As I’ve been reading more and more Marvel comics I realised that they make a hell of a lot of one-shot novels which has its pros and cons. The pros are that you only ever have to read one novel to get a taste of the character, the cons are that if you like that novel, there’s no more in the series. Nevertheless, Gamora is a pretty intriguing character, so I didn’t mind.
‘Memento Mori’ deals with Gamora’s life just before she joins the Guardians of the Galaxy. Growing up as Thanos’ daughter is tough for Gamora, but when she is given a chance to take revenge against the race who wiped her own out, she gladly accepts believing it will give her heart some peace. However, when it appears that one heir to the throne still lives, she travels to a dangerous planet to seek out the lost princess, not knowing that in turn, she may find something else that means more to her.
As a character in the films, I’m not sure Gamora was ever someone I was remotely interested in, however, this novel changed my opinion. You get to see the real difficulty she has in being Thanos’ adopted daughter, but also the difficulty she has in carving out any semblance of a real identity. The Gamora you see at the end of the novel is so vastly different from the one in the beginning.
The artwork was quite good, I liked the style and I thought that the generally muted colours used for the characters contrasted well with the surrounding scenery. The covers were average; this variant being the only one I liked. Overall, one of the better Marvel one-shots!
Favourite Panel:
She doesn’t make it easy to forget how dangerous she is.
Favourite Character:
It’s obviously Gamora. Some of the best character development I’ve seen from Marvel Comics in a while.
Rating:
Story Arc: ★★★½
Character Development: ★★★½
Artwork: ★★★
Enjoyability: ★★★½
Re-readability: ★★★
Level: Intermediate