The next phase of Guardians of the Galaxy comics will see the cosmic team become the "Space Avengers," according to writer Al Ewing.
CBR spoke with Ewing about his and Juan Frigeri's "New Age of Space" and the growing -- and surprising -- roster of the Guardians which will begin with Guardians of the Galaxy #13. Part of the new direction will see the Guardians move from more spy-based stories to full-blown superheroics. "Partly, it's a way to change things up a little, to raise the stakes and the tension, and partly it's a way to play off S.W.O.R.D. -- the Space Avengers to counter the Space X-Men. But mostly, it was where the story wanted to go," Ewing revealed.
"Originally, this was all heading to a darker place, but -- possibly because the world's endured enough darkness recently -- once I was in the thick of it, I ended up tacking towards something brighter and more positive, and that led to the idea of the Guardians as a superhero team in a more official capacity," Ewing continued.
Part of the brighter, more positive take on the Guardians and their shift towards becoming an analog to the Avengers will see the team grow considerably. Most shockingly, Doctor Doom will join the Guardians. But at the core of the team will be Peter Quill, Nova and Gamora.
"They have been through a lot, certainly," Ewing said. "I think there's an understanding with all three of them that this is what's next -- not retirement or solo adventuring. And while they're all willing to try the superhero game, it's definitely Rich who takes to it the easiest. It's where he's from -- in some ways, becoming an Avengers-style superhero team is like coming home for him. And Peter's on board with it too, in his own way. The wild card is probably Gamora; she's still the deadliest woman in the galaxy, and she's dealing with these new super-sized problems the same way she always has."
Joining them, among others, will be Hulkling and Wiccan, fresh from their adventures in the Empyre crossover. And as Ewing puts it, "being Emperor and Court Wizard for a whole interstellar Alliance makes it a little difficult to take orders as team members."
Much like the Avengers are often affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. on Earth, the new Guardians are currently aligned with Galactic Council, meaning they're now "a kind of trouble-shooting force to keep the galaxy peaceful. There's even a little funding available -- but not much, since the galactic economy's still in a state of total collapse, which is something we'll get into. But they don't answer to the Council or take orders from them - they're free agents."
Guardians of the Galaxy #13 goes on sale on April 4 from Marvel Comics. #14 will go on sale on May 12 and #15 will go on sale on June 23. Guardians of the Galaxy #13-15 will be written by Al Ewing with artwork created by Juan Frigeri.