Read Rise of the Guardians Comic Hidden Truth and Other Stories

With the success of Marvel's Guardians of the Milky way films, the erstwhile question once again arises. Where does someone who likes the movies commencement with the comics?

Surprisingly, when it comes to Guardians of the Milky way comics, the reading path is relatively streamlined…to a point (things get scattershot once Marvel realizes Quill and company are a coin manufactory). There'south a existent starting signal and you honestly don't have to get back to the characters' original issues. Rocket Raccoon'southward early adventures are entirely different from how we know him today, Groot didn't become a loveable scamp until the mid-00s, and the whole starting bespeak of the Guardians every bit nosotros know them was when Drax got a bit of a reboot.

If you're new to comics or don't know too much about Marvel, remember that there are 2 different kinds of Guardians of the Galaxy. The originals were heroes from the hereafter (Stallone's crew at the end of the sequel is loosely based on them), just you don't actually need to read those. The link between them and the current Guardians is mentioned hither and in that location, simply they're not worth studying upwardly on. For the Guardians you know and love from the motion picture, you actually don't have to become that far back. How convenient is that?

Enjoy this road map to what you need to read to get into Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm trying actually hard not to become into spoiler territory, but sometimes that can't be helped. For instance, one of the books is called The Thanos Imperative . That very title is a spoiler.

Hither we go…

DRAX THE DESTROYER (2005-2006)

This miniseries is widely considered the moment when Marvel decided to really push the cosmic corner of their universe, which previously had mostly been fodder for stories near how much Jim Starlin loves Thanos. Fittingly, this is a new commencement and it starts with a character that actually needed a new coat of paint.

For years, Drax the Destroyer was considered zilch more than "Space Hulk" because, honestly, that's all they gave united states of america. There was an interesting backstory buried in there, merely at the end of the day, he was a large, green, angry, dumb, super-strong guy dressed in majestic. He was basically the Hulk with a hate-on for Thanos.

This 4-issue miniseries works on literally rebuilding the character. Drax is on a prison house send that crashes onto World. At that place, he forms a bond with an antisocial girl named Cammi (think Mandy from Grim Adventures ) while fighting off some of the fellow infinite prisoners. Stuff happens and Drax ends upward reborn in a less bulky body and is more near taking people out with his cunning and killing skills than, "DRAX SMASH!"

Basically, he wasn't the Hulk anymore. He became much more like Riddick. Like, he is and then blatantly Vin Diesel, which makes information technology funny how they did a Guardians movie with Vin Diesel fuel playing a completely dissimilar office while casting "poor man'due south Vin Diesel" as Drax.

This series is luckily collected in the same books as…

ANNIHILATION (2006-2007)

You might likewise simply relieve yourself some time by getting the collected editions for this, since it has everything you demand to read too as the Drax the Destroyer miniseries earlier it. Otherwise, here's how information technology works. They did a one-shot called Annihilation: Prologue . In this comic, we get to see a bunch of our players and the initial look at our threat, the Annihilation Wave. Who'south backside it, I won't spoil in case you don't know. What I will spoil is that by the finish of the first outcome, it looks like everyone is screwed.

From in that location, nosotros get iv four-issue miniseries that take identify concurrently against the same threat: Argent Surfer , Nova , Super-Skrull , and Ronan . Yes, Ronan the Accuser, crazy movie villain, is a protagonist. His miniseries introduces Gamora to the Marvel cosmic resurgence while Drax and Cammi show up in Nova'due south book.

Thanos is likewise a pretty big deal in all of this, fifty-fifty if he isn't the chief villain. We all the same don't have the Guardians of the Galaxy yet, but nosotros're getting many of the core characters. Peter Quill has a supporting role that I totally forgot virtually, but that's because he's a lot different from how we know him these days. Plus the Nova series is the get-go of many footprints that Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning will leave when it comes to cosmic Marvel.

