Whenever Marvel feels that it has a hit on its hands, the company tends to oversaturate the market with multiple comics featuring the same characters. A few years back, there was practically a new Deadpool comic every month before the hype scaled back. Now, it’s time for the Guardians of the Galaxy to receive the same treatment.
Via USA Today, Marvel announced a new series, Guardians Team-Up to launch early next year with a story by Brian Michael Bendis and legendary artist, Art Adams. Bendis likened the new book to the classic Marvel Fanfare and Marvel Team-Up titles.
“Like Spider-Man was in the ’70s, the Guardians are this year to a lot of new and younger readers,” said Bendis. “This is an opportunity to show off what we do and what we’ve got.”
Whether that statement is accurate or not, Guardians of the Galaxy is this year’s biggest box office hit, domestically. It was only a matter of time before Marvel added to the lineup of Guardians comics that includes solo titles for Rocket Racoon and Star-Lord, with a Gamora title also rumored to be in the cards for next year. The original (or future Guardians) also have their own comic in Guardians 3000.
Bendis stressed that Guardians Team-Up will be in continuity with the monthly Guardians of the Galaxy title that he also writes. But Bendis will not be the only writer on Guardians Team-Up. Sam Humphries will write the third issue, which ties into the X-Men and Guardians crossover, Black Vortex. Additional writers and artists will come onboard for later issues, with Bendis occasionally returning to the book.
“These aren’t just fun adventures,” related Bendis. “These are going to be stories that matter to the team and matter to the cosmic landscape in general… I get to work with my heroes and up-and-comers,” he says. “There’s literally no downside to a project like that.”
Marvel editor Katie Kubert teased a few of the upcoming Team-ups when she said “Gamora and She-Hulk joining forces to make a ‘Green Girls Kick (Butt)’ team or the insanity of something like Rocket Raccoon and Deadpool gets me so excited it’s almost more than I can bear.” The first storyline will reteam the Guardians and the Avengers.
On top of that, the Guardians will also be featured in Marvel Universe: Guardians of the Galaxy. That title will tie into the “Guardians of the Galaxy” animated series which is slated to debut sometime next year.
Guardians Team-Up # 1 will be released in February.
