Writer: Conny Cates

Penciler: Cory Smith

Inker: Victor Olazaba

Colorist David Curiel

This is the final issue of Donny Cates’ Guardian of the Galaxy and to be honest I am already looking forward to the next relaunch which usually comes every two years but this time it comes a year early. The proposed “team shake up” that started the hype of this new run never seemed to pan out in my mind. Because the team aspect always felt like it was in the background with a revolving door of under utilized characters being used mainly as wallpaper till their signature weapon became useful. This book almost never felt like a Guardians of the Galaxy book. It was hollow and didn’t have its own identity. It felt more like a preplanned vessel for Donny and Marvel to use as a launching pad for other books. Which I understand from one point this is a business Donny has some hype behind him maybe this could build interest in the cosmic side of Marvel who knows. But This title got high jacked at the end of its last volume which sprung forth a bunch of titles in a non-event (event) most of which under performed. And from the start of this title it felt more like the end to Infinity War with a sprinkle of Absolute Carnage (Silver Surfer). Here is the twist… come to find out… it really was the end to Thanos Wins all along (it’s a triple changer!).

We open to the Patriarch gloating and pontificating. We see the Life Force engines sending out it’s tendrils to suck the life force out of the Earth’s living creatures.

It’s here I’m left contemplating the ramifications of this action considering the this iteration of the Church of Truth came from our future and in this future everything is lost and dead. Death has won. That is the sole reason they came to our time. We also find out that this ship that needs life force to time travel. It had enough life force to travel to another time (from where it got this life energy, who knows) to get Drax (from when, who knows) and then it either sucked up some life force in that time line or had enough to make it to our time. Just so it can suck up all of Earth’s life to go back and defeat Death and take control of….Nothing! Everything is dead! What is the Church of Truths motivation? To take control of a universe of death and destruction? And wouldn’t The Church coming back in time and eradicating everything on Earth have some ramifications to their future?

I sound like I am being harsh I know, but I love these characters. This last arc is my favorite of Donny’s run. I honestly would have preferred this last arc be twelve issues long and forget all about that first nonsense arc that gave us nothing. Except, it gave us a Silver Surfer book that intern gave us nothing except a color change to the character.

Back on the Church ship Patriarch is still talking when the power goes out. Everything seems to stop working except the intercoms, the security cameras, and Rockets tenacity. Rocket has gotten into the Engine Room and has shut this ship down. He has also reversed the polarity, freed his friends, and set a new course back to The Church’s original time. Thankfully he leaves everyone with enough time to get away. Everyone except The Church of Truth. They go back to their time to face Death. Where we find out Death is Thanos and he always wins. ( I really wish it was handicap Thanos).

Also, Rocket survives inside of Groot. They take him to a hospital where it is explained his Bio-mechanical implants are out of date and he just needs some rest (some Engineer Rocket is) . Drax is also restored and the family is all back together again and I’m left underwhelmed.

Final Thoughts:

This was a better single issue than my review lets on, but my over all feelings for this 12 issue series drags my score down a little. Cory Smith’s art is great for Cosmic Marvel. I preferred it over Geoff Shaw (he did the first half of this volume). I hope we get to see more of it.

6.6/10