In one case those four minis end, we get Anything proper. In that location, it's a big team-upward betwixt all the remaining heroes from the dissimilar stories. Information technology's really awesome and you'd be a fool to skip information technology. Afterwards, in that location'due south a two-issue epilogue chosen Annihilation: Heralds , which ties up a loose end in the story. Information technology's a decent read, admitting not essential.

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ANNIHILATION CONQUEST (2007-2008)

Anything did well enough to become itself a follow-up and we're led one step closer to Guardians of the Galaxy existence a thing. Conquest is essentially the Guardians of the Galaxy origin story. It's told in the aforementioned way as Annihilation , more or less. The prologue shows a new threat completely unrelated to what nosotros got in Annihilation , simply on the same level. It'south something that volition spread across the universe and destroy all life if non stopped…if it can be stopped. At the heart of this is Peter Quill, who blames himself for what'southward happening.

Again, we're given 4 stories that run concurrently, then funnel into Annihilation: Conquest . The deviation here is that at this point, Nova already has his own ongoing series, so the Conquest stuff takes place from Nova #4 to Nova #vii . Otherwise, nosotros also get miniseries for Starlord (no hyphen back in 2007), Quasar , and…ugh… Wraith .

Listen, if you are getting these via the single issues and not the trades, information technology'south totally okay to just pretend Wraith never happened. Marvel's been doing a practiced job with it.

As you tin can guess, the Starlord miniseries is a pretty large bargain. Not simply does it put Peter Quill in a leadership part, but it also reintroduces both Rocket Raccoon and Groot. Groot has the same speaking gimmick nosotros know and honey (or y'all hate because you hate fun), but is a flake of a jerk hither. Rocket, on the other mitt, is a fleck more upbeat than what we're used to. Nevertheless, the beloved Rocket/Groot bromance begins hither.

Oh, and Mantis is there likewise. She's kind of a big deal now.

Once Annihilation: Conquest hits its first real issue, we find out who'south really behind the threat. Once more, I won't spoil who it is, but it is someone who is a bit well known to Marvel movie fans, then if you can read it surprised, you should be delighted.

No, it's not Thanos.

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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2008-2010)

Rather than exercise Annihilation 3: Die Darkman Die , Abnett and Lanning become directly to a Guardians of the Galaxy ongoing. The five members from the initial movie are all here every bit well as a handful of other characters. Some nosotros'll surely see in the time to come Marvel movies like Adam Warlock and others who nosotros probably won't similar Problems. Bug's awesome and all, simply I wouldn't hold my breath for him in Guardians of the Milky way Vol. 3 .

Guardians of the Galaxy itself isn't an result, which ways that yous'll have to set yourself for a handful of tie-ins to bodily events. Stuff like Secret Invasion and War of Kings . Despite beingness another infinite-related event, State of war of Kings is something you don't really have to worry about on its own. Just stick with this comic's 25 issues without any real distractions. Information technology's the most straightforward run you'll get on this whole list, so take it in.

Despite the distractions of issue story necktie-ins and time travel, Guardians of the Galaxy still gets to tell its main story, which is set from twenty-four hour period 1 when Mantis tells the reader that there's a traitor in the midst, just she won't tell the team considering she'due south annoying like that. Regardless, information technology'due south a neat run and it's what inspired the idea of giving the team a pic in the kickoff place.

Plus, at that place's fifty-fifty a quick Star-Lord vs. Ronan fight tossed in at that place before anyone knew that would be such a big bargain!

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THANOS IMPERATIVE (2010)

Effectually this time, Marvel had a habit of stealth canceling comics by having them lead into a miniseries so walking abroad once information technology's done. That'due south what Thanos Imperative is to both Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova . The story is what should be the epic finale of the Abnett/Lanning cosmic run at Marvel, but not quite. I'll get to that in a second.

The story has to do with an alternating universe called the Cancerverse. See, many years ago, Marvel killed off a superhero named Captain Mar-Vell and gave him a really sweetness, touching decease told in its own comic back when stuff like that didn't happen so often. In this alternate dimension, Mar-Vell's analogue rules considering Death has been taken out of the motion-picture show. Nobody dies. Life itself is a cancer and it threatens everything. It's such a large threat that Thanos is on the aforementioned side as the heroes.

