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Post by Drake on Dec 21, 2014 21:12:50 GMT -5
#8 is up!
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Post by adrini on Dec 22, 2014 1:42:51 GMT -5
You got them out of jail, yay!
Really good chapter. Action, panache, humor. Rockets jargon seems a little heavy, but that's a very minor issue. Well done.
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Post by thetrueelec on Dec 25, 2014 3:59:20 GMT -5
Well that was action packed, action isn't always easy to write but it was done really well here. And the scenes after that really up the stakes and got me excited to see what comes next.
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Post by Stardrifter on Dec 25, 2014 10:44:47 GMT -5
A good end to an overlong arc. I'm not sure I feel ge team going to be heroes though. I can see them coming together for protection, but I think them all agreeing to go to war and be heroes felt a bit too soon. At least to me.
Action was well done. A good intro for Thanos. Keep em coming.
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Post by Drake on Dec 25, 2014 11:32:53 GMT -5
I'm glad you liked it, elec!
It certainly was a long arc, Star. Probably too long. As for the heroes thing, well, I'm not sure what else I could have done to support their decision. Rocket is a hero as established in #4, and wants revenge for his planet's death. Groot is the most pure-hearted of the bunch and follows Rocket anywhere. Phyla wants to stop her shitty future from happening. Peter wants to repent for his past sins (that's what the scene in #6 was all about). Heather...well, she wants to save her Dad. Plus, mob mentality, and she isn't a bad person. Behind Groot, she's probably the kindest of the bunch.
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Post by DiscipleofBob on Dec 29, 2014 23:34:41 GMT -5
All right I'm not going to do this issue by issue like some of my other reviews at the moment. Because a) I don't remember the last chapter I didn't review, and b) the story flows too well from one chapter from another for me to isolate the awesomeness. No, seriously, it's like a good book I can't put down because the chapter keeps leaving on such a great note and leaving me wanting more. And I have no more chapters to read. You bastard. *shakes fist*
I remember the Cosmo cameo from the movie, and had no idea he was such a... character. I would say something about how he seemed a little too cartoony and silly even for this title, but as far as I know you're completely spot-on with the character, and this is a title with a talking raccoon and a tree and that's freaking awesome!
For some reason I want a crossover with that one dystopian Sonic cartoon and Rocket Raccoon.
Earlier I said you were in danger of being too close to the movie. Crisis averted because you have a great title which veers completely differently from the movie. From Gamora and Drax being on the bad guy's side, to Phyla-Vell and Heather on the guardians' side. You're even introducing Thanos and the Infinity Gems in a way that I don't think is forced at all, which is saying something considering those usually need a larger Marvel universe foundation to build off of.
A few nitpicks: - You called Blackshot "Deadshot" in one line. I assume that's just a typo and not a multiverse cameo. - Speaking of Blackshot, he was REALLY quick to insist that he wasn't being mind-controlled and he was for sure totes already evil from the very beginning for realsies. - Thanos's line about uniting the Kree and Skrull confuses me because I thought they were independent empires in a millenia-long war and I really hope they stay that way for a while or else I'm going to have to do some serious rewriting in my titles.
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Post by Drake on Dec 30, 2014 0:58:49 GMT -5
All right I'm not going to do this issue by issue like some of my other reviews at the moment. Because a) I don't remember the last chapter I didn't review, and b) the story flows too well from one chapter from another for me to isolate the awesomeness. No, seriously, it's like a good book I can't put down because the chapter keeps leaving on such a great note and leaving me wanting more. And I have no more chapters to read. You bastard. *shakes fist* I remember the Cosmo cameo from the movie, and had no idea he was such a... character. I would say something about how he seemed a little too cartoony and silly even for this title, but as far as I know you're completely spot-on with the character, and this is a title with a talking raccoon and a tree and that's freaking awesome! For some reason I want a crossover with that one dystopian Sonic cartoon and Rocket Raccoon. Earlier I said you were in danger of being too close to the movie. Crisis averted because you have a great title which veers completely differently from the movie. From Gamora and Drax being on the bad guy's side, to Phyla-Vell and Heather on the guardians' side. You're even introducing Thanos and the Infinity Gems in a way that I don't think is forced at all, which is saying something considering those usually need a larger Marvel universe foundation to build off of. A few nitpicks: - You called Blackshot "Deadshot" in one line. I assume that's just a typo and not a multiverse cameo. - Speaking of Blackshot, he was REALLY quick to insist that he wasn't being mind-controlled and he was for sure totes already evil from the very beginning for realsies. - Thanos's line about uniting the Kree and Skrull confuses me because I thought they were independent empires in a millenia-long war and I really hope they stay that way for a while or else I'm going to have to do some serious rewriting in my titles. Again, I'm glad you like what my title(s)! It's certainly supposed to read some like a book and be different than the movie, so I can check that off the list. Cosmo is pretty much what I present here. Other GotG readers can argue the fact with me if they want to. Yeah, Deadshot is a typo. If you know the issue, I'll go back and fix it. Otherwise...forget it, I guess Blackshot.....well....I, uh, may have had a writing screw up there. I was supposed to hint at some things early on that I didn't in the haze of all my pain meds for my back surgery. Still, it should be a little weird. There's more to that than just he's secretly evil. It's not necessarily mind control either. That's the problem with Marvel alien races. Kree. Skrull. Those are the singular forms, the names of the races, and in the Kree's case, the plural form of the word. It's supposed to be the individual "Kree," "Skrull," and "Spartoi," as in Ronan, *insert bad guy Skrull here* and *insert bad guy Spartoi here*. I noticed that problem before I posted it, but I couldn't think of a better way to put it.
