Ahhhhhh, a Guardians of the Galaxy comic written by Bill Willingham.  It’s like slipping into a warm bath.

This issue begins with the delightfully improbable premise of Nightcrawler participating in the 648th Quinquennial Blade-Fighting Championship on a distant planet, only to face off against Gamora in the semi-finals.  This issue is just loaded with fun details, many of which are found in the ongoing narration by the hosts of the televised event, Wendophon of Hin and Huldan Wull of Kreevar Underwave.   For example, when speaking of Gamora’s bouts:

Hul: “But by far, her most impressive battle was her mid-elimination bout against the Vradel Swarm, a community shared-mind creature.  Amazingly, it was determined by the judges to be a single opponent.”
Wen: “Yes, and I for one think that was a bad ruling on their part, Hul.  That swarm thing is not a single fighter by any stretch of the imagination.”
Hul: “The point is moot now.  Not many of them survived Gamora’s knives.”

And it shows Gamora fighting off a bunch of tiny armored purple pixie-things.  It’s nice.  It’s something more than just a bunch of stupid alien mercenaries with space-guns.  My other favorite bit is when Good Morning Empire is interviewing the reigning champion, Kree warrior Haracon the Ghostmaker:

Haracon: “I’m not interested in rehashing tired old war stories.  I’m here to support my charity: Tanks for Tots.”
Bollo Brok: “Of course.  Why don’t you tell us a little bit about your favored cause?”
Haracon: “As you may know, thousands of underprivileged Kree toddlers have to enter their first battle school without any prior heavy armor experience.  That puts them at a severe scholastic disadvantage to children from wealthier Kree homes.  Tanks for Tots sponsors those less fortunate kids to visit heavy weapons proving grounds, to soak up vital early tank and heavy artillery experience.  We give them the head start they need to compete later on a level field.”

I also enjoyed the variety of the opponents — for example, when Nightcrawler faces off against the top Skrull defender, six-time Skrull blade champion Contessa Yuow Yuow Screet (I love these names, it’s not just idiocy like Bibbleglap or X’krr’kxt).  Since the rules allow for one blade per appendage, she’s just a huge bunch of tentacles and swords atop two legs, with some spooky red eyes peeking out from the central mass.  Even better, according to the hosts, “This is an original shape perfected over many years and absolutely proprietary to her.  She calls it Blade Fury and no other Skrull shifter can legally try to copy it.”  But Nightcrawler manages not to overpower her, but to get in close where her own tentacles and swords can’t penetrate, then achieves victory with what the judges deem a killing touch, since they determined “if a kill could take place, it’s the same as if the kill did take place.”  Of course, this judgment becomes more complicated with opponents like Gamora when taking her regenerative abilities into account.

And it’s all just nice.  It’s all these little details that give texture and depth to a story’s setting, even if it’s a wacky space story about aliens swordfighting against each other.  Nightcrawler is clearly enjoying himself in the role of wisecracking swashbuckler, and even Gamora breaks into a smile or two and goes beyond the usual grim, stilted warrior-woman dialogue.  The story leads up to the final bout between Nightcrawler and Gamora, with reigning champion Haracon as a spectator.  In the course of the battle, Nightcrawler reveals his teleportation abilities that he heretofore has yet to demonstrate during the competition; he teleports himself, Gamora, and Haracon in stages up to Gamora’s ship in orbit, in order to capture and prosecute Haracon for his role in the massacre at Fort Resolve, since the only reason they both entered the competition was because they knew Haracon would be there in person.

This issue is everything a fun, lighthearted, inconsequential space-adventure should be.