Guardians of the Galaxy No. 1

Published by Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Pencils by Paul Pelletier. Inks by Rick Magyar.

The Deal: Fresh from epic, cosmic-themed limited series like Annihilation and Annihilation: Conquest, some of Marvel's top (and some obscure) space-faring heroes ban together to form the superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Good: Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and artist Paul Pelletier start this new series off with a bang, transforming a typical "gathering of the heroes" tale into an action-packed romp. Speaking of which, I like the bizarre mix of characters who have been gathered to form this team. I mean, Rocket Raccoon is a member ... need I say more? On the art side of things, Pelletier's work here is shockingly good; I think inker Rick Magyar's light-handed line gives Pelletier's drawings more kinetic energy. And kinetic energy is cool.

The Bad: Nothing to see here.

The Verdict: I likes, I likes. It's an exciting team book. Buy it.

Reviewed materials furnished by Heroes Aren't Hard To Find: www.heroesonline.com.