This one doesn't have the same reading list gimmick as Anything and its sequel. Just read Thanos Imperative: Ignition and so the six-issue miniseries. At that place's an epilogue issue called Thanos Imperative: Devastation , simply don't worry about it. That's a launching point for The Annihilators , another attempt at creating a catholic superhero squad (featuring guys like Silvery Surfer, Ronan, and Beta-Ray Pecker), but that concept never really takes off.

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Consider Annihilators actress credit, if only for the Rocket Raccoon backup stories.

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AVENGERS ASSEMBLE (2012)

Past the time we get Avengers Assemble , the whole Guardians of the Galaxy concept has been practically expressionless and buried. In fact, in that location are some major happenings in Thanos Imperative that completely bear upon the Guardians roster. Brian Michael Bendis doesn't care about such things. He has a tendency to introduce characters in his stories written very differently from where he constitute them. Guys like the Hood, Luke Cage, the Sentry, and so on. He'll brand them well-known, simply on his terms.

His Avengers Assemble run starts out as just an Avengers story, but soon stretches into something more cosmic, giving u.s. the first meeting betwixt the Avengers and the Guardians. Some huge plot points from Thanos Imperative are completely ignored, which rightfully annoyed fans. Bendis would finally get to explaining things about two years later, presumably because he got annoyed at readers bugging him about it. Or maybe he just didn't want it distracting from the initial relaunch for new readers.

This is a real turning point due to how Marvel was getting into full movie hype mode. Not only is this series meant to piggyback onto the success of the Avengers movie, simply it'due south meant to reintroduce the Guardians of the Galaxy so that readers volition be a scrap more interested in their eventual film.

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Information technology as well springboards into the side by side stage…

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2013-2015)

While I've harped on Bendis for his, "yeah, whatever, we're doing this now," storytelling, he'south nevertheless really expert and there'south a reason why he was pretty much Curiosity's top author for fifteen years. His version of Rocket does get a fleck angry and catchphrasey, but I'grand not certain if that'due south Bendis' call or mandated to make him more in line with the then-eventual Bradley Cooper version.

While the roster changes a fiddling fleck, information technology has a rather interesting approach. You lot have the 5 pic characters and the others are attempts to get more eyes on the franchise. For case, early, Iron Man joins the team. It's peachy only for the small-fish-in-a-big-swimming have on him where he's no longer the smoothest, smartest homo in the room and it humbles the hell out of him. Other members of the team include the electric current Helm Marvel (Carol Danvers, the one getting her own pic), Venom, and Angela.

If yous don't know who Angela is, don't worry about it. She's honestly more than interesting due to the behind-the-scenes reasons for her existence in this comic, but that would take too long to explicate. Simply savor her fun BFF relationship with Gamora.

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Of course, information technology would be wasteful just to accept one comic for these guys…

ROCKET RACCOON (2014-2015)

Being the large breakout star of the movie, Rocket naturally got his own solo series out of the deal. While the other members of the team cameo, the book ultimately has lilliputian to do with the Guardians exterior of Groot. Instead, it focuses on the wacky space adventures of Rocket as he becomes raveled in a series of stories that are linked to his secret origins. It stands as its own thing and doesn't tie into the large picture, but if you're a fan of the grapheme, it's worth checking out.

If anything, at least read the fifth result. Information technology'southward a self-contained story with a hilarious gimmick.

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LEGENDARY STAR-LORD (2014-2015)

Too capitalizing on the motion-picture show'southward success was a solo series about the squad's charismatic leader. While not every bit cartoony, it had the same goofball adventuring feeling equally Rocket's book. Peter wrestles with a lot of bug, such as feelings of vengeance, his own greed, a compensation on his caput, and virtually challenging of all, maintaining a long-altitude relationship. It also introduces the revelation that Peter has a half-sis out in that location in the universe, only she had the misfortune of being raised past their father.

