Come get your love in these Guardians of the Galaxy comic books before the sequel!
On May 5th, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is likely to become one of the biggest Marvel sequels to date, at least according to early tracking numbers. After 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy movie, Marvel’s cosmic misfits were suddenly one of the hottest franchises on the planet. The amazing thing is that, ten years ago, these Guardians didn’t even exist as a team!
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The original Guardians of the Galaxy comic books were about a team of superheroes from the far future of the Marvel Universe. Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot have also been around for decades, but they weren’t officially brought together as a team until writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning did it in the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book series in 2008. It hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing from there, but these Guardians have rarely been separated since.
As far as Guardians of the Galaxy comic book stories go, this specific team doesn’t have decades upon decades of adventures together to draw upon. The Abnett and Lanning run was terrific, and even Brian Michael Bendis’ Guardians stories have their moments. But casual comic book movie fans could use a more curated experience to dive into the adventures of these Guardians on the printed page. Or in digital comics, if you prefer.
Ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s release, ComingSoon.net is looking back at 10 Guardians of the Galaxy comic book stories that you should read before the film. These are the best adventures of the team, and some of the most memorable solo stories for the key members as well.
10 Guardians of the Galaxy Comic Stories You Should Read Before Vol. 2: Rocket Raccoon #1-4
Of all of the Guardians of the Galaxy comic books on this list, this is the most archaic. But Rocket Raccoon has never had a better solo artist than Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. In this 1985 miniseries, Rocket’s creator, Bill Mantlo, teamed up with Mignola to chronicle Rocket’s adventures on Half World; which was populated by talking animals like himself… and killer clowns, among other threats.
This version of Rocket isn’t quite the angry and sarcastic version that we’ve come to know and love, but this was his first true solo adventure. For decades, it was just a footnote in comics history, and now it actually has fans actively seeking out the story.
10 Guardians of the Galaxy Comic Stories You Should Read Before Vol. 2: Drax the Destroyer #1-4
Drax the Destroyer has had a lot of ups and downs as a character over the decades. In his early years, Drax was an extremely angry cosmic warrior who would stop at nothing to kill Thanos. After Drax’s death and resurrection, he was re-imagined as bigger and even stupider Hulk knock-off. It wasn’t until 2005’s Drax the Destroyer miniseries by Keith Giffen and Mitch Breitweiser that the title character started to resemble the version that fans have met on the big screen.
This incarnation of Drax is a lot smarter than his earlier versions, and not the hilariously clueless dolt from the movies. But he is a badass, and this is the Drax that actually got to kill Thanos during the Annihilation miniseries that followed this miniseries.
10 Guardians of the Galaxy Comic Stories You Should Read Before Vol. 2: Annihilation: Conquest: Star-Lord #1-4
Writer Keith Giffen and artist Timothy Green II probably had no idea that their Star-Lord miniseries would serve as the template for the new Guardians of the Galaxy team. Essentially, Star-Lord was placed on a suicide mission alongside a very unlikely team including a few members who went on to join the Guardians: Mantis, Rocket, and Groot; while Bug, Captain Universe, and Deathcry didn’t quite make the cut.
This miniseries also included the death and rebirth of Groot, as well as the beginning of the Rocket and Groot friendship that has come to define both characters. It’s a lot darker than the films, but still worth exploring as an adventure.
10 Guardians of the Galaxy Comic Stories You Should Read Before Vol. 2: Guardians of the Galaxy: Legacy
If you’ve been waiting to read the first real adventures of the 2008 Guardians of the Galaxy, this is the place to start. In the aftermath of the Annihilation: Conquest storyline, Star-Lord’s surving team went on to become the new Guardians of the Galaxy, while adding Gamora, Drax, Quasar, and Adam Warlock to the mix as well. This collection of the first six issues is a great introduction to the team, and there are even nods to the futuristic Guardians of the Galaxy as well. Everything you love about the Guardians started here.
10 Guardians of the Galaxy Comic Stories You Should Read Before Vol. 2: The Thanos Imperative
Eventually, the Abnett and Lanning run came to an end, but not before going out with a bang in The Thanos Imperative. In this story, the surviving Guardians were actually forced to team up with Thanos against an even more dire threat: the Cancerverse. This was a universe where death was defeated, and all life was transformed into a virulent plague that threatened to consume the Marvel Universe.
Not everyone makes it out of this adventure, including a few Guardians who end up on the wrong side of the Cancerverse by the finale. But as a closing chapter for the team’s first epic, it’s a classic.
10 Guardians of the Galaxy Comic Stories You Should Read Before Vol. 2: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers
You can tell when Marvel decided that Guardians of the Galaxy was a priority, as the company’s top writer, Brian Michael Bendis, and one of Marvel’s best artists, Steve McNiven, were given the chance to restart the Guardians of the Galaxy comic… with Iron Man as one of the team members.
It’s not entirely consistent with the lighthearted films that followed, but it is a fun look at the team and it also explores Star-Lord’s connection with his father, who isn’t a living planet in this version.
10 Guardians of the Galaxy Comic Stories You Should Read Before Vol. 2: Guardians of the Galaxy: Original Sin
For years, Brian Michael Bendis seemed to ignore the events of The Thanos Imperative that left members of the team dead or imprisoned in an alternate universe. They were back and that was the end of it. But when Bendis finally got around to exploring what happened in the Cancerverse, it led to Gamora literally demanding answers from her teammates about their “original sin,” and she was less than happy to learn why they left behind the man she had come to love.
This is one of the emotional high points of Bendis’ run with the team, as Gamora seemingly contemplates walking away from it all after learning the truth.
10 Guardians of the Galaxy Comic Stories You Should Read Before Vol. 2: Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 1: Emperor Quill
Bendis is one of the few writers at Marvel who can get away with completely changing the comic version of the team while the movie is in the public consciousness. So instead of the five misfits that everyone knows, the X-Men’s Kitty Pryde and the Fantastic Four’s Thing are leading members of this team, along with Rocket, Drax, Groot, and Agent Venom.
As for Peter Quill, he ended up as the emperor of Spartax. That went pretty much how you imagine that it went, but it’s an entertaining chapter for this team.
10 Guardians of the Galaxy Comic Stories You Should Read Before Vol. 2: Guardians of Infinity
For the short-lived Guardians of Infinity series, returning writer Dan Abnett not only teamed up members of the 2008 team and the original team from the future, he also introduced the Guardians of the Galaxy 1000, a team from the distant past! It’s a crazy, and sometimes silly adventure, but it was a blast to see the Guardians of multiple eras teaming up with each other.
10 Guardians of the Galaxy Comic Stories You Should Read Before Vol. 2: Gamora #1-5
Screenwriter Nicole Perlman was rewarded for her Guardians of the Galaxy script by the opportunity to write Gamora’s first ever solo adventure. Teaming with artist Marco Checchetto, Perlman lightly retconned some of Gamora’s past with Thanos to include a connection with Nebula, while giving Gamora a new purpose in life: to avenge her people as well as herself. It also reestablishes Gamora’s reputation as one of the deadliest women in the galaxy.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 stars Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Michael Rooker as Yondu, and Sean Gunn as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, who plays Mantis, Elizabeth Debicki as Aesha, Chris Sullivan as Taserface and Kurt Russell as Ego, the Living Planet.
Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.
Directed and written by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is produced by Marvel Studios’ president, Kevin Feige, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Nik Korda and Stan Lee serving as executive producers.
