Fanboys Anonymous

Legendary Star-Lord #9 Cover by Paco Medina

The ancient cosmic artifact, the mirror that can unleash an individual's terrifying potential, is safely back in the hands of the good guys.

Except as we move into the next phase of this story, the good guys are starting to look a little less good.

Gamora and Beast have already submitted to the Black Vortex and come out the other side more powerful than ever. These events have left the Guardians of the Galaxy, All-New X-Men, and Nova arguing over not only their own destinies but the fate of the universe.

As the dust settles and the stand-off resumes in Legendary Star-Lord #9, the third part of Marvel's "Black Vortex" crossover event seeks to unsettle readers by providing some surprising twists. Ultimately, however, this issue doesn't drive much more of the overall plot. Another of the heroes takes the plunge into the Vortex, but beyond this, there is just more of the same squabbling and bickering we saw in the previous issue of the event.

Let it be stated, Sam Humphries does write a fine issue. The rapport, wit, and personalities of the main characters come through in a genuine fashion. Yet this seems to be a bridging issue between the events last seen in Guardians of the Galaxy #24 and whatever comes next. A focus of the last issue and this one—the fighting between Kitty Pryde and Peter Quill—continues to be more forced than I would have anticipated. Either Kitty is being portrayed to be more stuck up and highly strung regarding her charge of the young X-Men or the drama here is a tool for the wider implications of the story.

Behold the power of the Black Vortex!

The art by Paco Medina and Juan Vlasco is tight and focused on the action driving this issue. The art feels as comfortable as it has through the event. Medina's style suits the previous issues, and the colors by David Curiel bring the same tone and setting that we have already experienced in "The Black Vortex." This consistency of art and color has, so far, been a great way to ease through the event and get wrapped up in the story. Without the distraction of dissimilar artistic approaches, the event is being pulled off in a satisfactory way.

The heroes have to put a stop to this...

There is a good sense of pacing in the issue, for what it is worth, in getting readers from start to finish. Medina plays an important role in this, with his panel arrangements leading the story along. The art is not so dramatic as seen in the previous issue of the event, but there is a lot of focus on bringing characters' faces to the fore and establishing a connection with them for the audience.

Angel feels to pull of the Black Vortex

Legendary Star-Lord #9 plays its part in the larger "Black Vortex" event. It isn't an overwhelming performance, more like a supporting role. Despite this, we are set up for the next part of the event, which could bring our heroes head-to-head with Mr. Knife or see them chase the Black Vortex across the cosmos to save the day. The cliffhanger Humphries gives us here leaves a lot of potential to play with.

As we draw to a close with part three of the event, what did you think of this issue? How are you finding "The Black Vortex" so far? Is it living up to the hype? Tell us below or head over to the Fanboys Anonymous Facebook or Twitter and leave a comment. Make sure you come back for the next part of the event with All-New X-Men #38.