The Good
INVINCIBLE and the world Robert Kirkman has created is great. With the return of GUARDING THE GLOBE, we get to have more of the characters from this universe. Phil Hester seamlessly dives in and takes over writing the characters. It's a great mix of seeing the team members in action as well as seeing some of their personal lives. Normally we have team books focus on the action with the occasional downtime. Seeing their personal lives, such as Brit and his family or even Best Tiger and Kaboomerang sort of hanging out.
Seeing the pages unfold reminds you what a big universe Kirkman has created. You can see so many possibilities that Hester can take the series. There are definitely plenty of characters to keep the action going.
As a fan of Todd Nauck's art, it's great to see his work again. As the penciler and inker, he makes the characters immediately recognizable from their past appearances while clearly adding his personal style to them. John Rauch's colors complements the art, giving the entire issue a feel that makes the characters pop off the page.
The Bad
If you're new to the series, you might be left wondering who all the characters are and what their backstories are. I am a tiny bit behind in INVINCIBLE but knowing who these characters are made it okay to jump in. New readers won't feel completely lost but may not have an immediate connection to the characters or the story. With a book containing so many characters, having a roll call synopsis on the opening page could be a benefit to newer readers.
Also with so many characters, there could be the fight for the spotlight. When we see the different characters doing their own thing, it's almost like we're just getting glimpses of them. I loved the idea of a briefing with the others so they could catch up on what's going on. But if you have a particular favorite character on the team, you might not get to see a whole lot of them.
The Verdict
Because we can't get enough of the characters from INVINCIBLE, we now have the return of the Guardians of the Globe. Phil Hester and Todd Nauck take over the reigns and we're treated to a great mix of action and character development. You don't have to be fully versed in the backstories of all the characters but there is a benefit in knowing who they are (you can always check out the team page here on Comic Vine). Even if you're not completely caught up on INVINCIBLE (like me), you can jump right in and catch up or get to know the characters. There's a lot of action and plenty more coming. You won't want to miss out on this series.
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