Legendary Star-Lord #1

by Sam Humphries, Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco and David Curiel

This is a good week to be a fan of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Two characters from the flagship book have a new series launching today and Legendary Star-Lord is one of them. Peter Quill has his hands full in the pages of his All-New Marvel Now debut. The dialogue is clever, the backdrop is touching and the characterization is good, all of which makes for a nice read.

Legendary Star-Lord opens with a short flashback sequence in which Peter gets some sage advice that sets the theme of the story. Quill returns earth, trouble ensues, Quill tries to make amends with a deed that is thoughtful and then trouble finds him again setting up the next issue. Kitty Pride makes a virtual appearance providing some funny moments, especially for readers familiar with her past. Quill has some clever repartee throughout which might bring a smile to most. All of this makes for a fun read, it’s not a heavy, quite the opposite. The premise being established is Star-Lord is a rogue character with a heart of gold, much like a certain captain of the Millennium Falcon and for the most part, it pays off.

A young boy with a recently deceased mother and an off world alien father could have been a recipe for a dark, gloomy and brooding tale, thankfully, Sam Humphries takes another direction. Humphries does remind readers that Peter has not had an ideal childhood. The small flashbacks provide motivation but do not define Peter’s overall character. Rather than dwelling on the past, Humphries expands and showcases the same witty character that is familiar to readers of Guardians of the Galaxy and of its upcoming major film. This is not to claim that the characterization is the same in Guardians. Quill is given full reign over the narration and Humphries gives the character a voice that is smart and serious with a very light hearted tone.

Bringing the same clean crisp cosmic pencils that grace the pages of Nova, Paco Medina is perfect for Humphries blend of action and humor. One of the stand out features of Medina’s art is his ability to give the pages the right amount of attention. The action sequences are filled with kinetic flash and backgrounds. The quiet moments are still and focused. This attention to the scene in the panels enhances the fluidity of Humphries script. In addition, there is a nice eye catching flashback splash page that reflects the promise of fun and adventure of the series. Juan Vlasco’s ink compliments every line, giving the right amount of brightness and shade to Medina’s pencils. A cosmic adventure needs bursts of energy and colorful backgrounds which are present in this book thanks to David Curiel. Curiel puts more color in the sky than just the typical dark blue. The starry skies have a nice shade of purple and when necessary red.

Legendary Star-Lord is a witty and light hearted enjoyable read. It gives Guardian fans a chance to get familiar with Peter Quill outside the assemble cast of the main title. Humphries and Medina have worked in synch to give the Han Solo of the 616 a fun and touching first issue.