It’s this Friday, people! The day we’ve waited months for. Years? I’ve lost count. Yes, Friday is the day that Guardians of the Galaxy opens at a theater near you. Never has a comic book movie been so eagerly anticipated. And never has there been one based on a less popular title. I mean, compared to Batman or Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy is an also-ran. It’s not like fans have been clamoring for a movie based on this fairly recent cast of characters. It’s not like Captain America, most of whose fans died of old age before the movie came out. The Guardians have their roots (I’m referring to Groot) in decades-old comics, but this grouping is relatively new to the Marvel Universe, not to mention the Marvel Galaxy. And maybe that’s what makes it great.

For one thing, there are no beloved characters to ruin, no classic continuity to be ignored, no favorite stories to be mishandled. If Marvel Studios screws this up, who cares? On the other hand, if it’s as big a hit as I think it will be, it’s an instant franchise without any of the baggage of X-Men or Fantastic Four. It’s win-win!

To commemorate the occasion here’s a song about Rocket Raccoon, one of the stars of the film. This is an obscure cover version. I forget who recorded the original.

Click to enlarge this way-cool poster.

This is how Star-Lord looked before his makeover.

Click to see this even bigger.

Click the link below and get in the mood for Guardians of the Galaxy!