And the rest

Sorry for all of those days off this week. Sadly, I think it's probably set to be more the norm than the exception here. I'm likely going to change from a "Reviews all major Marvel releases" to a "Reads all major Marvel releases and tells you which ones to read" sort of thing.  So here's where the rest of this week's books landed themselves. Search out the pictures for the quick hits of the (admittedly predictable) top-rated in this group!

All-New Doop 3
Milligan (w) and Lafuente and Camagni (a) and L. Allred (c) and Cowles (l)

Doop keeps trying to help out in the Battle of the Atom but things aren't working so well. He can't out future Kitty as Raze because he fears Raze knows something about Doop's mother, who Doop fears. His only real help is temporarily taking Kitty and Bobby out of the fight so they can break up in peace. He then confronts his mother with the help of a couple X-Statix members. It continues to be hard to rate this book because I continue to not know exactly what it's hoping to accomplish so I can't rightly say if it's done so or not. 3/5


All-New Ghost Rider 4
F. Smith (w) and T. Moore (a) and Staples (c) and Caramagna (l)

Robbie, the new Ghost Rider, encounters and fights a Hyde-serum boosted Grumpy but has to flee the fight, promising to get stronger. Meanwhile, Dr. Zabu has decided Grumpy needs to be dealt with and, with a new and more powerful pill, begins recruiting an army, including Robbie's daytime nemesis Guero. This book continues to have a pretty strong through line and Tradd Moore's art continues to really fit the tone and action. Strong stuff. 5/5











All-New Ultimates
Fiffe (w) and Pinna (a) and Woodard (c) and Cowles (l)

It's beach day for the girls of the All-New Ultimates and they play in the arcade, tan, and gossip while Cloak works on his powers and Spider-Man asks Ganke about what his kiss with a villain means for his relationship with Kate Bishop. Also, Jessica Drew comes out as a lesbian and Bombshell's boyfriend is killed by Diamondback and her crew, luring Bombshell back to his place, where she's captured and drugged into subservience. It's too bad the reveal of a possibly strong gay character is buried by a book that's so boring and eye-rollingly uninteresting. 2/5


Amazing Spider-Man 3
Slott (w) and Ramos (p) and Olazaba (i) and Delgado (c) and Eliopoulos (l)

Peter is trying to get his workers to like him, now that he's removed from Doc Ock, but it doesn't quite work out. Still, his new aim to safely capture Electro and bid for a new prison contract is met with lukewarm response at best, even when he takes a few of his key scientists out to view a fire started by Electro. As Spider-Man has to scurry away to help deal with the fire, he determines that MJ's new boyfriend is a pretty good guy and runs afoul of a very angry Black Cat, who he confuses and evades for the moment by pretending he's still Doc Ock. She flees and finds Electro, with whom she teams. It's not a bad issue, per se, but if you read the entirety of the extra-long AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1, you probably could skip this one. It's good for building more on these characters but it's not really enough to separate from the bones of that first issue. 3/5


Avengers Undercover 6
Hopeless (w) and Green II (p) and Gorder (i) and Beaulieu (c) and Caramagna (l)

It's time, after a few weeks settling in, for a couple of the Murderworld Bunch (I'll come up with a better name eventually) to go on an actual mission and earn their keep. Chase and Death Locket, accompanied by Death Locket's new romantic interest Excavator and others, jump into a battle on AIM Island in an attempt to steal some tech only to suddenly see Captain America entering the scene. Excavator encourages Death Locket to take the shot on Cap and to take him out, which she very slowly comes around to doing but Chase tackles her as she's shooting, sending the shot elsewhere. He tells her their plan of blending in for now while they find a way to restore hero creed, which leaves her confused when Excavator attacks Chase and the two fight, leaving Death Locket with a choice. She shoots Chase. Strong issue, plenty happening and a nice jump forward in time to let us see what's been going on. Good development for Death Locket too, who was too much a naive pawn in the last series to get a ton of characterization. 5/5


