Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Sam Humphries

Penciler Paco Medina

Inker Juan Vlasco

Colorist David Curiel

Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna

I had to add the Midtown Comics variant to my Wishlist.  Such a fun cover of Rocket hitting on Kitty with Quill shocked in the background.

Issue opens 20 years ago, after the funeral of Quill’s mother.  Quill narrates that he did not have a good life after that, as he lived in an orphanage.

Which segues us to the present, where he is in an alien orphanage.  Some Badoons (the race of aliens who killed his mother) are trying to rob the orphanage.

Quill’s mask thingie, from the cover, disappears.  I am not quite sure what its function is.

The Badoon are there to steal the Mandalay Gem.  They imply that is also why Quill is there.

I prefer to refer to him as his last name rather than his hero name.  Probably due to him not really having a set uniform.  Seems like the only constant is his mask / helmet thing.  Face guard, maybe?  Also, his last name is one word, hero name is two.

There is a bounty on Quill, so the Badoon take him alive.

Once on their ship, they take his gun but can’t work it.

The alien who wants Quill alive is. Mr. Knife.  Quill, nor I, have heard of him.

The leader asks what the Guardians of the Galaxy have been up to that they haven’t heard of Mr. Knife.  We are treated to a splash page of what they been up to.

Medina is a terrific artist.  My only problem is that there are two images of either flirting or about kissing that I don’t care for.  I doubt he and Kitty have had the talk about if they are going to see other people, when they are apart.  They haven’t defined the relationship yet.  Which we all know from the Definitions episode of HIMYM that it is very important to do so.

There is also a cute section where Quill, Rocket and Groot are enjoying a round of karaoke.  Which is Japanese for, empty orchestra.  We learned that in the Pineapple episode.

For fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy, there are plenty of references to the team.

In the break out new character of the year, Thumbnail – the ship’s resident muscle – hates repartee and knocks Quill out with a lead pipe in the cell.

Thus, we come to my favorite three pages of the title :

Speaking of which, my pal Kaiolino screen capped the second image :

Thanks!  I really like these two characters together.  I know in issue three, Kitty is physically going to be in the comic and that is going to be awesome!

I added the first and third image.

Curiel does an excellent job with Kitty’s Skype coloring.

I like how Kitty has been calling him, that makes sense.  He is essentially a space pirate, so she has to make the first move and he will have to call her back.  Plus, he probably has no idea what time it is on Earth. Also, she is busy too.

I like how he is all concern about the safety of Earth, until he notices she is in bed.

She tells him that she is grading papers, but it looks like she is reading a book.  Also, what papers is she grading?  The New Xavier School doesn’t do actual school work.

Rocket calls Quill, Baby Boo.  My wife calls me, Boo Boo Baby, so now I feel a little closer to the character.  She also calls our son, Walker Dennis, Baby Boo Boo.  We are pretty cute here at Klein Manor.

The Badoon eventually hear talking and investigate.

Thumbnail hates cute talk, I know it doesn’t make sense for him to keep appearing, but I would like it.

Quill’s boots were not taken, so he escapes.  He blasts his way out of the ship, his face guard works as a breathing mask.  He stole back the gem.

We see a lady and her crew are watching Quill.

Quill goes back to the space orphanage, telling them that he sold the gem and gave them the money he made from it.  Turns out, he kept the gem and only gave them his emergency cash.

Issue ends with the lady captain confronting Quill.  Turns out, she is his half-sister.  She is Captain Victoria, Commander of the Spartax Royal Guard and daughter of former emperor, J-son.  I did not know J-son was no longer the emperor.  That must have happened after the Guardians of the Galaxy / X-Men crossover.

Such a great issue!  Glad I am set on getting the series going forward.  Hopefully, Kitty keeps getting skyped in.