Imperial Guardians #2: Versus Xarth’s Mightiest Aliens

After a mostly successful first outing, the haphazardly assembled Imperial Guardians next mission has them in the far reaches of the sector to the planet Xarth in order to decommission a fleet of stolen Skrull warships. Things go smoothly at first, but as our team has learned, trying to safeguard the universe is anything but.

Issue one got all the introductions out of the way for the team, allowing issue two to find the tone that will be set for the remainder of the run, and for the most part it remains as entertaining as the first outing. If each issue focuses on this dysfunctional group having a one-off mission followed up with some character building and comedy, then this book could become a hidden gem in the sea of mid-level ongoing titles.

Dan Abnett showcases more of his understanding of the characters under his charge, notably Captain Marvel and Darkhawk who get a moment together this issue for some pathos as their teammates humorously fight for their lives against the Luminals, the “Avengers of Xarth” according to Gamora. Carol shows more of her nurturing side, which isn’t explored much when she is written by men, so that was nice to see. As for the Luminals, they weren’t really memorable in terms of character, but seeing as how they are mostly here as one-off antagonists thats fine. However, Abnett does hint at the mystery behind Cosmic Ghost Rider’s alliance with Maximus that will hopefully pay off before the books end.

Marcelo Ferreria’s pencils are easy on the eyes aside from a couple of off-model moments. The Luminals have varied designs, but nothing that really stands out. The action is very energetic and flows well from page to page.