Legendary Star-Lord is very light on the Guardians, but it does build towards the side by side big entry on the list.

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THE Blackness VORTEX (2015)

Black Vortex is a mini-event crossover between the X-Men and the cosmic corner of Marvel. As a follow-upward to the Marvel effect Infinity , Thane (son of Thanos) teams up with Star-Lord'due south Earth-hating father J'son. Together, they amp themselves up with the Black Vortex, a special mirror that gives people crazy cosmic powers. Though with great power comes great disharmonize.

The 10-Men, the Guardians, and Nova squad up together to put a end to this and even power themselves upwards. Then Ronan the Accuser gets involved because, what the hell, might likewise have him disharmonism with the Guardians since that's what the movie-going public knows.

Regardless, the chance ends with the reveal of a union betwixt the two superhero teams that will mean much for the Guardians for…well, nearly a year and a half, I guess.

In terms of Guardians of the Milky way and Legendary Star-Lord , it takes place correct earlier the end and only has an epilogue before those books come to a close. On the flipside, it comes towards the beginning of Guardians Team-Upward .

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GUARDIANS Team-UP (2015)

The title sums it up. The Guardians team up with different Marvel heroes in each issue equally told past a different creative team. The first arc has them work alongside the Avengers in the comic book introduction of the motion-picture show-style incarnation of Nebula. Subsequently that, it's the Black Vortex tie-in outcome.

Once that's settled, we get a bunch of done-in-ones. Gamora fights alongside She-Hulk. Rocket works with the Pet Avengers. Gamora swashbuckles with Nightcrawler. Drax tries to heist with Ant-Homo. Silverish Surfer and Groot do mopey space stuff. Star-Lord joins forces with Spider-Human. So to cease it off, Deadpool and Rocket team up to face their mutual enemy Manlike Gomez.

Nothing pressing in in that location, but at least nosotros become to see a panel of Drax wearing Zubaz and a fanny pack.

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GROOT (2015-2016)

Every bit a follow-upward to Rocket'southward series catastrophe, Groot gets his ain adventure. Groot insists on visiting Earth and it doesn't accept long in their trip for Rocket to become captured. From there, it becomes a rescue mission where Groot teams up with three incompetent Skrulls, a robot programmed to pump gas, and obscure Marvel graphic symbol Numinus. Plus the Silver Surfer shows upwardly again.

Not only is this comic hilarious, merely it likewise has a ton of eye, especially when we discover why Groot wants to see Globe and then much. The volume features a new origin for Groot and even retcons how he and Rocket met. Sadly, Annihilation: Conquest is swept nether the carpeting.

I absolutely recommend reading this.

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WHAT IF? INFINITY: GUARDIANS OF THE Milky way

Curiosity released a batch of comics relating to Infinity in one way or another. They gave united states of america some great moments, similar Norman Osborn wielding the Infinity Gauntlet and Black Bolt merging his power with Beauty'southward to annihilate Thanos. Just the most enjoyable one centered around the Guardians.

By the terminate of Infinity , Thanos was imprisoned in amber and the Illuminati secretly held them captive. This story shows the Guardians becoming aware of this, leading to a total-on Guardians vs. Illuminati battle. Not merely is it lifted by Rocket's humorous narration (the panel where he imagines his own cartoon serial is killer), but the ending is both badass and a nice center finger to World'due south heroes.

STAR-LORD (2015-2016)

See, once Secret Wars is over, Curiosity goes full-on crazy with Guardians stuff. Not only do they get another ongoing and a high-concept spinoff, but all the heroes from the first movie get their own comics. While I'll become to the rest in a bit, Star-Lord is the i that feels rather of import. It'southward a follow-up to Humphries' previous run, but essentially tells two stories. The latter is nigh expanding on the background of a major development in the main Guardians of the Galaxy book.

