The number of days until Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy arrives is quickly counting down. For those looking to get in the mood for Eidos-Montréal's, as well as listening to some of the bangers compiled in the game's soundtrack, there is no better preparation than diving into some of the original source material that has inspired Ubisoft's take on the beloved characters.
It can be a fairly daunting task to figure out where to start, with the first publishing of Guardians of the Galaxy dating all the way back to 1969. Even when solely looking at the modern incarnation of the team on which the game's line-up is based, new readers will find over a decade of history in print to catch up on. Although Eidos-Montréal has crafted an original story, these five classic stories capture the tone of the modern Guardians in a manner that is perfect as introductory reading before getting hands-on with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Annihilation
At a time when Marvel's cosmic line had fallen by the wayside, Annihilation was an event of intergalactic proportions. This 2006 event actually occurred before the recent rendition of the Guardians actually formed, but the events of Annihilation are directly responsible for the new team's formation. In fact, several members of the future Guardians of the Galaxy appear in the Annihilation storyline in modern redesigns and updates, setting the stage for what would eventually be seen in the MCU.
Annihilation tells the story of Annihilus, a villain who had previously been best known for his clashes with the Fantastic Four. A conqueror from the Negative Zone, Annihilus invades the positive matter universe with an insectoid army dubbed the Annihilation Wave. Although the Annihilation Wave was fought on multiple fronts, the main Annihilation mini-series by Keith Giffen, Andrea Di Vito, Laura Villari, Cory Petit and Andy Schmidt, sees Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer and Gamora working together as part of Nova's United Front, guarding the galaxy against insurmountable odds.
Realm of Kings
Realm of Kings takes place shortly after the War of Kings event, which resulted in a tear in space and time being ripped open. For Peter Quill and the gang, Realm of Kings spans across Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 #20-24, a fairly early adventure in the timeline of the revamped group. The team arrives at the tear, known as the Fault, helping to survey the scene that has the interest of several cosmic authorities. However, things quickly spiral out of control once the Universal Church of Truth appears.
The Universal Church of Truth is another intergalactic entity that has its origins back in the 1970s, which also underwent a redesign for the 21st century. The Church is confirmed to be one of the many antagonists players will be going up against in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, though trailers suggest that they have been handled a little differently by Eidos-Montréal. Nevertheless, Realm of Kings serves as a good few issues to give players an idea of what they will be going up against.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Legacy
Legacy spans the first few issues of the Guardians' relaunch, covering the formation of the band of misfits in the fallout of the Annihilation as Peter Quill recognizes the need for a proactive defense force against cosmic threats. Collecting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 #1-6, the run's opening issues see Star-Lord assembling an all-star cast, including all members in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, though the alliance is fairly short-lived.
These few issues give readers an understanding of the strong personalities within the group and the dynamics between them all. By seeing how the likes of Rocket, Groot, Gamora and Drax interact with each other, along with their leader Star-Lord, readers will have some firmer ground in making some of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy's Telltale-esque decisions, understanding how these characters might react to the player's actions.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Guardians Disassembled
As the name suggests, Guardians Disassembled is a story of the Guardians apart from one another, all dealing with individual dilemmas across the reaches of space. Launching in the Guardians issue of Free Comic Book Day 2014 and continuing through Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 #14-17, Guardians Disassembled sees Gamora abducted by the Brotherhood of Badoon, Rocket the subject of Kree experimentation, Drax put on trial by the Shi'ar Empire, Groot held captive by The Brood and Peter Quill captured by Spartax forces.
Guardians Disassembled is a pertinent tale in giving readers a greater idea of Quill's background, his relationship with his father, J'Son of Spartax and his general outlook on why he does what he does. As players get ready to take on the role of Star-Lord in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, this story is a great read to get a greater understanding of who exactly they will be playing as.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers
Cosmic Avengers is the opening arc of 2013's Guardians of the Galaxy third volume. This run of the Guardians came out following the announcement that the team would be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring a line-up of the five characters now synonymous with the team, and the five that feature in the upcoming video game, acting as an ideal start point for new readers looking for an entry point.
The tale focuses once again on Peter Quill's complicated and abrasive relationship with his father, J'Son of Spartax. The Guardians take the fight to the Spartax Empire, assisted by Tony Stark, donning a space-faring suit of armor to take to the stars alongside his new allies. It is the essence of the Guardians boiled down into one story, firing on all cylinders, united as a team, and taking on a very big bad.