Deadpool vs. Carnage 4
Bunn (w) and Espin (a) and Gandini (c) and Sabino (l)

A newly en-symbioted Deadpool attacks Carnage, still trying to convince him that he's predictable, at least to Deadpool. The two fight and fight with Carnage refusing to believe Deadpool's claims, still believing himself to be his own man. However, when Deadpool tricks him into killing Shriek by understanding the way he thinks, Carnage has to reassess. He delivers himself to the police office in the hopes that his imprisonment will give him a chance to think some things over. Deadpool wins another one though this one really felt like it had lost its focus from the start. But maybe, given these two characters, that was the aim. 3/5


Fantastic Four 6
J. Robinson (w) and Kirk and Haspiel (p) and Kesel and Haspiel (i) and Aburtov, Gandini, and Woodard (c) and Cowles (l)

The kids have been taken away from the F4 and they return home to find that the courts have also refused them access to the Baxter Building. The Avengers are onsite to keep them out because this book just keeps getting more ridiculous. The kids have learned from a SHIELD agent that Dragon Man is to be deactivated and they appeal to fellow android Human Torch to help their friend. Meanwhile, as ORIGINAL SIN hits, Ben learns that Johnny may be responsible for sabotaging a device that would have reverted Thing back into human form for good. This book has shown again and again that it has a goal and it's willing to walk all over any logic that might stop it from getting to said goal. On top of the insane court case that the F4 and Jen Walters somehow lost, now the Avengers are hired security to ensure a smooth transition because apparently the whole hero community would INSTANTLY turn on the F4 (though, you know, they are pretty boring). 1/5


Guardians of the Galaxy 16
Bendis (w) and Bradshaw, Marquez, and Masters (a) and Ponsor, Delgado, and Villarrubia (c) and Petit (l)

Angela swoops in to save Gamora from the Badoon as Captain Marvel swoops in to save Star-Lord from leaping out of a building to his death. J-Son and Star-Lord have a verbal fight in front of all the cameras J-Son insisted on having to show his son's punishment and it turns many against J-Son as Star-Lord gives an impassioned speech about the role of the Guardians. It even convinces the Supreme Intelligence to release Rocket. Meanwhile, Skrulls try to use the Venom symbiote and fail, which results in their deaths as it reattaches to Flash and Drax is sentenced to death by Gladiator and given the chance to choose his means. He chooses a battle to the death with Gladiator, who accepts. Plenty still happening but I think that the slow issue 15 hurts this one a bit as this one feels very much like the last one but, you know, the opposite? It's kind of hard to explain, but it's a situation where everything is happening so exactly the way they'd want it to happen that it kind of negates any drama from last issue. 3/5


Ms. Marvel 5
G.W. Wilson (w) and Alphona (a) and Herring (c) and Caramagna (l)

Kamala is quickly overwhelmed by The Inventor's henchmen, led by punk scientist Doyle, and forced to flee. She manages it but gets in some trouble with her parents when she returns home less-than-stealthily. She enlists Bruno to help her up her game with training and a new costume. After a montage, she returns to Doyle's place and takes them apart, rescuing Bruno's brother Vick without too much trouble. However, now The Inventor and Doyle's gang are out for blood. Solid issue, complete with some good training for Kamala (and some training that makes a bit of sense, not just a leap to "I'm a superhero now!" status) and good characterization for everyone involved, including Bruno and Kamala's parents. Strong work continues and just look at that McKelvie cover. 5/5





New Warriors 6
Yost (w) and Roche and Baldeon (p) and Roche and Tarragona (i) and Redmond (c) and Caramagna (l)