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Post by Drake on Feb 1, 2015 21:42:26 GMT -5
#9 is up! It's a bit slow action and humor-wise, but there are plenty of reveals and you get to see how everything's changed in three months.
Fun fact: I lied about issue 10's title during the FanCon to not spoil the ending of this issue. "Human Rocket' is issue 11.
Fun fact 2: I didn't misspell Beta Ray Bill's name. Well, I did but it was intentional. Is it cheesy? Yes, but there's a story behind it and it reveals a little about his character. Just wait for more. I promise it'll be explained.
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Post by thejellyfish on Feb 2, 2015 0:39:52 GMT -5
I skimmed over the Beta Ray part and thought it was Beta Ray Bill. Am I disappointed that it wasn't? A little, I don't know anything about this guy, and I am wary of OCs. I'll wait for more though.
Good chapter; I like the implied love triangle between Phyla, Heather, and Quie. Wendell Vaughn's Quasar will always be my favorite Quasar (for a character who's time passed long before I was born, I have no idea why I like him so much), but I like your interpretation of Phyla. This series keeps reminding me that I need to buy the Annihilation stories, so thanks for reminding me that I need to spend money.
I read the solicit for #10 before this issue (whoopsie!) but I thought the twist was well done.
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Post by Drake on Feb 2, 2015 8:56:45 GMT -5
Thanks for the review! That is Bill. I've got a reason for the name.
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Post by All Star Silentking on Feb 2, 2015 23:43:13 GMT -5
Time has run out for our heroes. Everything they know shall end. Let the Secret Invasion commence!
There, you now have a tag line for this arc.
In any case, I am really liking this title so far. Except for the latest one. It just didn't click for me.
Also, eight issues to complete an arc, let alone to finally name drop the series? Who needs that much issues to tell a story?
coughbrianmichaelbendiscough
Don't have time to rate it properly. So this is just the entertainment value.
8/10 (Lose a point with issue 9. Something about it doesn't click. Also, Beta Ray Kill is a stupid and cheesy name. But I trust you have a tragic or so story behind it)
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Post by Stardrifter on Feb 3, 2015 9:35:51 GMT -5
Was good. I'm starting to get a little confused with all the characters. Some haven't had enough time to make them distinct so I have to keep reminding myself who they all are.
I assume Beta Ray Kill is from an alternate reality that's stuck in the 90s. He has pouches upon pouches, metal arms with giant shoulder pads, and a gun twice his size, right?
The Skrull twist was cool. Looking forward to that. Keep em coming.
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Post by Drake on Feb 3, 2015 18:29:39 GMT -5
@allstarsilentking Bendis is one of my favorite writers so... *shrug* Stardrifter I introduced 5 characters in an issue, so it's definitely no problem you're confused. Well, it is a problem. My problem. I'll work it out as we get through this arc and establish the new characters (most of whom are OCs). Cross my heart, there's a reason for the name Beta Ray Kill. The name itself is totally ridiculous, and I recognize that. In fact, I welcome it. This is a story with a character named Rocket Raccoon. I want everything to be a little crazy and cheesy. Also, there's a very poignant in-story reason for it. Glad everyone seems to be liking the twist. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed #9 so quickly!
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Post by All Star Silentking on Feb 3, 2015 18:36:04 GMT -5
1. I know who he is, I was just saying it is obvious that he is influencing your writing.
2. I would have made a review sooner but I had 7 issues to go through first.
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Post by Drake on Mar 1, 2015 16:48:37 GMT -5
#10 is up!