The other is a new look at Star-Lord's origin. Namely, it introduces Yondu into the fold. Yondu's always been an odd duck with the Curiosity Cinematic Universe, since he'southward loosely based on the archer from the original, futuristic version of Guardians. Now we go to come across a film-friendly take on him that exists in the nowadays. Apparently, he'due south the antecedent of the classic hero.

GUARDIANS OF THE Galaxy (2015-2017)

Bendis finishes off his run on the characters and starts off with an interesting roster. Not only is Quill no longer the leader, merely for a comic property that gradually fits into the public perception, information technology now has three team members who we nigh certainly won't be seeing as Guardians on the silver screen any fourth dimension soon. This includes a brand new Star-Lord and, of grade, the ever-loving Thing, who needs something to practise now that Fantastic Four no longer has its own comic.

The series goes potent, merely unfortunately the latter half centers around the garbage fire upshot known as Civil War II . Luckily, this is one of those things where you can read the tie-in story and not take to worry about reading the event story itself. If annihilation, it'southward worth powering through just for the explosive finale.

ROCKET RACCOON AND GROOT (2016)

Skottie Young's wacky space adventures with Rocket and Groot continue, though they never quite achieve the heights of the starting time Rocket series, nor that Groot comic past Jeff Loveness. The offset few problems deals with a story where due to some fourth dimension-and-space weirdness, Rocket and Groot are presumed expressionless while Rocket is an amnesiac space dictator and Groot has carved messages into his bark like the guy from Memento .

Once that's done with, we get a agglomeration of one-shots until Nick Kocher takes over. From in that location, information technology again ties into Civil War 2 , just it's peachy at all, since Rocket and Groot go to team up with Gwenpool. Gwenpool is adept.

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DRAX (2015-2016)

If you're a wrestling fan, the being of the Drax book is rather fascinating. Afterwards CM Punk left WWE because stars similar Batista could but flit in and take the high-contour spots from mainstays similar Punk, Punk'south star ability lands him the ability to write a comic about Batista'south cinematic alter-ego. Regardless, his collaboration with Cullen Bunn has plenty of energy and fifty-fifty leads to the wonderful image of Fin Fang Foom dressed equally a farmer.

Feeling like an outcast among his superhero team, Drax decides to become off and kill Thanos. That doesn't happen due to his ship being a piece of crap and he instead gets roped into an adventure that includes infinite dragons, a redemptive Terrax, gladiator fights, and the return of his onetime sidekick Cammi.

If anything, read information technology for Hepburn's art style. Information technology's fantastic.

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GUARDIANS OF INFINITY (2015-2016)

As nosotros've already established, there are two versions of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Yous have the distant futurity guys who had comics back in the 60s and the more than modern day space team who this list is based on. BUT…what if there was another squad? Permit'south say a grand years ago? Guardians of Infinity is a big eight-issue team-up between all three iterations of the Guardians of the Galaxy. All written by Dan Abnett, one of the fathers of Guardians being such a big bargain to brainstorm with.

Not only that, only each issue has a backup story by a unlike creative team. One of which is co-written past Darryl "DMC" McDaniels. Sure, why not.

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GAMORA (2017)

Fittingly, this series is written by Nicole Perlman, the co-writer of the first Guardians of the Milky way movie. This story takes place in the past, showing how Gamora went from Thanos' puppet daughter to a more than heroic warrior. Naturally, that means Nebula gets to have a presence equally the comic tries its hardest to fit in with the moving picture'due south continuity.

Gamora annihilates the Badoon horde responsible for her people'southward genocide, but to discover that there's a princess hidden away. Gamora seeks her out, partially out of revenge, partially to complete her mission, and partly out of relief of having something to live for.

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ROCKET RACCOON (2017)

Equally a follow-up to the whole Civil War 2 nonsense, the Guardians are temporarily grounded. In fact, Grounded 's the label they use for this and the adjacent entry on the listing. That means we go five bug of Rocket grumbling at how much Earth is the worst planet. Well, "Earth sucks," is the matter he says at least twice an outcome.