Wundagore Mountain, thanks to a bit of confusion out of the dog and cat priests (Jake Waffles and Mr. Whiskers), has been transported right to the center of New York City. Fortunately, it's phased a bit out of place and therefore it doesn't actually affect anything around it, just confuses plenty of people, Avengers included. Captain America and Iron Man meet with Justice and Speedball while Thor sits in with the rest of the team (minus Nova, the only one with a connection to Thor, thanks to a previous engagement). While Justice argues with Cap over the meaning of the New Warriors, Water Snake starts to see more visions, eventually attacking Thor because of them. While a big fight breaks out in the middle of Wundagore Mountain, Hummingbird reveals the demon bothering Water Snake and settles everything down, the misunderstanding cleared up. Justice quits the Avengers and dedicates himself to the New Warriors in the face of scrutiny, mistrust, and condescension from Cap. Another strong issue for the young book as fun and energetic voices mix with dark memories and weighty issues. 5/5


Savage Hulk 1
A. Davis (w and p) and Farmer (i) and Hollingsworth (c) and Cowles (l)

In the midst of X-MEN 66, Bruce Banner and the X-Men try to find a way to help Xavier out of his coma. Though Banner's device helps them to do it, it opens up Xavier to realizing he needs to do what he can to help Hulk. He sends his team of X-Men to try and find Hulk and help him find a cure for his situation but Hulk has encountered problems of his own, as the army and the Leader descend on him and as Abomination descends on the X-Men. It's hard to know if a lack of familiarity with the source material is keeping this one confusing for me but it's hard to point to the source material for why this one is so slow. For all of the crossed paths and all the excitement this one feels it should have, it seems to actually carry none of that. It also may have to do with my own distaste for Davis' art. 2/5

Super quick reviews: DEADPOOL VS. CARNAGE 3, MIRACLEMAN 5

Hey guys, got a little busy on Saturday and today is MOTHER'S DAY, so just going to go as quick as I can to make sure these lil guys just get some representation. Also serves as a challenge to me because we all know how much I like to talk. Let's do this.

Deadpool vs. Carnage 3

Bunn (w) and Espin (a) and Gandini (c) and Sabino (l)

Deadpool keeps on following Carnage. Fighting ensues and Carnage begins to embrace the chaotic code Deadpool's been using, leading him to a facility where symbiote hunters have been trying to track Carnage. He kills them then slices Deadpool up when he arrives. The symbiote hunters' symbiotes bond to Deadpool, reassembling and powering him up.

Still working on embracing the chaos code that unites Carnage and Deadpool. I get the idea and I think it's a funny idea but it's hard to connect those two in my head. It's really hard to connect anything to Carnage in my head. Still, if you've been enjoying it, you'll likely enjoy this one, which is particularly action-heavy.

Miracleman 5

Moore (w) and A. Davis and Ridgway (a) and Oliff (c) and Caramagna (l)

Miracleman takes sort of a day off in the wake of Kid Miracleman's defeat and the discovery of his origins to decompress a bit. It comes to a pretty abrupt halt, though, when his wife is kidnapped by Miracleman enemy/creator Emil Gargunza.

Even with the more relaxed tone to the first couple of small issues that comprise this full issue, there's plenty happening to keep readers interested. We get a look into KM's current state and the way Michael Moran is feeling about Miracleman and the way both are dealing with their recent discovery about their origin even before we get into this main plot, where Gargunza seems very interested in Liz's pregnancy. Still going pretty well all around.

HOW DID I DO, YOU GUYS?

Ultimate FF 1, Deadpool vs. Carnage 2, What If? Age of Ultron 3

Ultimate FF 1
Fialkov (w) and Guevara w/ Grummett (p) and Vlasco (i) and Rosenberg (c) and Sabino (l)

CATACLYSM has left behind some scars on the world in the form of transdimensional rifts that need closing. The new premiere science team of the Ultimate Universe set off to try to do just that as Falcon, Iron Man, and Sue Storm, led by Phil Coulson and the new Machine Man, Danny Ketch, look to seal a rift in New Jersey. They're finding it hard to shut down and it's leading to plenty of complications, as they're getting overrun by strange rock-like creatures. Coulson and Machine Man decide to release their secret weapon, a new team member unbeknownst to the rest of the team. They see the package land and immediately believe it to be Reed Richards (who they had been discussing right around that time too) and he manages to shut down the rift, saving them all. Sue approaches the figure only to find that it's not Reed, it's Doctor Doom.