It's not exactly what I solicited because the plot ended up being too long for a single issue. This arc will now (hopefully) be five issues.
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Post by Stardrifter on Mar 15, 2015 7:22:08 GMT -5
Good issue. You juggled the various scenes well. Phyla was really likable for a rage filled murderous torturer. The scenes with Peter really helped flesh him, Milago, and his backstory out a bit.
If I had one complaint it's that Im sick of all the fake curse words. I mean, Farscape had frell, Galactica had frak, but it was pretty much all they used for fake ones. You have multiple you're using and it's getting annoying. At least to me.
Keep em coming.
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Post by Drake on Mar 15, 2015 12:10:53 GMT -5
I'm glad you liked it.
Phyla (or at least this Phyla) was always supposed to be exactly how you described. She's batshit crazy at this point for very legitimate reasons, but she is still supposed to be a hero. A big focus of this arc was also on fleshing everyone out. If you're anything to go by, it seems to be working out.
Very understandable about the curse words. It's driving me nuts and I'm the writer. I think I'll limit myself down to d'ast because you're not the first person to mention that to me. A couple of my friends read the first few issues of Guardians. They liked it, but some words like "krutack" and "garnag" threw them out of the story completely.
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Post by Drake on Mar 30, 2015 19:15:47 GMT -5
As disappointing as it is to type this, this notification isn't actually for a new issue. I'm posting this because I've changed my plans, or more specifically how I'm arranging them. That means this arc needs a new name. MARCH TO WAR doesn't cut it.
From now, arc 2 of Guardians of the Galaxy will be -- Prelude to Infinity: Rebellion.
I'll change that now.
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Post by Drake on Apr 4, 2015 15:12:34 GMT -5
#11 is up. I hope more people review this issue!
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Post by DiscipleofBob on Apr 12, 2015 0:47:49 GMT -5
9
Before anything else, A Day in the Life is a really bland, terrible, generic title for a story set in an intergalactic guerilla war. It's the type of title that should be used for a filler Spider-Man story where no villains or plot actually happens or something like that.
I think you did a surprisingly good job introducing all the new characters in a way that felt natural without pausing the action too much. They feel appropriate alien with their personalities and verbal tics.
The timeskip is a bit annoying, but probably necessary. It is jarring to go from group of ragtag outlaws to apparently the leaders of a multi-faction resistance? Again, it's probably necessary to skip to this point, but I honestly don't understand how these guys got to basically be in charge.
The random footnote for Civs was completely unnecessary and very out of place. Your readers are fully capable of reading comprehension and are capable of determining the meaning of slang based context without you providing Webster's Intergalactic Dictionary.
The Skrull reveal was well done, and while I would've preferred a bit more foreshadowing before a "Who's the Skrull?" reveal, you couldn't really do that with a timeskip.
10
It's curious why you bother with the Skrull using its own language when every other alien race is speaking the same kind of intergalactic common, or at least is translated as such. Honestly a minor nitpick that works either way though.
Phyla's awesome. That's all I have to say about that scene.
I'm going to assume the Skrulls not being able to replicate blood color/type is because these skrulls just using limited technology due to being grunts or something. Otherwise if identifying a Skrull was something as simple as bleeding one they wouldn't be the subversive threat they are.
Honestly kind of a slow chapter. The backstory of Yondu being the focus of not one but two scenes really dragged things down for me. And not sure Phyla announcing the Skrull presence is the best idea ever, but meh, whether something's the best idea and whether a character would actually do the best idea are two separate things.
11
Peter's mental breakdown was confusing to read. But then again a lot of this chapter was. There seemed to be a lot of jumping around between scenes without a lot of real transitions between them. As a result, it's easy to get lost moving from one subplot to the next and back again. This probably could have benefited from being spread out over a couple chapters. I'll probably have to try reading this chapter again a few more times to make sense of things.
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Post by Drake on Apr 12, 2015 10:12:59 GMT -5
9 Glad you liked it. The time skip was necessary to skip slow-moving, not-much-plot developmental arcs.
10 Skrulls speaking their own language is like when native Mexicans, Chinese, etc. speak theirs even when they are fluent in English and have lived in America for a while. It's because it's what they know best, or because they want to keep a secret.
Low grade Skrulls, yeah.
Phyla's reckless, a bit crazy, but totally bad ass. That's why she went ahead and announce it. She doesn't think things through. She just goes for it.
11 Yeah, I was nervous about that. I'm trying to keep a fast pace, but I can definitely see how I could be rushing the subplots.
Thanks for reviewing!!
