I’ve been excited for weeks about the Yondu comic. I fell in love with him after the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. I knew of the character before due to his distinct look in the original Guardians comics, but I didn’t know much. I figured anything in the world of the Guardians should be interesting as it’s a grungier galactic universe more based on blasters and booze than superheroes. This week Yondu #1 hit shelves, and I got to check it out.

Unfortunately, I really hyped up this series in my mind. Overall, I am disappointed with the art, the portrayal of Yondu, and the villain. It’s only the first issue, so I know things could change, but at this point, I’m not really looking forward to finding out. The first issue gives us a strong sense of what a despicable character Yondu is and the low point he’s at in his life. SPOILERS  AHEAD     It also seems to kill off Kraglin, Yondu’s Companion from the Ravagers, without a fight scene. It is Yondu’s series, though, so what essential facts will we learn about the whistling space pirate?

There are actually two Yondus in the series so far, which always makes things confusing. One is the Yondu we know from the movies, and the other is the Yondu from the original comics. They must work together to save the universe and Yondu’s people, the Centaurians. This is a classic case of character from the future coming back to an unwilling or unrealized version of themselves for help. We don’t know much about the Yondu from the future, but the current movie version is a spineless, lowlife, thief. He’s much more likable in the movie. It seems to me that they are going to be combined somehow to become the commanding Yondu with the magic arrow we know from the films.

The art also really didn’t do much for my impression of the comic. It’s similar to the art of Tank Girl or Judge Dredd with the style of Lobo thrown it. It seems to work for those titles, but feels derivative here. The style has the right grit that’s required for a story that takes place amongst the underbelly of the universe but seems to be missing the suaveness or wow factor that you want to see in a space odyssey. The art gets the message across well enough, but I wouldn’t want a poster of it up in my own place.

The villain thus far has only got a few panels. He looks like a big, dumb, violent alien. He is on the hunt for Yondu and the Herald’s Urn, which is a mysterious and powerful artifact. We only see him ruthlessly kill one policeman, but his character just doesn’t stand out. He looks too much like a throw-away Deadpool or Toxic Avenger villain to care about. I am sure he will be dead and not missed before the end of this series.

The Herald’s Urn is the most exciting thing about the story so far. We know it’s sought after and supposedly powerful enough to destroy a world, but that’s it for now. Could it bring a herald or Galactus himself into the picture? Does it grant Yondu some sort of powers? What is it’s origins in the first place?

Hopefully, there is a lot more to Yondu’s story, and we really do get some insight into why he is who he is. This series could have the potential to start off a whole string of connected Guardians miniseries. It could also be support for bringing Yondu into the upcoming Marvel Annihilation Scourge event. I’m willing to give the series one more try to see if they can hook me with some action or more depth on the two Yondu’s. I rate Yondu #1 a 2 out of 5 and recommend it for fans of Tank Girl, Lobo, or the grimier side of the cosmos.