If James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy movie is anything like the current run of the comic book then Marvel and Walt Disney (DIS 1.24%) have another box office winner on their hands, Fool contributor Tim Beyers argues in the following video.
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Tim says the new series is a funny, adventurous space opera with an opening plot that involves each of the major interstellar races of the Marvel Universe. Expansive might be the best way to describe it, Tim says, which makes it ideal for adapting.
Not that Gunn and Marvel Studios aren't cribbing from Bendis' scripts, mind you. Rather, given what Marvel itself says, there's a good chance that Guardians readers who see the film will find themselves in familiar territory.
"Given that much of Hollywood is abuzz with talk of next year's Guardians of the Galaxy movie from our pals Marvel Studios, this is obviously a big launch for Marvel and all the fans of our Cosmic stories," senior editor Stephen Wacker wrote in the letters column of the first issue. Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso, for his part, has described the series as "cinematic."
Either way, fans seem to like what Bendis is dishing. More than 50,000 copies of issues 9 and 10 made their way to shops in December, according to The Comics Chronicles, good enough to rank in the top 30 among titles sold that month. For context, Detective Comics -- a longtime staple for Batman fans -- ranked 27th while Green Lantern, Superman and Wonder Woman, and Thor: God of Thunder all fell just outside the top 30. Add it up, Tim says, and there appears to be a groundswell of fans gearing up for the film.
Do you agree? Will Walt Disney ride another Marvel winner to box office riches? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take and then leave a comment to let us know where you stand.