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Post by Stardrifter on Apr 12, 2015 14:29:21 GMT -5
I gotta say I was lost this chapter. You have so many characters of various species, alliances, all with unusual names, that some sort of recap at the beginning would have helped. It's probably not a problem if you're binge reading, but for someone with a month or so between reading chapters, I was confused.
Otherwise it was okay. Peter's crazy scene was a bit iffy. I wasn't sure what the deal was at first and why Heather was suddenly there. I thought I missd something.
The swerve at the end is interesting. I know you've said that your Nova would be different. Keep em coming.
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Post by DiscipleofBob on Apr 13, 2015 0:45:06 GMT -5
I'm going to try and go a little more in-depth on 11. As I said, it's a difficult read because you jump around so much.
Heather's scenes: Heather is a wonderful character to read. She's sweet and a wonderful heroic foil for the scoundrel Starlord and all the other alien characters who can be described as "quirky." She is coming across a bit (and I can't think of another term to describe this) Elizabeth Swan where she's a wonderful character, but she ends up being put in a leadership position for no adequately explored reason given her background.
While I like the inclusion of a lesbian romance, I feel that as a romance it's rushed. I don't really see why Heather and Quie find each other attractive and hook up, it's just kind of told and not shown. This is probably at least in part due to the time skip, but I think it might have been better just to start with their relationship already in progress post-timeskip.
Another problem with the rushing and lack of foreshadowing is that the prophecy thing literally out of nowhere. Prophecies and similar plot devices are best used effectively when there's some buildup and weight behind the prophecy, preferably some suspense with the true meaning of the prophecy and whether it will be fulfilled in the first place. In this case, it feels like it was just added to move the plot along and that's it.
Peter's scenes: This could have been the meat of your chapter with the giant space battle and the hallucinations in Quill's mind. Instead, since you don't really differentiate between one or the other, the whole thing becomes a mess to read. I can't tell when the mind games end and the space battle begins. You could argue that it's appropriate given the nature of the Mind Gem and screwing with the reader's perceptions, but we still miss out on the big huge space battle, and honestly that sort of trippy Ghost in the Shell/Evangelion style mindf***ery doesn't really mesh well with the atmosphere with the rest of the story.
J-Son's scene: Correct me if I'm wrong, but is this the first time we've actually seen J-Son? If he's appeared before outside of being talked about by other characters, maybe I'm just not remembering it right. J-Son could be an awesome antagonist, but the thing is that we only see the results of his actions, not really explaining or helping us to believe that J-Son could, for example, somehow orchestrate the theft of the Infinity Gauntlet and the Mind Gem from under Thanos's nose.
Phyla's scenes: Earlier comment about Skrull blood apparently withdrawn, though it does then beg to question why Phyla would assume that bleeding was a surefire way of telling a Skrull when it clearly isn't. Phyla's supposed to be from the future, and that seems an odd mistake to make for someone who should have futuristic knowledge on Skrull tech and the like.
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Post by Drake on Apr 13, 2015 16:59:15 GMT -5
A lot to respond to. I'll definitely try to refrain from mind-f*** issues in the future. Heather: That about sums her up. As for why she's a leader, it's because she takes charge. The romance is, well, rushed, yeah. But it's war and they're not "hooking up" so I'm not completely blowing it. The prophecy is a strictly Nova thing and is also a plot point being introduced for the future, so I don't see why it's a problem. Moreover, Heather may not even be who the prophecy speaks of, or then again maybe she is. Who knows? Peter: It was supposed to be weird to read, but not necessarily confusing. I'll refrain from mind-f****s in the future. J-Son: He was referenced as far back as issue 4 and first appeared in 9. Phyla: I don't know what you're referring to in this particular issue. Sprog's turn? If so, there's more to that than "he's a Skrull." It's not a plot hole, I promise. Also, Skrulls transform because of their genealogy, not tech. There are certain levels of abilities, depending on how they were bred. Kl'rt, for instance, would have been bred to be an incredibly powerful shapeshifter capable of changing his blood, body, voice, etc. completely. Stardrifter The confusing ish was my fault. I'll add a "Previously in..." next issue. However, the characters themselves should be fairly differentiable. I even went as far as giving a number of them unusual voices (Sprog's periodic speaking, Rocket's accent, "I am Groot," Yinuet's refined-yet-barbaric tone, Nova Prime's "we" speak all come to mind).