Information technology's your average fish-out-of-water story, only with a space raccoon who weirds out every single Earthling he comes across. Bank check it out as he tries to find a way off Globe while complaining about how lame Earth guns are and trying to evade Kraven the Hunter.

Man, Rocket vs. Kraven. How did information technology take us that long to get to that pairing?

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STAR-LORD (2017)

Retrieve that whole fish-out-of-water affair I mentioned? At least Rocket has the excuse of existence an conflicting. Peter Quill was born here. It's only…spending a lot of years in infinite will change your perceptions most home, I suppose.

Now nothing more a random dude on Earth (with a laser gun and cool facemask), Quill becomes aimless and lonely. The only people he tin can confide in are Old Man Logan (due to sympathizing with his plight) and an old human he'due south forced to hang out with every bit customs service. Hanging out with Logan leads to barfights and those aren't smiled upon by the law. Ironically, he starts paying off the fine past becoming a bartender at a supervillain bar.

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ALL-NEW GUARDIANS OF THE Milky way (2017)

By this signal, Marvel has completely gone headfirst into the picture show versions of the team. Not simply is it the primary v, but Groot is at present stuck in his baby grade for reasons. Merchandisable reasons. Back in space, the team is total of mysteries. At that place'due south the same Groot situation, Gamora is more than intense than e'er, and Drax the Destroyer has become a total-on pacifist with no want to kill another living being.

Gerry Duggan is the writer hither and it's the first step in his large, upcoming catholic consequence Infinity Wars . Likewise, another superhero joins the squad late in the series and it'southward some other try to capitalize on the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Duggan run continues into a story arc called Infinity Quest . Groot'southward transformation, Gamora's hole-and-corner, and the recent heists are linked and edifice towards something massive. Something is up with the Elders of the Universe and it's imperative that the Guardians go their hands on the Infinity Stones. While the Guardians join the Nova Corps as part of a new mission, various players go involved to aid prepare Infinity Countdown , which leads to Infinity Wars .

Due to the whole Marvel Legacy gimmick, the run is renumbered at #146 because supposedly that's what information technology would be if Guardians of the Galaxy comics never restarted from #1.

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I AM GROOT (2017)

In this v-issue miniseries, Baby Groot accidentally gets separated from his buddies and falls into a portal. On a new planet, he'southward stuck in a glitchy reality best compared to the Bermuda Triangle. It's there that he goes on a Magician of Oz type of chance where he'south joined by a farmer, a talking dog, and a three-headed adult female where each caput is a unlike historic period.

This one's just plain weird. Cute, only weird.

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ROCKET (2017)

Al Ewing and Adam Gorham team up to give united states of america an at times noirish have on Rocket Raccoon as he gets drunk over a contempo misadventure. Tying into his original comic adventures of yesteryear, Rocket gets hired by then betrayed past his old flame Otta Spice. Opposed by a group of compensation hunters chosen the Technet, Rocket gets some unexpected help from Deadpool, who helps inspire him to set things right and brand the guilty parties pay.

It's a little out there, simply adept fun.

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TL:DR VERSION

Okay, so that was a lot of words. Hither's the short version of the reading guide.

Origin of the Guardians: Drax the Destroyer, Annihilation, Annihilation: Conquest

Initial Run: Guardians of the Galaxy (2008), Thanos Imperative

First Movie Era: Avengers Gather, Guardians of the Galaxy (2013), Black Vortex

Optional: Rocket Raccoon, Legendary Star-Lord, Guardians Team-Up, Groot

Post-Secret Wars: Guardians of the Galaxy (2015)

Optional: Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon and Groot, Drax, Gamora, Guardians of Infinity

Grounded/Optional: Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon

Second Movie Era: All-New Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy (2017)

Optional: Rocket, I am Groot

Everything goes over Gavin Jasper's caput, but you should however follow him on Twitter anyway.

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Source: https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/guardians-of-the-galaxy-reading-order/