Guardians of the Galaxy #17

Well, I didn't see that coming. DnA are wrapping up the final elements from their War of Kings mini-series here and they cover some important stuff. It seems that Black Bolt's T-Bomb has opened a rift in space/time (don't you hate it when that happens?) and it is up to Adam Warlock to fix it. I love the idea that Warlock has to seek out early series antagonists the Church of Universal Harmony to power his spell to fix the tear in reality. Some of the Guardians are still missing in the future, so it is up to Rocket Raccoon's band of heroes to give Warlock the time he needs to accomplish his repair spell. Maximus the Mad and Groot are a huge help as they construct a complicated device to help stop the expansion of the tear. Oh, and Groot? It turns out the one thing Groot can say, "I am GROOT," is in fact a nuanced, complicated way of communication that most of us are not smart enough to hear. Maximus is positively delighted to discuss science with the wooden giant. Is Maximus crazy on this? I don't think so, since Groot is actually drawn helping to construct the life-saving device.

The shocking part of the issue hits when Warlock "ties reality to an unused future." That's some nice comic-science and it kicks off a startling chain of events. Phyla, as the champion of Death, kills Adam Warlock. Then Gamora avenges Adam by slaying Phyla. Then Adam Warlock rises as the Magus and kills Gamorra. Read that again, that's some packed pages! Now I'm sure that some or all of those characters will return, but damn, this is an exciting comic.

Brad Walker's detailed pencils are a fantastic fit for this title. His take on the Inhuman guest-stars is strong too. He draws pretty ladies, so Medusa and Crystal look great.

Excellent