Right of the bat I have to give major credit to artist Javier Pulido. While I’m at it I should also commend the writer and cover artist… oh, really now, you don’t say. Ladies and gentleman, I’m getting a message in my ear that Javier Pulido actually is all those things. Score! Before we dive into the book just know that Guardians Team-Up #9 is one spectacular looking book with an art style that gives the book such a unique look and feel.
Far, far away, one of the most dangerous weapons in the Galaxy has been stolen…by Spider-Man?! Peter Quill is back on Earth, his mission: recover the weapon and bring the web-slinger responsible for its disappearance to justice! Stars clash when Star-Lord meets Spider-Man!
Pulido crafts a visual treat with this issue. The blacks and grays in use are quite striking, especially when punctuated when other colors are introduced here ans there. It really gives every scene and location a unique feel that I am not used to seeing in most comics; at least not in mainstream books on the market today. There is this really loose style when it comes to characters and proportions to give us this almost liquid feel to everything. It’s a lot of fun to see and manages to work well, especially with regards to Spider-Man and his motions. I’d almost go as far as saying the whole books looks like the kind of art you’d see in old comic strips of days gone by.
The story itself isn’t all that deep, but that’s something one would expect with a glorified one-shot series like this. Peter Quill is on earth in search for his father’s gun that was stolen by what would appear to be Spider-Man. How or when webhead managed to do this a strange, but as Star-Lord isn’t an earth native it works well enough to keep the story moving. In fact, the story is pretty secondary to the action that begins from panel one and runs right up to the end. The only real downtime at all comes from a fun little page long scene that is shown without any dialogue, letting the art do all the speaking.
It’s hard enough to meet deadlines on a book, and it’s even more crazy when you are essentially doing the bulk of the work, so being creative with the story pacing is important. Pulido’s talents really lie in the unique art style he employs, and the story takes a backseat to that which works in this instance. The main bulk of the tale is your standard heist story with Black Cat somehow being the one to steal the gun from Star-Lords ship and then a sub-plot where things get flipped and we end up Spydra (registered trademark) and… to be honest, now that I’m recalling the story it does get pretty darn out there.
If you are looking for something a bit different, especially with your Spider-Man fare then Guardians Team-Up #9 comes highly recommended. Hell, the cover art alone will get you to pick this one up. Not a deep story, but a visual treat that is sure to please most fans.
Writer: Javier Pulido
Cover Artist: Javier Pulido
Rating: Rated T+
Format: Comic
Price: $3.99
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