The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ have finally reached their ‘Original Sin‘ crossover issues. Or, as I like to call them, “Bendis Finally Gets Around To Why Many Of Us Started Reading This Series!” Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the Guardians but like many of you I’ve just been dying to know what Bendis has been teasing us since the first issue – How did Star-Lord and Thanos get out of the Cancerverse? In my review of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ #17, I had a theory that Bendis would only start telling us what happened in the Cancerverse on the very last page of this issue.

I was wrong.

Thank you Bendis for proving me wrong while still giving us a painful cliffhanger at the same time. Still, I don’t mind at all with how you did it!

Bendis pretty much jumps us right into the action as Gamora has kidnapped Star-Lord, tied him to a chair, and is threatening to do unspeakable things to him. Not the fun kind either. She wants answers and at long last her (and our) questions on what happened to Richard Rider and what events passed to allow both Thanos and Peter Quill back into the 616 continuity are going to be answered. Of course, Bendis won’t give it all to us in a single story.

Ed McGuinness does a great job at showing these three duke it out int he Cancerverse and we are truly given a huge cosmic fight on our hands. I’ve missed Nova for quite some time and seeing him back, even if it is probably only temporary, warms the heart.

Of course, this could be the start of a story that will bring the original Nova back to us but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Of course, if I do recall Death was banished in that particular universe so there is a chance this could bring us back Rider down the line depending how this book all plays out.

While answers are hinted at, no definitive answer is given this issue as to how things played out. That’s okay though! You are going to be reading through each lovingly illustrated page and enjoy one Hell of a fight scene taking place between these three. Oh yes, and don’t forget they are in the Cancerverse with all of the horrors that also dwell there.

I absolutly loved this issue! While we’re still left with questions, the journey to answers are well under way. Not only that, but we get a great issue on its own merits that make us once again appreciate and miss Richard Ryder. Fans of the characters have been clamoring for a resolutions since the first issue of this book and we are finally almost there! Will this wait have paid off? I suspect we’ll find out in the next issue and really wonder why this has been such a huge secret so far from both of these cosmic characters. Why have Peter Quill and Thanos remained silent about returning to the regular continuity? What happened to Richard Rider? These are questions we’ll finally soon have answered!

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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #18
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Ed McGuinness