A great start to an ambitious project. The mysteries of the Black Mirror are teased through a combination of flashback and present experimentation, and while the team has a thrown-together feel, theres something to be said for hitting the ground running. The art looks great, Humphries does a great job of investing the reader immediately in the lovable cast and theres scarcely time to catch ones breath as the action explodes across the page along with an already great cliffhanger ending. Read Full Review

The structure of Guardians of the Galaxy and X-men: Black Vortex #1 may seem confusing, but it throws all the right ingredients into the mix. For a crossover story of this scale, that's important. No cake was ever made delicious by skimping on the frosting. It's safe to say that the first layer of frosting has been spread on this story. Whether it'll add the hot fudge and sprinkles remains to be seen. Read Full Review

The Black Vortex #1 had an explosive start and set the tone for whatever there is to come after that ending which was delivered. A bit shaky in some areas, though gets better by the end of the issue. Clearly things will only get worse before they get better, and some characters seem like thy will be changed either for better or worse. Either way if you're looking for more action and Guardians/X-Men team-ups, then this is the story for you to pick up. Read Full Review

"Black Vortex: Alpha" #1 could have used less explaining and more action. It does have a nice ending and the concept is worthy of cosmic Marvel but more is going to have to happen in "Guardians of the Galaxy" #24 to hook readers. Trust readership more when it comes to following what's happening because spending a $4.99 book to explain a lot of things that could have been done in a couple of paragraphs is not the best way to kick off a big crossover event. However, this is the first issue and this is a solid concept, I believe there's enough of a reason to come back for part two of this event. Read Full Review

From the looks of it, this is another of those villain gets the uber-weapon (cosmic cube, infinity gauntlet, etc.) and tries to take over everything stories, but right now, what seems to me to be the most intriguing thing thats going to come out of this story is the opportunity to see dark, and probably corrupted, versions of heroes we know and love. What scares me after this issue though, is that Gara, the last of the Viscardi, and probably the most interesting part of the issue for me, isnt going to be heard from much, if at all, going forward. I cant worry about that now though, because with this story tying into Nova, Cyclops, Legendary Star-Lord, Captain Marvel and Guardians Team-Up, Ive got some catching up to do. Read Full Review

Marvel is doing its best to hype up this crossover, and by all means, more power to them. I imagine both Guardians of the Galaxy and All-New X-Men are pretty popular books these days, and if Marvel wants to bring them together for a big, fun adventure, then so be it. But unless you're a fan of either comic or of the characters involved, Black Vortex looks to be another mildly entertaining, second tier crossover with all the charm it can muster. Read Full Review

This is the first chapter in a much larger crossover. That means there's ample time for improvement, but readers really need to be given incentive now to keep sticking around. Read Full Review

I read this comic twice. First time was around 11h30 P.M. last night and I actually ended up enjoying it quite a bit. But my brain was completely turned off. I read it again this morning and the critic in me seemed to be a bit more intact and I didn’t enjoy it all that much. So, if you want to get a book that can be enjoyable if you don’t put much thought into it, I would recommend Black Vortex. Sam Humphries does a great job of writing funny banter and goofy characters but aside from that, this book, unfortunately, lacks substance. Read Full Review

This first issue in the Black Vortex event didn't blow me away. At best I found it average, which may be OK in the middle of a 13-part crossover event, but not what I expected right out of the gate. It was funny, action-packed, and featured some solid art, but overall it lacked the gravitas that I think the kick-off issue for an event needs. Future parts may include what I'm looking for and I'm hopeful given the array of writers and books that I already enjoy. I'm a fan of these characters and the current state of Marvel's cosmic titles, so despite any feelings I have for this initial entry, I'm still willing to give this event a shot. Read Full Review

There are some great pieces of artwork in this mishmash of styles. The way McGuinness draws the cosmos is stunning. It's full of stars and at times has an almost wispy, giving it an ethereal quality. It's so minutely detailed you could get lost in it. Read Full Review

And I think that ultimately sums up my issues with The Black Vortex as a whole - it's slapping on a shiny new redesign on Marvel's two B-teams, but lacking any substance underneath to make it to make it really shine. There's a hint of a debate about power and corruption in this issue, but the real appeal of this crossover - namely, watching two distinctive teams with two distinctive voices clash around one another - is nowhere to be found. Here's hoping this storyline will pick up the pace soon. Read Full Review

"Black Vortex" is a fun enough start, but I'm not sure what it adds to either the characters or the 616. So far, the Guardians and the X-Men don't seem to challenge one another outside of good-natured teasing. While this issue made me smile, these types of interactions won't hold my interest through an entire event. Read Full Review

This crossover could be a lot of fun. The opening issue covers a lot of ground and includes a ton of characters. Not being attached to any particular depiction I can't say if the characters are within themselves in this issue but they seemed to be. Generally a decent start to this crossover. It won't be for everyone and if you are curious and don't mind dropping five bucks for thirty pages then gives this issue a try. Read Full Review

Humphries and McGuinness do show their hefty talent, but the overall story meanders and never provides a convincing hook. Read Full Review

The Black Vortex, then, in this storyline, exists in many places in time, and falls into the hilariously incapable hands of Peter Quill and Kitty Pryde, who, along with the other characters in the issue, are drawn by Ed McGuinness (Hulk) to appropriately reflect the YA audience demographic he and writer, Sam Humphries (Avengers A.I.), are apparently writing for. Read Full Review

The introduction to Black Vortex was a bit underwhelming. The story shouldnt really wow anyone and if you are buying this book its because you read one of the characters involved regularly. The art had some solid panels but would be better if it were handled by one penciler if possible. Overall it feels like a gimmick to boost sales rather than tell a decent story. Read Full Review

Five bucks and five minutes I'll never get back.

Couldn't wait for the issue to end.