood between Talonar and Nova brings down to Earth the very cosmic scope of the rest of the story. He writes the Guardians in a way that is welcoming to those who found interest in the characters from the movies while still paying heavy respects to the DNA era. On the surface, they’re very much the clumsy, handsome good guy space pirates we know and love, but they get plenty of time to shine and actually prove that they’re competent heroes. Namely Star-Lord and Drax, whose saxophone playing is a perfect example of the balance that Duggan creates. Dialogue feels very appropriate for each character, especially in the different situations that we see throughout the issue, all tied together by being just on the edge of defeat. And after the cliffhanger of this issue, I don’t know what else you could ever need to believe that the Guardians’ haven’t had a proper cosmic adventure like this in far too long.
This issue has a great deal of variety in its visuals as well. As I said, much of this book has our heroes on the verge of defeat, so it’s entirely appropriate that Aaron Kuder and Mike Hawthorne have much grit to their style. That’s not to say that this issue is a downer. It’s not. This is just where things are heating up, and the art shows that these characters are being tested and pushed to their limits. I will say that Jordie Bellaire goes a bit overboard with grays and browns in the Warlock scenes, and it can make it feel a bit boring, but after that, the palette opens up to show a wide range of emotion as we slide from despair and confusion to pride and relief.
Infinity Countdown is a lot of fun and just what you’d hope for in a space book written by Gerry Duggan. He shows great diversity in his sense for voices, and clearly knows how to move a story along in a satisfying way. The colors can be a little lifeless, but that’s kind of the point in some cases, and they do expand to compliment the pencils to effectively demonstrate such an intense climax. Check it out if you loved the last Guardian’s run.
A Look Inside
