Nerd Notes: Why I Can't Wait for "Guardians of the Galaxy"

On August 1st of this year, Marvel Studios will release the film Guardians of the Galaxy.  This excites me.  While I know collective American culture is probably groaning at the idea of a new "superhero" flick, I don't think that is what Guardians is getting set to offer up.  I think many people will be surprised at how "non-superhero-y" this film is going to play.  This film is setting itself up to be more of a space opera in the vein of Star Wars more so than a costumed do-gooder flick in the vein of Man of Steel.

There are many reasons this movie will do well and causes me to rewatch the trailer over and over again.  I'll try to lay them out below.

1. If Guardians of the Galaxy does well at the box office, then the floodgates could potentially be thrown open to the cinematic inclusion of lesser known properties within the Marvel/DC universes.  Even more exciting than that is the idea that even independent comic book properties will get an eyeball from studios.  Marvel and DC aren't the only companies who produce comics, and the idea that a lesser known property like Guardians could achieve box office success gives a chance to properties like...

SAGA!

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FABLES! (Although technically published under an imprint of DC)

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THE UNDERWATER WELDER!

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Or even, X-Factor, a lesser known brand in the X-men family.

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2. The success of Guardians might also make audiences realize that comics are just as diverse as "traditional" novels and other forms of publication.  There is nonfiction, fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, adult fiction, children's comics, etc.  The potential for the medium of comics to tell stories is unlimited.  So, when I see a comic book property have the chance to have real success on the big screen, I get a little excited that comics might come out with a couple of new fans.

For those of you who are skeptical about the potential of comics to tell real and gritty stories that even adults can love, there have already been several successful adaptations of comic books/graphic novels that many people don't realize were based on comics source material.  Let me provide you with a few quick examples.

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3. For a new generation of kids, it will inspire them to create new and novel science fiction.  I remember being a child and loving the Star Wars films.  This lead to Star Trek: The Next Generation, which, in turn, led to comics, which led to Phillip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, Neal Stephenson, Paolo Bacigalupi, and many, many other sources of fantastic narrative sci-fi.

We live in a world where real concrete science is absolutely stimulated by science fiction, so it goes without saying that we should be getting some good entertaining science fiction in front of our tweens and teens.  There's no telling where it could lead them.

Some may argue that it will lead them to their parents' basement collecting rare statuettes and limited edition comic book covers while they argue the merits of Klingon grammar, but I see the potential in science fiction to inspire creative scientific minds to think beyond the boundaries of what is possible.  A film like Guardians of the Galaxy has that potential, even if it comes in a glossy package that makes us wonder if it is really good for us.

In the end, I can only say...come ON, pictures like the ones below are cool!

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There's my two cents on the issue.  I hope to see you all at the movies.