Guardians of the Galaxy #11: The Unbearable Coolness of Rocket in a Mech Suit

For an all-out action issue, Guardians of the Galaxy #11 still manages to have some great emotional beats. Taking a moment to pause so Moondragon can satisfy her curiosity (and hopefulness) that her father Drax might actually be alive is quietly powerful, particularly since Moondragon has been so underutilized this run (not nearly as much as Phyla-Vell and less than Beta Ray Bill, but that’s another conversation for the “substitute Guardians”). The history between Drax and Moondragon is weird and complicated, and has not grown less so since Drax has fundamentally been changed on page since his 2014 big screen debut. It’s nice, though, that writer Donny Cates takes even a moment to acknowledge these characters’ bonds.

The other big emotional beat is the destruction of Rocket’s mech suit, which is the only thing keeping him alive. His doom now assured, he trudges onward toward certain death with only a blaster at his side (provided by the goofy little Stabs) – marching toward his end with the dignity of fighting for his friends to his last breath. Of course, some miracle will happen – he’s right there on the cover of January’s new number one, for crying out loud, so it’s not like his salvation hasn’t already been inadvertently spoiled, but on its own merits it’s a strong moment nonetheless. And readers would have to be made of stone to not have their hearts in their throats the moment Rocket’s mech suit is destroyed, all but ensuring his demise.

Other than that, the issue is pretty much action from start to finish. As it should be. Penultimate chapters should be accelerating the pace of the storytelling toward finale, and not get bogged down in exposition, tedium, or extra subplots. Readers should be awaiting the finale with bated breath if the next-to-last chapter is doing is job properly. Cates does a great job of that here without sacrificing some great character moments – the mark of a top-notch writer. Aided and abetted by some exquisite art from Cory Smith and Victor Olazaba, Guardians of the Galaxy remains one of Marvel’s funnest, most vibrant books on the shelves. If only this team were sticking around longer!