Guardians of the Galaxy #8

By Brian Michael Bendis and Francesco Francavilla.

The Guardians finally enter the fray of Infinity in this exciting new issue. Brian Michael Bendis amps up his game as this team of ragamuffin heroes go to work to save Abigail Brand from the clutches of Thanos’ nightmare army.

This latest issue of Guardians of the Galaxy is definitely a high point in the run so far. Not only is it exciting in terms of action but Bendis also begins to explore the relationships between the characters a bit more. As the characters decide what to do about Thanos’ invasion of Earth, Gamora begins to ask questions and wonder why Peter Quill didn’t kill Thanos when he had the chance. Gamora finally gets the spotlight she’s been denied in the past few issues, as she struggles to beat the answers she wants out of Peter. While Gamora has been one of the more silent characters in this book, when Bendis focuses on her it’s extremely well done. He does a great job of giving another layer to a character that we have really only seen to be a bad ass fighter and master assassin.

There is also a heavier tone to this book compared to the rest of Bendis’ run so far. There isn’t as many one-liners or colloquial speech between the characters. Without the quips and snarky dialogue this book takes a turn for the serious, even as Rocket Raccoon is shouting “murdered you” after every kill he makes.

The addition of Francesco Francavilla’s art also adds to the darker tone of the book. Francavilla does a fantastic job of capturing the gravity of the situation that the Guardians are in with each panel. Francavilla’s ability to capture the emotions of the characters with a simple, refined style is what really makes the panels stand out. His colors are subdued and dark and play well with his uses of silhouettes to emphasize the heaviness of the story.

Bendis has definitely stepped up the game in this latest issue and I look forward to seeing the next tie-in with Infinity that he has to offer us.