Story
I want to come out first and say that I like this issue a good deal before I rail on the story. I think it moves pretty well and I think it accomplishes just about everything it sets out to do. The story is the sole weak point because it feels rather like the story is entirely a vehicle to introduce Doom. The threat they face is pretty vague and how impossible it is to go up against is tough to understand. So instead, the reveal is the draw of the story and it feels pretty obvious that was the only thing this issue was going to do, story wise. As far as reveals go or as far as devices for reveals go, it's not terrible, it's just jarring. 2/5

Character
There are a number of characters coming together in this book, some of whom have worked together before and some of whom haven't. Team books are tricky to write, particularly number ones of team books. You have to introduce a dynamic, you have to show off each character, you have to have a plot, so on and so forth. It's tough to fit in twenty pages. Fialkov does a solid job letting the comic breathe and letting the characters exist and interact. It's easy to see how the characters will be able to drive this book. 5/5

Writing
Tying together the "story" and "character" sections, I think Fialkov had a decision to make here. He was either going to tell a compelling single-issue story or he was going to create really compelling characters in a single issue. He chose the latter, knowing he had a story already just based around the aftermath of CATACLYSM. It didn't have to be a great story; it had to be enough to get our characters there. He got the characters there and he let them do the work. Like I said at the top, I liked this issue. I tend to be more character focused than plot focused in a lot of ways. With that in mind, I think Fialkov has done a really good job here. We get the humor of the book, the excitement, the characters. It may be a little vague in story terms but frankly, we're not really supposed to care. A means to an end. 4/5

Art
It's not my favorite art in a comic book. I think it's half great and half totally not for me, in fact. I like the tone it creates, the almost lighter art that can go dark at any time. I think that Guevara falls short on the faces a number of times but also totally nails them a couple times. I find the focus on purple as a color very strange in the wake of Galactus; you'd think people would be steering clear of the color for a bit. It's also sometimes hard to follow the action. Certainly not my favorite stuff out there. 2/5

Miscellaneous
Like I said at the top, I like this book. It's well written, it's fun, it characterizes well, and you can see all the directions where Fialkov can go now. Fialkov promises that this book will go places he never thought he would be allowed to go and do things he's shocked he gets to do. There's a lot happening here that can support that. I will also say, the reveal is good but is weakened slightly since this first issue has a little splash page that names the book "DOOMED." Maybe don't add that?

Total score: 4/5


Deadpool vs. Carnage 2
Bunn (w) and Espin (a) and Gandini (c) and Sabino (l)

Deadpool and Carnage fight a bit more but ultimately Carnage and Shriek get away, not believing that it's possible that Deadpool could be the same level of crazy as Carnage and therefore follow him. Deadpool has a weapons cache at a storage facility nearby and goes to get some tools but finds that his storage space was auctioned off. This puts him on a path to find the person who bought it all, a similarly crazed giant man who swears he thinks the same way as the two stars of this book and offers to help Deadpool to find Carnage. Cut to a highway that Carnage and Shriek are driving on only to have Deadpool drop an industrial work machine thing (like a tractor, you guys, just not that, okay? I don't have practical skills like identifying that) on them, knocking Shriek out of the fight as Carnage and Deadpool prepare to recommence.

