Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Legacy | 2008 | Dan Abnett | N/A |
| 2 | Legacy | 2009 | Dan Abnett | Buy |
| 3 | War of Kings, Book 1 | 2009 | Dan Abnett | Buy |
| 4 | War of Kings, Book 2 | 2010 | Dan Abnett | Buy |
| 5 | Realm of Kings | 2010 | Dan Abnett | Buy |
| 6 | Rocket Raccoon & Groot Steal the Galaxy! | 2015 | Dan Abnett | Buy |
Guardians of the Galaxy is the 2008-2010 Marvel series by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning that created the modern version of the team familiar from the MCU films. Prior to this run, the Guardians name had been used by a future-set team with entirely different members. Abnett and Lanning assembled their lineup, including Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Quasar, and Adam Warlock, in the aftermath of the Annihilation: Conquest crossover event.
Vol. 1: Legacy establishes the new team and their base of operations, Knowhere, a severed Celestial head at the edge of the universe. The series is defined by its ensemble cast, sharp dialogue, and a tone that balances cosmic-scale threats with character-driven comedy. The War of Kings and Realm of Kings storylines in later volumes tie the Guardians into the wider Abnett and Lanning cosmic Marvel universe alongside their Nova series. Rocket Raccoon and Groot Steal the Galaxy! (2015), included as the final entry, is a prose novel by Abnett set in the same universe. The series ended in 2010 but directly inspired the 2013 film adaptation.