The gallant family of cosmic crusaders known as the Guardians of the Galaxy are soaring into the new year with a burst of momentum.
The successful reception for last fall's "Guardians of the Galaxy" video game and Disney+'s joyous "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" were just a gentle warm-up, as 2023 will not only deliver director James Gunn's highly anticipated "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" in theaters come May, but also a new ongoing comic book series from Marvel Comics beginning this spring.
Written by certified superstars Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly ("Star Trek," "Star Trek: Year Five") with electrifying artwork courtesy of Kev Walker ("Predator)" and accented with vibrant hues via veteran colorist Matt Hollingsworth, "Guardians of the Galaxy #1" arrives on April 12, 2023.
Related: Everything we know about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: release date, plot, cast
This ambitious project promises to launch Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Nebula, and Mantis on missions to exotic new worlds inhabited by bizarre, never-seen alien species harboring myriad mysteries and ancient galactic secrets as a sinister phenomenon called Grootfall looms heavily.
Here's the official synopsis:
One year ago, the Guardians of the Galaxy were destroyed. Their optimistic future shattered by the betrayal of one of their own. Now they ride the space lanes of a lawless corner of the galaxy, trying to outrun their tragedy. Can they rediscover their heroism and humanity on the bleakest frontier? Can they forgive the failures of their past? Or will they fade into the dark, eternally unforgiven?
"Welcome to a whole new era for the Guardians of the Galaxy, riding like mad through an endless alien dust storm of sun-soaked tragedy, intense violence, and deeply dysfunctional heroes," Lanzing said in a Marvel press release. "The optimistic peacekeepers that defeated the reborn Olympian Gods and overcame 'The Last Annihilation' have fallen about as far as they possibly could - and now Peter Quill and what remains of his found family will have to fight like hell in a new western-fueled frontier to find a scrap of forgiveness. After all, the Guardians are a fire - and a fire only ends one way."
Co-writer Collin Kelly reminds fans that series artist Kev Walker is back on their creative team after his collaboration on "Captain America & The Winter Soldier Special #1." Walker's unique fusion of realism and limitless imagination should deliver a vivid portrait of the alien frontier known as the Manifold Territories.
"I honestly can’t believe I'm finally getting a chance to work on Guardians," Walker added. "I've been wanting to draw these characters for a long time, (I have some of the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" comics in my collection). I came close when I did "Annihilation: Nova" years ago, but never envisaged I'd be doing this kind of all-encompassing relaunch. Pushing existing characters in a new direction is always a daunting challenge, but working with Jackson, Colin and Matt has been a lot of fun and I think we're producing something a very different to what's has gone before."
Marvel Comics' "Guardians of the Galaxy #1" launches on April 12, 2022.
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