Imperial Guardians #2 – No One Dies

Maintaining a Galactic Union is no easy task. It helps to have a group of Imperial Guardians to do your dirty work. When distrust, anger, and revenge bubble just below the surface, a union is incredibly fragile. When diplomacy fails to keep the union, Maximus, architect of the Galactic War deploys his black ops team of Imperial Guardians. A Kree Admiral threatened to destroy the universe in defiance of the Union. The Admiral is no more. With dangerous visions and distrust with each other, can the Imperial Guardians survive?

This review is brought to you by Shawn of the Nerd Initiative team!

Creative Team

Writer: Dan Abnett
Penciller: Marcelo Ferreira
Inker: Jay Leisten
Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Cory Petit
Cover Artist: Sean Izaakse
Color Colorist: Nolan Woodard

Writing

Dan Abnett continues to craft a fun and creative series with the Imperial Guardians. I actually found myself preferring this issue to the first. I love getting to see some characters interact that might not often come across each other. Imperial Guardians definitely has a rag-tag band of misfits feel about it.

In addition to the feel of everything, there are heartfelt and serious moments interspersed. Seeing characters be really honest about who they were and who they are is refreshing and feels like a meaningful break from the fun side of the story. It provides grounding and reminds readers that through all of their adventures, these characters are still complex figures with feelings, struggles, and regrets. Abnett captures that perfectly in this issue.

Art

The art team of Marcelo Ferreira, Jay Leisten and Rachelle Rosenberg continue to stun with beautiful work. Ariana Maher does amazing work letting the story flow and preserving their beautiful art. I loved that Maher made SFX so distinct that even similar sounds from the same source stood out.

Ferreira and Leisten do an amazing job. The lines, the shading, and the detail are just magnificent. Rachelle Rosenberg really captures the cosmic feel of the story through the coloring. Gamora’s battle scenes are some of the best panels in this issue allowing each member of the art team to show of their talents and abilities.

Final Thoughts

This is turning into a really fun series and one that I didn’t see as being so much fun after the events of Imperial. Abnett and company are crafting a story that feels a little bit like an anthology built around a common thread. Beautiful poster, worthy art, and fun yet meaningful writing make this an issue to pick up.

Overall Grade 9/10

Are you enjoying Imperial Guardians? Let me know in the comments below.