Story
The idea of Deadpool having the same sort of crazy as Carnage is one that still certainly drives the plot well enough. The addition of the new giant character Doverton does not particularly thrill me and it seems a little more than we need, though time will tell, I suppose. Still, at its heart, this book simply wants to pit Deadpool against Carnage so, I guess, mission accomplished. 4/5

Character
The characters mostly come through in the writing of this one, not so much in their actions. Obviously there's a little to do with their actions and the character stuff works insofar as the story's "they think the same!" does. Still, they're basic boilerplate versions of the character. Deadpool's not going to be particularly deep in this book and he's not really meant to be, just as Carnage isn't really ever going to be particularly deep. Like with the story though, it's mission accomplished here for showing off what Bunn is intending to show off. 4/5

Writing
Strange, slightly off jokes and quips galore as these two go head-to-head. The best stuff comes from the two of them interacting with one another but you do a little bit get the sense that the dialogue is still almost generic, at least as far as these guys go. It sometimes feels like it doesn't matter who they're fighting, that these calls and responses would be placed well against anyone that jumped into the fray. Still though, if you're buying this book it's because you want to see Deadpool fight Carnage and CONGRATULATIONS, here is that book. 3/5

Art
I like Salva Espin's art here a lot. It appears very monstrous and symbiote-like when it needs to, it shows humor off when it needs to, it's gory and horrible when it needs to be. It hits on everything it needs to hit on, is what I'm getting at. There's a nice little feature he draws in a couple of times with Deadpool, mask removed, that has his eyes cartoonishly shrink to just tiny white pupils to show off a particular emotion and I think it works strangely well. Good stuff throughout. 5/5

Miscellaneous
This is a strange book because it's not the best book on the market and I certainly wouldn't really be recommending it to people who weren't interested in the thing that the title promises. If you weren't instantly like "hey, I like Deadpool and I like Carnage, where can I read a book where the two fight each other?" I almost certainly wouldn't even think of this book. But the book's goal is to be the book for people who ask that question and I have to grade this book on that curve and no other. It's a fine comic book, a quick pick-up-and-throw-out sort of read. But it certainly gives what it promises.

Total score: 4/5


What If? Age of Ultron 3
Keatinge (w) and Suayan and Ienco (a) and Beaulieu (c) and Sabino (l)

The newest WHAT IF? AGE OF ULTRON takes us to FEAR ITSELF in a world where the timebreak in AGE OF ULTRON killed that universe's Thor before he was able to take down the Serpent, sacrificing himself in the process. So instead, the Serpent has reigned and taken over and basically destroyed the world in the process. Only a handful of heroes remain, including Nick Fury, Black Widow, Silver Sable, Falcon, Shang Chi, and Microchip. The small team makes their way to the former Castle Doom to restock weapons and the like. They manage the assault and Fury leads them to the place where Thor fell, hoping that someone will be able to lift his fallen hammer and defeat the Serpent. After a tough struggle to get there, Black Widow makes it and manages to lift Mjolnir, transforming her into a goddess and allowing her the chance to take out the serpent. Everyone (save Fury, who managed to live) sacrificed themselves to give Black Widow her chance and it saved the world, as Fury recounts years later.

Story
We continue the strange storytelling of looking in on different universes as different people die from the weird timebreak and peek into an alternate FEAR ITSELF because apparently we didn't have enough of that when it happened. God, the next one will probably be AVX and I'll be just as annoyed. So these WHAT IF? AGE OF ULTRONs continue to be more like WHAT IF? JUST ABOUT WHATEVER. But I guess that's a weak complaint to make. The story of this one is okay, pitting a very random group of heroes against all the forces of fear and not bothering to explain how these guys lived (seriously, why does everyone ALWAYS show Captain America specifically as being dead?). Then not explaining how Natasha was worthy, though I'm not going to argue the point. Okay, look, I said the story was okay but I actually seem to have real issues with it. 2/5

Character
The character who talks the most in this is the least known, as Microchip, former ally of and then villain to Punisher just will not stop talking. He's more or less our audience character, the guy who's going "well I don't know what we're doing here so please explain," leading to the sort of "well, as you know, this is what happened sort of explanation." Still, we don't get a great look into character except from his incessant talking and Natasha's willingness to jump out of planes and sacrifice herself to try to defeat the serpent. Too much to do and too little time for great characterization of a team. 3/5

