No Post Day: Take a Chance on the New Guardians of the Galaxy Book
There is no post today. Except...
I decided to take today off due to a massive school library event and an interview that I have to prep for. So here’s today’s post.
ONGOING | GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1 (Marvel Comics)
by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing & Kev Walker1
As I was going through e-mails this weekend in preparation for final order cut-off, I came across a rarity: a full preview from Marvel for a first issue.
For many companies, it is standard to provide retailers with previews of first issues, and it is an incredibly helpful thing. Having access to the full flavour of a book before hitting “send” on those final orders helps these books land better. Engaged retailers such as myself can go through their files and figure out who they’re going to recommend the book to with greater confidence. Generally speaking, it also sees me increase our order numbers.2 This case is no different.
THE PITCH | The series rides hard on the space western genre, with a hint of apocalypse. The ads for the book conveyed this well, but the first issue truly drips with the influence, cementing it as something different in the Marvel line of comics. This is extremely important.
The events that occur in this issue, and the fashion in which they occur make this a story that has to be a Guardians of the Galaxy story. You can’t toss a space ship at the Avengers or the X-Men and get this same story. In a line with such volume, offering something unique like this is a lifeline for the title. It gives it a fighting chance to connect with an audience that is looking for specificity. Something designed for them.
The story itself is great. There’s a thing happening, so the clock is ticking. It provides an immediacy the drives things through to the end. Characters note that the Guardians have been gone for a minute, which is mirrored by the fact that its has been a second since we’ve seen these characters. The break in publication has allowed this very familiar, but categorically unique version of the team to take root.
If you’re at all interested in the characters, or the idea of a light apocalypse space western lights up your brain, you’ll probably want to check this out. It is on final order cut off today at your local comic shop, so contact them and let them know.
And retailers who haven’t checked the book out? I think we have a Marvel book with some legs, if you can match up some readers.
Let’s get to work.
Talk with you soon.
-B.
Full credits were unavailable at this time - apologies to the rest of the creative and editorial teams.
In the very odd instance that reading a preview causes us to drop our numbers, I’d suggest to the publisher that the adjustment is still a long term win. That drop usually corelates with me identifying something that just will not connect with our customer base, and the fact I could course correct with ease means I’m not associating your brand with setting money on fire.