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Post by DiscipleofBob on Apr 13, 2015 18:27:14 GMT -5
A lot to respond to. I'll definitely try to refrain from mind-f*** issues in the future. Heather: That about sums her up. As for why she's a leader, it's because she takes charge. The romance is, well, rushed, yeah. But it's war and they're not "hooking up" so I'm not completely blowing it. The prophecy is a strictly Nova thing and is also a plot point being introduced for the future, so I don't see why it's a problem. Moreover, Heather may not even be who the prophecy speaks of, or then again maybe she is. Who knows? Taking charge and being accepted in a leadership role are two very different things. Why do all these other alien races/organizations/etc. defer to a Terran girl who's fairly new to the concept of space travel to begin with as opposed to other people who have been leading factions? The prophecy thing just feels like something shoehorned in to make Heather more special. It doesn't even feel needed. Mind-screwery isn't necessarily something you need to avoid, just don't stack it directly on top of another scene you want your readers to pay attention to. He barely appears in 9. It's certainly not enough to make me believe he's capable of stealing the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos, especially not just by having a double agent swipe it from Thanos when he's asleep like a teddy bear. I'll be more specific. Previously Phyla scratches Sprog to see the color of his blood and determine he's not a Skrull. This chapter, it turns out he's a Skrull all along. If that's the case, then Phyla, for someone from the future, seems to be lacking in knowledge she should theoretically have when it comes to Skrulls. Skrull shapeshifting, disguise, and power mimickry is absolutely a tech thing. It always has been their distinct feature to be able to copy people completely, down to appearance, genome, personality, powers, sometimes even memories. The whole point of Skrulls is how perfect their duplication is and how if you have Skrull problems then you can't trust anyone because there's no surefire way to tell if anyone's a Skrull or not. If it was as simple as a pinprick to determine blood type, they wouldn't even really be Skrulls. Simple selective breeding wouldn't give them the ability to emulate people like the Avengers. Also, Skrull tech is a big part of my future plans for Fantastic Four. If you're planning on changing that to pure geneaology that screws over a very large part of the F4 storyline. I do think you're still doing a great job with this story. A lot of my complaints are nitpicking and me literally looking for stuff to complain about, not only so I can give a better review than "good job" but to see if there is any room for improvement. Keep up the good work!
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Post by Drake on Apr 13, 2015 18:57:30 GMT -5
It's genetic modification for their powers. This is my take, not the comics. I see your point though. Also, because this has become an issue, Sprog isn't a Skrull. They needed him, not his appearance, for very specific reasons.
Your other points are valid. Well, except the prophecy one. It's been the plan for a while and will play an integral role in GotG, my future spin off/sequel, and Spider-Man. Also, isn't every prophecy ever something that is created to both drive the plot and make a character more special? And again, maybe it's not Heather in the prophecy.
I'm glad you're liking the story. Hopefully things will clear up in the future. And thanks for the critiques! I seriously do appreciate it. It's a lot better than getting a "Good job" haha!
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Post by Drake on May 8, 2015 21:18:44 GMT -5
Guardians #12 is up! Sorry for the wait!
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Post by thejellyfish on May 8, 2015 22:10:34 GMT -5
Good issue. The "what happened last time" section was a little long though. Maybe chill out with that next time.
I like your take on Phyla a lot. My favorite Quasar has always been Wendell Vaughn (his costume looks better and I thought the energy sword Phyla used a lot was dumb). But your Phyla, man she's good. Heather's great. Quie's great. And I can smell the romance drama from a mile away. That's good.
Rocket and Groot's scenes were also stand out, but Peter was just... there. He barely did anything, but I'm not mad or anything, because you used Cosmo! And Cosmo makes everything better, comrade.
I think that while I've tried to go for the pure-Hickman (ala Secret Warriors, Avengers) with little influence from other writers on AXM, you've combined Hickman with Abnett and Lanning. I love that.
Keep it coming.
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Post by Drake on May 9, 2015 1:40:25 GMT -5
I'm glad you liked it! The "last time" section was a created as per multiple requests by Star. I don't know exactly how detailed he wanted it so I just put everything down. Hopefully he can inform me of the specificity he's looking for.
I'm glad you like the characters (minus Peter). I'm also glad you mention my failure with Peter so far. I realized that too and I hope to fix that from next issue onwards.
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Post by Stardrifter on May 9, 2015 13:18:53 GMT -5
Well you could have just looked at what I do in SSS as an example. Just a recap of the previous issue to get the readers head in the game. You did practically a series summary.
Was a good issue. A lot going on. I'm glad the team is back together. Good action. Good dialogue. The stolen movie line distracted me a little but no big deal. The Korvac scene was good and I'm interested in where that's going. I got no knowledge of these characters beyond the movie so I'm running blind on that.
Keep me coming.
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