The Destroyer never takes a day off.
While hardly the first new series in recent years to spotlight a lone member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Drax does have one unusual selling point. This new series is co-written by former WWE star CM Punk. With fellow pro wrestler Dave Bautista exposing Drax to a much wider audience last year, it’s fitting that Punk would take on the Destroyer as the next phase in his budding career as a comic book creator. This first issue offers plenty of fun and an easy gateway into Drax’s comic book adventures, but it’s hardly the deepest addition to the All-New, All-Different Marvel lineup.
Punk and co-writer Cullen Bunn take a very movie-inspired approach to Drax here. He’s written as a very literal-minded bruiser at a loss for how to conduct himself when the time for destroying has ended. I don’t mind the series leaning so heavily on the film except where the issue of Drax’s vendetta against Thanos is concerned. That’s not really the character’s defining purpose in life in this post-Annihilation era, and dredging it up again seems like a cheap and easy way to get the conflict rolling. But as this is clearly one of those books where the journey is far more important than the destination, this isn’t a huge concern in the end. The writers take a very lighthearted approach to Drax’s world (despite the allusions to his dead family) and craft a book very much at home alongside the recent Rocket Raccoon and Groot comics.
The real MVP of this series right now is artist Scott Hepburn. Hepburn brings a very kinetic quality to his pages. Drax is rendered as a man brimming over with muscle and propelled by a relentless need to smash, stab and otherwise maim everything in his path. In addition to the strong sense of energy in his storytelling, Hepburn’s line-work boasts an impressive level of detail. This is one of those rare cases where the cover shows you exactly what to expect inside.
The straightforward, no-nonsense approach to this issue helps the book in a lot of ways. There’s no tiresome exposition and only a minimum of setup before Drax is sent on his merry way. But it would be nice if the book had a bit more on its mind. So far the story doesn’t seem to be building towards more ambitious than “Drax vs. Cosmic Villain of the Month.” Whether the focus is on Drax’s lingering hatred of Thanos or his perpetual loneliness, there is pathos to explore here.
If all you want from Marvel’s new Drax comic is a fun, lighthearted adventure full of violence and space tomfoolery, this debut issue delivers the goods. The execution is made that much better by Scott Hepburn’s amazingly dynamic art. However, the book doesn’t show much ambition when it comes to dramatic storytelling. There’s potential in exploring the darker aspects of Drax’s life and personality, and hopefully we’ll see this series delve into those areas.
