The Guardians of the Galaxy you know aren’t on duty these days, and that is paving the way for the Asgardians of the Galaxy to take the mantle…so does it work?
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Spoilers incoming for Asgardians of the Galaxy #1, so if you haven’t read it yet you’ve been warned.
To get you up to speed, Asgardians of the Galaxy is an Infinity Wars tie-in, and while the team doesn’t feature lovable crew members like Star-Lord, Rocket, and Groot, it does feature an antagonist that Guardians fans will definitely recognize. The group that is here is an odd but interesting mix of Gods and mercenaries, as Angela leads a team consisting of the Destroyer, Valkyrie/Annabelle Riggs, Thunderstrike, Skurge, and Throg, though it’s the last member of the group that is the most intriguing going forward…but we’ll get to that in a minute.
With the basics out of the way, let’s get to the book itself. Writer Cullen Bunn seems quite comfortable with the crew he’s assembled, as the cast allows for some fun banter between the team. This especially goes for Thunderstrike and Skurge, and having Throg on the team opens up even more opportunities for humor. Angela’s a bit blank at times, but you do need a straight man to contrast the bigger personalities on the team, though Riggs helps maintain the balance as well.
In fact, the book isn’t as good without Riggs, who brings a practicality to the group and keeps them grounded, despite dealing with ancient relics and centuries-old prophecies. We have a feeling she will be the glue that makes this team run in future issues, but she’s also entertaining on a more individual level as well, as we see her dealing with the fact that an Asgardian God is within her, essentially giving Bunn two characters in one.
We’ve held out as long as we could, so it’s time to address that big spoiler on the last page.
We would normally just skate around it, but this person is going to be an instrumental part of the book going forward, so it’s kind of hard to ignore it. The final member of the group is none other than Young Kid Loki, who as the book says is not really supposed to exist anymore. This reveal is both exciting and deflating, but that has more to do with the current Elder Loki being revealed as a mystery narrator in the current run of Avengers. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this reveal, and the only reason we’re not completely deflated by it is that the story potential here is much higher than the other reveal, it is just the timing that takes some of the air out of it.
Thing is he has a chance to really make this book something special. Kid Loki has been utilized quite well in the past, and seeing him interact with the other teammates should provide some fantastic moments. That reveal immediately explains why he chose so many Asgardians for the team but also injects more mystery into why he formed this team in the first place.
The mission itself Os well explained here, and presents an intriguing canvas for Bunn to work on. Having Kid Loki at the center of it means not everything will be as it seems though, and that can only help the story avoid more formulaic pitfalls.
Artist Matteo Lolli delivers a solid issue on the visuals front, keeping things lively from page to page with bright colors and plenty of fluid action sequences, and Throg looks amazing in those surroundings.
Asgardians of the Galaxy #1 delivers all the elements of a successful launch. A great cast, lovely art, and a compelling reason to team-up in the first place. How it uses Loki in the future will dictate just how far this series can go, but it is off to a delightful start.
Published by: Marvel Comics
Written by: Cullen Bunn
Drawn by: Matteo Lolli
Colored by: Federico Blee
Lettered by: VC’s Cory Petit