Writing
I'm rather against the sort of "well, as you know..." then telling people what they ALREADY KNOW writing but I see why it's impossible to do without it here. Keatinge has to build a universe somewhat like our own but with a very distinct difference and then shape how that difference changed the universe, all in one book. You don't have time for subtlety and it would be impossible to understand or care about if he did go more subtle. Still, the writing takes a hit for that but overall, know that I get it. 3/5

Art
Suayan and Ienco do a pretty great job with the art here though there is a weird focus on Natasha's breasts, just about the only exposed part of flesh on this entire team. Still, the art itself is good and appropriately dark to convey the tone of the writing and of the world they now live in. The Serpent is particularly impressive. 4/5

Miscellaneous
I just cannot wrap my head around this series. I don't know why we need to have a no-holds-barred WHAT IF? mini-series and I still don't understand how the time break is killing off people? Look, no time to explain that, I get it, but it's a weird thing to show off, isn't it?

Total score 3/5

Deadpool vs. Carnage 1, What If? Age of Ultron 1, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude 1

Deadpool vs. Carnage 1
Bunn (w) and Espin (a) and Gandini (c)

Carnage is on the loss again and abandoning his recent ambitious plans that included being the ruler of his own little mini-universe and taking control of a city. Now he's back to just being Carnage, tearing a path through America while he settles himself back in. The news reports are going crazy as no one can find the psychopath until it's too late. Deadpool, though, determines, with a little help from the television, that he would be perfect to find and catch Carnage because it takes someone insane to catch someone insane. He sets out and manages to find Carnage almost right away, proving that his insane person logic actually rather worked out. Deadpool shoots a missile at Carnage, managing to knock him out of the fight for a moment but before Deadpool can capitalize, old Carnage ally and Spider-Man villain Shriek appears to defend "her man."

Another series in the DEADPOOL VS. line but this one, as opposed to many of the more existential or more meta books, pits Deadpool against an actual established villain as if it were just an arc of a comic book. Marvel's been excited about this one for a while and you can understand why. Deadpool and Carnage are both extremely popular characters with fans and anyone who would pick up a Deadpool book is looking for the sort of craziness that both characters are known for. The book does a fine job characterizing both of them but, for a title like this one, they're not particularly deep characters. I think that Deadpool's a pretty deep character but this book doesn't call for that sort of stuff; it calls for him to be the crazy guy. Considering that, the book does a solid job giving us that Deadpool and that Carnage and letting them go crazy. I will say, there are a lot of little inside Marvel references "hidden" in the art of the book that may be fun for people but I also found somewhat distracting. They rather draw the eye away from the action and the characters instead of to them. Regardless, if you're a Deadpool or a Carnage fan, this book will probably satisfy you. Don't expect it to have the same sort of darkness as DEADPOOL KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE or DEADPOOL KILLUSTRATED (for one, Marvel couldn't call this one DEADPOOL KILLS CARNAGE because what are the chances either of these characters end up dead by series end?) but if you're going in just as a fan of the characters, I'm sure you'll be pleased.

What If? Age of Ultron 1
Keatinge (w) and Ienco (a) and Serrano (c)

In a separate possible timeline, Janet Van Dyne dies early in the Avengers existence when she experiences that thing that was happening all over the end of AGE OF ULTRON, when everyone sees their changed history and their alternate selves and whatever else. Though it never actually broke anyone's brain before, it apparently breaks Janet's and Hank Pym somehow uses that as a reason to say that the Avengers failed. So he goes to work on Ultron and improves it EVEN MORE in its first time out, hoping that it will replace the Avengers that he feels failed Janet. Of course, it doesn't except in the way that it kills them all. Like, instantly. Hank then goes on, in a letter he writes to the dead Janet 25 years after her death, to explain that there were others who fought the Ultrons and who seemed like they may have had a chance but CLEARLY THEY DIDN'T because he also says, 25 years later, that he hadn't seen a human face in over 9,000 days, or just under 25 years. Then the Ultrons capture him and torture him and reveal that he's actually mostly Ultron at this point, that they keep replacing parts of his body with Ultron parts and wiping his mind so he doesn't know it keeps happening because they want to torture him until any vestiges of him that are left finally die away.

