Review: The Star-Lord Evolved In ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ #9

Peter Jason Quill has been a tough character to get a handle on. He’s been subject to conflicting histories, wildly different personalities, and almost maniacal variations in motivation. Now the mercurial Star-Lord comes closer to the truth, and perhaps his true destiny in Guardians of the Galaxy #9.

With the character gone for months now, it was unclear how Quill would return, just that he would, thanks to a prophecy in his dying moments. It’s a story that fans have been wondering about. Now it comes to us from Al Ewing, Juann Cabal, Federico Blee, and Cory Petit.

Peter Quill died. He awoke in another dimension. He grew as the Star-Lord across a century. This is the story of the Star-Lord, as he grew closer to his destiny.

This is not going to be an issue for everyone, but I enjoyed the hell out of it. This is trippy complex story, chronicling near 150 years in the life of Peter Quill after he’s been exiled to another dimension. If that’s not for you, I get it, but you’re missing out.

Ewing really does a lot with Quill, establishing that the character is much more than he has seemed for the last ten years, even if Quill himself doesn’t realize it. While he doesn’t get into the specifics, the issue plays with our expectations and sets Quill on the path towards the new truth. It also adds layers to the character just by virtue of all the time he spent in this other realm. This is just the beginning of Quill’s new journey and I’ll be fascinated to see where it goes from here.

Cabal continues to prove his skill as an artist in these pages. He lays out the panels on each page nearly exactly the same, allowing for Ewing to establish the theme of each vignette, while he builds a world and tells a story with each page. This issue burns through multiple redesigns of Star-Lord, takes us to multiple alien worlds and tells an epic with each page. It’s one of the best issues Cabal has illustrated to date, and it’s as much a showcase for him as an artist as it is pushing Star-Lord forward.

The universe is changing. It’s going to be a hell of a journey to see how Quill changes with it.

Guardians of the Galaxy #9 is available now from Marvel Comics.