I did a bit more analysis in my summary than I've been doing lately but that's only because I couldn't help it. WHAT IF? books are often a little ridiculous because it's hard to tell a story that has two interesting and logical conclusions. Presumably the interesting and logical (for comic books) conclusion came in the actual book, leaving the WHAT IF? book to explore less logical and, perhaps, less interesting conclusions. This one, though, seems more flawed than ever in its very conceit. I'm not opposed to WHAT IF? books. I think they give a chance for a writer to explore ideas they may have come up with since or ask questions that readers might hypothetically ask (nerds that they are). By and large, though, the WHAT IF? titles start with some semblance of the original plot or even the original layout of the world. In this case, the inciting incident (that Janet would die from these visions) seems flawed and then the idea that Hank would go "well geez, the Avengers failed her because her brain popped!" even though it's not like a supervillain killed her and her last words were LITERALLY all about how she believes in the Avengers all seem a little too far-fetched to let the rest go. Also a little weird that in this alternate reality (it's actually set up to be a separate world entirely, as opposed to the normal "HO, I AM THE WATCHER, SEE WHAT POSSIBLE TIMELINES I HATH SEEN," presumably because the Watcher's in for a spot of bother in the coming months and it would have been a little awkward to see him in this limited series) Hank was like "oh, I'll build Ultron better" and then did? Kinda thought Ultron was the pinnacle of what he could build and then it just took on a life of its own, improving itself and improving itself until it got to this point. Nope! Hank willed himself to be smarter! LOOK, WHATEVER.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Prelude 1
Abnett and Lanning (w) and Alves and Clark (a) and J.D. Ramos (c)

Nebula, a trained assassin who grew up alongside Gamora and some other trained assassins under the watchful eye of Thanos, reaches the cloud tombs of Praxius in search of an orb her master seeks (likely an Infinity Gem, because that's always what Thanos is after). While she descends on the tombs and makes her way through the guards, she recalls times in her life where she learned lessons about weakness. The first is when, as children, Gamora suckered her into a trap while they attempted to recover an objective as part of a training game and threw her from some height, leading her to hospitalization and recovery, though Thanos is annoyed at her weakness. The second memory is one where she and Gamora, a bit older now, decide to steer their damaged ship into an enemy's, ejecting just before impact. Though they're recovered, Thanos still disapproves of any weakness they showed, but he's happy that they turned a weakness into a strength (on Gamora's suggestion). Back in the tombs, Nebula discovers that the orb isn't where she thought it would be and gets tangled up in laser-thorns. Gamora appears as backup and kills all the guards, but Thanos tells her to leave Nebula behind to find her own way. Gamora leaves a knife behind, reminding Nebula that laser-thorns strip the flesh and mangle bone and can't but cut with a blade. Nebula awakens later from the healing tank she so often ends up in with a new metal arm, having left hers behind at Praxius and having learned another lesson about weakness.

The preludes scheduled for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy may have a little more use than some of the other preludes we've seen, though it's hard for me to tell if that's true as someone pretty familiar with all of the other characters out there. I've read Abnett and Lanning's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY all the way through but that was a few years ago now and that certainly doesn't cover their entire history so, of all the Marvel properties turned into movies, this is the one with which I'm least comfortable (as is the case with most people in the world). As such, this prelude works a bit better than I've found the others to work because it establishes the sort of relationships we're ready to see in the film and gives us a pretty good look at one of our heroes and a pair of our villains in one tidy package. It's a good read and it's exciting to see Abnett and Lanning back to set us up for this. It is a little strange still, even though this is just the comic book and not the movie itself, knowing that Nebula is Karen Gillan. Pretty hard to get past that one, even if she's bald and blue.